United States Eventing Association

Beginner Novice Comes to an Exciting Conclusion at the #AEC2024

Lexington, Ky.—Sept. 1—Six Beginner Novice divisions got their chance to shine in the Rolex Arena today for their show jumping at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. Meet our new champions below!

USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship

As the winner of the USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship, 81-year-old Roisin O’Rahilly, walked out of the ring, she was bombarded with requests for photos from her fellow competitors. Described as an “idol” by second place winner Melanie Helms, O’Rahilly, of Southern Pines, North Carolina, was an inspiration for the riders competing in the Championship reserved for those older than 50.

“[Having people ask for photos] was amazing. It really was amazing,” O’Rahilly said. “I was just going to be happy if I managed to get around the three phases, regardless of where I finished. And he was just so good. So, it made it all the better. I am feeling so relieved and so glad that I finished show jumping, because it's my worst phase. But anyway, it was just a wonderful weekend, and I'm so thrilled I was able to be here.”

O’Rahilly is determined to keep riding Happy Times, a 12-year-old gelding Irish Draught never mind the requests of her daughter and doctor. “[Riding is] my life; it is my life,” O’Rahilly said. “My daughter is hounding me to stop riding, and so was my doctor. I said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Maybe the AEC will be my last one.’ But really, I just live for riding. I think I started when I was 3.”

Reserve champion Melanie Helms of Evansville, Indiana, is riding Edelweiss du Theil (L’arc de triumph x Latana du theil), a very special horse that convinced her to return to eventing after a long break. “Last year I was fourth in the AEC. I'd had him only eight months,” Helms said. “Now I've had him for a year and a half, and I think I've won my last four shows on my dressage score. He’s my unicorn.”

“I’m still a little overwhelmed,” Helms said after finishing her show jumping round. “My horse was pretty fired up in dressage, so we had to climb up our way a little bit, and he did. He's a new horse for me, so it's really exciting.”

In third place is Susan Hamblen of Lexington, Kentucky, and her own James Baxter (unrecorded breeding) with a score of 30.8. “I'm just pumped up. This was so much fun,” Hamblen said. “What a great weekend.”

Hamblen’s 7-year-old Belgian/Thoroughbred cross has a unique background. She found the gelding in rural Pennsylvania, where he had a former career as an Amish cart horse. “I've had him since he was 3, and I've had him for four years. He's 7 now, and his name is James Baxter. My children named him that before I even bought him, because it's a character in Adventure Time, if you know the cartoon. He's the character that goes around on a beach ball saying his own name all the time. He makes everyone happy, like that's his job.”

The camaraderie in the Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship is unmatched. Despite having just met, our three champions were hugging and cheering each other on. “I think we all appreciate the fact that we're out there,” Helms said. “I think our age group is just that way, because we just support each other, and we're just so happy to be out there.”

“You know, the ribbon was great, but it's fun to see folks out there getting it done, especially at this young age,” Helms said, patting O’Rahilly on the back.

USEA Beginner Novice Junior Championship

Pulling off yet another double-clear round, Jane Dorsey and her own HSF Milchem MBF (Goodluck VDL x Milchem Dreaming) were crowned champions of the USEA Beginner Novice Junior division this morning. Dorsey and “Luck” ended the week on their dressage score of 26.6.

“I'm kind of in awe,” Dorsey said. “I'm really proud of my horse and how we did through this whole weekend.”

In what may be the shortest partnership of the week, Dorsey, of Athens, Georgia, has only had the 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding for a mere four months. “I had sold my old horse, and I was looking for something new, and he just came along, and he was perfect. And he's such a good horse,” Dorsey said.

Aubrey Sabatino, of Roswell, Georgia, and her own Ravishing (Rousseau x Debutante) took reserve champion on her dressage score of 28.9. Sabatino and “Coco” started the weekend in fifth place and fought their way up the ranks to end in second.

“I'm just so surprised and so happy,” Sabatino said. “I didn't know my score at all until I came out of the ring. I waited till the end, so it just made it 10 times more exciting.”

