Jr. Beginner Novice champions Ella Robinson and Fernhill Fearless des Terdrix. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

That’s a wrap for the 2018 American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena! A final round of winners were crowned on Sunday here at the Colorado Horse Park. Check out our Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced Final recap here (go Tamie Smith and Mai Baum!); for Intermediate and Beginner Novice, you’ve come to the right place. Once again we have the hardworking USEA/Colorado Horse Park press teams to thank for chasing down the winners of each division to collect their reflections on the week.

Intermediate 

Charlie Tango is used to being an AEC Champion having won the honor a whopping three times: Preliminary in 2014, Intermediate in 2015 and once again at the Intermediate level today. With all that experience, Heather Morris was able to ride Team Express Group, LLC’s 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Shannondale Sarco St. Ghyvan x Our Queen Bee) to a perfect weekend. The pair added nothing to their dressage score of 25.8 to win wire-to-wire by over five points.

“He was great. I was a little rusty actually, I hadn’t ridden in three weeks because I threw my back out, but it all worked out in there,” said Morris.

Morris and ‘Chuck’ came into show jumping with a rail in hand, but they didn’t even need it as they easily cleared Marc Donovan’s course. “He was weird at the liverpool at Rebecca Farm, so I was a little worried about that, but he jumped great. I had a few errors, but he handled it well. It was lovely to be in the International Ring here, and the course was lovely. He loves the crowd and the atmosphere so it went well,” said Morris.

Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Bella Mowbray and Ruth Bley’s En Vogue, a 2005 Hanoverian mare (Earl x Laurena), added a single time penalty to their dressage score, but were still able to hold on to the reserve champion title. “My highlight was definitely cross country,” said Mowbray. “It was a real championship course. It was pretty imposing. I looked pretty technical and big and it rode really beautifully. I was just really proud of my horse. She ate it up.”

“It’s a long way home, about 24 hours, but thankfully we had a great weekend,” continued Mowbray, who traveled from California to compete at the AEC. The journey was a bit closer than the 2017 AEC in Tryon, N.C., where Mowbray and En Vogue finished fourth in the Preliminary Horse division.

Third-placed Erin Kellerhouse had never been to the Colorado Horse Park before, but she was connected to it. “My husband has been,” explained Kellerhouse. “He organized a two-star here 20 years ago. He was really impressed with the changes. I was impressed too, not even knowing what it was before.”

Kellerhouse and Woodford Reserve, her own 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tinarana’s Inspector x Laharns Laughton), started the weekend in second place, but some time on cross country dropped them down to fourth. However, a double clear show jumping round boosted them up to finish in third. “He’s a really good show jumper and I knew if I didn’t mess up, we’d go clean. He’s really careful and he gives me a lot of confidence in there because he’s brave and careful and he just does his thing,” said Kellerhouse.

Novice Horse 

The Novice Horse division welcomed yet another victory for California native Tamie Smith, as the fierce competitor took to the final show jumping phase with the MB Group LLC’s 2013 Oldenburg gelding MB MaiStein. The duo scooped up the tri-colored ribbon after landing on 28.1 total penalties.

“The stadium round today was fantastic,” Smith said. “He’s a little over-qualified for the show jumping because he’s so good at it. He was a little up in there and the lines are almost a little tight for him, so I had to kind of wrangle him in. His stride is naturally huge, but he’s so careful and such a good boy. I think I cross-cantered a few turns, but he’s five so it happens. I was just really pleased with how he handled the pressure. He’s just a good boy.”

Smith intends to move MaiStein up to Training level after the conclusion of the AEC, and said she will end the year on that note. “Next, he’s going to go compete at Training level, and then he’ll do the Young Event Horse Championships at Fair Hill and then probably finish the year with a Training level three-day.”

Tamra Smith and MB MaiStein. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Colorado’s own Madeline Backus was named the second-place winner, after she rode Reflektion’s Rio, Lynn Roberts’ 2007 Swedish Warmblood gelding (Reggasoni x L.A. Baltic Reflektion), through the timers to also finish on a dressage score of 29.5. “We love the AEC,” Backus said. “I’m from Colorado so it was wonderful for it to be so close to home this year. Thanks to everyone for having it here and for running such a great event.”

Backus has been competing in England for the past six months, but was thrilled when she discovered that the timing would work, and her AEC schedule was set. “This horse has been in training with my mom for about three years,” she explained, “and I’ve been away in England for the last six months so I hadn’t ridden him in a little while. My mom kept him going and it worked out timing wise for me to bring him here. He’s been a really fun horse to work with. He came from a dressage background and then seemed keen about the eventing and really took to it. It’s been great working with him.”

Third-place was rounded out by Whitney Tucker Billeter of California, who also kept a tight grip on her dressage score of 31.0. She galloped to the finish aboard Bill’s Midnight Magic, John Herich’s 2004 Hanoverian gelding (Espri x Rena Ramzi). “It’s been a super fun weekend here at AEC,” concluded Tucker Billeter. “I just want to thank this horse’s owners for allowing me to compete him here this week. It’s been wonderful to have the ride on him, and get to learn from him, and play with him. He’s just a really cool horse.”

Junior Novice 

Amanda Boyce of California and Mercury, her own 2006 Welsh Cob gelding, went into today’s show jumping sitting in second place and maintained her competitive edge to finish on top of the Junior Novice division. “My trainer and I have a system, which is zip (forward), counter bend, steady, and then quick — we’ve been practicing that a lot,” said Boyce.

She continued, “This is my first AEC and my first time at the Colorado Horse Park. It’s a really huge facility and I love it. My favorite memory of the AEC is everything about it! My horse was perfect throughout the whole show. We met a few of our goals and the victory lap was really cool!”

Amanda Boyce and Mercury. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Julia Brittain of California aboard her own Haiku, a 2012 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Sir Donnerhall, fell from their first-place rank coming out of cross country to finish in second. “I think it was the best he’s jumped all year,” Brittain said. “There was definitely a lot of pressure going in, but he’s jumped incredibly so I was happy with him. We did have a rail, but it happens. He was forward and he was focused. He was attentive, so I was happy with the outcome.”

Madison Boesch and her own Seamless, a 2009 Warmblood mare, moved into third on 33.3 with a clear cross country and show jumping round. “It was my whole crew’s first time here,” Boesch said. “It was a really cool experience coming here. My favorite memory of the AEC is how hard my horse tried for me. Even though sometimes I got her into some harder spots, she tried her hardest and jumped out of it. Today, I just tried to keep ‘Felicity’ in a spot that she could jump out of, and if we get in a hard spot, just trying to help her out as much as I can.”

Novice Amateur

Colorado native Erin Contino maintained her three-phase lead, concluding the week with a blue ribbon in the Novice Amateur division aboard her own Handsome Ransom, a 2012 Thoroughbred gelding (Desert Warrior x St. Casmir’s Secret), on their dressage score of 25.8.

“My plan going into stadium was to be patient and keep my nerves under control,” Contino commented. “But in warm-up, I didn’t have very much horse, everything was just really dull, almost overly quiet. I just had to focus on keeping him in front of my leg, even if I didn’t see my distance. I just had to focus on keeping him coming, while I was sorting it out. I guess it worked out. I got a little lucky, but sometimes luck goes your way. He’s ready to go home and take a long nap!”

Erin Contino and Handsome Ransom. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Michelle Meghrouni of California and Swizzle, a 2011 Holsteiner mare (Blauer Vogel x Swiss Detail), maintained their grip on second-place from start to finish on a score of 27.0. “This AEC has been a good challenge,” Meghrouni said. “It was good, it’s all been very fun. We had more trouble on cross country than I expected, but overall, my mare was good. She got over everything and she really stepped up.”

Third place was awarded to Texan Savannah Welch and her own Langcaster, a 2009 Oldenburg gelding (Languster x Galiffi), who climbed up the leaderboard from eighth place after dressage to end on 29.8 penalties. Of the final phase Welch said, “My horse likes to get a little wild in show jumping and he likes to drag me down the lines. So, getting a nice, steady rhythm, that was even throughout the course was really important, and he did that, so it was great.”

