United States Eventing Association

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 27—Just 10 days after helping the U.S. Eventing Team bring home bronze at the FEI World Eventing Championship in Aachen, Germany, Boyd Martin returned home to compete in this week’s USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds with two horses in the featured $60,000 Adequan© USEA Advanced Final.

Martin was sitting third after yesterday’s dressage with Dallas LLC’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Shanroe Cooley (Dallas VDL x Shanroe Sapphire), and when overnight leaders Lainey Ashker and Lovedance and second-placed Isabelle Bosley and Conner picked up runouts on cross-country this morning, he and “Dallas” moved into the lead, adding 8.8 time penalties. Theirs was the fastest round of the day over Jay Hambly’s track at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Martin has Dallas five-star fit because he was named as an alternate for the World Championships, so he was confident heading out on course this morning.

“I sort of let him run on gently a bit knowing that he's very fit at the moment just because of the preparation we did in case we needed him for the [World Championships,]” he said. “He gave me a fantastic round. I really gelled with him, and we're just so on the same page now through the cross-country. He's a champion horse, and he shows a lot of grit and determination. We stumbled into the ditch at the coffin, and I thought it was the end of me, and he shuffled his steps and jumped out over C like a champion.”

Liz Halliday developed Dallas to the Advanced, but after she had a serious fall in 2024, Martin took on the ride and has been working on developing a partnership. The pair finished third in Dallas’ first five-star at Luhmühlen in June.

Martin felt like today’s course was a bit twisty in the first part but appreciated that several five-star fences were used.

“It's a championship course, and there’s a lot of prize money on the line, and so it needs to be a high level of standard,” he said. “It took some riding, but it was sort of a four ½-star in my opinion.”

Martin doesn’t have any big long format event plans for Dallas this fall and will likely aim for CCI4*-S classes. He’s hoping to continue working on the gelding’s weaker phase, the dressage, with the help of his wife, Grand Prix dressage rider Silva Martin.

However the weekend ends up for Martin, he’s thrilled with how Dallas came out of his five-star debut and where their partnership is headed.

“I definitely feel like he's just learned a lot,” he said. “He’s the same age as my other horse here [Fetiche des Rouges], and the other horse feels three years younger, you know. And I think doing that mega effort at Luhmühlen, he's just learned a lot. He feels bulletproof, and I think his best attribute is his heart. He is a real tryer, and I think the run around Luhmühlen proved to me mostly that this horse is a champion animal.”

Hambly’s track shook up the leaderboard, with 18 of 21 pairs completing. Seven pairs picked up refusals, and there were two retirements and one rider fall, but horse and rider were reported to walk off course. Fence 5b, a narrow brush out of the first water, proved to be a tough test, with a handful of runouts there.

Martin will head into tomorrow’s show jumping with less than a rail in hand ahead of Maya Clarkson and her own Maks Mojo C, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Mighty Magic x Winter Morning). Katie Lichten and Hickstead Musterd, her own 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Stakkato x Saleria M) moved into third.

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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 $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will take place at the 2026 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky on Aug. 26-28. 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 2026, 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 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.