United States Eventing Association

There is certainly no mistaking how the “Variety Pack” got its name. When the four members of this Beginner Novice team ride around the Kentucky Horse Park for the Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships, their horses will represent four distinctly different breeds: a Haflinger, a Clydesdale, a mustang, and a Fell Pony.

On paper, they might seem like an unlikely quartet. In reality, each has proven that eventing can be a sport for horses of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.

The Variety Pack consists of Emily Hummel and What’s His Face SSH3, a 9-year-old Haflinger gelding (Windstar Van de Ooste x Mocha MAH) owned by Rachael Schindler; Jordan Irwin and her 15-year-old Clydesdale mare Tullamore Dew (ADKS Gus x Boulder Bluff Cassidy); Lisa Barnes and her 17-year-old mustang Lucero; and Molly Smith and her 12-year-old Fell Pony Kimberlake Jophiel (Kimbrelake Gabriel).

“It’s crazy that we have four wildly different breeds all qualified and on the same team!” Smith said.

A Haflinger Who Loves His Job

Hummel's love for Haflingers started long before she discovered eventing. Growing up next door to a farm that sometimes housed more than 30 Haflingers, she quickly fell for the breed and competed with them in nearly every discipline, including combined driving. Eventually, eventing won her over.

Her partnership with What’s His Face SSH3, better known as “Joey,” began when he was just 4 years old. Hummel's previous mount had decided eventing wasn't for her, while Hummel's friend Schindler had recently purchased Joey without a particular plan in mind. Hummel gave him a try, and the two clicked immediately.

“Joey is basically a giant Golden Retriever, and I absolutely love him,” she said. “He has the best personality and genuinely loves his job. I tried him out, we immediately clicked, and the rest is history."

Together, Hummel and Joey have competed successfully through Novice, and the 2026 AEC will mark their third appearance at the championships. Simply getting there this year, however, carries extra significance.

Last spring, Joey fractured his coffin bone, sidelining him for the spring and summer. After rehabilitation, the pair returned in the fall and secured their AEC qualification. Then, in May, Hummel welcomed her first child.

Getting herself and Joey back to the AEC became a major goal as she navigated becoming a mother.

“It’s been a pretty wild year, and I’m incredibly proud of all the obstacles we’ve overcome!” she said. "Joey has been the best big brother through it all and was the most gentle, stable mount right up through 39 weeks of my pregnancy!"

A Gentle Giant Takes on Eventing

On the opposite end of the size spectrum of Hummel's Halflinger is Irwin's Tullamore Dew, affectionately known as “Tilly.”

The Clydesdale wasn't originally destined to be an event horse. Tilly was purchased as a 3-year-old in 2014 by Irwin's friend Jeanne Schaberg, who had always dreamed of owning a Clydesdale. Irwin knew the mare throughout her life, and after Schaberg passed away in 2022, her husband, Curt, shared Tilly with Irwin's family. Irwin remains grateful for the opportunity to continue their partnership.

"Tilly has always been such a trainable horse," reflected Irwin. "We started with dressage as our foundation and just kept trying new things. As time went on, we started to jump to cross-train and keep things fun. To our surprise, she loved it! We just kept building from there, and one thing led to another and we tried our hand at a cross-country schooling in 2020."

By 2021, the pair were competing in their first horse trials. They qualified for the AEC in 2022, but with a newborn at home and a long trip from Michigan to Montana ahead of them, attending wasn't feasible for Irwin, but the goal of eventually making it to the championships remained. Qualifying this year was a "dream come true" for Irwin.

“I never in a million years thought this would even be a remote possibility with a draft horse,” Irwin said. “She tries 110% in everything she does. She is my heart horse and has brought so much joy to our family."

Tilly's talents aren't limited to eventing, either. She carries Irwin's 4-year-old in leadline classes, and in 2025, she and Irwin competed at the Clydesdale World Show, where Tilly earned a world jumping title.

Now Irwin is looking forward to galloping around the Kentucky Horse Park herself after years of watching some of the sport's best riders compete there.

A Mustang's Comeback Tour

For Barnes and Lucero, making it to Kentucky represents much more than another championship.

Barnes grew up eventing and participating in Pony Club before stepping away from horses for a period as a young adult. She returned to the sport roughly 20 years ago, and after retiring her Thoroughbred, she went searching for something “a little more sane.”

Her trainer had adopted several mustangs through the Bureau of Land Management program, and Lucero immediately caught Barnes' eye.

“The way he was put together, his brain, his presence—I was immediately drawn to him,” she said. "It didn’t take long for Lucero to figure out that life with an adult amateur was a pretty cool gig, and the rest is history."

