United States Eventing Association

The USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds is a celebration of eventing at all levels of the sport that brings competitors together from across the country. This extraordinary feat isn’t achieved without the help of hundreds of volunteers that work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the magic come to life for our championship riders.

Whether you’re a qualified competitor, a groom, a trainer, an owner, a supporter, or even a fan, there are volunteer positions available at the team at Galways Downs needs your help filling! If you are making the trip to Temecula, California this August 27-31, the USEA highly encourages carving out the time to give back to the event. Volunteer opportunities range in time commitment and skill requirements, allowing anyone to find a role that suits their needs. Click here to review the AEC listing on EventingVolunteers.com.

Every AEC volunteer will receive exclusive volunteer merchandise and an assortment of goodies from our event sponsors, including AEC branded reusable water bottles and #WeRideTogether baseball caps. Volunteers will also be provided with lunches each day and earn credits towards Galway Downs merchandise for each hour of service logged throughout the week.

Would you like the opportunity to be featured on the USEA website? After the AEC has concluded, the USEA will feature one special AEC volunteer in an article published on useventing.com and the USEA social media channels. The volunteer will be selected at random, but the more days you volunteer, the higher your chances are of getting picked to be featured.

Check out the AEC competition schedule below to start formulating your volunteer plans for the week:

Tuesday, August 26

8:00 a.m. – Barns open

3:00 p.m. – All cross-country courses open

Wednesday, August 27

8:00 a.m. – Dressage – Intermediate, Preliminary, Modified, Training Horse

6:00 – Welcome Reception

Thursday, August 28

8:00 a.m. – Dressage – Advanced, Training Amateur, Training Junior, Training Rider, Novice Horse

8:00 a.m. – Cross-Country – Intermediate, Preliminary, Modified, Training Horse

6:00 p.m. – Adult Rider & Young Rider Parties

Friday, August 29

7:30 a.m. – Cross-Country – Advanced, Training Amateur, Training Junior, Training Rider, Novice Horse

8:00 a.m. – Dressage – Novice Amateur, Novice Junior, Novice Rider, Beginner Novice, Starter

8:00 a.m. – Show Jumping - Preliminary, Modified, Training Horse

6:00 p.m. – Competitor Party

6:00 p.m. – Show Jumping – Intermediate Final

Saturday, August 30

7:30 a.m. – Cross-Country – Novice Amateur, Novice Junior, Novice Rider, Beginner Novice, Starter

8:00 a.m. – Show Jumping – Training Amateur, Training Junior, Training Rider, Novice Horse

6:00 p.m. – Competitor Party

6:00 p.m. – Show Jumping – Advanced Final

Sunday, August 31

7:30 a.m. – Show Jumping – Novice Amateur, Novice Junior, Novice Rider, Beginner Novice, Starter

Since the AEC utilizes the EventingVolunteers.com app, AEC volunteers on the platform will earn hours towards the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) for their service, which qualifies them for national and area awards. All hours earned at the AEC will also be included in the volunteer’s tally towards VIP Medals, which are awarded to any volunteer in the program that accumulates 500 (Bronze), 1,000 (Silver), or 2,000 (Gold) hours of service through EventingVolunteers.com. Start collecting your hours today!

If you have any questions regarding volunteering at the AEC, please contact the AEC Volunteer Coordinators, Jerri Lance and Bernie Low, at [email protected].

If you are planning to compete at the 2025 AEC, remember that entries open on Tuesday, July 15 and will close on Tuesday, August 12. Click here to view the AEC calendar listing. As a reminder, both horse and rider must be qualified for the AEC at the level they wish to compete in. For more information, please visit the AEC qualification page, and view the lists of Qualified Riders and Qualified Horses. For questions regarding AEC qualifications, contact Hannah Seagle

The USEA looks forward to seeing everyone in California! Stay tuned to the USEA website for more event updates and details, and don’t forget to respond “going” on the 2025 AEC Facebook event 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 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 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 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held on Aug. 26-31 at Galway Downs in Temecula, California. 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, Marshall+Sterling; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, Standlee; and more!

About the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport — the unsung heroes, and the people who make it possible to keep eventing alive. In efforts to recognize the dedication, commitment, and hard work that volunteers put into eventing, the USEA formed the Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) in 2015. In 2017, an online management portal was designed for volunteers, organizers, and volunteer coordinators at EventingVolunteers.com, which is also available as an app for iOS and Android.

Volunteer incentives include national and area recognition, year-end awards, a top-10 USEA Volunteer leaderboard, and a Volunteer of the Year award which is given to the volunteer who accumulates the most volunteer hours on EventingVolunteers.com at recognized events throughout the USEA competition year. Click here to learn more about the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program.