United States Eventing Association

From the Beginner Novice Pony to the Acclaimed Advanced Eventer, the Nutrena/USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Bit of Britain has a little bit of something special for everyone.

Check out the AEC A to Z

A is for Atlanta.
The home of the AEC from 2010-2012 is 30 minutes south of Atlanta, Georgia.

B is for Bouckaert Farm
Bouckaert Farm is the basis for Chattahoochee Hills Eventing. This 8,000 acre equestrian paradise is filled with well-established rolling pastures, lakes, and woodlands that run 12 miles along the Chattahoochee River.

C is for Cash prizes
$70,000 will be distributed among all 14 divisions through sixth place. That means 84 riders will be going home with a check in their pocket.

D is for Dubarry
The iconic Dubarry boot is a favorite among eventers. The longtime AEC sponsor will be onsite in the vendor village and will be awarding a pair of Dubarry boots to the winner of the Intermediate division.

E is for Early Bird Discount
Chattahoochee Hills offered a $100 discount for competitors entering in the first week. Nearly 300 competitors took advantage of this generous offer

F is for Friends
Eventers make the best of friends and the AEC are a great opportunity to make friends with eventers from around the country.

G is for Girls
Last year girls won 12 of the 14 divisions – will 2011 be another female dominated year?

H is for Horses
Where would we be without our equine partners? They are the heart of the sport and we can’t wait to award 14 horses as 2011 AEC Champions!

I is for Irrigation
The Chattahoochee Hills Staff has spent all year preparing a new irrigation system on the cross-country course to provide competitors with the best footing possible.

J is for Juniors
The Junior divisions at the AEC are some of the toughest competition in the entire event. Competing against 50+ of your fellow Junior riders and coming out on top is no small feat.

K is for Kerry Sachs
The winner of last year’s Training Amateur division finished on a 24.8 aboard Good Luck Charm and earned the Ovation Optimum Time Award.

L is for Live Scoring
StartBox will be onsite providing live scoring for the AEC. Check out http://livescore.useventing.com/ for the latest updates once the event begins!

M is for Mark Phillips Pony Rider Award
The Mark Phillips Pony Rider Award is back for the third year! Ponies in the Junior Beginner Novice, Novice, and Training divisions will have a chance to win a ribbon, medal, and embroidered saddle pad.

N is for Nutrena
This year’s AEC title sponsor, Nutrena is welcoming everyone to the event with a party on Wednesday night. Be sure to head over at 6:30 on Wednesday for a Taste of the South and a Nutrena Retriever Demonstration.

O is for Optimum Time
The competition at the AEC is fierce so being as close as possible to the optimum time is important to breaking any ties and not accumulating extra penalty points. In addition riders in the Training Amateur division have a chance to win the Ovation Optimum Time Award for coming in closest to optimum time.

P is for the Patron’s Tent
The Patron’s Tent provides a top-notch view of the main arena, a shady place to sit and relax, and of course breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday. Tickets for the Patron’s Tent are still available! Order http://www.chatthillseventing.com/images/AEC_2011_OrderForm.pdf.

Q is for Qualified Horses and Riders
Thousands of horses and riders from around the country have qualified to attend this year’s AEC. Even if you weren’t able to make the journey to Georgia it is still an impressive feat to have qualified.

R is for Returning Winners
Many of last year’s winners are returning to defend their titles including: Anne Wilson and Axel, Sarah Murphy and Flagmount’s Irish Riverstone, Ashley Guidry and Mercedes, Carrie Meehan and Blue Devil, Marissa Hughes and Odie, Melissa Hyde and Sienna, and Caroll Ann Bowers and Sportsfield Cocktail.

S is for Smoothies!
Everyone’s favorite “Smoothie Lady” will be on site once again. Her fresh peach smoothie is the perfect way to cool down in the Georgia heat.

T is for Trade Fair
Make sure you bring some extra spending money as the trade fair this year is going to be chock-full of all of your favorite vendors.

U is for the USEA Booth
Be sure and stop by the USEA Booth for all of your official AEC logo wear or pick-up a Mountain Horse Jacket for the winter weather that is just around the corner.

V is for Volunteers
The AEC would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers who help with the event. Interested in volunteering at the AEC? Go to http://www.chatthillseventing.com/volunteer.html.

W is for the Water Complex
The stone water complex is the highlight of the Chattahoochee Hills cross-country course. Be sure to head down there to watch some of the horses and riders tackle the obstacles.

X is for Area X
The USEA’s smallest Area made up of Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada will be represented with six riders at the AEC this year.

Y is for You Don’t Know Jack II
The only horse entered this year with a name that starts with a “Y”!

Z is for Zero Faults
Jumping a double clear cross-country and show jumping round is imperative to winning at the AEC. Fingers crossed for zero fault jumping rounds for every competitor.