United States Eventing Association

"A Winner At Heart." P.S. I Love You and Allie Knowles Capture USEA Open Intermediate Championship at #AEC2024

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 29—Allie Knowles knows that this sport is full of ups and downs. Thursday night was one of the good nights as she and Katherine O’Brien’s gelding P.S. I Love You (FSS Correlli Bravo x Woodmount Queen) posted a double-clear round to secure the win in the USEA Open Intermediate Championship at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds.

“When it works…. man, it is the most rewarding feeling,” Knowles, Lexington, Kentucky, said after completing her victory gallop with “Jerry.” “I do juggle a lot. I teach and I have a 3-year-old, but all of that just gives me perspective. This is a really hard sport with a lot of letdowns and a lot of mistakes, and not always that many high moments. You have got to live for those. Then, when it goes bad, it's all in perspective.”

Knowles has been working with Jerry since he was just a 4-year-old, and the path to where they are today hasn’t always been smooth sailing. The 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding has required a sense of patience and understanding as he has been produced, an effort that has obviously paid off for Knowles in the long run.

“We're on a fine line between having to push him harder and also letting him progress because things are quite easy for him. So if you don't work him hard enough, or don't push him hard enough, then he starts to use his own mind and maybe not in the most positive way,” Knowles shared.

“He’s only 8, and I am so impressed with how mature he acts when the time comes, but we are always a little bit on that line. Like in the warm up, he was quite tense and quite on edge. But this whole weekend, you like, you come into the ring, or you leave the start box, and he's like, ‘I'm already here to win, don't worry.’ He gives me a lot of confidence that I don't have to be seamless. He's there to do his job and do his part, which is a really nice feeling," she said.

Knowles knows deep down that Jerry is one for the future and is excited to see him continue to come into his own as a seasoned, upper-level horse.

“He’s a winner at heart, which I love," she said.

When Reserve Champion Alexandra Baugh first set eyes on Altorac Farm’s Hubert Des 3 Arbres in France last summer, she was smitten.

“He was standing tacked up in the parking lot, and I hadn't even gotten out of the car yet. I saw him and smiled real big at my mom, and she was like, 'Oh no.' "

Baugh, Lexington, Kentucky, didn’t even have to cross-country school the now 11-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Troubadour D’Aurel x Ulm Du Bouly) at the time. She knew he was the one from the first jump.

While their relationship is still fairly new, Baugh knows him pretty well.

“He would prefer to be eating all day, realistically,” she said with a laugh. “He thinks he's very beautiful. He thinks quite highly of himself. He's very French. He's got quite the personality. We do basically whatever he wants. If he wants a treat, he gets a treat. He’s a very good boy and he knows what he is doing.”

The duo finished fourth in their maiden journey at the CCI3*-L level at the MARS Maryland 5 Star (Elkton, Maryland) last fall and won the CCI3*-S at Stable View (Aiken, South Carolina) this spring. Baugh was proud to have added another top placing to their resume together.

“He's an absolutely exceptional, wonderful, amazing horse. I'm happy that I could give him that ride. He definitely deserves the highest placing and I am glad that I could help him out,” she said.

Next steps include gearing up for the CCI3*-S at Plantation Field (Unionville, Pennsylvania) in a month and then finishing out the season at the CCI3*-L at Maryland again this fall.

Rounding out the top three in this highly competitive championship was Sara Schulman and her own 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding Cooley Chromatic (Thorgal x Castrade). The pair moved up from fifth after cross-country to third thanks to a double-clear show jumping round.

“It feels amazing,” said a smiling Schulman, Herndon, Virginia. “He really deserves to be at the top, because he's really such a special horse and is really faultless in all phases. So I just hope to do him justice so that he can get the spotlight that he deserves.”

Schulman has had the dressage-bred gelding since he was just 3, making tonight’s success even more special. Initially, she wasn’t quite sure what the future might hold for him.

“I've done all of his firsts with him, so it's been really exciting to build up a partnership. He trusts me a lot now, which has paid off,” she noted. “He has a fantastic brain, and you really can't fault him in any phase, but he's quite a spooky horse. He didn't like water jumps for a while, so there were little roadblocks that we had to overcome just being young and green. But, because he trusts me so much now, I think that's really helped our partnership. So I can point him at anything now, and he just attacks it. He’s really exceeded expectations.”

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About the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC)

The USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is the pinnacle of the sport at the national levels. Held annually, the best junior, adult amateur, and professional competitors gather to vie for national championship titles at every level from Starter to Advanced. This ultimate test of horse and rider draws hundreds of combinations from around the country to compete for fabulous prizes, a piece of the substantial prize money, and the chance to be named the National Champion at their respective levels. In fact, the 2021 AEC garnered over 1,000 entries and now stands as the largest eventing competition in North American history. The 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held Aug. 27—Sept. 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Click here to learn more about the USEA American Eventing Championships.

The USEA would like to thank Presenting Sponsor: Nutrena Feeds; Advanced Final Title Sponsor: Adequan; Platinum Level Sponsor: Bates Saddles, Horse & Country; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, Parker Equine Insurance, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Smartpak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Canter Culture Riding Apparel, Kerrits, The Jockey Club, Rood & Riddle; Bronze Level Sponsor: 70 Degrees, Athletux, The Chronicle of the Horse, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kraft Horse Walkers, Majyk Equipe, Retired Racehorses Project, Ride EquiSafe, Santa Cruz Animal Health; Contributing Level Sponsors: Cross Country App, Georgetown – Scott County Tourism, Lexmark, L.V. Harkness, #WeRideTogether; and Prize Level Sponsors: BEMER, Big Ass Fans, Boyd Martin Fan Shop, Ecogold, EquiFit, Equilab, FarmVet, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Horses 4 Your Consideration, I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique, Jack’s Favorites, Jane Heart Jewelry, Kentucky Equine Research, LeMieux, Mare Goods, Neighborly Tack, Outlaw Nutrition, Palmera Polo, Parkmore Supplements, Practical Horseman / Equine Network, Rachel Dory Equine Fine Art, Remond Minerals, Secretariat Center, Shapley’s, Sidelines Magazine, Strides for Equality Equestrians, and VTO Saddlery.