United States Eventing Association

Galway Downs hosted the USEA Area VI Championships from from Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Temecula, California, alongside several international divisions. Organizer Robert Kellerhouse summarized the entire competition—at all levels—as reflecting the sport of eventing at its best. “I’m very impressed,” he said. “We saw really good riding and really nice horses in all the phases, and that was with some very tough courses out there. Eventing is best done with good preparation, good background and good experiences. What we saw this weekend makes me very excited for the future. It’s bright!”

Find out more about some of the champions below:

Preliminary Champions | Amber Birtcil & Mississipi | 33.5

Amber Birtcil continued a strong season with Mississipi. The Northern California professional has had the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Falaise de Muze x Coniek), owned by Cellar Farm Corp., for two years and is prepping him for a three-star next spring. They had two rails to spare over William Robertson’s show jumping course and used one to take the win on a 33.5.

“He is definitely very capable on the flat, and we’ve been fine tuning a lot of things,” Birtcil said. “It’s all really starting to come together.” Of cross-country, she said the courses, the footing, and especially the horse were great. Careful show jumping instincts over a track that caught many off guard allowed them to maintain the lead, even with one rail.

A triple combination near the VIP Pavillon berm resulted in several knockdowns and a few refusals in this field and others. For Birtcil’s horses, however, “I think that caused them to take a good look and that made them jump it better and higher.”

Known for her gift in identifying and developing young horses, Birtcil had high praise for the Championships. “This has been great for the development of all the horses as they go up the levels," she said. "I thought the courses were great, and the show jumping atmosphere is so good as they go onto bigger things in life. With the beautiful jumps, the big arena with the flags and the berm, it creates a lot of energy. That makes it a great atmosphere for horses and riders.”

Modified Champions I Erin Kellerhouse & Million Bitcoin | 27.8

Galway Downs-based professional Erin Kellerhouse was thrilled with every phase of Million Bitcoin’s winning weekend. Sourced for her in Germany by James Alliston, the 8-year-old German Sport Horse (Million Dollar x La Mariacha) started with a super dressage outing on a 23.8. Formerly a jumper, he initially found dressage challenging. “But suddenly I feel like he’s become a dressage horse in the last three months,” Kellerhouse shared. Coaching from Jo Moran and Donna Weinberg helped accelerate their progress in this phase.

On cross-country, “I really pushed him for the first time and he responded so well,” Kellerhouse said. Ironically, in his strongest phase, show jumping, they knocked the first fence, but they had points to spare, winning on a 27.3. “I’m very excited about him for the future,” said Kellerhouse.

Modified/Training Champions | Amber Birtcil & Prince of Oolde | 20.7

Nicknamed “Noodles,” Cellar Farm Corp.'s 5-year-old Dutch Warmblood Prince of Oolde (Ibolensky x Aurora J) started with a spectacular dressage effort on a 20.7. He ended on that with foot-perfect cross-country and show jumping. He prepped for the Championships by finishing reserve champion in the USEA’s 5-Year-Old Young Event Horse West Coast Championship at Twin Rivers.

“He’s a very exciting 5-yr-old I’ve had for a little over a year," said Birtcil. His consistency is remarkable, and it was exciting to have him in the atmosphere Galway provides and to see him continue to shine.”

Training/Novice Champion | Amber Birtcil & Oxford K | 24.6

“He’s an over achiever in every way,” said Birtcil of Cellar Farm Corp.'s Dutch Warmblood gelding (Grand Slam VDL x Walzing Patty). So much so that a key stage of his development was spending much of last year out in a field to “grow up and develop.” That was after he won the 4-Year-Old West Coast Young Event Horse Championships. “When everything comes so easy to a horse, it’s easy to do too much with them,” she explained. Birtcil got Oxford back into the show ring mid-year and confirmed that “having that time to take a breath can really pay off.”

Birtcil got the 6-year-old as a 3-year-old and knew from the beginning that he was a keeper. She admits she’d like to keep all the horses that come through her program but said she gets equal joy in seeing several of them excel for others as they get older.

Senior Training Rider Champions | Isabella Rega & Blurred Lines | 29.6

Nineteen-year-old Isabella Rega and Blurred Lines did not have an auspicious start this weekend. “He spooked and tried to buck me off [in dressage],” she said of the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse of unrecorded breeding. They recovered well enough to finish on a 28.8. Then it was back to characteristic performances getting only a few time faults on cross-country to win with a 29.6. This pair also won this division at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds here in late August.

