United States Eventing Association

Modified Riders Get The First Shot at Cross-Country at the #AEC2024

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 28—Nearly 70 competitors across the two Modified Championships headed out on cross-country first thing this morning at the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. Kasidy McMartin moved into the lead in the USEA Modified Rider Championship, while Boyd Martin is now on top in the USEA Open Modified Championship.

USEA Modified Rider Championship

Jay Hambly’s Modified cross-country track shuffled the leaderboard significantly in the USEA Modified Rider Championship. Kasidy McMartin and her own 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding Newtown Llewellyn (Landkoenig x Harriet) moved up a spot to take over the lead, adding nothing to their dressage score of 25.5.

McMartin got “Lou” as a 4-year-old from her trainer Karen O’Connor; at that point he had about six months under saddle with Mia Farley so, “I've produced him up to this point,” she shared. “It's been quite the journey learning a young and green horse and also, kind of being an inexperienced rider. It took a long time, but every step of the way has been much more rewarding having been there for all of the ups and downs.”

Cross-country can be his tricky phase as he is so careful, McMartin continued, “but today, I felt like his heart grew over every jump, and it was just the best feeling! He's been a bit ditchy this past year, and for him to just not even look at the ditch that was filled with water that I was really nervous about, I was just ecstatic through the rest of it, and I just went Mach 10 into the finish!”

McMartin moved to Lexington earlier this year to base herself and train with Farley and David O’Connor and to get out of the heat, she shrugs ruefully, but apart from this temporary heatwave, “it's been a fantastic experience, I've loved every second of being with them and in the program, and I'm thankful that I got to keep Lou in the program that he was started in.”

Being based locally means they can trailer in each day which also has advantages. “We've come to Kentucky a lot,” McMartin said. “I'm from Michigan originally, and so I'm very familiar with Area VIII, and we came down all the time, and I love stabling and being in the show atmosphere, but it is certainly nice to turn the horses out at night, and they just come out so much happier the next day.”

Jennifer Helgren and her own 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding Del Rio (Riverman x Ranita) also posted a double clear and moved up four spots to fill second place overnight on 27.3, while Ruth Rosendaul and Christa Schmidt’s Bonhunt Bertie (Wivollet Vanbeek x Eileens Pride) round out the top 3 on their dressage score of 27.4, leaving literally no room for error in the final phase in the Rolex Stadium tomorrow. Dressage leaders Willow Schwartz and her own RH Finnegan added a handful of time penalties to sit in sixth place currently.

USEA Modified Open Championship

Boyd Martin capitalized on a fast, clear cross-country round on Cadiz 1 (GK Calucci x Sonnengirl BF) to move up into pole position of the USEA Open Modified Championship heading into the final show jumping phase Thursday. “He was brilliant,” Martin said after his ride. “You know, it's one of the harder tracks that Cadiz has been faced with, and it was a very spooky course early on, and I tip my hat to Cadiz; he was brave as a lion, and gave me a fantastic, fantastic ride out there.”

Cadiz 1, an 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding, was bred and is still owned by renowned equine surgeon Dr. Dean Richardson, credited with saving Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro’s life and responsible for his veterinary care thereafter. “Dean Richardson has become a great friend of mine,” Martin said, “and he’s a huge help and asset to our team of horses. He did all the early training on Cadiz and got him going, and then sent him over, and we moved him up the levels, and here we are winning the Modified at the AEC!”

Richardson is a keen breeder, and as well as his horses with Martin, sends horses to show jumper Matt Hollberg. Martin might consider himself lucky to have Cadiz 1 in this discipline tomorrow as he’s out of the same mare as Jill Humphrey’s Chromatic BF (who’s sired by Connor 48, the same sire as Martin’s four-star horse Commando 3), who sadly died while competing at the FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final in Saudi Arabia this spring.

Martin’s first ride in this division, Joey Fiddlesticks (Soprano x Mystic Apparation) gave him a good idea of what to expect on course, “Cadiz is such a different horse to Joey Fiddlesticks, but I at least knew where I was going a bit better, and I also had a good gage of what speed I needed to travel to get the time.” Both horses will be offered for sale after this weekend.

Elizabeth Swire and her own 6-year-old Hanoverian gelding Jag’Fly JS (Jaguar Mail x Quiet Please) also moved up a place into second with a double clear round, adding nothing to their first phase score of 25.2. Liz Lund on her own Franklin Delano CF were just one second over the optimum time but the 0.4 penalties added to their dressage score of 26.5 was still good enough to move them up to third place overnight.

From 36 starters this morning 24 combinations ultimately jumped around clear, and 16 of those were inside the optimum time. Dressage leaders Mia Farley and Nikita (Kanndarco x El Dessa) had an early refusal at Fence 4AB, the Kentucky Classique water, which was the most influential jump in this division.

Martin also sits in fourth place overnight in this division on his own 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding Joey Fiddlesticks, and the top 4 have less than a rail separating them tomorrow. Tim Bourke is tied with himself in seventh place on identical scores on each of his horses; his wife Marley Stone Bourke’s Mr. Quality (Colandro x Westcoast Lara) and Barbara Cassani’s Quality Tnt (Tyson x Ballinteeauns Pride).

Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships

The Sunshine In The Bluegrass team is now in the lead in the Adams Horse Supply USEA Modified Adult Team Championships on a score of 94.6. The team is made up of Helgren, Cameron Dean, Kyla Warren, and Kristin Osley.

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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.