First order of business: a shout-out to the final round of national champions crowned on Sunday at the American Eventing Championships!
Adequan Gold Cup Advanced Final: Matt Brown and BCF Belicoso (33.5)
Boehringer Ingelheim Open Intermediate: Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle (30.3)
Master Beg. Novice Amateur: Carrie Griffen and Feuertanzer ES (23.3)
Beg. Novice Amateur: Leah Backus and Diamond of Truth (29.3)
Beg. Novice Horse: Holly Payne Caravella and Benjamin Button (25.8)
Beg. Novice Rider: Kathleen Bertuna and Millye’s Mojave (27.0)
Jr. Beg. Novice: Brynn Hershbine and Cadenza Aria (24.3)
Jr. Beg. Novice 14 and Under: Ashley Stout and Deo Volente (19.8)
Congrats to the winners, and to all competitors at large! From riders and their crews to spectators and officials, everyone who attended the 2017 AEC left with the feeling that they’d witnessed something special.
“It’s hard to explain the feeling of the American Eventing Championships when you’re not here, but I think when you watch the smiles of the kids and the pros, and everybody across the board, it’s a really special experience, and I think the word is getting out,” says USEA CEO Rob Burk. “With 755 starters, that’s almost a hundred more than we had last year, and last year was the largest horse trials in the United States by starters in history.”
Showcasing Advanced show jumping as TIEC’s “Saturday Night Lights” feature was a brilliant move.
“Last night under the lights, that for me, for the upper level division, was kind of a dream come to reality, so that was pretty amazing, and at the same time, watching the Novice division finishing up right before that with the stands packed and roaring – it’s kind of that dichotomy of the upcoming rider and at the same time these professionals and upper level amateurs that we want to put in a position of success,” Rob says.
The event also allowed us all a behind-the-scenes sneak peak at the venue of next year’s World Equestrian Games.
“We just love our partnership with the USEA, and hosting the AECs for the second year now is just a real honor,” said Sharon Decker, COO of Tryon Resort and Tryon International Equestrian Center. “This is one of our most special weeks of the entire season. We love eventing and to see our Advanced group today on our FEI WEG course is very exciting. I was standing out there today and thinking about a year from now, we’ll have some of the same riders out there along with many from around the world.”
“We’re thrilled with how the course held up, even in the midst of a tremendous amount of rain, and very pleased with how it was prepared for today’s competition, as well as how the field held up and how the course performed over the last two days in the middle of all the rain,” she says. “So we’re just grateful for a magnificent team here that makes things happen, but so thankful for the relationship we have with USEA and our partnership going forward. I want to thank Allyn (Mann) and the good folks at Adequan and our friends at Land Rover and Nutrena who have made this event possible.”
A big thank-you, once again, to everyone who made this thing possible: the heroes of USEA for putting it all together, TIEC for being such an incredible host, the event’s generous sponsors who showered competitors with prizes, and all the other myriad turning wheels that made 2017’s “feel-good event of the year” the best feeling event in recent history.
As we head back into our daily lives (hopefully with a little cushion — thanks, Labor Day!), let’s enjoy a parting glimpse at the week that was:
And … a cat on a leash, just to keep it real:
Go Eventing.
AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times & Live Scoring, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram
