Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championship
September 9-12 at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Georgia
Benefiting the Equestrian Aid Foundation and Animal Shelter Rescue
The Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships are this week! With over 700 entries submitted, this could be the biggest horse trials in the world with riders from every corner of North America attending. The shopping will be jaw dropping, with over 50 vendors in the market village. The $25,000 Merial Advanced Division will serve as the final mandatory outing for the United States and Canadian short listers before the World Equestrian Games. Even if you can’t make it to the event, you can follow it online! The media coverage is going to be extensive this year. Keep up with current scores with Live Scoring, and check out Eventing Nation and the USEA website for photos, interviews, video and more! Competitors will be able to view their competition photos on the grounds, too. Shannon Brinkman, Brant Gamma and Hoofclix will be photographing the event while RNS will be armed with video cameras.
A lot of preparation is required before any event, especially one as big as the AEC (did we mention the 700 horses?) We’ve squeezed a ton of important information into this review, so get out your checklist and keep your eyes peeled. More importantly, you should get excited, because this event is going to be amazing! Go Eventing!
Make sure the all the paperwork is complete and scout the competition! Here’s the AEC Entry Status. Ride Times will also be available by September 1. Just in case you need to brush up on a rule or two, no one will judge you for peeking.
The Omnibus Listing has information about hotel accomodations, riving Directions, Division specifications. Click here to order shavings.
There is no charge for general admission or a parking fee, but due to a high volume of traffic, day vehicles will not be allowed in stabling….so you might consider renting a golf cart to get around the Chattahoochee HIlls showgrounds.
Maybe think about splitting the cost with a friend…
RV/Camper Sites are open Tuesday, September 7 to Monday, September 13.
RV/Camper Site Order Form Deadline to apply is September 1. If you don’t have an RV, and love the outdoors, feel free to camp out with no hook-up. It’s free!
We’ve all made sacrifices for our horses, but you won’t regret participating in the USEA Ride Share Program. Give or hitch a ride to the AEC and not only will you save some cash, but you’ll get to meet fellow eventers!
Purchase a Patron’s Pass or Covered Ringside Seating and get the best views of the event.
The Patron’s Tent overlooks the Grand Prix ring, and will be fully catered by City Catering Atlanta from breakfast through lunch, provide snacks and beverages, and be the perfect place to relax and watch dressage and show jumping. Tables for eight people may be reserved for large parties. Purchase tickets for individual days or the whole weekend!
Covered Ringside Seating provides a place to watch dressage and show jumping in the shade. Beverages will be available for purchase. C
ompetitor’s party tickets are not included in either the Patron’s Tent or Covered Rindside Seating packages. Click to
order additional competitor’s party tickets. ***Update*** The event is no longer selling Patron’s tickets through fax or email, however Covered Seating may be purchased in the show office throughout the event.
The
Pooch Paddock is providing a
fully mobile doggie day care service created for horse show dogs, a great option for people who want to bring there dogs but won’t be able to watch them while riding. Contact Alison Kratish, CEO (Canine Entertainment Officer) for more information or to make a reservation. (917) 664-3435 /[email protected] Your pup must be up to date on shots to participate. All dogs not visiting the Pooch Paddock must be kept on leashes!
A big thanks to all the USEA AEC and Chattahoochee Hills Sponsors. Without their generosity, the show would not go on.
