United States Eventing Association

Influential Final Phase Shakes Up the Standings in the Bates USEA Preliminary Divisions at #AEC2024

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 29—Four Preliminary divisions took to the Rolex Arena today for their exciting show jumping conclusion. Meet our new champions below!

Bates USEA Preliminary Junior/Young Rider Championship

In the Bates USEA Preliminary Junior/Young Rider Championship, Rylie Nelson of Unionville, Pennsylvania, took first place with Galloway Sunrise (Duty Officer x Coco Channel) with a score of 34.8. Owned by Fylicia Barr, this will be the 16-year-old American Warmblood’s third time competing at the Kentucky Horse Park, having been here twice before as Barr’s five-star horse.

“It's just amazing. I've learned so much from her, and she's just given me everything, and I learn from her every day,” Nelson said. “It's definitely a little bit of pressure knowing that ‘Sunny’ is fully capable of [this level]. So if it doesn't go well, it's not on anyone else but me.”

While it was a hard decision for Barr to step Sunny down the levels, she felt Nelson was the right fit. “She's just not a horse that was ready to retire,” said Barr. “She wanted a job, and Rylie’s been in my program forever. It seemed like a perfect fit, and it's been really rewarding to watch a student of mine excel in this way and have these goals reached, but also to see Sunny just happy and charging around the course like she's still running her first five-star.”

In second place, Erin Farrell of Tallahassee, Florida, and her own Ataviuos (Hard Spun x Wild Silk). Farrell had a double clear show jumping round to earn a score of 35.9. “I felt pretty good going into [the stadium],” Farrell said. “I was a little wary about how tired he would be from cross-country the day before, and so I rode him a little bit more protectively, which I don't think I should have, because he definitely saved me quite a few times there. But overall, it was pretty good. He's definitely more tired than I thought he would be, but he was good.”

Farrell produced the 6-year-old Thoroughbred up the levels herself, even backing him for the first time—or so she thought. “The original owners said he wasn't broke,” Farrell said. “So, when we took him on, we did the whole nine yards—put the saddle on him, did all the things. And then a few months later, he went to the 4-year-old championships, and he had to get a microchip. That’s when we found out that he already had one. We looked up his race number, and he actually raced five times.”

In third place, Katherine Maroko of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, earned a score of 36.6 with her own Redfield Champion (Diarado x Calinka). Maroko has been riding the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding for only the last six months after purchasing him from Carolina Pamukcu. “He is a very sweet horse. He really just wants everyone to be happy with him all the time,” she said. “He loves his job and really just aims to please, although he can be a little bit anxious because he's working so hard and gets worried that you're not going to be happy with him. He can overwhelm himself a little bit, but he really is such a hard worker, and he just wants to do well all the time.”

Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Championship

The Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Championship ended in a unique three-way tie between Alayna Newsome, Abby Foltz, and Joanie Morris. In the end, it came down to who was closest to optimum time on cross-country.

Newsome of Woodbine, Maryland, was crowned champion of the Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Division with Quality Dynamite (Kings Cornet x Lady Obama) with a score of 46.8. Originally in eighth place at the end of the dressage phase, Newsome and the 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse, owned by Covered Bridge Farm LLC, moved into the lead after cross-country. One rail down and 0.4 time faults in show jumping meant that second place Foltz almost caught up to her, but Newsome managed to maintain the lead.

“He was super,” Newsome said. “He got in there, and he's a little bit of a horse that gets behind the leg, and so I had to kick a bit. We did not get any of the lead changes. But he was just a great boy, and I think he just knew that he needed to show up.”

Newsome trains with five-star eventer Tim Bourke, who originally imported the gelding. “I got [Quality Dynamite] last year, around last March,” Newsome said. “I've had him a little over a year. Got him from Ashley Adams, but originally, he was imported by Tim Bourke, who's here. I train with him now; I’m so incredibly happy. He's a great horse. He's very focused. He's a little bit of a lazy horse in nature, but he always turns it on when it's competition time. He's a great boy.”

Foltz and her own Absolute Zero (Freedom Child x Still Kicking) came in second. It was a long, hard road to the championships for the Front Royal, Virginia, native and the 9-year-old Thoroughbred mare. Through the summer, they struggled in the show jumping phase, which drove Foltz to seek help from five-star eventers Meghan O’Donoghue and Monica Spencer.

“She's just a very unique horse,” Foltz said. “She's not the biggest mover; not the scopiest jumper. She fights really hard, but channeling that has been tough. So, we've been working different bits, different shoeing setups, just really trying to keep her comfortable. This year, I said, we're gonna really take our time and figure out how to make her feel most comfortable and see what she likes best. So, it's been mentally a little tough getting here, because I knew I just had to trust that process, but I'm glad I did.”