Novice Rider

Anna Howell and her own Bodacious Affair, a 2003 Thoroughbred/Shire gelding (Kaeson’s Tuxedo Affair x Exclusive Ballerina), steadily climbed the leaderboard all weekend, sitting in third after dressage on 25.2, adding nothing to their score on cross country to move into second, and finally jumping double clear this afternoon to take home the win.

Howell was one of the riders who was unable to ride at their scheduled time on Friday due to the rain delay and ultimately performed her dressage test on Saturday morning. “It worked out for us,” she said. “He’s pretty easy. He’s kind of the same, every time he comes out. I think he would have put in just as good on Friday. I was a little upset with myself in dressage. My canter departs weren’t great, so I got a little bit hard in my hands. He reacted worse to that, instead of me softening. I would have ridden a little bit better in our dressage test, if I could do something differently.”

“The cross country course was awesome,” she continued. “I loved it. I liked the variety of the terrain. I was fun to have more of a challenge with going up hills and down hills, and using the terrain, versus an open course.”

“My favorite part about the AEC was all of the people that I met,” Howell shared. “I was on the Adult Team Challenge. For being at the bottom of Area IV, I actually don’t compete in it very often, so I don’t know many people in my Area and [this weekend] I got to meet so many people from my area and make new friends. Obviously the win is great, but everyone was so friendly, and [I enjoyed] the camaraderie.”

Anna Howell and Bodacious Affair. Photo by
USEA/Jessica Duffy.

The Reserve Champion title went to Julie Kuhle and her own Orion, a 2008 Appaloosa Sport Horse gelding (JS Ebony N Ivory x Lucinda), who finished on their dressage score of 26.0. “It’s been so much fun,” said Kuhle of her AEC experience. “This has been on my bucket list for two years with him. I’m going to retire him after this, so this couldn’t be better.”

“Neither of us have competed in an AEC, so we came to Parker,” Kuhle continued. “We’re from Iowa, so it was close enough to go. I’ve had horses qualify before, but then something would happen, as it does with horses. We came out on Tuesday. That was a really smart decision. We worked lightly on Wednesday, a little harder on Thursday, and by Friday, both of us were okay. Adding that extra day was really important.”

“The cross country course was fun and exciting,” she said. “My strategy going into stadium was to try and keep him under control and be smart. Try to ride smart. I wish I hadn’t had to circle three times on cross country to get him under control, so if I could do something differently, maybe I’d only have two circles. We’re going to do fun stuff in his retirement, but he’s done competing.”

For Cassie Boehm, traveling to compete at the AEC with her mother’s Alera Imperia, an 2008 Canadian Thoroughbred/Clydesdale mare (A Prayer for Peace x Tequila), was the trip of a lifetime. “This mare was bought to be my mom’s trail horse and maybe a Starter level packer,” Boehm said. “When I took over the ride we thought, ‘Oh, maybe it’ll be fun to do some Beginner Novice, maybe Novice on her.’ She just has more heart than any horse I’ve ever sat on in my entire life.”

Beginner Novice Amateur 

Cami Pease came all of the way from Washington D.C., and represented the East Coast well, finishing in first place with 24.5 penalties aboard her own 2000 Belgian Warmblood gelding, Vibrant. “You can’t ever count on anything,” said Pease, “but we are both very comfortable in the arena and I could tell that he was having a lot of fun. If I ride fine, he’ll take me around. Cross country is our hardest battle. Both of us started out in the equitation ring, so we can do flatwork, that’s all fine, but cross country still makes us a little nervous.”

When asked what her favorite AEC memory has been, Pease concluded: “A clean Cross-Country round, that has to be my favorite take-home memory!”

Cami Pease and Vibrant. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Second place finisher Kelly Green of Texas piloted her own Woodstock Classic Rock, a 2009 Thoroughbred gelding (Rock Slide x Sally Q), to a final score of 28.5. “My favorite moment here this week,” she said, “happened today! I thought it was one of my best rounds, and jumping the last fence was great.”

Green got “Theo” a little over a year ago from off of the race track. “We’ve grown together,” she continued. “We both had confidence issues out on cross country, and we’ve worked through those. My trainer is Angela Bowles, and we worked really hard and are just so pleased that our effort is paying off!”

Erin McLeod and her own My Maria, a 1998 Thoroughbred mare (Maria’s Mon x Steppin Early), moved up from sixth place after dressage to fourth after a fault-free cross country, finishing their weekend with the yellow ribbon and a score of 30.5. “I’ve had Maria for about 12 years,” said McLeod. “We’ve had a lot of injuries. I’ve always wanted to get to the AEC, and I’m just so excited to be here. We made it, and it’s all come together. We’ve worked so hard to be here.”

Beginner Novice Rider

The Beginner Novice Rider division was championed by Tricia Leslie of Colorado and her own Inate Dignity, a 2006 Thoroughbred gelding (Subordination x Indygo), as the duo finish atop the division on a score of 27.3.

“I was not expecting this victory, but it’s really wonderful,” exclaimed Leslie, who lives just down the road from CHP. “It was so nice to have the AEC in our backyard! It’s hard for us to get out East, so it was fun for us to have the opportunity to do this. I just got back into eventing!”

Tricia Leslie and Inate Dignity. Photo by USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Area V rider Patti Champion, of Texas, guided Invincible, her 2009 Thoroughbred gelding, to second place on a 32.2. Lindsey Kahn of Minnesota  and Seoul Sister, a 2010 Thoroughbred/Connemara mare (Firebee x Limerick Lace), collected third place on a final score of 33.3.

Champion agreed with Leslie’s compliments about the excitement of a Midwestern AEC. This was the mother of four’s first time competing out of her Area, and the weekend ended on a high note for her and her mount. “Vince and I have been together for two years, so we’ve worked really hard to get here. We’ve just had so much support from the kids, and my trainer and my husband,” she said.

Champion continued, “This is my first AEC, and the first time I’ve ever competed outside of Area V! The whole trip has been incredible with the weather, the facility is great. It’s just been an incredible weekend, and I appreciate Vince for taking such good care of me.”

Kahn also found herself at the top of the leaderboard after a consistent week of competition, moving up from 11th place after dressage to third following both a fantastic cross country and show jumping round. “It’s just been an awesome journey learning to trust each other. She’s a very brave mare, so I always have fun with her at competitions so riding her here is a huge honor,” said Kahn.

Beginner Novice Horse

Alexa Ehlers and Clear Laveer, her own 2006 Hanoverian gelding (Rascalino x Hauptstutbuch Wincenta 2), led the Beginner Novice Horse division wire-to-wire on their dressage score of 27.4.

“I have loved the AEC [this year] because I’ve been able to spend time with my family and my friends,” Ehlers shared. “I grew up in Texas and then I moved to Kentucky, so I haven’t seen a lot of people in five or six years. This is my first AEC! When I was in college, I went to try and go. I had a Preliminary horse that was actually here [this year] with a Preliminary junior rider, but I broke my back the day before we were supposed to leave. It just never worked out. It’s cool that it finally worked, and it worked like this.”

Ehlers said that she thought Marc Donovan’s show jumping course “was perfect for the level. The ring has a little bit of a slope and so you had to think about how the terrain was going to affect their step and there was enough room to make choices, whether you added or took one out. But you had to take into consideration what the terrain was going to do.”

What’s next for Clear Laveer? He’s heading to Atlanta to be with Ehler’s older sister. “I was always chasing her as a kid,” said Ehlers, “and then she went to college and rode and then got a little bit tired of it (it’s a lot!). She’s been adulting and she just graduated from law school, yesterday was her last day of classes, so we’ll take him down to Atlanta and let her have some fun with him.”

“I definitely got the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows,” she said, “in here show jumping with this horse and out there with my Advanced horse, Amistoso, on the cross country course, but that’s eventing!”

