United States Eventing Association

Keyser, Caflisch, and Romero Add USEA Classic Series Wins to their Resume at Coconino H.T.

The Summer Coconino H.T. and Western Underground Inc. T, N, BN 3 Day Event is a staple on the Area X calendar for its fun environment and, of course, its Classic Series divisions. Competitors from all over flock to Flagstaff, Arizona, to check the box on one of their eventing goals. This year, the event at Coconino offered three long-format divisions and saw two first time winners and one Classic Series veteran rise to the top.

This year’s Training Three-Day winner at Coconino has been riding since before she was born.

“My mother rode while pregnant with me,” said Phoenix, Arizona-based rider and veterinarian Anastasia Keyser. “Growing up I rode both English and western, but my primary love has always been English. I spent many years focused on my education so showing was not feasible during that time. As a vet student, I had the opportunity to be involved at multiple horse trials, so when my life finally allowed me to focus on my riding, I started eventing!”

Keyser has been competing since 2019 and has spent the last five years dreaming of competing in a USEA Classic Series event.

“As the primary Area X on-site show veterinarian, my usual role is working the show along with competing in the regular horse trial,” Keyser shared. “With the additional trot-ups, inspection, and the vet box, I would be unable to compete unless I found another vet to do those responsibilities.”

But Keyser’s trainer pushed her to find a way to make competing this year possible, so she reached out to a local veterinarian who had expressed interest in helping out at the event, and, to her excitement, he agreed to take on all the veterinary responsibilities for the Classic Series so that Keyser could participate with her 7-year-old Appaloosa/Appendix cross mare, Bellatrix (Hands Of A Hero x Art I A Mover).

“I bred and raised Bellatrix, so we have a very strong bond,” said Keyser. “Although other people have ridden her on occasion, I have the pleasure of saying that I have been the only person to ever jump her. Developing a horse up the levels is challenging but it can also be so rewarding.”

Keyser’s goal was to use this event as a prep run for both the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds (Lexington, Kentucky) and a hopeful move up to the Modified level later this fall.

“The experience really helps you see just how fit you and your horse are,” she noted. “When I came in after Phase C and Phase D, neither Bellatrix nor I were very affected, so I knew we did a good job conditioning and preparing for the Classic Series.”

During their preparation for the event, it was all about enjoying the process for this pair. Keyser encourages other eventers preparing for their first long-format to do the same.

“Take the time to condition your horse and enjoy the trot sets and long hacks," she said. "If you are only riding in an arena for short periods of time, the long-format will be challenging from a fitness standpoint for both you and your horse. I hope more people take the opportunity to participate in the Classic Series at least once. It is a special experience that I hope to see offered for a long time.”

Keyser and Bellatrix won their division with just one rail in show jumping added to their score to finish the weekend on a 30.7.

This was Brittney Caflisch’s third year in a row winning a Classic Series division at Coconino. In 2022 she won the Novice Three-Day aboard her Thoroughbred gelding Balance Due (Redding Colliery x Stage Five Clinger) and the pair returned in 2023 to steal the show in the Training Three-Day as well. This year, however, Caflisch returned to Coconino to compete in the Novice division aboard the 12-year-old Connemara gelding Benmore Westonhouse Boy (Westonhouse Straboe x Benmore Betty).

The Amarillo, Texas-based professional, has been eventing since her college days.

“My family, especially my dad, have always loved adrenaline,” said Caflisch. “I was needing some in my horse life, and I had not found what my mare at the time loved, and my trainer at the time convinced me to go school cross-country with them, and there was no turning back.”

“Weston” was purchased for Caflisch’s daughter, Kenley Caflisch, initially, but when Kenley found her newest partner, Weston transitioned to teaching lessons at Brittney’s barn; that is until a new opportunity arose.

“He had been hanging out the last year helping various riders who needed a mount,” said Brittney. “Well, this spring it was my turn for needing a horse to show when my horse had a rough go medically. The Coconino Three-Day is one of my favorite events. We have come the last three years, and I was going to be so sad to miss this year.”

