United States Eventing Association

Temecula, Calif.—Aug. 29—Three USEA Modified Championship divisions wrapped up their week at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds this afternoon. Meet our winners below!

USEA Open Modified Championship

Kaylawna Smith-Cook and Ruth Bley’s 6-year-old Hanoverian mare Remember Me (by Radisson) were victorious in the small but competitive Open division. Even a dropped rail couldn’t knock the Temecula, California-based rider off her top position, and she clinched the win by just 0.3 points on a 32.7.

“I’ve been riding her for almost two years now,” she said. “She was a bit late in starting her career, and was competing Training level so I took over the ride. Ruth also owns horses for my mom [five-star rider Tamie Smith] as well, and she said, ‘I think this could be a good match for you guys.’ It was kind of a rocky start. She’s a mare and very smart and wants to please, so she questioned me a bit at the beginning of our partnership. I wasn’t even sure if eventing was going to be her niche, but over the last six months she’s shown me that she really loves her job.

“I think she just lacked confidence in the beginning,” she explained. “And I don’t mind taking my time with those types. I want them to love their job. She learned that it was OK to make a mistake, and over time, our trust in each other grew.”

The pair have competed in a few Preliminary events together, but Smith-Cook opted to stay at Modified for this week. “I thought she’d been trying so hard, why not give her a confidence booster? She’s so sensitive. I’ll move her back up to Prelim though and hopefully do a CCI2*-L in the fall.”

Asia Vedder and Vedder Equine LLC’s 7-year-old Zangersheide gelding Litmanen Z (Levisto Z x Wies Avanta) held steady to their overnight second-place position to take home the red ribbon.

Based in Carpinteria, California, Bec Braitling and Estrella Equestrian’s 6-year-old British Sport Horse/Dutch Warmblood gelding MBF Braxy V (Renkum Valentino x Roxsette) rounded out the top three.

“Andrea Baxter owns him; she got him as a 3-year-old in the Monart Sale [in Ireland],” said Braitling. "She’d gotten quite a few in the sales over the years, and when they got to be 4 or 5, she realized she had a lot to ride. So, I snuck in and pinched this one for myself to ride.”

This wasn’t the youngster’s first elite-level event. “I did the West Coast USEA Young Event Horse Championships on him last year, so I’ve ridden him all last year and this year. He’s still pretty green, but he just came in second in the Training Three-Day at Rebecca Farm [in Kalispell, Montana].”

She was also exceptionally pleased with his performance on cross-country yesterday. “He was unreal. He has a lot of [Thoroughbred] blood, so he’s quite quick and feisty on cross-country.” For now, the pair plan to stay at Modified and will hopefully contest a one-star in the near future and move up to Preliminary by the end of the year.

USEA Modified Amateur Championship

Only four riders contested the Modified Amateur division, but ultimately Annamarie Curtin and her 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding Kermit (Fabuleux x Fairbanks) took home the top honors.

The Santa Fe, New Mexico-based rider picked up just 1.6 time faults on yesterday’s cross-country and added a single rail to finish with a score of 39.8.

“In dressage, we had a bit of a bobble... he tripped,” Curtin admitted. “We had some really good spots, but it wasn’t our best. On cross-country, he was just a machine. Every time I come out, he’s more confident. He just ate that that course up. Then today, we had one rail, which was my fault, but he was still a superstar.”

The pair have been together for five years. “He was my mom’s horse before that and did all of his early training and his first event,” Curtin said. “My family friends actually bred and raised him, so it’s kind of been a whole community affair with this horse.”

“Three years ago, he had kissing spine surgery,” she continued. “So we had to start all over. That’s why this event is so big for us. I had it in the back of my mind at the beginning of the year, but I wasn’t qualified until last month. But I was hopeful!”

Even though this was her first time competing at the stunning venue, this wasn’t her first time she’d stepped foot on the grounds. “I came out here like 25 years ago and groomed for my aunt in the one-star. I was really glad to make it back.”

Stella Wright of Woodinville, Washington, and Patricia Culleton’s 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Kilkeany Eclipse (Chinook Eclipse x Kileany Coolone) took second in the class.

“We imported her as a 5-year-old,” she said. “She’s very opinionated and super stubborn, but she is very kind to me. I joke that her job is to pack the amateur around—she’s a very good partner and she takes good care of me.”

Emma Slocum and Patito (Pointilliste x Coevers) finished third. The Redwood City, California, native and her 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare were the only pair to jump double-clear on the final day.