Sabatino had been hoping to be at the AEC, with her previous horse, who died and has been on her mind this week. “I've only had Coco since January. My old horse passed away,” Sabatino said. “[Going to the AEC] has been a goal for a very long time. So, for this to happen was really exciting. Really exciting to be at AEC for the first time.”

In third place is Sarah Jackson and her own WHF Wangari (Withages x Hannah). Jackson, of Haslet, Texas, purchased Wangari after she stopped leasing. “I recently stopped leasing one of my horses, and he went on, and he’s now in a better place, but I really miss him a lot. I wanted to do great things with him,” Jackson said. “[Wangari] came along just at the right time. I am really happy, because she's made me such a better rider. She's made me so happy with everything.”

While Jackson is here with her family, her barn family was not able to come to Kentucky with her. “I hope I make my family and barn family very proud, because I'm the only one here that's representing them,” Jackson said. “I'm very proud to be here, and I'm happy that my horse was able to take me here, right? Just super proud.”

Jackson has been competing at Novice but decided to focus on Beginner Novice to solidify the 10-year-old Oldenburg/Irish Sport Horse mare’s confidence. “Hopefully, we’ll progress up the levels with her this season. I've been competing at Novice, but I just wanted to make sure that with her being here for the first time, and for me, that we were safe and confident,” Jackson said. “I never want to take too big of a jump. I want to make sure it's a safe transition. Wherever I go, it's always going to be a priority to make sure that she's safe and that she's comfortable with everything.”

USEA Beginner Novice Horse Championship

Winning the USEA Beginner Novice Horse Championship was the 5-year-old Irish Sport Horse HTF Charming Cooley (Timone x Corline Z), owned by Home Track Farm. His rider, Lee Maher of Ocala, Florida, just met the gelding three days prior. “My horse is owned by Allison Pratt, who's a very nice supporter of Chris [Talley]—my boyfriend—and I,” Maher said. “She bought him in Ireland as a 4-year-old. He's 5 now. He's just a baby, and this is my first time riding him at a horse show. I met him three days ago when he got here.”

“Joey” and Maher finished on their dressage score of 28.9, going double-clear in both jumping phases. “This is my first time actually competing at the AEC, so I was very impressed with it. It’s really nice to ride down that ramp and go into the main ring. The courses are amazing. Everyone's so helpful. There's so many people, it's crazy. I definitely hope to be back, that's for sure,” Maher said.

The reserve champion, Smilla's Sense Of Snow (FS Numero Uno x Stippa), has quite the fan club following her around this week. While she’s ridden by Margaret Stocker of Bartonville, Texas, she’s owned by junior rider Scarlett Hamaoui, who also rides the 7-year-old Hanoverian/Deutsches Reitpony (German Riding Pony). Hamaoui is here cheering on her pony this week and learning from Stocker.

“It's been really cool to see how Margaret has been so great with her, and how she's progressed and how amazing they are,” Hamaoui said. “She’s so much fun [to ride]. She’s just a great pony.”

Stocker and 10-year-old “Smilla” galloped up through the ranks from sixth to finish in second on their dressage score of 29.1. “She is fantastic. I mean, just a super talented pony. I'm excited for her future,” Stocker said. “It's quite a big atmosphere for Smilla. I competed here in 2015 and 2016 at Young Riders, so I've been here before, but every time you come here, it's still pretty eye-opening to how intimidating things can be, even at Beginner Novice. So Smilla handled it really well.”

In third place, with a score of 29.3, is Fernhill C’est la Vie Z (Connect x Blanca) and Olympian Julie Richards of Newnan, Georgia. Richards competed at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, riding Jacob Two Two. “Anytime you get to ride here, it's a privilege,” Richards said. “I’ve been riding here a lot of years in my life, at both the five-star and three-star, as well as back when it was a three-star and four-star, and at a lot of jumper shows. And this is just fun, because all of your friends, all of your students are here. You're competing against the best horses in the country, and I thought it was a competitive Beginner Novice division. You had to stay on your game. It's just a great experience for the horses, because anything that they see the rest of the year and the beginning of next year won't have this type of atmosphere.”