Alexa Ehlers and Clear Laveer. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Sophie Mueller and Dawn Holmes’ 24Karat Magic, a 2011 Australian Stock Horse gelding by Icewood’s Cadabra, moved up from third place to second with a faultless round, finishing on a score of 29.6. “The AEC were fabulous,” said Mueller. “They were a lot of fun and they were in my backyard, so I didn’t have to travel far. We live at 8,500 feet, so we didn’t have to do anything special to condition them. They are pretty fit naturally and we’ve felt fine.”

“The biggest thing I would have changed was that I wouldn’t have picked [at] him down to a few fences,” Mueller reflected. “I probably should have just trusted him more and let him jump, but he got me around. He saved my butt.”

Nicole Hatley and Aspen, Cherye Huber’s 2013 Mecklenburg gelding (Levisonn x Cimberley), finished on their dressage score of 30.0, moving from fourth to third after today’s show jumping competition. “The AEC were a lot of fun this year,” she said. “It was a lot of fun to get to come. It was a long trip from Texas, but it has great scenery, the weather’s been great, it’s been beautiful and other than the altitude sickness, everything has gone really well.”

Of all the challenges a rider can face at a horse show, Hatley said that the altitude has been her biggest obstacle. “I’ve been sick all week and it’s been kicking my butt,” she shared. “I’ve been here to ski before and I had to be put on oxygen and put in the hospital. As far as the horses, we always keep our horses really fit, we do conditioning with them on a regular basis, even if we’re not going to be at altitude. We always make sure they are ready.”

Reflecting on her weekend, Hatley said she would have pushed for a bit more in the dressage if she could go back and do it again. “I would have asked for one more step from that left front in dressage, and we probably would have had it in the 20s. We were so close to having a square halt, and we were just off by that much, but that was the only thing I would change. He was fantastic. He was actually locking on to bigger fences out there, he’s ready. My favorite memory is getting to go around in the victory gallop. This is the first time I was at the top of the pack at an AEC!”

Junior Beginner Novice

Ella Robinson and Fernhill Fearless des Terdrix, her own 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Nabab de Reve x Untouchable), waited patiently in the wings all weekend on their dressage score of 30.3, moving from equal third to equal second after cross country and taking home the win with the cross country time closest to optimum time.

Thirteen-year-old Robinson said that cross country is her favorite phase “because it’s so much fun. I love all of the different jumps. I really liked this course. It was way different than what we’re used to. It was really fun. My favorite part of the course was going down the hill to the log jump.”

“Stadium went really well,” Robinson reflected. “It went really smoothly. I did everything according to plan. We are moving up to Novice at the next show, so I’m really excited for that.”

Ella Robinson and Fernhill Fearless des Terdrix. Photo by Leslie Wylie.

Maya Pessin and This Bird, her own 2009 Thoroughbred gelding, sat tied with Robinson and ‘Fearless’ all weekend but were nearly 40 seconds faster on cross country, putting them in the Reserve Champion position on the leaderboard at the end of the competition.

For Pessin, this weekend was one of firsts. “My favorite moment was realizing that we went double clear for the first time. This is our first time at an AEC. I hope to come back, we’ll see. I wouldn’t really do anything differently. I felt really well prepared for the AEC; my trainer made sure we were on our A-game this entire weekend.”

Haley Miller and Mr. Melvin, her own 2011 Thoroughbred gelding (Compromise x Leona’s Hope), held the lead through the first two phases of competition but a single rail in show jumping dropped them back to third place. “I thought the course today was really good,” she said. “I liked it. I wish I wouldn’t have held him back so much, so he had to exert himself to get over the jump, and knock it down.”

What’s next for Miller and Mr. Melvin? “After AEC, our plan is to practice harder and to come back next year. I’m probably going to do Novice next year.”

Click here to view a full list of results!

Go Eventing.

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

 

Reason #238 to attend the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena: seriously pretty ribbons. Who even wants a boring old blue ribbon when you could have one of these … I don’t even know what places these are.

Photo by Leslie Wylie.

You came, you saw, and you conquered, and now it’s time to show off the spoils of your AEC quest. Show us your ribbons, EN!

So proud of this hard working girl! Way to ride 😘

A post shared by Kelly Jacobson (@mamakjake) on Sep 2, 2018 at 2:21pm PDT

That’s a wrap for the 2018 American Eventing Championships 🎉🐎💕 We are so proud of Chestnut Oaks Drummer Boy for doing all that was asked of him with such style! Today in stadium jumping, we dropped the second to last fence, which gave us a 5th place finish in the AEC Beginner Novice Horse division. Drummer Boy, “Romeo” will be taking home some well deserved goodies and loot. Thank you to the USEA and the Colorado Horse Park for hosting such a great event and working around the weather to keep everyone safe! With the AEC’s contributing to the 5 events now under Romeo’s belt, we can’t wait to gallop through the rest of the season ❤️ #aec2018 #americaneventingchampionships #colorado #horseshow #drumhorse #idha #championship #useventing @useventing @goeventing @coloradohorsepark @_usea_

A post shared by Taylor Marie Lindsten (@tmsporthorses) on Sep 2, 2018 at 2:02pm PDT

Well they ended on their dressage score, this mare can jump! Ended in 11th in JR Training division at @aec2018

A post shared by Djost (@momma.jost) on Sep 1, 2018 at 8:28pm PDT

9th out of 23!!!! So proud of this mare. We easily ended on our dressage score… what an awesome ending to an awesome weekend

A post shared by @ bhequestrian_ on Sep 2, 2018 at 12:43pm PDT

The Otter Trotters rounded out an AWESOME weekend at the AECs. Grace Simpson and Pony finished the weekend 7th in the training rider division and Noä Crowley and Farah were 8th in the beginner novice horse division. Both riders had beautiful dressage tests and went double clear on both jumping days! Be sure to congratulate them when you see them on campus! Great work you guys!❤️💛 #OCET #whoopwhoop

A post shared by OCET (@otter_trotters) on Sep 2, 2018 at 12:30pm PDT

Yay!!! En Vogue won the Reserve Champion Intermediate Horse at the 2018 American Eventing Championships #AEC2018 adding just one time fault to her dressage score. Huge thanks to Ruth Bley for the opportunity to work with such an incredible horse, Alyssa Dobrotin for the world class grooming, my incredible sponsors @voltairedesign_official @revitavetofficial @freejumpsystem @freejumpusa and my team and clients back home for making everything run so smoothly. Also huuuuge thanks to Yves Sauvignon for the constant support and coaching and @tsmitheventing for taking me under your wing this weekend. #stoked #USEA #USEF #winallthethings #EVisonfire

A post shared by Bella Mowbray (@mowbray_sporthorses) on Sep 2, 2018 at 11:29am PDT

AECs are a wrap! So much to say about this week, I wouldn’t even know where to begin right now, and will post more details on my Lodestar Page; but we finished with both horses having beautiful double clear show jump rounds this morning! I am just thrilled with them and feeling so excited for the future. To everyone who has been involved in me getting here, thank you doesn’t begin to cover it!! @mjaten so excited to be on this journey with you and your very special, sweet and talented boy!! @_baayle_ the best groom, thank you sooo much for all of your hard work this week! . . . . . #aec #prestigesaddle #olsonstack #makeyourdreamsreality #eventing #holsteiner

A post shared by Jenny (@lodestar_training) on Sep 2, 2018 at 10:04am PDT

Congrats to @cannonzemannon & #rockwallhillseqcenter school horse Judicial Review (Cannon) for finishing 12th at the AECs in Jr Novice. So disappointing that they would have WON, but made a silly timing error confusing optimum time with speed fault time and coming in way too fast yesterday. From now on I will be triple checking that my students know the optimum time, even you experienced ones. #lifelessons #americaneventingchampionships #pegasuseventing #winnersinmybook

A post shared by Ellen Doughty-Hume (@ellendoughtyhume) on Sep 2, 2018 at 8:57am PDT

View from the top. #aec #eventing #horsesofinstagram #traininglevel #clouds

A post shared by Mary Paschall (@mjpaschall) on Sep 1, 2018 at 4:54pm PDT

And that’s a wrap for AEC’s! 😃💙 So proud of this guy for bringing home the bacon!!! #AEC2018

