United States Eventing Association

Get Ready to Party at the 2023 USEA AEC in Lexington, KY!

While competing at the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships, presented by Nutrena Feeds, may be a serious task, the USEA wants members to have fun while they are at the Kentucky Horse Park this Aug. 29—Sept. 3, too! As eventers from across the country gear up to travel to Lexington, Kentucky, in just over a month, here is all of the information you need to know to get the most out of your 2023 AEC experience.

VIP Hospitality

From Tuesday through Sunday, an exclusive Daily VIP Hospitality ringside tent at Rolex Stadium will be serving delicious food and drink for interested attendees. The Tent will be open for breakfast and lunch and will have a cash bar available. Click here to purchase tickets to the Daily VIP Hospitality ringside tent. Daily hospitality menus are listed under each daily ticket and prices are as follows:

• Single Day Ticket
• VIP Hospitality Package
  • Includes access to the VIP Hospitality ringside tent for all six days of the AEC.
• VIP Hospitality and Party Package
  • Includes access to VIP Hospitality ringside tent for all six days of the AEC, plus one extra ticket for each party (Welcome Reception and Competitor Party).

AEC Parties

Wednesday, August 30 – Welcome Reception

Break out your best USA gear for the Red, White and Blue Welcome Reception from 6:30—8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 in the Big Barn! All AEC attendees are encouraged to attend to mingle with fellow competitors and kick off the excitement for the week. Each horse entered will receive one complimentary ticket to the reception and additional tickets can be purchased here.

Thursday, August 31 – Adult & Young Rider Party

Calling all Adult and Young Rider members! We have a treat for you at the 2023 AEC. The Carnival Themed Adult & Young Rider Party will be hosted at the VIP Hospitality ringside tent next to Rolex Stadium at 6:30 p.m. for food and fun. There will be food trucks and live music, as well as a dunking booth with surprise guests. For just $5, you can get three chances to dunk your favorite eventing superstars! Stay tuned for more information on the surprise guests that will be climbing in the tank throughout the party.

As part of the gathering, the Intercollegiate Eventing Program and Interscholastic Eventing League teams are invited to promote their teams and mingle with other USEA members. If you are looking to join an IEL Affiliate in your Area or are starting to think about eventing in college, this is a great opportunity to meet the members of each program and ask questions.

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will be at the party, serving as presenting sponsor of the Adult Rider portion of the party, and they’ll share some insights on their recent research and educational programming.

All USEA Adult Rider and USEA Young Rider program members will receive one ticket to attend the party. Adult Riders and Young Riders are encouraged to dress up in team spirit gear, to represent their Area program, ATC team, or IEL and Intercollegiate teams. Door prizes may be given for the most team spirit!

Friday, September 1 – Competitor Party

It’s Fiesta Friday at the AEC! Celebrate the incredible accomplishment of making it to the 2023 AEC over fun Mexican cuisine, including a full Taco Bar, at the Competitor Party on Friday from 6:30—11:00 p.m. Sombreros and maracas are encouraged! The party will be in the at the VIP Hospitality ringside tent next to Rolex Stadium and will be centered around watching the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final, where the Champion will walk away with a whopping $30,000 check. Cheer on your favorite combinations while enjoying a Mexican fiesta, AEC style.

Each horse entered will receive one complimentary ticket to the reception and additional tickets can be purchased here.

Interested in additional tickets for the Welcome Reception and the Competitor Party? Get a discount by purchasing the Party Package here, which includes one extra ticket for each event.

Qualification and Entry Reminders

Entries for the 2023 AEC are now open! Divisions will be offered from Beginner Novice through Advanced, featuring the $60,000 USEA Adequan Advanced Final. The USEA anticipates significant interest for this year’s event, so it is strongly recommended to enter as soon as possible. Entries will close on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. All entries must be submitted electronically with credit card payment.

Both horse and rider must be qualified for the AEC at the level they wish to compete at. Please visit the AEC qualification page, and view the lists of Qualified Riders and Qualified Horses to confirm eligibility prior to entering. The qualification period for the 2023 AEC is May 23, 2022 through Aug. 15, 2023. For questions regarding AEC qualifications, contact Sharon Gallagher.

In addition to the individual championship divisions, the USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) will also return to the AEC. ATC divisions will be offered for members of the USEA Adult Rider Program at the Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary levels, and new for this year, the Modified level will be included in the ATC as well. Adult Riders interested in participating in the 2023 ATC must submit this letter of intent no later than AEC opening day on July 18, 2023. Click here to fill out the ATC letter of intent. National and Area-specific requirements for competing in the ATC can be viewed here.

Additional Helpful Information

The 2023 USEA AEC omnibus page is now available. The competition will tentatively start at 8:00 a.m on Tuesday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. on Friday through Sunday. For a tentative schedule of events, please click here.

The organizing team of EEI and Mary Fike have secured room blocks at several local hotels and camping is available on site at the Kentucky Horse Park. Click here for more information on AEC Accommodations.

Interested in volunteering? Sign up for a shift through EventingVolunteers.com here.

Follow along with the AEC updates by joining the 2023 AEC Facebook page. For general questions about the AEC, please contact Kate Lokey.

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 Beginner Novice 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 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held Aug. 29—Sept. 3 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; Gold Level Sponsors: Capital Square, Horse & Country, Parker Equine Insurance, Smartpak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Ecogold, Kerrits, The Jockey Club; Bronze Level Sponsors: 70 Degrees, Athletux, Black Petticoat, The Chronicle of the Horse, Devoucoux, D.G. Stackhouse and Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Horseware Ireland, Majyk Equipe, Retired Racehorse Project, Ride EquiSafe; Contributing Level Sponsor: CrossCountry App, Georgetown – Scott County Tourism, Lexmark, L.V. Harkness, Mountain Horse, Mrs. Pastures Cookies, #WeRideTogether; Prize Level Sponsors: Coach Daniel Stewart, EquiFit, Equilab, Equiluxe Tack, Equine Essentials, Equine Pulse Performance, FarmVet, Achieve Equine/FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Horses 4 Your Consideration, Hound & Hare, I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique, Jack’s Favorites, Jane Heart Jewelry, Kinetic Equine Services, LeMieux, Levade Kentucky, Mare Modern Goods, OneTouch Fly Spray, Parkmore Supplements, Practical Horseman, Sidelines Magazine, Spy Coast Farm, Strides for Equality Equestrians, and VTO Saddlery.

About the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will take place at the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Aug. 29—Sept. 3, 2023. Thanks to Adequan’s amazing support, the Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will bring together the country’s top riders to vie for $60,000 in prize money and the title of Adequan® Champion. To qualify for the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final at the AEC in 2023, competitors will need to complete a minimum of two events without cross-country jump penalties at any USEA recognized Advanced horse trials, CCI4*-S, CCI4*-L , CCI5*-L, World Championships or Olympic Games. Click here to learn more about the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final.

About the USEA Adult Team Championships

The 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 Adult Team Championships.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, The Chronicle of the Horse, Achieve Equine/FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Kinetic Equine Services, Horse & Country, Equilab, Kerrits, Nutrena Feeds, Sidelines Magazine, SmartPak and #WeRideTogether for sponsoring the USEA Adult Team Championships.