“Cross-country was a lot of fun—he ran his little heart out for me, and we had a great time on a fun course,” she said. “Show jumping was the highlight of our weekend and went off without a hitch. I was very proud of Beau for a beautiful round that secured our win.”

“My connection with Beau is incredibly strong,” she said of her partner of three years. “He has taught me so much about riding, and I truly feel like we are always on the same page. I couldn’t be happier with him; he is the best boy and my very best friend. I am in the process of looking for a new horse as we have decided not to compete Beau above Training. It is very bittersweet for me because I can’t imagine ever finding another horse like him. I know in my heart that he will make all the dreams come true for his next partner, just like he did for me.”

Senior Novice Rider Champions | Fielding Neale | Picasso | 48.4

Amber Birtcil’s young horses added a fourth championship title when her rider Fielding Neale piloted Picasso, a 5-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (High Shutterfly x Athene HBC), to victory. They got off to a good start with a 25.6 dressage to lead the division, even though the former show jumping rider is relatively new to dressage. Neale said she especially loves the cross-country phase of eventing, spending five minutes galloping over the terrain, versus 90 seconds in the show jumping ring. A mid-course refusal dropped them out of the lead, but they regained it with double-clear show jumping.

Neale has been riding Picasso for five months and has worked for Birtcil for the past two years. This weekend’s win reaffirmed her newfound love for the eventing discipline.

Novice/Beginner Novice Champions | Katherine Robinson & Sippin N Kissin | 29.3

Dodgers fan Katherine Robinson kept the World Series win high going by riding client Rebecca McClusky’s 6-year-old Thoroughbred to victory. They added just one show jumping rail to finish on a 29.3.

The Galway Downs-based professional came in confident. “I knew if he performed the way he’d been going lately, things would go well.” They dominated the division early, with a 25.3 dressage effort. The bold, confident, gelding gave Robinson nothing to worry about on cross-country. Having a rail in hand came in handy in yesterday’s final phase.

Robinson praised the split-level division as perfect for Sippin N Kissin. “I knew he was ready for more challenges in dressage and show jumping.” Sippin N Kissin (Stay Thirsty x River Kiss) was bought off the track with the intent that his owner, McClusky, would ride him. Life events prevented her doing so recently, but Robinson says the horse is peaking in perfect time for her client to re-take the reins.

Senior Beginner Novice Champions | Justin Flach & V Power AF Z | 30.6

Justin Flach and V Power AF Z (Vigo D’Arsouilles x Kannana Z) topped the Senior Beginner Novice division.

“Two years ago, when my mare, Aracelli, and I walked into the Grand Prix Arena at Galway Downs for the first time, I was intimidated. She was not. She showed me how to win,” he said. “This time, as I approached the end gate, I took a deep breath and reminded myself, ‘You’ve been here before, you’ve won here before, and now it’s Theo’s turn.’ And after a nice and easy double-clear show jumping round, it was! It was an amazing weekend, and I’m excited to win my second Area VI Championship!”

“Theo,” is a 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding who was imported from Ireland by Kelly Prather last year. He show jumped through 1.20-meters with a young rider in Ireland and was competing at Training level here in the U.S. with his prior owner.

“After a difficult start to the year, my trainer, Olivia Putrino, and I decided that it was time for me to find a new horse so that I could continue growing as a rider,” said Flach. “Theo and I have only been working together since July, and this was our third event together. In a lot of ways, we’re still getting to know each other. We’ve had some early success together, and there’s nothing more empowering than bombing around a cross-country course with him. He is exactly the willing, level-headed partner I needed to be able to improve my riding skills.”

Flach says he “identifies as a dressage rider” outside of his eventing life, as his wife, Meg Flach, competes at Grand Prix. He credited her and Putrino for their help over the weekend.

“‘Liv’ took me on as a student a little over a year ago and has never stopped believing in me or having exactly the right words or approach to help me through each and every moment,” he said. “There have been some really tough moments, but having her in my corner makes getting through them feel possible. As for my wife, there isn’t a barn friend who hasn’t said, ‘I don’t know how anyone shows without a Meg.’ She’s my everything in life and in horses, and I’m not an Area VI Champion without her!”