Folz’s team has pulled out all the stops to get the mare to the championships. “I've just had the privilege of an incredible team behind me,” Folz said. “My coach is Ashley Trier in The Plains, Virginia. She's one of my best friends. She has been with me every step of the way with this horse. My husband is my farrier. He pulled out all the stops for her to keep her comfortable. I've been working with Meghan O'Donoghue and Monica Spencer from New Zealand. I’m so lucky to have just such an incredible team. I'm so grateful to all of them.”

Competing at the Kentucky Horse Park with a special and sensitive horse has been hugely rewarding for Folz. “It's just such an honor to be on these grounds, knowing all the horses that came before us in the stadium and on this course,” Folz said. “And it's a huge destination event for my barn, coming here with all my friends and just supporting each other. It's so much fun. And we always leave here, regardless of outcome, feeling better about ourselves as a team.”

Third place was claimed by Joanie Morris of, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and her own Pioneer Archibald (Primmore's Pioneer x Meringe M). Morris was the only one of the top three to go double clear in the show jumping phase.

“I have a ton of faith in my horse in show jumping,” Morris said. “He’s probably the first horse I've ever had that I could say that about. I was confident that if I steered him around and gave him a good ride, he would do his very best to jump me around. And he's pretty awesome. I'm lucky to have him.”

“Archie” has built himself a bit of a fan club. “He lives at Philip Dutton’s [farm], and the girls all love him because he's like a pet, and he's so easy to take care of,” Morris said. “Jon Holling originally owned him. He's here. He hasn't seen him since I bought him, so he was out on cross-country, and I could hear him yelling, ‘Go Archie!’ as I went by.”

Morris used to live in Kentucky, so competing here has been filled with nostalgia. “I lived in Kentucky for a long time. I used to have a farm down here, so it’s a bit of a homecoming to compete here,” Morris said. “The team here at [Equestrian Events International] and the USEA do the most incredible job. I know what running events is like. That's my day job. It's incredible the amount of horses and logistics and scheduling and everything. So, I think we all owe a huge amount of gratitude to them. But this facility is as good as it gets anywhere in the world. To get to be in that ring, and the fact that every single horse gets to jump in there, it’s amazing. So, I think we're really, really lucky to be able to [compete] here.”

Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur Championship

In the Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur Championship, Madeleine Richards of Lexington, Kentucky, moved up six places to take home the blue on a score of 35.1. Richards was riding her own The Turning Point (Rocky Lee x Osterblume), a horse that she sourced from Germany. “He's very emotional and sensitive, very emotionally high maintenance,” Richards said. “I love him for it. He's a cool horse, and we built a really cool partnership together. But he is very sensitive, and you have to be a little bit careful with him. He really has come into his own this year and really put in a great three phases.”

Due to the 8-year-old Westphalian’s sensitive nature, Richards wasn’t expecting to compete at the AEC, let alone win the class. “He's really just pushed me to be a better rider because, like I said, he's so sensitive,” Richards said. “It's all about fine movements, nothing big, nothing major. If I get too much in my hands, he'll let me know, if I kick him too hard, he'll let me know. He's taught me to just kind of be a better rider and be more subtle with my aids.”

After a great experience this week, Richards is now aiming for the CCI2*-S at the Tryon (Mill Spring, North Carolina).

In second place, Nicolette Adams of Libertyville, Illinois, scored a 37.4 with her own Total Access (Freedom Child x More Everything). Jumping up to first from seventh place after the conclusion of dressage, Adams led by a large enough margin to only drop to second place after receiving four obstacle penalties and 1.2 time faults in the show jumping phase.

“Obviously, I'm bummed to have the one [rail] down, but at the end of the day, I felt like he tried his heart out,” Adams said. “He just turned 7, so I think he has got an exciting future ahead of him. I can't wait to be back at hopefully another AEC.”

Adams purchased the off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding, “Otis,” on a whim after her mother mentioned she wanted another horse. “My mom was like, ‘I want a horse.’ So, one Monday night, I had a wild hair, and by Thursday, we had a horse shipped in from, I think, Delaware.”

Erin Wages of Geneva, Florida, was the only rider to stay in the top 3 through all phases. She added 10.8 time faults in the cross-country phase to finish on a score of 38.4. Wages rode her own Cooley One To Many (Jack of Diamonds x Taffin), a horse she’s had for a little over a year. “Jack” has a long FEI record, having competed at the five-star level with New Zealand’s Daniel Jocelyn just last year.