A post shared by Mallory Stiver (@hugoboss.eventing) on Sep 1, 2018 at 4:30pm PDT

Had a blast coming out to Colorado for the American Eventing Championships to help our girls! Congratulations on super riding ladies, and good luck to Savannah Carter and Hailey Weber tomorrow! #teamequites #masteringallthediciplines #antares #ippos #havenshorsefeeds #soleaequestrian

A post shared by Alex Biederman (@alexmbee) on Sep 1, 2018 at 4:04pm PDT

Not the round I was hoping for today but still 5th in the nation with my best friend ❤️

A post shared by Rosie Smith 🌹 (@rosetheginger) on Sep 1, 2018 at 3:53pm PDT

Yay Ruth! 3rd in the Preliminary Amateur division at the #AEC2018

A post shared by Bella Mowbray (@mowbray_sporthorses) on Sep 1, 2018 at 3:37pm PDT

Bella and I had an awesome weekend at the American Eventing Championships!! We didn’t quite have the dressage we wanted but rocked XC and Stadium to land in 6th!! The Area V Adult Rider team we were part of also won 3rd!! I’m so proud of how far we’ve come together, she is quite the amazing horse!!! 🐴💖😁 (PC: Harley Cozewith) #Bella #irishsporthorse #whatahorse #Glendhu #eventing #lovethismare #AEC #nationals

A post shared by Grace Hallett (@grace_hallett) on Sep 1, 2018 at 3:10pm PDT

❤️👑🐉

A post shared by Lauren (@laurenjost.eventing) on Sep 1, 2018 at 2:07pm PDT

Errrrrrmahgosh! FRANKIE IS A 🌟 and look at this amazing group of people that came to celebrate with us! #aec2018 @goeventing @useventing #jointhejoy

A post shared by McKenzie Rollins (@mckenziehorseypants) on Sep 1, 2018 at 12:04pm PDT

Such a great weekend. Love this boy so much. Finishing reserve champ was more than I could’ve asked for. Proud is an understatement 💕 #aec2018 @useventing

A post shared by Sam Kelly (@sam_kelly_eventing) on Sep 1, 2018 at 11:20am PDT

Well done — congrats to all! Go Eventing.

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

The first 2018 AEC champions were crowned today! Shown here: Jr. Training winners Madison Santley and Excellence. Photo by USEA/Leslie Mintz.

The American Eventing Championships is no ordinary event. There’s no hierarchy of prestige here: Every last competitor earned his or her place on the entry list, and nobody’s journey was easy. At the AEC, Beginner Novice is just as important as Advanced. While the jumps may be smaller or larger, the obstacles competitors faced to get here — whether it’s the adult amateur working mom who rides at 5 a.m. because it’s the only time she has, or the professionals who risk everything to hedge their bets on a dream — are all worthy of our respect, and all the riders worthy of our admiration.

That’s why, instead of just focusing on the upper levels, this week we are striving to shine the spotlight on all the championship divisions. But we can’t do it alone — the AEC is simply too expansive.

The comprehensive AEC coverage EN has shared this week would not have been possible without the media teams of the USEA and Colorado Horse Park, who have been working feverishly to make sure each and every division gets the attention it deserves. Even at this moment, with the competitors’ party in full swing just outside the media center, they are hunkered down at their laptops, writing and editing photos, all in the name of sharing AEC rider stories and celebrating their successes with the larger eventing community.

Thank you Leslie Mintz and Jessica Duffy of the USEA, and Kim Beaudoin and Kristin Rashid of the Colorado Horse Park. Teamwork makes the dream work!

And without further ado, here is your sprawling 5,400-word recap of Saturday’s AEC action! (View Advanced here and Beginner Novice here.)

Intermediate

Heather Morris and Charlie Tango. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

>Heather Morris of California and Charlie Tango, the Team Express Group, LLC’s 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Shannondale Sarco St. Ghyvan x Our Queen Bee), jumped around the cross country course clear to continue to lead on their dressage score of 25.8.

“The cross country course was just beautifully done by Tremaine [Cooper] and his crew,” said Morris, “so my hat goes off to them for a job well done. The rain that we had last night made the footing absolutely perfect. It was really, really nice so the horses were quite quick.”

Intermediate completed their dressage phase on Thursday, but inclement weather shut the event down on Friday before the group could run cross country. Despite the day off from competition, Morris stated that ‘Chuck’ “felt better than ever” when he ran early Saturday morning. “Not running yesterday wasn’t a hindrance,” she said. “I’m sure it helped the footing and the horses were fresh to go this morning. It was good for them to be able to run on amazing footing today, so we are really happy.”

Bella Mowbray of California and Ruth Bley’s En Vogue, a 2005 Hanoverian mare (Earl x Laurena), are 2nd on their score of 30.5, followed closely by Julie Wolfert and Iowa Lot of Money, her own 2011 Thoroughbred gelding (Fusaichi Pegasus x Lion N Cheatin), on a 33.1.

Preliminary Amateur

Julia Spatt and 5o1 Macintosh. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Julia Spatt of Arkansas and 5o1 Macintosh quietly stalked the leaders all weekend, sitting in a respectable tie for seventh place on a score of 34.3 following dressage and then moving up into second place after adding just 0.8 time faults on cross country day. Finally, Spatt and her own 2010 Belgian Warmblood gelding turned in a double clean show jumping round this afternoon to take home the title.

Her familiarity with the venue served her well, as Spatt was able to adequately prepare 5o1 Macintosh for the challenge. “We did a lot of trot sets and gallop sets to get conditioned. We have a nice hill at the farm, so we did a lot of nice slow gallops, up a slow, gradual hill, to make sure he was fit and prepared for the altitude. I felt like my conditioning program paid off, he felt very good yesterday.”

“It was really exciting to come back to the AEC this year,” said Spatt, who competed in both the 2012 and 2018 AEC. “I’m actually from Colorado. I’ve been living in Arkansas and it was really fun to come back to my home turf and compete at the AEC, and especially to have such a good result. It was quite a homecoming. I love showing at CHP. It’s always been one of my favorite venues.”

Spatt said, “Show jumping can tend to me my Achilles heel for competing. I was trying to keep mentally calm and keep a rhythm and let him do his job.”

Second place went to Erin Hofmann and her own Darkwatch (Royal Academy x Without), a 2008 Thoroughbred gelding. The pair moved from fifth to first with a double clear cross country round and dropped back into second-place after pulling a single rail in show jumping.

“The AEC has been wonderful,” said Hofmann, for whom the Colorado Horse Park is home turf. “I’m from Utah and have a bit of home turf advantage. I’ve been coming here for a long time. I didn’t really think about the altitude being an issue for some people, but when I got here I heard a lot of people talking about it, but we didn’t really feel a difference.”

Hofmann enjoyed the course that Tremaine Cooper put together. “I loved the big, bold gallops on the course. There were big tables and then you had really coming back and do something technical. It really kept you on your toes.”

Ruth Bley and her own 2005 Selle Francais gelding Rodrigue Du Granit (Robin II Z x Delight Gee) started and finished the competition in third place, dropping back to fourth after cross country with 6.0 time faults, but moving back up into third with a flawless show jumping round.

“It’s been great!” said Bley of competing at the AEC. “It was a lot of fun. This is a great facility. I have loved the trails that we could ride on. We got here on Sunday and we hacked around and tried to acclimate our horses that were coming from [sea level] to altitude. Actually, I think the horses did better than I did. We forget that we need to acclimate, too.”

“On cross country I had to remind myself to breathe,” Bley continued, “but my horse came off and acted like it wasn’t bad. I was like ‘Oh, I could have kicked you harder!’ It’s a very different course than we’re used to because there’s not a lot of track so, I actually got lost, which is why he has time penalties. I stumbled around for a while out there. If I could do it again, I would go walk that part of the course over and over and over again.”

