Next week, hundreds of competitors will travel to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky to compete at the 2019 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) on August 27 – September 1. Out of those competitors, 25 are entered to compete in the toughest division with the largest amount of prize money, the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final. The Advanced division is packed with five-star veterans, Olympians, and previous Advanced Final champions.
The stakes are high, the competition is tight, and the fight to the finish starts on Thursday, August 29. The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final is scheduled to do dressage on Thursday, cross-country on Friday, and show jumping on Saturday night. The winner of the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will be awarded on Saturday night under the lights in the Rolex Stadium. The Adequan® Champion will take home a $30,000 personalized check. The other $30,000 will be distributed as purse money through at least eighth place.
There are five Advanced competitors entered who have won the Adequan® USEA Advanced Final in previous years: Phillip Dutton, Leslie Law, Jacob Fletcher, Buck Davidson, and Ryan Wood. Dutton won in 2005, Law in 2009, Davidson in both 2011 and 2014, Fletcher in 2015, and Wood in 2016. The West Coast powerhouses, Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Chatwin, are entered to compete at their first event back after their fourth-place finish at Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L. Twelve horses will return to Kentucky as they competed in the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event five months prior. Who will walk away with the $30,000 check? The competition kicks off in less than a week! Learn more with the 2019 Advanced Final Roster.
The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final would not be possible without the generous support of Adequan® .
The USEA would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of the USEA American Eventing Championships: Advanced Final Title Sponsor: Adequan®; Platinum Level Sponsors: Bates Saddles, Equistro; Gold Level Sponsors: Charles Owen, Standlee Hay, Parker Equine Insurance; Silver Level Sponsors: Mountain Horse; The Jockey Club, Park Equine; Bronze Level Sponsors: Arnall’s Naturals, State Line Tack, Black Petticoat, Devoucoux, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Horseware Ireland, LandSafe SmartPak, Dubarry, The Chronicle of the Horse, Stackhouse and Ellis Saddles, Auburn Laboratories, FITS Riding, Ovation, Lanier Sand and Soil, Event Cooling Solutions, Farm House Tack; Contributing Level Sponsors: Ariat, Meanwhile Back on the Farm, L.V. Harkness, Lexmark, GLC Direct, Georgetown Tourism, FarmVet, FLAIR Nasal Strips, Nunn Finer, RevitaVet, Resvantage Equine, CrossCountry App; Prize Level Sponsors: GumBits, Ride Heels Down, C4 Belts, I Love My Horse, Mare Modern Goods, Bluegrass Vibershield, Bluegrass Animal Products, Caracol, Active Interest Media, Astrid’s Oil, Baekgaard, On The Bit Horse Supplies, Luxe EQ, EQ AM Magazine, Jetti Spa, Great British Equinery, Foxden Equine, The Scoring Chix, Pure Form Equine; Competitor’s Party Sponsors: Jacqueline Mars, Kat and Roberto Cuca, United States Hunter Jumper Association, and United States Dressage Federation.
The USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) is the pinnacle of the sport for 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 horses and riders 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. This year, the USEA American Eventing Championships will be held August 27 – September 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Click here to learn more about the USEA American Eventing Championships.
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.
Ride iQ’s popular “Ask An Expert” series features professional advice and tips from all areas of the horse industry. One of the most-downloaded episodes is an expert session with Peter Gray, an accomplished dressage judge and Olympic eventer. He has recently judged at events like the five-star at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and he served on the ground jury at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni, Italy. His background as a competitor in the Olympic Games riding for Bermuda and as a coach and selector for the Canadian eventing team adds depth to his understanding of the sport.
With a total of 382 volunteer hours in 2024, Catherine “Cathy” Hale not only topped the USEA Area III VIP Volunteer leaderboard, but she also ranked fourth out of all eventing volunteers across the country. Hale (The Villages, Florida) has worked as a travel agent for over 30 years, a career that suits her love of travel nicely. At the time of being interviewed for this article, Hale was passing the equator on a cruise to Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia.
The USEA office will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and will reopen again on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. The USEA staff will return emails and phone calls when the office re-opens on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 or at their earliest convenience.