2010 Land Rover/USEA AEC Sponsors
Title Sponsor: Land Rover – will be offering a special ride-and-drive program allowing guests the opportunity to test drive Land Rover’s current model year vehicles on purpose-built off-road courses
Legacy Sponsor: Nutrena, Bit of Britain
Advanced Class Title Sponsor: Merial
USEA Gold Cup Sponsor: Adequan
Platinum Level Sponsors: Charles Owen, Broadstone Equine Insurance
Division Level Sponsor: VTO Saddlery
Class Sponsor: Shai Steiner Animals in Primary
Gold Level Sponsor: Omega Alpha, Centaur Fencing, Point-Two, Saratoga Horseworks, The Chronicle of the Horse, Spalding Labs, SSG Gloves, Auburn Labs, Succeed, FITS, Back on Track, Fleeceworks, Finish Line, Dubarry, Equithrive, Flair, Mackinnon Ice Horse
Bronze Level Sponsor: SmartPak Equine, Stackhouse Saddlry, Equinature
Chattahoochee Hills Sponsors:
Title Sponsor: Hennessy Land Rover
Gold Level Sponsors: Equestrian Aid Foundation, Horse-Pro Trailers – Merhow, Jump 4 Joy/Hi-Tech Horse Jumps
Silver Level Sponsors: The Pooch Paddock, Barefoot Wine, ChattHillsHomes, Classic Equine Equipment, Flying Change Equine, Horsepower Equestrian, Idee Design, Jefferson Browne, Triple Crown Feed
Bronze Level Sponsors: EquestAmerica, Hit-Air, Revita-Vet
Jump Sponsors: Classic Equine Equipment, Supple Krunch, Three Runs Plantation
Thank you also to Carl Bouckaert, Honorary Chairman and owner of Chattahoochee Hills, for providing the gorgeous venue! Competitors will have an outstanding staff overseeing the competition. A few key people to know: Event Organizer and Co-Organizer are Ritch Temple and Mindy Friesen, respectively. They will make sure the show runs smoothly. There will be two Technical Delegates available: Ana Shavesande, (R) TX, for Advanced – Preliminary, and Sue Smithson, (R) NC, for Training – Beginner Novice. If you need a farrier, seek out Alan Berardo. And hopefully you won’t but just in case you do need a vet, Dr. Debbie Williamson and Dr. Jason McClendon from Chief, and Dr. Rachel Burleton and Dr. Mike Sigman from Southern Crescent Equine will be on site to assist you. And don’t forget to thank the Volunteers!
Schedule: With over 700 horses to show in three phases, the competition schedule will
be tight, but the USEA and Chatt Hills Teams have planned some special evening activities for competitors and friends (after the horses are tucked in and tended to of course).
Wednesday, September 8
3:00 p.m. Cross-country course open for inspection
4:00 p.m. The USEA and Professional Riders Organizations (PRO) are offering FREE coursewalks for Beginner Novice through Preliminary. Prelim starts at 4:00 with Julie Richards. Training starts at 4:15, Novice at 4:30 with Cathy Wieschhoff, and BN at 4:45.
Everybody meets at the start box!
Evening: Wine and Cheese Pary: Sponsored by the USEF’s Owner’s Task Force – All Welcome
Q & A on Syndication: How to Become an Owner – Presented by the Eventing Owner’s Task Force
Thursday, September 9
8:00 a.m. Dressage: Training, Novice, Beginner Novice
10:00 a.m. Cross-Country: Training, Novice
Evening: Area III Reception: All Welcome
Friday, September 10
8:00 a.m. Dressage: Beginner Novice, Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary
8:00 a.m. Cross-Country: Novice, Beginner Novice
Evening: Competitors Party: Benefit Auction for Equestrian Aid Foundation, Catered by Sean O’Keefe, live band, dancing and great food!
Each competitor receives one complimentary party ticket. Click here to order more tickets $25 each, Tickets must be purchased by Thursday, September 9 at 6pm
Saturday, September 11
8:00 a.m. Cross-Country: Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary
10:00 a.m. Show Jumping: Training, Novice, Beginner Novice
Evening: Twilight Cocktail Hour: Show Jumping for the top twenty-five JR Beginner Novice riders, followed by Awards Ceremony
Pizza Party: All Welcome
Sunday, September 12
9:00 a.m. Show Jumping: Preliminary Advanced, Intermediate
Prizes
Over $70,000 in prize money and $100,000 in prizes will be distributed amongst the Beginner Novice through Advanced divisions. Ribbons will be awarded for 1st through 12th place during an awards ceremony following the show jumping phase of each division. Trophies donated by various kind souls are up for grabs in each division. The Neil Ayer Presidents’ Trophy will be awarded to the lowest overall score of the competition.
The Advanced Division has $25,500 to be distributed among top placed riders thanks to Merial. The Advanced Division is also the designated Adequan USEA Gold Cup Division. The year end champion wins a $10,000 check.
The Arete Trophy, sponsored by Colleeen and Marc Hofstetter and dedicated in memory of R.G’s Renegade, will be presented to the horse and rider in the Advanced Division who is closest to optimum time on cross-country. The recipient will also receive a $250 prize.
The Mark Phillips Pony Rider Awards will be presented to the highest placed Pony Rider in the Beginner Novice, Novice and Training divisions. Click here for Eligibility Criteria
Ovation has returned to sponsor the Ovation Cross-Country Pace Award given to the horse and rider combination in the Training Amateur division finishing closest to the optimum time. The winner of this award gets a slew of snazzy prizes.
A huge list of other prizes will be listed in your USEA AEC Program, which you should be sure to look at for a complete list of ground rules, event staff, and competition info.
I’m so excited! You should be too, so watch this awesome video by the USEA’s Josh Walker, and we’ll see you at the event!