So in April, Brittney took over Weston’s reins and decided to try her best to make it possible to compete at Coconino again.

“I took him to one horse trial in May at Willow Draw [Weatherford, Texas] and qualified by attaining our MER for the Coconino Classic. I was so happy to find out we qualified!” she said.

Then it was conditioning time, and Brittney found that preparing a Connemara was much different than conditioning her Thoroughbred.

“I love Weston to death but with him being a Connemara, he is a much different ride than my Thoroughbred that I normally ride,” she noted. But with proper time and preparation, she knew that Weston was ready.

Weston and Brittney led the division from the first phase with a dressage score of 22.9. They added 1.2 time faults in Phase B to their score to bring home the win on a final score of 24.1. Despite the differences in preparing him for the event, Brittney found that her favorite memory from this year with Weston was the same as it was with her previous horse.

“The steeplechase is my favorite phase because you feel the rush of running around the track and how much more forward your horse can and will be when you step out on the cross-country course. They feel so much more confident!” she said.

The Beginner Novice Three-Day winner Arianah Romero wanted to compete in the Classic Series at Coconino to help understand the history of eventing.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to better understand the roots of our sport,” she shared. “It was truly a privilege to be able to relive how our sport became what it is today.”

Romero’s first experience with horses was in elementary school while attending a riding camp. She was hooked.

“This quickly turned into 4-H, then Pony Club which is where I learned about eventing. My Pony Club group had done a clinic with my now event trainer Manuela Propfe, who struck my love for eventing. I've been loving it ever since!” she said.

Romero has had Flash of Gray, or “Ash,” since he came off the racetrack as a 3-year-old.

“He was my very first OTTB restart,” said Romero. “I have brought Ash along with the help of my amazing trainer. After nearly three years of partnership, we have learned everything together. From going to our first schooling show together, to our first event together, and now our first Classic Three-Day—our partnership has only grown stronger.”

She and the 6-year-old (Don’tsellmeshort x Olympic Funding) scored 34.3 on the flat, putting them in second, but they excelled throughout the endurance phases, adding no additional penalties to their score, to move up to first. That is where Romero felt Ash really shined.

“The endurance phase was a real confidence booster for him,” said Romero. “The build-up to cross-country is unlike any warmup you could do in an arena. Ash really gained boldness through the experience of roads and tracks and galloping around steeplechase. This all became super beneficial when we ran cross-country.”

Outside of her horse’s performance, Romero felt like their win also boiled down to one critical factor: time management.

“That was by far the most crucial piece of the whole experience. The placings would’ve ended up very different otherwise.” she said.

She encourages riders considering entering their first Classic Series event to take heed of the following advice.

“Be diligent with your time. Get your meter wheel out, find your kilometer marks, know your speeds for each phase, and know your optimum times and speed fault times!” she said.

Romero plans on encouraging as many of her fellow riders to take part in this experience in the future.

“It’s extremely nerve-racking to do something new, but don’t be discouraged! The experience exceeds expectations!” she said.

For full results from the Coconino H.T. click here.

The next USEA Classic Series event will take place July 17-21 at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana, and will feature Classic Series divisions at the Novice and Training levels.

About the USEA Classic Series

The USEA Classic Series keeps the spirit of the classic long ­format three­-day events alive for Beginner Novice through the Preliminary levels. Competitors can experience the rush of endurance day, including roads and tracks, steeplechase, the vet box, and cross­-country, as well as participate in formal veterinary inspections and educational activities with experts on the ins and outs of competing in a long ­format three-­day event. Riders who compete in a USEA Classic Three-Day Event during the year will have the chance to win a variety of prizes at the events from USEA sponsors and earn leaderboard points. Click here to learn more about the USEA Classic Series.

The USEA would like to thank bronze sponsors SmartPak Equine and D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis Saddles, as well as contributing sponsors Bates Saddles and Parker Equine Insurance for supporting the USEA Classic Series.