The 7-year-old Zangersheide mare, owned by Jo Elwood, pulls double-duty competing in both show jumping and eventing. While she’s a veteran show jumper, competing in the 1.30-meter/1.35-meter divisions, the mare is new to eventing. “She's very brave but, you know, this is a championship course, so even though she's used to jumping a lot bigger, it was impressive on the cross country,” Richards said. “Usually, you don't think about Beginner Novice being super challenging courses that jump big, but there's a lot of atmosphere and a lot of flowers and the jump judges and just a little bit of the crowd. I had to work a little bit.”

USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship

Kylie Stangle and Redfield Mikke were crowned champion in today’s USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship with a score of 24.3. Despite being a little tired from a tough cross-country course yesterday, “Mickey” laid down a fast round with just one rail. “I'm really proud of Mickey,” Stangle said. “He handled everything, every round. I’m very fortunate that his mom [Janina Parmelee] allows me to compete him.”

When the 11-year-old Deutsches Reitpony/Warmblood cross isn’t competing with Stangle, Parmelee is competing him in the dressage ring. “Janina and I found him in 2021 so we've been playing with eventing when she's not doing dressage. Janina gifted me with starting to compete him in eventing, because I helped her find him. I went with her to try him, and then brought him back, and he was her unicorn, so that was my gift.” Stangle said. “We do like three events a year, and then we call it quits. So, after this, we’ll be done. This is our Olympics of the summer.”

Mickey has become Stangle’s escape from a stressful job. “I'm a social worker, so I do crisis work with kids. I work a 40-hour work week, and then I ride Mickey once or twice a week, and then Janina and Marilyn [Payne] ride him the other days,” Stangle said. “I love Thursdays. Thursdays are my day to go to the barn.”

Following Stangle with a score of 27.2 is Ali Martinez, who pulled off two double-clear jumping phases to finish on her dressage score. Martinez is riding Amanda Tamminga’s 20-year-old Codename Toby. “I'm so honored to be able to ride him. He's not mine, but he's in my heart,” Martinez said. “I've only been riding him for just over a year, and he's just taken such good care of me and taught me so much. He's been here before, so he's like, ‘I got you, I'll show you the ropes.’ And he really did. He's just an incredibly special, special horse.”

Martinez also has a stressful career running a suicide prevent center but finds peace in her time at the barn. “My riding is my sanctuary, where I get to kind of breath,” Martinez said. “This is the most relaxed I've ever felt in a competition. I don't know how I managed that, but I'm really proud that I was able to kind of keep my head cool and just enjoy myself as best as I can.”

Third place was claimed by Elizabeth Glowacki and her own DCF Diamond Georgette. Despite an iffy first fence in show jumping, Glowacki and “Georgette” also finished on their dressage score of 27.3, just 0.1 points behind Martinez. “The first fence was a little slow, and she was really tight to it. And then after that, I said, ‘OK, come on, let's go!’ She was like, ‘Alright, alright, leave me alone. I'll take care of it,’ ” Glowacki said. “Even in the atmosphere, she was so eerily calm this whole time.”

Glowacki and Georgette have a close partnership developed over the last four years. “She's a remarkable mare. Through the years, I've had some other horses, and it just didn't work out,” Glowacki said. “So, I've taken my time really building a bond with her, and now, I'm just very grateful to have her in my life. She's quirky as hell, and she spooks at everything. But when it comes down to it, she knows her job, and she takes care of me. She's just so kind and sweet, and she'll eat anything.”

USEA Beginner Novice Rider Championship

Kelly O’Brien, winner of the USEA Beginner Novice Rider Championship, overcame her nerves to win the championship on a score of 27.4. The suspenseful silence in the iconic Rolex Arena feels overwhelming to many riders, as the eyes of those in the stands turn towards you. O’Brien, local to Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, felt the tension rise as she stepped off the ramp and into the spotlight.

“Well, we got around, we had a little bit of time, but no rails,” O’Brien said. “I wish I could have been a little less nervous and had a little bit more rhythm, but sometimes you just have to get the job done, even if it's not the prettiest, right? I felt like the atmosphere amped me up a little bit. My horse is a little spooky, so of course, if I get a little tense, then he capitalizes on that.”

