Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Emma Gray for Atalya Boytner Photography.
Tamie Smith has won four-star eventing competitions around the United States in 2026 to become the second Series winner of the US Equestrian Open, and she added a victory in her home state aboard Danito — and placed second on Spiro P — in the first FEI competition she’s done this year in California at the Twin Rivers Fall International. Smith has spent the majority of the season based in the UK, competing as an individual for the U.S. team at the FEI Eventing World Championships in August as well as at several four-star competitions in the UK. She recently returned to her southern California home base.
Other highlights from Twin Rivers International – September 18-20 in Paso Robles, CA: Made By Leontine EB and James Alliston continued their nearly flawless record in 2026 to win the three-star, as did Prince of Oolde and Amber Birtcil in the two-star.
Smith won the CCI4*-S with Ruth Bley’s 17-year-old chestnut Hanoverian gelding Danito (Dancier x Wie Musik), picking up right where they left off in their last competition together when they won the CCI4*-S at Tryon in North Carolina in May. At Twin Rivers, they had the top four-star dressage score of 26.3, picked up two rails on William Robertson’s show jumping course, but retook the lead with clear jumping in the fastest cross-country round on Morgan Rowsell’s four-star tracks to finish with a score of 46.3.
“I’m really pleased with Danito,” Smith said. “It’s so easy now. We’ve done so much together, and so it’s really awesome. The show jumping wasn’t what I ideally loved, but I think William designs a very technical track, more so than what we’ll ever see even in championships. So, it’s good practice for us to have that type of technicality and makes for some real challenging courses that I find to be exciting and beneficial.”
Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.
Danito’s first four-star came at this same event in 2019. By contrast, Spiro P, on whom Smith finished second with a score of 51.1, only moved up to the level this year and had his first clear cross-country jumping round at the level at Twin Rivers. The chestnut gelding registered with the Anglo European Studbook (Spiros Z x Ugomein) is just 9 years old. Smith’s student Megan Sykes has also competed the horse owned by Donna Wallace.
“He jumped out of his skin [in show jumping], and then [on cross-country] he just skipped around it like an old seasoned pro, which he’s not, so it’s always fun when they do that,” Smith said. Twin Rivers’ CCI4*-S was also a step forward in the career of third-place finisher Baratheon, a 14-year-old chestnut Trakehner gelding (Holster x Bewitching Mist) owned by The MDB Syndicate and ridden by Madeline Backus. Like with Spiro P, Baratheon had his first four-star cross-country round with clear jumping.
James Alliston and Made By Leontine EB. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.
In the CCI3*-S, Alliston and Made By Leontine EB were the only pair out of 15 to finish on their dressage score, which was 30.8. They also won the level at the 2026 Twin Rivers Spring International and have added blue ribbons at Intermediate in events at Twin Rivers and at Woodside in California this year as well.
“He seems to be really consistent and confident with lots of good results,” Alliston said. “You’re always working on little things. With a view to stepping up to Advanced, you’re just hoping it feels really easy and everything is comfortable.”
Alliston and the 9-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood gelding (Scuderia 1918 Casago x Jackpot E.B.) owned by Arnell Sporthorses have finished first or second in 15 of their last 16 USEA-recognized events, with their only blemish to that streak coming when a lost shoe knocked them out of the CCI3*-L at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Montana in July. This was their first competition since, and they’re eyeing a move up to four-star in 2027.
Amber Birtcil and Prince of Oodle. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.
Birtcil and Prince of Oolde made the move up to two-star and won their eighth event in a row. They were one of only two in the field of 14 for the CCI2*-S to finish on their dressage score, which was
29.1.
“A horse like this just spoils you,” Birtcil said. “He is just so easy, and he comes out and delivers every day. He’s just so lovely to ride, and he shows up in spades every time he comes to compete.” She will aim the precocious 6-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ibolensky x Aurora J) to the USEF/USEA Developing Horse National Championships for 6-year-olds held at the two-star level at Morven Park in Virginia in October and also plans to enter Picasso (High Shutterfly x Athene HBC) in the 6-year-old championship and Orpheus (Gerardus x Hiewitta) in the 7-year-old championship held at the three-star level.
It will be Birtcil’s first time traveling to the East Coast to compete since 2019. “I feel like I now have a solid string of horses and am excited to get out there and get going again,” Birtcil said.
Tamie Smith and Kareena K. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.
Smith captured Twin Rivers’ CCI1*-S with Kareena K (Cash and Carry x Namur III) with a score of 30.5.
Katy Robinson and Nite Cap. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.
The final USEA-recognized event at Twin Rivers Ranch in 2026 will be the USEA YEH West Coast Championships & Last Chance Qualifier from Oct. 22-24. The YEH qualifiers that Twin Rivers hosted at the Fall International went to Birtcil and Sigur (Pommerol De Muze x Glinn) for the 4-year-olds and to Katy Robinson and Nite Cap (Contenda x Happy Hour) for the 5-year-olds. Then, the popular Halloween Derby and Combined Test on Oct. 25 will wrap up the year of eventing at Twin Rivers Ranch.
