United States Eventing Association

Get Ready for the Maryland International and USEF Eventing Young Rider Championship

The countdown to the Maryland International & Horse Trials hosted at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland, on July 5-7 has begun. With competition for all FEI divisions from CCI1*-S to CCI4*-S, as well as national levels Training through Advanced, local riders will be able to compete alongside the best of the best.

Celebrated five-star course designer Ian Stark will be designing the CCI4*-S track and will be hosting a course walk on Thursday afternoon after the course opens at 3 p.m. All FEI cross-country courses will run through the rings by the Vendor Village, allowing spectators to keep a close eye on the action without having to walk out on the course. The CCI4*-S track includes exciting new terrain features, like the triple bank complex at the water, new coffin, and leaf pit track. The FEI riders will be awarded a total of $10,000 in prize money split between the divisions.

The USEF Eventing Young Rider Championship will also be hosted the same weekend as the Maryland International with divisions from CCI1*-S to CCI3*-S. There will be a full awards ceremony and podium for the Young Riders on Sunday after the completion of competition. On Saturday night the Young Riders are invited to the Highland Games, which includes ax throwing, stick horse steeplechase, zorb balls, a paper toss, and more.

Awards will be given to riders and grooms alike, including the Ride EquiSafe Best Save Award, Best Turned Out, the Achieve Equine #Supergroom award, and more. Stay tuned for more information on how to nominate a rider, groom, or horse for these awards on Eventing Nation as the competition draws nearer.

Riders, owners, and grooms are invited to a party sponsored by Triple Crown on Friday night following competition. Catering and beverages will be provided. Stop by to kick off the competition right with friends, food, and fun times.

The Maryland International will also host Irish exchange rider Godfrey Gibbons. Gibbons won a scholarship funded by the Maryland Horse Industry Board, which was also won by U.S. young rider Maddie Temkin. The scholarship allowed Temkin to compete at the Millstreet Horse Trials in Ireland, where she placed in the top 10 on Sportsfield Guarantee arranged by Caroline Pamukcu and provided by Kelley Hutchinson of Hutchinson Sport Horses. Temkin competed in the 4-year-old Dubarry Burghley Young Event Horse qualifier. She won her scholarship at last year’s Maryland International, where she was the highest placed young rider.

Now, it’s Gibbons’ turn to take advantage of the opportunity to compete here in the United States. A highly accomplished young rider, Gibbons “has been working with horses since I could walk. I came up the ranks through ponies then moved onto Juniors with my mare Milchem Free Spirit where I traveled twice to European Championships in Sweden and Britain. I was part of a silver medal winning team in Britain in 2022, then moved into Young Riders last year. We won a team Silver again in Italy. I was fortunate enough to travel to Lyon, France, for the 7-year-old World Young Horse Championships with my mare Milchem Miami.”

Spectators can purchase VIP tickets to watch all the action unfold from The Highland Club. Highland Club PLUS members are invited to watch from the Highland Tower, which is exclusively limited to just 20 ticket holders. From the tower, spectators will have a 360-degree view of the cross-country course, both rings, and the Vendor Village. Highland Club members will also have access to refreshments during the event. All spectators will have access to Charm Cars shuttles for convenient transportation from spectator parking up to the main show grounds.

The vendor village, known as the Highland Shoppes, is back this year and better than ever. Spectators can shop the village to enjoy saddles, saddle pads, clothing, and more. Vendors include safety expert Ride EquiSafe, Dubarry, and more.

Entries for The Maryland International close on June 18. Enter here.