Preliminary Rider

Whitney Tucker Billeter and Karvaleo. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Places shifted and changed once more in the Preliminary Rider division, which saw Californian Whitney Tucker Billeter guide her own 2011 Irish Sport Horse gelding Karvaleo (Kanna x Finod Cavalier) to the blue ribbon. The duo earned a collective score of 70.3. “This is my first AEC and it’s beautiful here. I want to come live here during the summer!” Billeter exclaimed.

Due to yesterday’s inclement weather, the Preliminary Rider division was sent back to the barn before they were set to run cross country. The group resumed on Saturday morning, and then contested their final phase later in the afternoon.

Billeter explained, “I just had to work a little bit harder to get him in front of my leg in the warmup but he answered everything. We had a little bauble. I got too tight coming into a combination and pushed him into the B element, but never got organized. If I had to do anything differently it would have been to ride the 9AB a bit better so I could be more organized to get him into the water. He felt tired warming up twice yesterday and then doing cross country and show jumping today. Luckily he has had practice. He’s a really cool young horse that I’m super excited about.”

Travis Atkinson of Utah rode Don Darco, his own 2009 Zweibrucker gelding (Damarco x Gong Lee), to second place on 74.7 penalties. Of his overall weekend, Atkinson said, “It didn’t go as planned, but it was alright. It was a tough cross country course that eliminated a lot of our division and we were the only two left when it came to the show jumping. It was mine to lose.”

Junior/Young Rider Preliminary

Madelyn Floyd and Clementine. Photo by USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Rails were falling in the Junior/Young Rider Preliminary division, but each of the top three had one rail apiece so their placings remained unchanged. Madelyn Floyd led the victory gallop aboard her own Clementine, a 2009 Hanoverian mare (Carrico x La Belle), making her journey from Washington State well worth it. “She’s a really good jumper, so I tried to stay out of her way,” said Floyd. “I tried to give her her head, let her do her thing, and keep the tempo the same.”

The penalties were hard to track, so Floyd wasn’t sure if she had a rail in hand when she cantered into the ring. “Show jumping is our hardest phase, so I just tried to relax and jump a good round. She was great. I couldn’t have asked her to be any better. I made a mistake at fence two but she was awesome.”

Floyd and Clementine finished on a 33.5 which was good enough to take the win over reserve champion Camryn Holcomb and Michaela Holcomb’s Cloud Nine, a 2005 Thoroughbred gelding. Like Floyd’s Clementine, Holcomb said that show jumping isn’t the best phase for Cloud Nine. “He can be pretty tense,” said Holcomb, who hails from Kansas. “He’s small and he’s shaped so weird, so if you ride him normally that’s when he pulls a rail. You have to go really slow, take your time. I was trying to breathe and stay calm. I knew we could do it. We’ve had double clears before, so we just tried to take it in stride.”

Rounding out the top three was Callia Englund and her own Xyder, a 2010 Cheval Canadien gelding (D D D-Cromwell Prince 2 I x Cosyland Start Kandi). “The AEC was so fun,” said Englund who traveled from Washington State. “I’m so glad we made the trip up here. It’s my first time to the CHP and the AEC.”

“The cross country course was difficult! He’s such a good boy on cross country. He just ate everything up and had a lot of fun with it,” said Englund.

Preliminary Horse

Tamra Smith and Fleeceworks Ghost. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Yesterday’s course was influential in the Preliminary Horse division, which gave Tamie Smith the opportunity to climb up the leaderboard into first. Once Smith had the lead, she wasn’t letting go of it and a double clear show jumping round secured her win. Riding Judith McSwain’s Fleeceworks Ghost, a 2012 Irish Sport Horse/Belgian Warmblood mare (Dhannondale Sarco x Riverlon Mist), Smith finished on her dressage score of 29.0.

“Ghost is just a sweetheart,” said Smith. “My daughter has been riding her and producing her. In the victory gallop they even congratulated her, which was so exciting because she did all of the work! I just sat there on her. She’s just such a professional, so good and careful.”

She continued, “She was a little tired today from yesterday because she’s not as bold as the other horse, but she tries her heart out and she’s careful and you just keep on going.”

Second-place was captured by another California native, Gina Economou, riding Lauren Rath’s 2005 Thoroughbred gelding (Devil His Due x Synful Maid), who also finished on their dressage score of 30.4. Of her experience at CHP, Economou said, “They did a fabulous job here. It’s so nice to have an AEC that is in the Midwest and to have one that we could make it to. It was wonderful this year.

“I came out with the expectations to put in some solid dressage and cross country, which is kind of his forte. He met every expectation that I set and went above that. He jumped very clean and I’m so proud of him. Basically, his owner got pregnant, so I got to ride! It’s beautiful here. We haven’t been here in a long time, so it was really nice to come back.”

Smith also claimed third-place in the Preliminary Horse division, this time aboard MaiBlume, the MB Group LLC’s 2010 German Sport Horse/ Thoroughbred mare (Sir Schiwago x Free Lady), also concluding on a dressage score of 31.9. Of her second Preliminary Horse mount, Smith said, “She was absolutely super. Super rideable, she had a very beautiful round, I was really proud of her. Still full of energy, she’s never tired. She’s spicy so sometimes she can get a little funny in the lines to get to the next jump, but today she wasn’t. She was super and I couldn’t have asked her to be better.”

Smith credited CHP and its facility as a valuable asset to the training of her competition string. “It’s so fun to come here and have both of them do so well. I love the ring. It’s so nice to be able to have those green horses handle that kind of atmosphere.”

Training Horse

McKenzie Rollins and Excel Star Lord. Photo by USEA/Leslie Mintz.

As the first division champion to be crowned at the 15th annual AEC, Training Horse winner McKenzie Rollins was nothing but smiles as she galloped around the Coors Arena in her lap of victory. “It’s just such an honor to be able to come here in the first place,” she said. “To compete at such a beautiful venue, to make the trek out from California, with my best friend. It was just so fun. It’s a dream come true.”

Rollins moved from first place after dressage into second place after cross country with her own Excel Star Lord, a 2012 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Non-Stop x Korea B), then clinched the victory on a score of 34.9.

“He’s still quite young,” Rollins said, “so I really wanted to take my time to produce him, to not skip over anything. It’s really important to me that he’s happy and comfortable to do the job and that I’m not over-facing him with anything and I feel like this is just such a feather in his cap. He’s my first young horse that I’ve brought along and it’s been really fun. He’s such a pleasure to ride. He’s so lovely and he’s so kind and enjoys the work, which makes it that much more worth it.”

Second-place was awarded to Sam Kelly of Minnesota aboard Robinstown Ballivor, her own 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding (Watermill Swatch x Coevers Dock). The pair made a comeback from fifth place after cross country to end on 37.5 penalties.

“It was a great weekend,” said Kelly. “We traveled 20 hours, so it took forever for us to get here and we’ve been here since last Saturday.” Of her weekend, she said, “Dressage, he was amazing. He had a couple spooks, which is kind of unlike him, but with cross country too, he was amazing. We had time, which was a bummer, but he’s a strong jumper, so I knew he had it in the bag. It was just a strong overall weekend.”

Idaho’s Attila Rajnai rounded out the top three with Maximus de la Tombe, his own 2012 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Esperanto van Paemel x Fidji de la Tombe), earning a score of 39.9. Commenting on his horse’s overall performance, Rajnai said, “The dressage test was very good. He felt like he was pretty relaxed for him. He’s still a very young horse, so I thought he did a good job. On cross country he was a little bit stronger than I wish he had been, so it took me a little time to prepare for the jumps and I feel like that cost us a little time. In the last phase, he was very tight as well so through one turn he got a bit discombobulated and had a rail, but all in all I’m very happy with his performance.”

Junior Training

Madison Santley and Excellence. Photo by
USEA/Leslie Mintz.

The Junior Training division concluded with Madison Santley of California, who moved to finish on top of the podium aboard Excellence, a 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Vaillant x Wolinda), after clear rounds in both jumping phases. 