“I’ve had 'Tito' for about four years now,” she said. “This is the best dressage test I’ve ever had on her. I took her Novice for a while, and she had some confidence issues for about a year, and I’ve have been able to work up to my first Prelim this spring.”

Competing at the AEC has been a longtime goal for Slocum, and the experience was better than she'd hoped for. “I was really happy with most of my cross-country because she just felt so happy and confidence out there.”

USEA Modified Rider Championship

Marilyn Schackner and her own 9-year-old Zangersheide/Holsteiner gelding Georgie Z (George Z x Peggy) took home top honors in the USEA Modified Rider Championship, leading from start to finish on her dressage score of 28.2.

Competing at the AEC has been a longtime goal for the Auburn, California, native. “All of the AECs have been in Kentucky or on the East Coast. I’ve qualified for a few years now, but never been able to go. So, this year, I knew I didn’t want to miss it.”

Schackner got the gelding as a green 5-year-old and brought him up the levels herself. “Dressage is definitely the most challenging, mainly he’s so big,” she said with a laugh. “I did enjoy the cross-country yesterday. It was challenging, and it felt more like a Prelim course. He’s so honest; he did everything great. I got in a little close to the water, and he peeked at the ditch, but he was right with me.”

“Because we came up the ranks together, I feel like we trust each other and take care of each other,” she added. “He knows I’ll never ask him to jump anything he’s not capable of, and I know he’ll always try his hardest. It’s a really nice partnership.”

She trains with Andrea Pfeiffer, and says, “She’s really helped with getting him more rideable. Because he’s so long, he used to launch at everything. Now, he’s much more rateable to the fences and I can actuallly ride him forward.”

Castro Valley, California’s Ruth Bley and her 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding Claas (Casino Grande x Gratinia) were the reserve champions, moving up one position after a double-clear show jumping.

She said of her longtime partner, “I really like everything about him, so I wanted to take my time with him. He’s really turning the corner in his education. He used to be so strong, and now, he just gallops up to the fences and will come back whenever I ask him.”

“He took forever to figure out where his feet were,” she added with a laugh. “When I imported him as a 4-year-old he was 16.1, and now he’s 16.3. So, he’s grown a lot. We spent a lot of time getting him conditioned, cantering hills and learning to be more in balance. It showed up on cross-country yesterday—he was perfect!”

Sarah Kruger of Folsom, California, rounded out the top three with Twain’s Fireflight DF (The Twain x Dominga) her 8-year-old Oldenburg mare. “I actually bought her in-utero from Earl and Jen McFall,” Kruger said of her longtime partner, who was the 3-Year-Old Overall Champion at the 2020 Future Event Horse West Coast Championships.

“This is only my fifth or sixth Modified,” she added. “I work full-time as a mechanical engineer, so it’s hard for me to show a ton. I board and ride with the McFalls—I’ve been there for 10 years now. They’re such good trainers, and they help so much with her development. I’ve been the one mainly training her and moving her up the levels, so we’ve basically been together for eight years. She’s such a special horse.”

Adams Horse Supply Adult Team Challenge

In the Adams Horse Supply Adult Team Challenge (ATC), it was the No Bucks Given team (Bley, Kruger, and Michelle Wagner who took home the championship title. Fine Wine and Whines (Curtin and Amanda Zeddy) finished second.

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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 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held on Aug. 27-31 at Galway Downs in Temecula, California. 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, Marshall+Sterling Equine Insurance; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartEquine, Standlee; Silve Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Kerrits, The Jockey Club; Bronze Level Sponsors: Athletux, Canter Culture Riding Apparel, The Chronicle of the Horse, Devoucoux, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Majyk Equipe, Retired Racehorse Project, Ride EquiSafe; Contributing Level Sponsors: CrossCountry App, Santa Cruz Animal Health, #WeRideTogether; and Prize Level Sponsors: Equilab, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Gallagher’s Water, Horses 4 Your Consideration, LeMieux, Practical Horseman, Ride iQ, Sidelines Magazine, Werkman Hoofcare USA, and Whitfield Equine Nutrition.

About the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will take place at the 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds at Galway Downs in Temecula, California on Aug. 27-29, 2025. 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 2025, 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 eight teams from Starter Level to Modified 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 USEA Adult Team Championships.

The USEA would like to thank ATC Title Sponsor, Adams Horse Supply, and contributing sponsors ARMA, The Chronicle of the Horse, Equilab, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Nutrena Feeds, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, and SmartPak for sponsoring the Adult Team Championships.