United States Eventing Association

Each year, every one of the 10 USEA Area programs hosts their own Championships where the best riders have the opportunity to be crowned the Area Champion at their level. Each Area maintains slightly different qualification requirements for their respective Championships and offers Championship classes through either Preliminary or Intermediate level. Those details can be found here. This year’s Area Championship season began with the Area III Championships at Chattahoochee Hills on July 8-9 and concluded with the Area II Championships at the Virginia Horse Trials and the Area V Championships at Holly Hill during the final weekend of October. Last month, we highlighted the winners of the Area Championships that took place in August and September, and as the 2017 competition season draws to a close, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the winners of the Area Championships that took place in October.

Area IV’s Championships took place at Heritage Park Horse Trials for Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels on October 6-8, as did the Area IX Championships for Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels at The Event at Skyline. Las Cruces Horse Trials hosted the Area X Championships for Beginner Novice through Preliminary on October 14-15. The Area VI Championships were hosted by Fresno County Horse Park for Beginner Novice through Intermediate on October 20-22. The USEA Area Championships wrapped up over the weekend of October 28-29 with the Beginner Novice through Intermediate Area II Championships at the Virginia Horse Trials and the Area V Training, Preliminary, and Intermediate Championships at Holly Hill Horse Trials.

Congratulations to these Area Championship winners!

Area II Championships – Virginia Horse Trials, October 26-29, 2017

• Junior/Young Rider Preliminary Champion – Nicholas Beshear and his own It’sakatthing (Katowice x It’sAGenderThing), a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding
• Preliminary Champion – Ariel Grald and GHF Gosling, Ann Getchell’s 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Prince Optiums and out of GHF Adage
• Junior/Young Rider Training Champion – Skyler Decker and her 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, MHS Cooley Vegas (Heritage Fortunus x Lady Ligustra)
• Training Champion – Christina L. McKitrick and Lotte Lenya Q, her own 6-year-old Hanoverian mare (Loerke x Feiner Star)
• Junior/Young Rider Novice Champion – Annabelle Kress and her own and Leeann Kress’s Cooley Streetwise (OBOS Quality x Banner Kate), a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding
• Novice Champion – Kathleen Cannon and her own Tribal Prospect (Tribunal x L L Prospect), a 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding
• Junior/Young Rider Beginner Novice Champion – Brynn Hershbine and David Bierly’s Cadenza Aria, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Turnofthecentury x Whisper)
• Beginner Novice Champion – Katie Label and Jenny Morris’ 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Rock Hard Safe

Click here for Area II Championships complete results.

Area IV Championships – Heritage Park Horse Trials, October 6-8, 2017

Rebecca Hunt and Snowflake Lane, winner of the Area IV Adult Rider Low Score Award & the Novice Championship division at Heritage Park Horse Trials. Photo courtesy of the USEA Area IV Facebook page.

• Preliminary Champion – Julie Wolfert and Iowa Lot of Money, her own 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Fusaichi Pegasus x Lion N Cheatin)
• Training Champion – Mary Curran and her 10-year-old Akhal-Teke gelding, Flying Colors (Halhelooya x Kyra)
• Novice Champion – Rebecca Hunt and her own Snowflake Lane (Dunkirk x Correoso), a 5-year-old Thoroughbred mare
• Beginner Novice Champion – Catherine Kee and Asante, her 18-year-old Westphalian gelding

Click here for Area IV Championships complete results.

Area V Championships – Holly Hill Horse Trials, October 28-29, 2017

• Intermediate Champion – Jacob Fletcher and Fletcher Farms’ 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Atlantic Domino
• Preliminary Champion – McKinsey Wickman and Dassett Profile, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Crosstown Dancer
• Training Champion – Diane Hanrahan and her 18-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Lakota VI (Grafioso x Lilly Langtree)

Click here for Area V Championships complete results.

Area VI Championships – Fresno County Horse Park Horse Trials, October 20-22, 2017

One of the many riders in the Area VI Championships taking their photo in front of the backdrop provided by Fresno County Horse Park. Photo courtesy of the Fresno County Horse Park Facebook page.

• Intermediate Champion – Hilary Niemann and her own Undercover, a 9-year-old Oldenbrug gelding by L’Arc de Triomphe
• Preliminary Champion – Tristen Hooks and Carter Judy’s 17-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Learning to Fly (Liostro x Erienta)
• Open Training Champion – Alexis Helffrich and Rose Sullivan’s M Crème De La Crème SE (Clair de Lune SE x Zathalida SE), a 5-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion
• Training Rider Champion – Bella Silveira and her own Celeste, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Nassau out of Nova
• Open Novice Champion – Nikki Lloyd and Ruth Bley’s Mighty Smart (Mighty Magic x Ravenna), an 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding
• Novice Rider Champion – Nancy Read and her own 9-year-old Oldenburg mare, Carolina PCH (Con Capilot x Pequita)
• Open Beginner Novice Champion – Jennette Scanlon and Carissimo (Carabas x Fiorella), her 12-year-old Westphalian gelding
• Beginner Novice Rider Champion – Julia Brittain and Haiku, her 5-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Sir Donnerhall

Area VI Intermediate Champions Hilary Niemann and Undercover's cross-country round. Video courtesy of Ride On Video.

Click here for Area VI Championships complete results.

Area IX Championships – The Event at Skyline, October 6-8, 2017

• Preliminary Champion – James Atkinson and Dan Michaels’ Landonn II OHF (Lordship x Madeleine), a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding
• Training Champion – Madeline Backus and Reflektion’s Rio, Lynn Roberts’ 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding by Reggasoni and out of L.A. Baltic Reflektion
• Novice Champion – Tani Smihula and Robin Sundeen’s 18-year-old Trakehner gelding, Lynx
• Beginner Novice Champion – Erin Contino and her own Handsome Ransom (Desert Warrior x St. Casmir’s Secret), a 5-year-old Thoroughbred gelding

Click here for Area IX Championships complete results.

Area X Championships – Las Cruces Horse Trials, October 14-15, 2017

Karissa Oliver on FDF Recherche, winners of the Area X Training Championship at Las Cruces Horse Trials. Photo courtesy of the Las Cruces Horse Trials Facebook page.

• Preliminary Champion – Sandra Phillips and her own 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Six Pack Event (Event of the Year x Bahama Breeze)
• Training Champion – Karissa Oliver and FDF Recherche, her own 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Riverman and out of Kocida
• Novice Champion – Hailey Dahlstrom and her 16-year-old Warmblood gelding, Strider
• Beginner Novice Champion – Laura Worl Kober and Sterling Impression (Landwerder x Merika), her 10-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar gelding

Click here for Area X Championships complete results.