Santley and her mount finished on their dressage score of 31.7. She said, “This [AEC] has honestly been one of the best experiences of my life. It took a long time to get out here. We had a bumpy road, but he was so good. He was an angel and I love him with all of my heart. I couldn’t have asked for a better horse and a better week.”

Colorado native Cora Severs rode Cuervo, Stacey Severs’ 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Judgement ISF x Alexis Titty 11 Z), to the reserve championship on their dressage score of 35.6. “I had a great AEC experience,” Severs said. “I’ve qualified every year, but this is the first time in four years that I have been able to go. Overall it went really well. I wasn’t able to ride him for two weeks leading up to the event, as I was at college, but all in all, he listened very well and I had a great time.”

Madison Flanders of Oregon finished in third place with Michele Flanders’ Arwen II, a 2008 Thoroughbred mare (Silver Patriarch x Sally Smith), on a final score of 35.8. “I’ve had the greatest AEC experience,” Flanders said. “It’s really cool that it was close, here in Colorado this time. We usually can’t go because it’s on the East Coast. The whole entire weekend was really fun, especially cross country. We went a little bit too fast, but it was so much fun, I don’t even care! My mare was just perfect the entire time.”

Training Amateur

Linda Quist and Belle Gambe. Photo by USEA/Leslie Mintz.

Linda Quist of Colorado led from start to finish aboard her own Belle Gambe, a 2004 Iberian Warmblood mare (Temerario VII x Mojave), in the Training Amateur division, finishing on a score of 27.3.

“I had a wonderful experience here this year,” Quist said. “This is my third AEC, I rode in Novice, Training, and now Training again. I thought the cross country course was fabulous, I had a wonderful time out there. Going into the last phase, all I could think of was ‘Leave the rails up please!'”

Texan Cherye Huber and her own Sam I Am, a 2006 British Sport Horse gelding (Cameo’s Reflection x Castle War Rebel), captured third place with a total score of 34.2. This is Huber’s fourth AEC and the time surrounded by her fellow competitors was one she will remember fondly.

She said, “I always love the AEC. It’s always such a festive group. Riding in the Amateur division, we always cheer each other on. I love it here. We had a nice trip and loved the cross country.”

Dawn Robbins of California and her own Diablo Tejano, a 2003 Thoroughbred gelding (Sandpit x Soar Like An Eagle), earned second place on a score of 31.1. Of her inaugural AEC, she said, “The AEC has been the time of my life. I’ve had so much fun. I’ve heard about it for years and we’ve qualified for many years, but it was always too far away for me. I got this chance to come to Colorado and just had to grab ahold of it. I’ve enjoyed being with all of the competitors and the facility is beautiful. The course was challenging, but not overly so. It was a real championship course.”

Training Rider

Tracy Alvez and Romulus. Photo by USEA/Leslie Mintz.

The AEC is to be Romulus’ last competition, so it is only fitting that he went out on top. Luckily, he and owner/rider Tracy Alvez put in a double clear show jumping round to hold o to their overnight lead and win the division. “The show jumping course was so fun,” said Alvez of the Dutch Warmblood gelding (Contango x Divottii). “My strategy was to keep him in front of my leg. He sucks back really easily.”

Alvez came into the AEC with Romulus in top-notch condition, but also was prepared to withdraw him at any point. “He kept telling me ‘No way, Mom, we’re going,'” said Alvez. She worked hard to prepare and ensure that Romulus was in ideal condition and ready to take on the competition at his age. “I’m really glad we did our conditioning in the heat of the day,” said Alvez. “In California, where I live, we don’t have the opportunity to train at elevation. We train at about 100 feet above sea level, which is nowhere near 5,280 feet.”

Jessica Maranto used her home field advantage to take home the reserve championship in the Training Rider division. “I liked having the AEC here this year because I live about five minutes from here,” said Maranto. She and Czardus, a 2007 American Warmblood gelding (Sweet’s Lucky Moondancer x Cadence), made a steady climb up the leaderboard throughout the weekend. They sat in seventh on a 32.8 after dressage and added nothing to that score in either jump phase.

Third placed Cindy Pavusko, who finished on her dressage score of 34.1, had a bit longer of a journey than Maranto, coming from California. “This is my first AEC. It was such a great experience and such an amazing opportunity to be able to come here and compete,” said Pavusko, who rode her own Sir Walter Raleigh, a 2007 American Warmblood gelding by Call Breeder. “I love it here. It’s beautiful. It’s HUGE! I’d never been here before, but my parents have and I was not expecting such a big venue. The course was a lot of fun.”

Novice Amateur

Erin Contino and Handsome Ransom. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

In the Novice Amateur division, the top three riders held on to their placings. Erin Contino of Colorado and Handsome Ransom, her 2012 Thoroughbred gelding (Desert Warrior x St. Casmir’s Secret), earned a 25.8 yesterday in dressage to lead the division. Contino said she felt very pleased with her steady mount as she guided him faultlessly around the cross country course.

“When I walked the course,” said Contino, “I thought it had a lot of turns, so I thought it might not ride as fluidly as I wanted, but it actually rolled really well. He hit a rhythm right out of the gate and we didn’t really have any issues. He’s a really honest horse, so I’m very lucky in that he tends to just know that his job is to get to the other side. He does that without questioning me, and he stays very straight, very honest.”

Moving into the final jumping phase tomorrow, Contino has one plan, and she’s sticking to it: “I am really going to work on keeping my nerves in check and not get impatient.”

Michelle Meghrouni of California and Swizzle, a 2011 Holsteiner mare (Blauer Vogel x Swiss Detail), sit in second place on a score of 27.0. The third place pair, Lorilee Hanson of Washington and Hypnotik, her own 2011 Warmblood/Thoroughbred gelding (Montego Bay x Trelawny), are half a point behind on a 27.5.

Junior Novice

Julia Brittain and Haiku. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Yesterday Julia Brittain of California, riding her own Haiku, a 2012 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Sir Donnerhall, earned a 29.2 for first place. They jumped clear and inside the time today on cross country to maintain their impressive lead.

“I didn’t think much about the cross country course when I walked it,” said Brittain, “but riding was much different than what I expected. I was a lot more tough than I had originally anticipated, and was a harder ride than what I’m used to. My horse is young, but he hasn’t felt that green in a while, so I was a little unprepared for how he ended up acting to things like the ditch and a few of the combinations. I felt like I had to ride it a lot harder than I had initially expected to.”

Brittain also noted that show jumping is her hardest phase, so tomorrow will be the ultimate test for her. “Show jumping is definitely the phase that makes me the most nervous,” she said. “When I get nervous it hinders his performance, so I think that I just have to stay calm and keep him energetic while moving forward.”

Amanda Boyce, also of California, and her own 2006 Welsh Cob gelding Mercury (Machno Carwyn), sit in second place on a score of 32.3. Madison Boesch and her own Seamless, a 2009 Warmblood mare, moved into third on 33.3 with a clear round.

Novice Horse

Tamra Smith and MB MaiStein. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Tamra Smith sits in yet another top place position moving into Sunday’s show jumping phase in the Novice Horse division. This time she’s aboard MB MaiStein, the MB Group LLC’s 2013 Oldenburg gelding, on a score of 28.1.

“He’s ready to go Training and he’s looking to go to the Young Event Horse Championships,” said Smith of her young mount. “He’s such a bright talent for the future. He’s 80% Thoroughbred and is an unbelievable horse. His gallop is tremendous and he just has a great mind. He put a perfect test out and came out to cross country and jumped beautifully. It’s just so fun to produce them from three-year-olds. He used to be really nervous about ditches, so we came to the ditch and didn’t know what was going to happen. He just popped over it and that is so fulfilling to see him grow up and do his job perfectly. I’m just so proud of him.”

Colorado’s own Madeline Backus is sitting in second on her dressage score of 29.5 with Reflektion’s Rio, Lynn Roberts’ 2007 Swedish Warmblood gelding (Reggasoni x L.A. Baltic Reflektion). Whitney Tucker Billeter of California is also heading into tomorrow’s final phase on her dressage score of 31.0, holding third place, and the reins of Bill’s MidnightMagic, John Herich’s 2004 Hanoverian gelding (Espri x Rena Ramzi).