O’Brien was riding Susie Beale’s B.E. Never Say Never (Spirit House x Renkum Blathainn), an experienced 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross who is used in Beale’s lesson program. “I've been riding him for about two years, and he is a staple in her lesson program, so I share him with other riders, but we built a pretty good partnership,” O’Brien said. “He's very talented, but he will give you immediate feedback if you're doing something that he doesn't particularly like or he doesn't agree with. He’s a great horse to learn on.”

Reflecting back on her experience this week, O’Brien described it in one word: surreal. “It’s just such an incredible experience. I'm so filled with gratitude for the community; the opportunity to be able to show here amongst the best in the country,” O’Brien said. “I'd like to give a big thank you to Susie Beale and her daughter, Amanda Beale-Clement. They've gotten me through all of my fears, concerns, issues. They've given me a great horse to ride. They've always been there.”

Second place was claimed by Laila Chance and her own A Gladiators Heart (Felkert K. x Nikka-MH) with a score of 28.9. “Maximus” is not your usual event horse. A Friesian/Percheron cross, the 9-year-old gelding is new to the sport. “My horse has been phenomenal,” Chance said. “He's really thriving. He's ready to move up to the next level, that's for sure. This was one of our best dressage [tests] ever. It's been so cool to ride in the Rolex Stadium and out on the Kentucky Bluegrass.”

Originally from Arizona, Chance moved to Lexington, Kentucky, with 9-year-old Maximus to work for five-star eventer and Olympian Liz Halliday. Following an accident on cross-country earlier this week, Halliday was hospitalized. Having been her groom for the last year, Chance said Halliday was in her thoughts all week long.

“I tried to try to do as best as I could for her, right? Keep fighting the fight. I think she would be proud of that,” Chance said. “Liz has helped so much in all of my training and all of my coaching. Obviously, when we found out about Liz, I was like, ‘OK, I've gotta do this for her. I’ve got to make her proud.’ So going into cross-country, I was like, ‘We're gonna ride; we're gonna be chill through it.’ And he was so lovely out on cross-country. Then finally for show jumping, being in second and with the nerves of the stadium, I went in, and I tried to stay as calm as possible. He really just tried his hardest.”

Reflecting back on her journey from Arizona to today, Chance said she would have never expected to end up here. “If you told me four years ago when I had first started, I never would have thought I would be here. I thought I would still be on that little ranch in Arizona that I started on. It's an absolute shock and an amazing feeling,” Chance said. “This all couldn't happen without Liz. She's one of the best coaches I've ever had. Last year, when I first came out here, I started working for Liz at the AEC. I groomed for her when she won the $60,000 Advanced Final. And so, it's like it's become full circle. This is all for her.”

Third place was claimed by Eden Miller, of Monroe, Georgia, who finished on her dressage score of 29.8. Miller rode another breed you don’t usually see in the eventing world, an 8-year-old Quarter Horse named Cupido T. Miller just started eventing in February of this year, after running her own hunter/jumper training facility and riding in the hunters for the last 30 years.

“I went in [to the ring] and my first few jumps were a little hunter-esque, and then about halfway through, I kind of clicked into jumper mode,” Miller said. “Tom was great. I just kind of let him do his job, and I had a great time.”

The biggest obstacle to making the switch from hunters to eventing was the dreaded water jump. “We have had some water challenges, and [we made it] through the water cross-country. We didn't stop, and I was really overwhelmed with that prior to doing it. Once we were actually in the water, I think I yelled, ‘Yeah!!’ ”

USEA Beginner Novice Junior, 14 & Under Championship

Competition was intense in the USEA Beginner Novice Junior, 14 & Under Championship. The top 14 combinations went double clear with less than a point between the majority of scores. Addy Sheplee came out on top, riding Michelle Johns’ Kinsale, with a score of 27.3. Sheplee, of Ashburn, Virginia, didn’t let her nerves keep her from winning.