Junior Beginner Novice Champions | Sierra Lynessa Leigh & #Iwokeuplikethis

Gayle Paperno's 17-year-old Palomino Haflinger is, indeed, a head-turner worthy of her cute name, #Iwokeuplikethis. She’s also a great ambassador for the sport. As a school horse in Ashley Shrader’s Total Equestrian Experience program, the mare has introduced several students to dressage and eventing.

Sierra Lynessa Leigh has ridden Kaira one and off since Leigh was 5. “The real work began about a year and a half ago when my heart horse, a Quarter Horse named Chasing The Rayne, had a career-ending injury just as we qualified for dressage championships, which was a devastating blow,” she said. “I knew eventing was my real love, and so from then on I put my everything into making that dream happen. I started leasing Kaira, and we worked toward the goal.”

Leigh took a hard fall from another horse a few weeks ago, which left her bruised mentally and physically.

“Getting over that mentally to come here and compete again in the stadium jumping was really hard,” she said. “But Kaira had me the entire way; she is an amazing pony, and we are so in sync with each other. She knew I was hesitant, and this time she had all the confidence for us both. Our partnership is definitely a 50/50, and it is so wonderful because she has my back if I am having a rough day and vice versa.

“It was all I could ask for to end my very first eventing season,” she added. “The lap of honor was such an amazing feeling, and knowing this was the one-year anniversary of my first eventing show right here at Galway just made the entire weekend perfect. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Beginner Novice/Starter Championship | Allyson Hartenburg & MBF Longford | 27.8

MBF Longford, a Connemara/Irish Sport Horse cross (Moonlight Silver Shadow x Grace Flight), is getting off to a great start with Allyson Hartenburg, a Santa Ynez, Calif-based professional, said his owner, Deborah Finn, of the 5-year-old.

Hartenburg brought MBF Longford to Galway Downs for the first time, and while he had some young horse nerves and uncertainty, she was pleased with how hard he tried in each phase.

Waffles went through the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale in Ireland as a 3-year-old and came to Virginia, where he was nicely produced by Rebecca Barber Tyler for about a year before his purchase by Finn.

Finn has competed him at some local schooling shows, while Hartenburg has competed him at recognized ones.

In dressage, “Waffles” was slightly off his game in the electric atmosphere, earning a 27.8. He breezed over his first Galway Downs cross-country track and overcame a first-fence stutter in show jumping to finish with an elegant clear round.

Finn is a lifelong eventer. She’s grateful to Hartenburg’s horsemanship and good work with Waffles and looks forward to tackling the Starter division with him next year.

Hartenburg wanted to thank the Galway Downs team for a successful championships. “The venue just keeps getting better and better, and I think I speak for all of the Area VI eventers when I say that we are so appreciative of the dedication of their team to create a top-notch facility for us to enjoy,” she said. “I think the format of the mixed level challenge classes is a fabulous way to cap off the season with a friendly ‘move-up’ level of difficulty and a championship class feel."

Senior Starter Championships | Cynthia Allen Lapp & Ruby Pearl | 35.3

“Now that was fun!” exclaimed Cynthia Allen Lapp after leading the victory lap in this division. Her 5-year-old gray Quarter Horse mare “is my COVID baby,” explained Lapp, who is one of Galway Downs’ ever-present volunteers throughout the year.

She enjoyed being in the well-earned spotlight, especially because it was only their sixth competition together. Dressage got off to a disappointing start, with a 35.3, in part because Ruby (O Lucky Man x Bobies Royal Pepto) was neighing to a barnmate and friend also in the division. That left them in a close tie for second, with optimum cross-country times likely the deciding factor until their friendly foe had a rail and Ruby jumped clean.

Junior Starter Champions | Sierra Clayton & Pancake | 59.7

Sierra Clayton was ecstatic over the win with the 7-year-old Hackney Pony/Arabian Pancake. “Just to be here is amazing,” Clayton said. She described Pancake as a “TikTok rescue pony” who arrived at coach Sabrina Miller’s program with very little training. They’ve been together for a year and four months and, “he’s my baby, and I love him!” His teeth and hooves reflected neglect when he came to the barn, and “he was a nervous wreck,” Clayton explained. “So, the fact that we’re here is just amazing.”

Clayton is grateful to be a student of Miller’s Riding Academy in Central California’s Salinas. “She’s the best trainer ever!”

For full results, click here.