Novice Rider

Chris Kawcak and Maggie Belle. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

The Novice Rider division saw a new combination rise to the top of the leaderboard as Colorado’s Chris Kawcak and his own Maggie Belle, a 2003 Canadian Warmblood mare, took over the lead after cross country. They head into the final phase tomorrow on a score of 25.0.

“I grew up riding team roping horses and I just started riding her about three-years ago,” said Kawcak, whose wife Erin Contino is currently sitting atop the Novice Amateur division.

“Because Erin has been an eventer for years, we just started competing too. We’ve had some pretty good success over a period of time. The mare has been great. She’s really good at dressage, but she’d never done cross country until just a few years ago. She’s very ‘lookie’ but as long as it’s a confident ride, she’s great. She’s fun and she’ll never owe me anything.”

“We’ve competed here for the past few years and around the Midwest as well. I thought the course today was good. It was a little different because it had a lot of turns on it and a great set-up, but the mare went out and was awesome. I was really proud of her because there were a lot of things to look at.”

Kansas native Anna Howell piloted her own 2003 Thoroughbred-Shire gelding (Kaeson’s Tuxedo Affair x Exclusive Ballerina) to second in the standings, with a score of 25.2. Julie Kuhle of Iowa and her own Orion, a 2008 Appaloosa Sport Horse gelding (JS Ebony N Ivory x Lucinda), sit in third on a 26.0.

Beginner Novice Horse

Alexa Ehlers and Clear Laveer. Photo by
USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Alexa Ehlers of Kentucky and Clear Laveer, her own 2006 Hanoverian gelding (Rascalino x Hauptstutbuch Wincenta 2), cruised around clear out on cross country to lead on their dressage score of 27.4.

“It was fun!” said Ehlers. “It was good. He came out not 100% focused and understanding what his job was, but then as he went along he figured out the game and he became way more confident. That was the goal. I was pleased. By the end he was cantering up to everything, not even looking at them. He had a big peek at the ditch and the gully. I was really proud of him. It’s cool to have that kind of a relationship built up now. He tried really hard!”

Of the course, Ehlers said, “I thought the course was perfect for the level. Just challenging enough. It seemed like good questions for the level. It was really cool how they used the terrain to make it more challenging.”

Taylor Lindsten of Arizona and Chestnut Oak’s Drummer Boy, Claudia Channing’s 2007 Shire gelding (Clononeen Romantic Traveler x Steege’s Beth), remain on their score of 25.0 for second place, followed closely by Sophie Mueller of Colorado and 24Karat Magic, Dawn Holmes’ 2011 Australian Stock Horse gelding by Icewood’s Cadabra, on a score of 29.6.

Junior Beginner Novice

Haley Miller and Mr. Melvin. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

When the dressage leader of the Junior Beginner Novice division ran into some trouble on cross country, Haley Miller and Mr. Melvin were ready to step into the lead with a double clear round. Miller and her own 2011 Thoroughbred gelding (Compromise x Leona’s Hope) sit on a score of 29.1 heading into show jumping.

Miller does not have a rail in hand tomorrow, which spells some pressure in the final phase: “Going into tomorrow my goal is just to trust him; he’s going to do great!”

“Both CHP and the AEC are amazing!” said Miller, who is from Texas. “My dressage test was okay. I didn’t think that it was the greatest, but, he’s just Melvin. He’s a good boy! I liked the cross country course. I thought it was pretty straight forward. It rode like it walked. There were some spots that he was green, but I just gave him a push and we got over it.”

Sitting on a 30.3 and in a tie for second are Californian Maya Pessin and This Bird, her own 2009 Thoroughbred gelding, and Texan Ella Robinson and Fernhill Fearless des Terdrix, her own 2010 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Nabab de Reve x Untouchable).

Beginner Novice Rider

Tricia Leslie and Inate Dignity. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Beginner Novice Rider was one of five divisions that were not able to complete yesterday due to the weather, so the riders performed their dressage tests this morning before setting out on cross country this afternoon. Tricia Leslie of Colorado and her own Inate Dignity, a 2006 Thoroughbred gelding (Subordination x Indygo), held the lead following dressage on 23.3 and added nothing to their score on cross country.

As show jumping is their toughest phase, Leslie has a plan for success for tomorrow. “Our Achilles heel is the stadium phase!” she confided. “The plan is to just make sure that he’s really in front of my leg and to give him as much support as he needs. It’s kind of a fine line, so I hope we are able to find that for him so I’m not pushing too hard. He’s a good boy.”

“You never know [how your test is going to to],” said Leslie, “so when I came out I was like, ‘Gosh, that felt very good.’ It went better than I expected. Going into cross country, I didn’t want to get it over with, so I was totally ready to go. The course was pretty straightforward, so there weren’t any big surprises.”

Fifth-placed Liz Reilman and her own Diamondexpectation, a 2004 Thoroughbred gelding (Valid Expectations x Appeasement), moved up to second place on their dressage score of 29.8 following cross country. Sixth-placed Sarah Sousa and Black Tye Affair, her own 2002 Thoroughbred gelding (Haymarket x Gone Lady), also jumped up the leaderboard into third-place on 31.5 after putting in a double clear round.

Beginner Novice Amateur

Cami Pease and Vibrant. Photo by USEA/Jessica Duffy.

Washington D.C.’s Cami Pease and her own Vibrant, a 2000 Belgian Warmblood gelding, dominated the Beginner Novice Amateur division today and lead on a score of 24.5. They have a rail in hand heading into show jumping tomorrow. 

“Cross country was really good,” said Pease, “really fun, big, open, nicely set up and well designed. Gorgeous scenery. He was bold, confident, and positive. That’s what I wanted.”

Looking to the final phase of competition, Pease just hopes to successfully maneuver the track. “Show jumping is actually my favorite phase,” she said. “That’s where I’m most comfortable and cross country is where I’m most nervous. I’m the opposite of most eventers. Now I feel like the hard part is over. Tomorrow I’ll go in the ring and just go around. Sit up and put your leg on, that’s all you have to do.”

Kelly Green of Texas piloted her own Woodstock Classic Rock, a 2009 Thoroughbred gelding (Rock Slide x Sally Q), to second place on a score of 28.5, while California resident Nikki Lloyd and Wil’ya Dance, a 2012 Hanoverian gelding (Wild Dance x Paloma Paz), sit third on a 29.3.

More to come tomorrow!

[2018 USEA American Eventing Championships Presented by Nutrena® Feeds Crown First Divisional Winners at The Colorado Horse Park]

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

AEC’s Friday 🐎🐎🐎🐎 #teamequites #teamequitesaec

A post shared by Equites Riding club (@equites.riding.club) on Aug 31, 2018 at 4:25pm PDT

Can’t wait for AEC helmet cams to start showing up! Have one? Send the link our way at [email protected]. 

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, is a video worth 1,000 pictures? Mmmmm. However that measures out, cross country is much too dynamic to capture in a photo. Here are a few of your Instagram videos from the run-and-jump phase of #AEC2018 at the Colorado Horse Park!

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In case you were feeling particularly athletic today. #aec2018 #crosscountryjumping

A post shared by Natasha Daigle (@natasha.m.daigle) on Sep 1, 2018 at 9:26am PDT

Super proud of @fleeceworks Ghost & MaiBlume today over a true championship course. Ghost leading a big division and Sweetie is a close 3rd.