“My whole job is to just not get in his way and allow him to do his job and not screw up,” Wages said. “And I even screwed up at number 9, and he was like, ‘Yeah, I got that,’ and picked up his feet and fixed it. So he's wonderful.”

Despite his wealth of experience, Wages says he came with a few quirks. “You couldn't really get on him, and you can't lean over on him,” Wages said. “We had a lot of work to do, just to get to know each other and build a partnership. Now I can get on him by myself in a field.”

Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship

Chris Talley was full of emotion when Fast Forward (Windfall x First Flight Romance), owned by Patricia Luttgen, crossed the timers to win the Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship with a score of 30.6. “I was relatively confident in him going in [to the stadium],” Talley said. “But there's always that pressure [to do well]. Having Tim [Holekamp], his breeder, and Pat, his owner, here today was even more special. He was fifth after dressage… but yesterday, on cross-country, he's so quick, and he's so fast. He's super brave, so I can be really sharp in my turns. And he only takes two strides to set up to something, so I was able to make the time, which was awesome for him, and moved him into that leading position today.”

Talley, local to Ocala, Florida, has only had the 15.3-hand gelding since January, but has fallen in love with his catlike style. Produced by Boyd Martin and Diego Farje, “Rascal” was developed via the Young Event Horse program.

“I really love little horses,” Talley said. “I had competed a 14.3-hand paint pony up through the Intermediate/three-star level. I really bond with smaller, catlike horses. We had kind of discussed taking him on and seeing what we thought of him. Rascal and I just clicked from the minute we met, although he is quite a rascal. But he's super genuine, and I found him very easy to train. Boyd has done a fabulous job laying the foundation, so it was easy for me to step in.”

Fernhill Lottery (Cleaveland Dual x Faberge), ridden by Leslie Law, took second place with a score of 32.1. Local to Ocala, Florida, on the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross. They put in a double-clear round. In total, Law and his own Fernhill Lottery added 2.4 points for time faults in the cross-country phase to his dressage score of 29.7.

Arden Augustus (Jaguar Mail x Juneau) took third place in the Championship with a score of 33.8. Ridden by Sharon White and owned by Anita Antenucci, “Gus” moved up the board from 12th to third. White says the 8-year-old Warmblood/Thoroughbred cross is genuine, but still building his strength. “He gives 120 percent, so it'll be really fun to see how he goes as he develops,” White said. “He's one of the most genuine creatures. He tries so hard that he holds his breath, so I'm always trying to teach him to breathe and to know that he can do a really good job, because he can.”

White rode Gus’ dam, Juneau, in a CCI2*-L in 2019 and says that the two horses are very similar. “They're very, very quiet. I gotta gear up. They’ve gotta get their adrenaline going, which I love, right? They're very comfortable and very good jumpers and very genuine and very quiet,” White said.

Also of note is the meteoric rise of Lisa Samoylenko’s Rahale Comet (Island Commander x Whats Another One), ridden by Michael Pendleton, who shot from 20th to sixth, adding nothing to his dressage score of 35.6.

Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships

In the ATC, the Absolute Quality team finished on a score of 131.0. The team consisted of Foltz, Newsome, and Nicolette Adams.

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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 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held Aug. 27—Sept. 1 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, Horse & Country; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, Parker Equine Insurance, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Smartpak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Canter Culture Riding Apparel, Kerrits, The Jockey Club, Rood & Riddle; Bronze Level Sponsor: 70 Degrees, Athletux, The Chronicle of the Horse, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kraft Horse Walkers, Majyk Equipe, Retired Racehorses Project, Ride EquiSafe, Santa Cruz Animal Health; Contributing Level Sponsors: Cross Country App, Georgetown – Scott County Tourism, Lexmark, L.V. Harkness, #WeRideTogether; and Prize Level Sponsors: BEMER, Big Ass Fans, Boyd Martin Fan Shop, Ecogold, EquiFit, Equilab, FarmVet, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Horses 4 Your Consideration, I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique, Jack’s Favorites, Jane Heart Jewelry, Kentucky Equine Research, LeMieux, Mare Goods, Neighborly Tack, Outlaw Nutrition, Palmera Polo, Parkmore Supplements, Practical Horseman / Equine Network, Rachel Dory Equine Fine Art, Remond Minerals, Secretariat Center, Shapley’s, Sidelines Magazine, Strides for Equality Equestrians, and VTO Saddlery.

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 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 Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships.

The USEA would like to thank Title Sponsor, Adams Horse Supply, and ARMA, The Chronicle of the Horse, Equilab, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kerrits, Nutrena Feeds, PulseVet, Ride iQ, Santa Cruz Animal Health, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, and SmartPak for sponsoring the Adult Team Championships.