United States Eventing Association

The 2025 USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships are just one month away, and time is running out for program members to enter this unforgettable event! The Stable View Local Charities H.T. in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4 will serve as host to both program championships again this year, and the max capacity of 400 horse and rider combinations is quickly filling.

For Mary Fike, there’s one memory that embodies the spirit of Classic Three-Day. “I know this may sound kind of contrived, but I remember being out checking on something on the [cross-country] course, and a rider came by in [Phase] C that was just singing to her horse,” she recollected. “She was patting them, talking to the gate judges, and just having a great time. She came into the vet box with the biggest grin on her face, and that sense of euphoria, I think, really reminded me why I love doing this.”

After two years on the East Coast, the United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is thrilled to be packing our bags and heading West for the 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. On August 26-31, top USEA competitors from near and far will converge on Galway Downs in Temecula, California, for the annual championship that celebrates every level of the Olympic sport of eventing from Starter through Advanced. This year’s event will again feature the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final and the USEA Adult Team Championships.

For 13-year-old Lila Apple, the pathway to eventing hasn’t always been easy. Self-doubt and confidence issues hindered her progress, but after partnering with a precocious and experienced Thoroughbred and a new trainer who helped her hone her skills, she’s thriving—and even has this year’s USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Championships (IEL) firmly in her sights.

Strange as it may seem to some die-hard eventing fans, not everyone seeks out horses in their lives. Sometimes, the horse world chooses the equestrian. And that’s exactly what happened to this month’s VIP Volunteer Laurie Hogan. Hogan has two main passions in life—volunteering at horse trials and jam sessions with a group of local musicians.

The second edition of the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships is anticipated to have record participation, and anyone who has attended the event in the past knows that the camaraderie is unbeatable. From the endless decorations to the team chants heard around the grounds, the Collegiate and IEL competitors know how to show their spirit, and their extra pep will again be accessed in the race for the coveted Spirit Awards.

The coveted Spirit Award at the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships is incorporating a new component to the always exciting contests and activities: a College Fair! This is an important opportunity for college students to market their schools, not only to impress the Spirit Award judges, but to capture potential new students from the Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) that are looking toward their futures.

When Monbeg Zebedee came to Allison Springer’s barn nearly three years ago, she wasn’t sure where he might end up or how far his talent would take him. The Irish Sport Horse gelding (Dignifed van’t Zorgvliet x Bolacreane Dolly) had been purchased out of the Monart sale in Ireland by British five-star rider Kitty King as a sales prospect when he was 3, and King had started him but never competed him.

The USEA Media Team is excited to be on-site this year at the Setters' Run Farm Carolina International CCI and Horse Trial to provide coverage of the uber exciting CCI4*-S division, which many U.S.-based competitors use as a trial run in the lead up to the feature event of the spring calendar, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* (Lexington, Kentucky). This year there are 37 entries in the four-star division, which is a slight increase from the 35 we saw compete in this division last year. Here's a break down of some interesting facts and statistics you might want to know leading into this year's competition!

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is excited to announce the Opportunity Event Horse (OEH) Program, a new pilot program for the 2025 competition season. The OEH Program is designed to introduce horses and riders to the sport of eventing in a supportive and encouraging environment.