United States Eventing Association

Paso Robles, Calif.—June 28—When it comes to elite sports, particularly equestrian sports, it's one thing to reach the highest level, but it's another thing to be able to get back to the top. That's what Erin Kellerhouse and Madeline Backus are doing with new horses they’ve produced from the lower to upper levels.They finished one-two at Advanced at the Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials that took place from July 25-28 with their new horses bringing them back to the top of the sport.

Kellerhouse won with Ringwood Adios Amigo (Adieu Z x Ringwood Operetta). Coming off their first completion at the Advanced level when they were second at the Woodside Spring Horse Trials in California in May, they earned their first blue ribbon at the level at Twin Rivers Ranch.

Their dressage score of 36.1 was followed by clear jumping and adding time penalties on Morgan Rowsell's cross-country course and finishing with one rail on William Robertson's show jumping course for a final score of 62.9. Kellerhouse has "Amigo" entered for his first CCI4*-S at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Montana in July.

"Amigo is a super brave great galloping horse, and he makes you feel like he could jump a house," Kellerhouse said. "He's also a really smart horse and is making great decisions as he's become more trained and on my team. It feels really good to have another Advanced horse that I trust so much."

Prior to Amigo this year, the last time Kellerhouse completed an Advanced or four-star was in 2021 when she and Woodford Reserve (Tinarana's Inspector x Laharns Laughton) won the CCI4*-S at the Woodside International. That was the same year that she began competing Amigo, starting out at Beginner Novice, the lowest USEA-recognized level at that time. Kellerhouse said she acquired the chestnut Irish Sport Horse gelding from Ireland the year before "off of a video with the help of the late Denny Kerr." Amigo is now the same age, 10, as Woodford Reserve was when Kellerhouse was at the top of a four-star podium five years ago.

Both horses are Irish Sport Horse geldings."It's been a challenging road because he's a big horse and doesn't love dressage and was really strong on cross-country as a young horse," she said. "Any problems I've ever had with him have stemmed from not having the rideability. "However, now that "he is getting better in all three phases all the time," Kellerhouse said, "I love this horse. He has the most amazing character and is so sweet and funny around the barn. We have a really strong connection, so it makes all this even better."

In second place at Advanced in her first time competing at Twin Rivers was Backus with Baratheon (Holster x Bewitching Mist). They had the best Advanced dressage score of 32.5 and, like Amigo, clear jumping with time on cross-country and one rail in show jumping, finishing less than a rail out of first with a score of 66.5.

This was Backus' first completion at Advanced since the 2017 Chattahoochee Hills Horse Trials in Georgia aboard P.S. Arianna (Ibsen xAmazing Raven) in what was a prep before they won the Reeves Trophy as the highest-placing Young Rider at that year's Kentucky Three-Day Event. Like "Ari," "Lynx" is also a Trakehner, and Backus brought Ari's first foal, P.S. Sir Balinor (by Stiletto), from Colorado to California to compete at Modified at theTwin Rivers Summer Horse Trials.

"It has been such a journey to get back to the Advanced level, full of ups and lots of downs," Backus said. "I am so incredibly grateful for everyone involved in Baratheon’s journey, especially his owners and Baratheon Fan Club Patreon members. It is a very expensive sport, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. I am thrilled to be back jumping the blue numbers after a nearly eight-year gap. It has been quite challenging coming back to the top, and I owe so much to my family and sponsors for all they do to support me through those challenges both mentally and financially. "Backus and the 14-year-old chestnut gelding owned by The MDB Syndicate are entered in the CCI4*-S at Rebecca. The Colorado-based rider competes all around the country.

"It is incredibly special to have a bond with a horse who you’ve brought along from the beginning," said Backus, having started competing Lynx at Beginner Novice in 2021. "I choose to make my own horses because buying them made is not an option, and honestly I prefer it that way. Getting to make a horse from the beginning is a magnificently tough and rewarding adventure, and I am so looking forward to getting to do it again with 'Balin,' who is extra special as a homebred out of my five-star mare. I love my two Trakehner boys and am so excited for the big plans we have ahead."

The 2026 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials also showed how, even for the riders that consistently compete at the highest levels, eventing is a roller coaster. James Alliston won the Advanced-Intermediate hybrid level with HMR Rolan (Tolan R x Aldatus Diamond) with a score of 37.4, adding zero jumping penalties and 4.4 time penalties on Adri Doyal's cross-country course to their dressage score of 33.0.

The 10-year-old gelding registered with the Warmblood Studbook of Ireland and owned by Anna Nicholas was returning to competition for the first time since the CCI4*-Sheld at this year’s Kentucky Three-Day Event and is pointing to his first CCI4*-L next month at Rebecca.

"We're building him back up for the four-long at Montana, and this was a nice prep for that and getting him nice and fit for the extra distance he'll have to do," Alliston said. "When you go to Kentucky, it's obviously very competitive and you see where you need to improve to compete at that level. So, we're working away on that, just getting a little bit fitter, a little bit quicker, and dressage you're always trying to tidy up." Alliston also won the Intermediate level on a score of 36.6 with Made By Leontine EB (Scuderia 1918 Casago x Jackpot E.B.), a 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Arnell Sporthorses. It was their third consecutive victory and sixth top-two finish in a row in six events at either Intermediate or three-star.

They will point to the CCI3*-L at Rebecca. Alliston also brought back Nemesis (Novalis 46 x Maesy) to a third-place finish at Intermediate at Twin Rivers in the five-star horse's first event in more than a year. Alliston said the 12-year-old chestnut Canadian Warmblood gelding had surgery after finishing seventh in the CCI4*-S at Kentucky in 2025. That was their first FEI event since the CCI5*-L in Kentucky two years prior. "I'm hopeful; he looks pretty good after this," Alliston said about Nemesis. "We take it day-by-day with him, but I'm hopeful we can build on this. It's nice to have him back."

Lauren Burnell of Arnell Sporthorses rode Freedom Hill (Fernhill Vriend x Sallymount Clover) to the win at the Preliminary level with a score of 30.6.

The Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials were the first to feature Young Event Horse classes at the venue that will again host the USEA YEH West Coast Championships from Oct. 22-24. Amber Birtcil and Viking Viko Van De Dreef (Charisto VD Heffinck x Mango Moon Van De Dreef), a Belgian Warmblood gelding, had the top championship-qualifying score of 92.10 in the 5-year-old class. Jessica Higgins and Quintessa H (Cosmeo x Weasanette), a Holsteiner mare, had the top championship-qualifying score of 84.60 in the 4-year-old class. Twin Rivers Ranch will next host the the Twin Rivers Fall International from Sept. 17-20.

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