Their first AEC appearance came in 2019. They headed into show jumping sitting in second place before Barnes had an unintended dismount at the next-to-last fence.

A lot of life has happened in the years since, and the pair have continued to find their way back to the sport through it all.

"Since then we’ve navigated Covid, the loss of my mom, my breast cancer diagnosis, bilateral knee replacements, a shoulder replacement — and Lucero going blind in one eye. I’ve tried to retire him several times. He keeps saying no thank you. So here we are—on our comeback tour together."

Returning to Kentucky gives Barnes the opportunity to rewrite the ending of their 2019 AEC story.

“Coming back now, after everything we’ve been through, feels like something I couldn’t have imagined possible,” she said.

A Fell Pony Who Has Earned the Trip

Smith brings approximately 35 years of eventing experience to the Variety Pack and has previously competed through the Intermediate level, but these days she's having plenty of fun at Beginner Novice aboard her 13.2-hand Fell Ponies.

Her connection to the breed began when her mother selected Fell Ponies for a four-in-hand driving team. Kimberlake Jophiel, known as “Joe,” has competed in the North American Preliminary Pony Team Championships, but he also took a liking to eventing.

“I’ve always loved riding ponies,” Smith said. “The Fells are such curious and likable ponies!”

Although Smith has qualified for the AEC numerous times over the years, 2026 will be the first time she actually makes the trip. She is bringing two Fell Ponies with her in her inaugural year, Joe and his brother Kimberlake Samuel.

As a teacher, taking time away early in the school year presented a challenge, but with the support of her administration, Smith decided this was the year to make it happen.

“After the amazing year Joe had last year I feel like he and Sam have earned the trip,” she said.

Different Breeds, Same Team

Perhaps what makes the Variety Pack especially fitting for the Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships is that the differences between their horses aren't the only thing bringing these riders together. The team format itself is part of the appeal.

For Hummel, who travels with a close-knit group of Haflinger enthusiasts, eventing has always felt like a team sport. The ATC offers an opportunity to extend that sense of community to other competitors.

Irwin, meanwhile, is traveling without a barn or established group and is looking forward to gaining exactly that kind of camaraderie. Before they've even met in person, the Variety Pack teammates have created a Facebook group and started getting to know one another, sharing ideas and preparing for the experience ahead.

"It’s crazy that we have four wildly different breeds all qualified and in the same team," said Smith. "I am looking forward to seeing Jordan, Lisa, and Emily at events in the future."

Barnes sees an even deeper meaning in the team experience.

“Because this journey has never been just about ribbons,” she said. “I wanted to share this comeback with others who have also navigated a lot of life to get here—people who know that sometimes just showing up IS the biggest win of all.”

For four riders mounted on horses who don't necessarily fit the stereotypical image of an event horse, the Variety Pack seems like an especially appropriate way to celebrate that idea.

Four very different packages, all headed toward the same start box.

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 2026 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held on Aug. 25-30 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 Sponsors: Bates Saddles, Marshall+Sterling Equine Insurance; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, Gallaghers Water, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Kerrits, The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program, Rood & Riddle; Bronze Level Sponsors: 70°, Antech Diagnostics, Athletux, The Chronicle of the Horse, Devoucoux, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, John Deere, Retired Racehorse Project, Ride EquiSafe, Santa Cruz Animal Health; Contributing Level Sponsors: AnimaSol, CrossCountry App, Foxhollow Farm, Georgetown/Scott County Tourism, Kentucky Equine Research, Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, Lexmark, LV Harkness, Only Fools and Horses, #WeRideTogether, YETI; and Prize Level Sponsors: ARRO Helmets, The Dad Den, Dandy Products, Equiluxe Tack, Equine IMED, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, I Love My Horse Boutique, The Infused Equestrian, Love Equestrian, Majyk Equipe, Mare Modern Goods, Natalie Hummel Coaching, Neighborly Tack, Outlaw Nutrition, Parkmore Supplements, Peak Performance Equine Spa, Poseidon Animal Health, Rachel Dory Fine Art, Right Path Equestrian, Saddle Bird Boutique, Sidelines Magazine, Strides For Equality Equestrians, STRIDER, Stylish in the Saddle, VTO Saddlery, and XLR8 Equine.

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 nine teams and 39 riders for the BN, N, T, and M levels, plus an additional eight members if they are at the Starter level only. 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 USEA Adult Team Championships. The USEA would like to thank ATC Title Sponsor, Adams Horse Supply, and contributing sponsors ARMA, Bates Saddles, The Chronicle of the Horse, FarmVet, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Gallagher’s Water, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Nutrena Feeds, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, SmartPak, and Santa Cruz Animal Health for sponsoring the Adult Team Championships.