“My stadium went really well,” Sheplee said. “I was getting pretty nervous before I went in, but my horse, Kinsale, just felt really ready and on it, and went over all the jumps really nicely. Stadium isn't my favorite. It's okay, but I prefer cross-country, just because my horse likes it more.”

For Sheplee, who just started leasing Kinsale (French Twist x Martha's Blast) last December, her experience at the 2024 American Eventing Championships, presented by Nutrena Feeds, hasn’t quite sunk in yet. “It doesn't feel real that I even got to the AEC, especially to win this? I can’t believe it,” Sheplee said. “When we got to do the victory gallop, I was just so proud of, well, my horse mostly, and just so thankful to be here.”

Sheplee and the 20-year-old Selle Francais/Thoroughbred cross were followed in the standings by Castall, owned and ridden by Mackenzie Wendt. Making the trip to the AEC from Coker, Alabama, Wendt didn’t let an imperfect stride to fence five throw off her focus. “My round was really good,” Wendt said. “Cas was feeling great in the warm up. The only bad fence was five, I think. He was just a little short. My horse kind of struggles with [show jumping] a little bit, but he did really, really well.”

Wendt worked hard to finish on her dressage score of 28.3 this week, just one point behind the leader. While she had hoped to make it to the nation’s eventing championships, she didn’t dare hope to be in the ribbons. “I thought I might get here, but I didn't think I’d win. Well, here we are!” Wendt said.

Castall (by Capryo) is a 13-year-old Hanoverian/Thoroughbred cross and the only gelding in the top three. “[My proudest moment of the week] was probably finishing cross-country. I just haven't jumped most of the fences out there before,” Wendt said.

In third is Kendall Menne and her own SBF Cool Snowflake (Dromard View x SBF Sunshine), a uniquely colored Palomino pinto Irish Draught Sport Horse. After a double clear show jumping round, Menne finished on her dressage score of 28.8. “I thought [my round] went really well,” Menne said. “I was excited and nervous at the same time going down the ramp. My horse took care of me. I don’t mind show jumping, I was just really glad to ride in the Rolex Stadium. I never thought I would ever be able to ride in that ring.”

Menne, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is new to the sport and only recently learned what the AEC were. “I just started eventing this year. My first cross-country school was in January,” Menne said. “I didn’t even know what the AEC were until I had qualified and then I never thought I would even get to the top 10.”

Luckily, Menne’s 14-year-old mare has been on hand to show her the ropes. “She’s kind of an experienced eventer,” Menne said. “She has competed up to Beginner Novice. She’s very sassy. She likes her people, but she doesn’t like other horses.”

Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships

The Neigh Slayers maintained their lead all the way to the finish in the Adams Horse Supply Beginner Novice Adult Team Championship. Ali Martinez riding Amanda Tamminga’s Codename Toby (Treasure Cove x Go Bubby Go), Eden Miller and her own Cupido T (unrecorded breeding), and Beverly Britton aboard her own Chesterfield Dauntless (Fort Prado x La Rocca) all finished on their dressage scores of 27.2, 29.8, and 33.0 respectively. William Barclay and his own FE Violet Crumble (Crumble x Z-Concordia) unfortunately had a technical elimination on cross-country.

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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.

About the Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships

The Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships, which debuted in 2014, is the capstone event for the USEA Area Adult Team Challenges, providing adults the chance to compete as a team and represent their Area of the country in a friendly and fun environment. Historically, adult riders had three regional Team Challenges in which to compete with fellow adults in a team environment, with the locations changing each year. In 2013, the USEA Adult Rider Coordinators voted to move to support Adult Team Challenges taking place in all 10 Areas across the country, with the finale being the ATC at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds. Each Area can send up to eight teams from Beginner Novice through Preliminary level to the ATC. Adult Riders know how to have a good time, and there is no doubt that they bring an increased level of excitement and camaraderie to the AEC! Click here to learn more about the Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships.

The USEA would like to thank Title Sponsor, Adams Horse Supply, and ARMA, The Chronicle of the Horse, Equilab, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kerrits, Nutrena Feeds, PulseVet, Ride iQ, Santa Cruz Animal Health, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, and SmartPak for sponsoring the Adult Team Championships.