All six of Captain Mark Phillips' cross-country courses for the 2017 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Land Rover and Nutrena at the Tryon International Equestrian Center are set, flagged, decorated, and ready for horses and riders to set out on course on Thursday.
Beginner Novice through Intermediate cross-country courses will begin on the Derby Field. Beginner Novice and Novice will circle in and out of the main field, while Training, Preliminary, and Intermediate will then venture down into the surrounding woods, with Preliminary and Intermediate divisions tackling combinations in the Land Rover Hollow before returning to the Derby Field for the final fences.
Advanced cross-country will run on the White Oak side of the property, which used to be a golf course. Horses will gallop out around the lake, crossing bridges to cross over to and back from the woods running along the river, before finishing back on the other side of the lake. This is the same track over which horses will run next year at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.
The footing has been expertly engineered to provide perfect cross-country terrain. A drainage system runs throughout the track covered by 6” of Equine Services International sand, then a felt and soil mix, and finally TifTuf Burmuda grass on top. This footing is a little unlike other surfaces typically used, and last year Max Corcoran, in partnership with VTO Saddlery, gave a few industry tips on what studs she would suggest for running on this unique footing. Check it out here.
Cross-Country Schedule
Thursday
Preliminary 8:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Training 1:00 p.m. - 6:20 p.m.
Friday
Novice 8:00 a.m. - 2:55 p.m.
Advanced 5:00 p.m. - 6:20 p.m.
Saturday
Beginner Novice 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Intermediate 3:55 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
USEA took a tour around and has complete photo galleries available for all levels. Click the map to view all the fences!
About the USEA American Eventing Championships
The USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Land Rover and Nutrena is the pinnacle of the sport for the national levels. Held annually, this event draws together the best competitors from across the country vying for national titles from the Beginner Novice through the Advanced level. The AEC will be held August 30-September 3, 2017 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, North Carolina.
About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series
The 2017 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced horse trials and CIC3* levels. Qualifying began last fall and continues through August with the final taking place at the USEA American Eventing Championships, August 30 – September 3 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes in the Adequan Advanced Division and to earn the Title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.
The 2017 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many loyal sponsors: Adequan, Standlee Forage, Nutrena, Merck Animal Health, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency and FITS.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) continues to monitor the outbreak of Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in California. Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that there are three counties—San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside—where confirmed or suspected cases of VS have been identified.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and United States Eventing Association (USEA) are pleased to announce the dates and location of the 2023 USEF/USEA Eventing Developing Horse National Championships for 6- and 7-year-olds.
The Championships, which will include a CCI2*-S for 6-year-olds and a CCI3*-S for 7-year-olds, will take place at the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials in Aiken, South Carolina, from Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2023.
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce updates to the 2023 Eventing Elite and Pre-Elite Program Lists. The programs are part of the U.S. Eventing Pathway, which is focused on developing combinations to deliver sustainable success in team competition at the championship level.
Four years ago, Megan Weber was feeling discouraged about her event horse who didn’t seem to want to do the sport. She’d made the decision to find a new horse but found she was struggling to connect to the several she’d tried.
She reached out to a friend who had experience with adopting mustangs, and the idea of an untouched, green horse sounded like a fun idea.