Jul 18, 2011

Bit of Britain Road To The AEC Blogger Post 7

May-Daze Horse Trial went UNBELIEVABLY well! Dressage was finished with a 35.0. Not amazing, but it was enough to put us in 3rd out of about 15 riders I believe! Stadium was double clear, the 2 people ahead of me had faults, and I was bounced up to the lead!

WOW! My instructor Sarah Kleintop didn’t let me look at scores after stadium on Saturday afternoon. Saturday night I waited at the show office beside the road for mom to pick me up, and was very tempted to check scores, but I resisted! Sunday comes, on goes the cross-country vest, and the claustrophobia, zip up my tall boots, stick bit burr’s on each side of my full cheek double twisted wire snaffle, pinny over my head, helmet on, crop, 1, 2, 3, Jump!

Up I go on my new Antares saddle, walking towards cross-country warm up. A few jumps and we’ve decided that is enough warm up, don’t want to tire Sammy out! I walked over to the start box, and as I was hearing 10, I started my watch, and Sarah starts yelling instructions for anything I may encounter on course, such as an uncontrollable horse, and then, "3….2….1! Good Luck!” We started galloping off and of course, here I go blabbing uncontrollably to Sam as he’s just galloping along like a good boy, ignoring me! We crossed through the finish flags with a time of 5:54 and if I recall correctly, the OT was around 6:05. Darn, I really thought we would have been closer to OT. There goes my first place award. I got back to the barn and cooled off my wonderful horse, and started packing up.

My best friend, and horse show buddy, went to check scores and I was too tired to go with her. She checked my score and came back with a very disappointed look on her face. "Oh no," I said, "What happened?!" "Well," Hope responded "You, you kinda….GOT FIRST PLACE!!!!" I honestly thought she was joking! I went up to her and grabbed her shirt and yelled at her for lying to me! But she swore on her life she was NOT kidding! I went to go see for myself, Alyssa Barrett-Sam I Am-Dressage 35.0 3rd-Stadium 0 1st- XC 0 1st. I got my 3 ribbons, one for overall (1st), one for dressage (3rd), and one for completing cross-country! Along with some fantastic prizes! Nutrena/USEA AEC here I come!! Watch out BNR Competitors!

Interested in becoming a Bit of Britain Road to the AEC Blogger? Check out this post for more details and send your story and photos to [email protected]

May 19, 2025 Eventing News

MARS Bromont Rising U25 Grant Recipients Announced for 2025 MARS Bromont CCI

The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s grant funding for riders aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, Canada) taking place June 5-8.

May 19, 2025 Interscholastic

USEA Podcast #387: Flashbacks to the USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Eventing Championships

Were you one of the competitors at this year's USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Eventing Championships? Or do you dream of the day that you can participate yourself? Are you just a huge eventing superfan and love seeing young riders of all ages enjoying the sport? No matter where you fall, you will love this week's episode of the USEA Podcast where we chat with a member of the USEA IEL champion team and the president of this year's Intercollegiate Spirit Award winners, the University of Georgia. Get a behind-the-scenes look at what it feels like to participate in one of these championships from Olive Dumais and Katlyn Parker.

May 18, 2025 Education

How to Ride the Horse You Thought You Bought

In this excerpt, trainer and educator Anne Buchannan explains bit contact connection and why it matters for true collection and healthy movement.

May 17, 2025 Education

Eventing 101: The Show Secretary is Your New Best Friend. Here’s How to Keep Them Happy

Familiarizing yourself with the key players at each horse trial is an important step to your success at your next competition. One of those important figures is the show secretary. Think of the show secretary as the mastermind behind most of the organizational efforts related to each horse trial. They manage entries, the show schedule, ride times, stabling, and so much more. Without the hard work of the show secretary and their office staff, a horse trial simply would not be able to operate.

Official Corporate Sponsors of the USEA

Official Joint Therapy Treatment of the USEA

Official Feed of the USEA

Official Saddle of the USEA

Official Forage of the USEA

Official Competition & Training Apparel of the USEA

Official Horse Boot of the USEA

Official Shock Wave of the USEA

Official Horse Wear of the USEA