A post shared by Tamie Smith (@tsmitheventing) on Aug 31, 2018 at 6:19pm PDT

Morning fun at the #americaneventingchampionships #aec #advanced #chp @shadanigans13

A post shared by Janelle Day (@jrday12) on Sep 1, 2018 at 7:42pm PDT

Such a fun weekend at the AECs!! We started out with scoring a 33.8 in dressage (even with my dumb rider error) putting us in third overnight 💃🏻 Cross country was double clear and he felt amazing, keeping us in 3rd. Sadly I wasn’t riding like I usually do for stadium and we pulled a rail, dropping us to 5th. I’m so so proud of us, considering I haven’t ridden in almost 3 weeks because of college and the marshmallow hadn’t jumped in about the same amount of time. Good boy Seamus ❤️ • • • #eventing #horses #scopey #haltcanceratx #coloradohorsepark #AEC2018 #eventer #irishsporthorse #xc

A post shared by Rosie Smith 🌹 (@roseeventing) on Sep 1, 2018 at 5:08pm PDT

so thankful for this horse who can easily take my nerves away and make me smile the entire course!! hoping for a strong stadium round tomorrow ❤️ love this guy more than anything ❤️❤️

A post shared by Kg & Jr (@kg_eventer) on Sep 1, 2018 at 4:53pm PDT

Good boy today!!

A post shared by Samantha Hollow-Bist (@gallopfarm) on Sep 1, 2018 at 4:51pm PDT

It’s been a fabulous week at the AEC’s, more updates soon, but Ballinamurra Concilla and Patrickswell Royal both finished up the competition today taking 6th and 4th. I’m super proud of these mares and how far they’ve come.

A post shared by Lizzy Jahnke (@lizzyjahnke) on Sep 1, 2018 at 4:16pm PDT

Xyder was a BEAST yesterday out on a extremely tough xc course!! Jumped clear with sometime moved us up to 3rd and kept it through show jump for the finish at the AEC’s!!! I can never get over how hard this guy tries for me❤️❤️ #aec2018 #aecs @nupafeed_usa

A post shared by Callia Englund | 16 | 🇺🇸 (@cx.eventing) on Sep 1, 2018 at 3:40pm PDT

I couldn’t be happier with my little eventer Cimbria! His first year doing 3-day eventing, qualified for national championships and he ate up the xc championship course today!! I am beyond ecstatic! 😍😍💯💯 #Cim #holsteiner #usea #AEC

A post shared by Ashley Armijo (@asharm13) on Sep 1, 2018 at 2:15pm PDT

Puff was so game today at AECs for cross country. Good pony! 🏇🏽 If only her rider was as on top of things. 🤪 _________________________________ 🎥 @bacon_no_bacon

A post shared by Mandy Zeddy (@mandyzeddy) on Sep 1, 2018 at 1:00pm PDT

Jakobi was super in his 3rd Advanced !!! Took our time as we have big plans in the next few months 🙂 #jakobi #horseofalifetime #aec2018 #eastcoastbound #fairhill2018

A post shared by Emilee Libby (@emileelibby) on Sep 1, 2018 at 12:38pm PDT

Running into September like… 👉🏼🏃🏼‍♀️ #AEC18

A post shared by Kimberlyn Beaudoin (@k_t_beaudoin) on Sep 1, 2018 at 8:58am PDT

The Colorado Horse Park is doing an epic job hosting the AEC’s and the USEA is doing an amazing job organizing it. #usea #americaneventingchampionships #aec

A post shared by Daniel Stewart (@daniel_coach) on Sep 1, 2018 at 7:49am PDT

Go Eventing.

You know that saying, “I could see it coming from a mile away?” Well, you could see this storm coming from maybe the next state over. Ominous clouds, dramatic lightning, booming thunder … it was actually pretty neat to watch unless, of course, you were a rider waiting to do your dressage test or start cross country. Then it was just a bummer.

After a couple holds, Friday’s competition was halted mid-afternoon to be continued Saturday. We’ll be along soon with our daily report, and of course we’ll update you with regard to the revised schedule when it’s posted! In the meantime here are a few snapshots from the day:

@allisonanson and Celeste riding right before the storm! Lovely test showing off all their hard work. 😍. #aecs2018 #coloradohorsepark

A post shared by Lisa Bauman (@austineventing) on Aug 31, 2018 at 1:19pm PDT

How we feel about lightning delay. #rbf

A post shared by Katy Groesbeck (@eventkid) on Aug 31, 2018 at 2:28pm PDT

So this happened ⚡️

A post shared by Olivia Jefferson (@omg.eventing) on Aug 31, 2018 at 3:39pm PDT

Rain hold at the AEC's #aec2018 #eventingnation #pouringrain

A post shared by Jeanine Allred (@jeanineallred) on Aug 31, 2018 at 3:13pm PDT

Thunder, lightning, and rain!! #colorado #imissthis

A post shared by Ryan Andresen (@mr_ryan_andresen) on Aug 31, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT

Welcome to Colorado 🌩 . . . #aecs #americaneventingchampionships #coloradohorsepark

A post shared by Anna Cummings (@cummings_eventing) on Aug 31, 2018 at 3:58pm PDT

#raindelay. Again. Let’s hope ponybuns gets his warmup ring mojo back for our third attempt at our test! #happyfortherainbut #thirdtimesacharmright #didntpackarainshell #connemarapony #eventingpony #aec2018 #gratitudeadventure #happinessproject

A post shared by Katy Hood (@k.a.t.y.h.o.o.d) on Aug 31, 2018 at 2:36pm PDT

Dressage was cancelled today due to the weather, so I had to put on his sheet to protect his braids. Gabe was SO embarrassed!

A post shared by Kat Burk 🌞 (@kathryn_macomber) on Aug 31, 2018 at 4:47pm PDT

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Jumping for Joy 🐎 Ready to rock the American Eventing Championships🏆 . . . #hardwork #paysoff #teamequites #equites #passion #perserverance #usea #aec #aec2018 #3dayeventing #pony #equestrian #horsemom #showmom #proud 🙌🏼

A post shared by Jaime L. Weber (@jaimelweber) on Aug 29, 2018 at 9:41pm PDT

I woke up this morning to Tilly Berendt’s dressage headline from Burghley, “Guess Who’s Back, Back Again – Townend’s Back, to Defend,” and while I don’t even know how to compete with that, I see it and raise her this 1992 Kriss Kross lyric reference. Your move, Tillz.

Indeed, kross kountry cross country kicks off here today at the American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena, with Training level underway to be followed by Prelim, Intermediate and Advanced this afternoon.

We had a stroll around the courses, all designed by Tremaine Cooper with assistance from builder Travers Schick. The first thing that jumps off the page is the terrain, which is quite rolling and thus a significant change from the last two years at Tryon. Upper and lower level horses alike will need to be fit, as even the Festival Introductory division horses must negotiate legit hills.

The event crew has been working day and night on the footing, and their effort has paid off. Tamie Smith, who leads Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced dressage with Mai Baum and is 3rd with Fleeceworks Royal, remarked yesterday, “I just got done from walking the course and they’ve aerated it and gone over it again and now they’re watering it and it feels great. The track is very good. It’s not overly technical, but technical enough, and it’s big. I think Tremaine Cooper did a super job. The design and the fences are beautiful.”

Each division gets off to a galloping start before encountering their first combinations, which arrive at #4 for Prelim through Advanced, #5 for Beginner Novice through Training, and the Adequan Water is about halfway around each course. There’s plenty to do out there but it looks horse-friendly and the wide open track is prime real estate for kicking on.

The coolest jump award goes to fence #18A on the Prelim course, which is followed by a drop on a bending line to a rolltop C element. We’ll let Training Amateur competitor Marina Bynum model it:

SOOOOO excited to be here at AEC’s. Competition starts tomorrow with Dressage. It’s going to be an awesome week! #chucknorris #showjumping #dressage #crosscountry @ipposintl @havenshorsefeedusa #ippos #havens #aec #championships

A post shared by Marina Skye (@marinaskye93) on Aug 29, 2018 at 5:57pm PDT

A set of real live antlers were spotted on course by Prelim Amateur competitor Jeanine Allred:

Thirsty critter #aec2018 #eventingnation

A post shared by Jeanine Allred (@jeanineallred) on Aug 30, 2018 at 6:21pm PDT

Nature! Pretty cool.

You can take a virtual course walk of all the AEC courses at CrossCountryCourse App here, or check ’em out below!

Advanced

Intermediate

Preliminary

Training

Novice

Beginner Novice

Get on out there and jump, jump! Go Eventing.

AEC: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram