United States Eventing Association

Are you heading to the AEC this year with a special horse or a cool story? Email Lindsay at [email protected] for a chance to be featured.

“Thanks, but we’re not looking for another horse right now.” Every horse owner knows exactly where those words will lead…to purchasing another horse! My horse purchase happened on my 21^st birthday after looking for a hay supplier in January because we had run out. (The perfect time to be adding to our herd).

The horse was a yearling Paint filly (Hustlers Styin Em x Sheza Ms Tory Tome), with a long shaggy coat and the sweetest expression you’ve ever seen. Of course she was coming home. Her purpose: to be a pleasure riding horse after my Thoroughbred show horse could no longer be ridden, and then a kid horse later down the road. She fulfilled both purposes beautifully. Such a solid friend with a “down for anything” attitude. And yes, just in case you are wondering, she is named after Misty Of Chincoteague. So how did my little Paint horse, who had never even shown in a jumping class until she was 19 years old, end up qualifying for the AEC? Because her momma decided that it had been long enough since she had done the one thing that makes her the most happy—eventing.

I fell in love with the sport as a 13-year-old kid after a cross-country schooling day at Ram Tap in California with my Thoroughbred in 1999. I had no idea what eventing was, but if it included cross-country, I wanted in! Galloping through water and jumping up banks, yes please! It took until my senior year of high school to finish an event, but when we did, it was double-clear. Then college happened, getting married, babies, grad school, careers, and a lot of life in between (that always included my horses, of course). But my love for the sport never faded, not even a little. Every chance I got to jump a log in a field, I would take it! And Misty loved it, never hesitating at anything. So, when I read that the AEC were coming to the West Coast, I thought, “this is our chance.”

We started getting into shape slowly because, you know, we’re old now. We would trailer to the local arena and go to local fun shows just to get off property. Our first hunter/jumper show had me smiling from ear to ear even though we just entered the piles of poles classes. I was showing again! It had been so long, for me that is—Misty thought it was great fun! I felt like she was saying, “see mom, I’m a jumper too!” Our first cross-country school together however…was tough. I went to it thinking, “we’ll just get our feet wet and do the baby jumps.” Well, we did the baby jumps, but it wasn’t without a lot of hesitation from me.

Coming back to cross-country after being a mom is very different than being a fearless teenager. The jumps look BIG and scary. I left wondering maybe eventing wasn’t meant for us after all. Maybe we would just do combined tests. There was also an element for me that was looking out for my senior horse, who had never done this before. I knew it was a big ask. I also know with eventing, if there are any holes in your training or hesitation, it will come out on cross-country. That is not the place to “just see what happens.”

So, I decided at our next outing, we would be all in. I would trust my horse, my trainer Kathleen Russell, and myself to get to the other side of the jumps. And we did. Every ride, Misty got better and better. We got stronger together. As our confidence grew, my perspective changed, and the jumps didn’t look as big or scary. My little Paint filly that I never planned to event, brought me back to the sport I love so much. I believe all of my horses have been exactly what I needed at the time I needed them, and Misty is no exception.

The first event we completed at Starter was just a few hours from home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it was a dusty one. I didn’t even care! All I remember was being so happy to be there with my perfect Paint pony, doing what we love. I was so nervous because the first jump on cross-country was the one we had trouble with during schooling a few months before. That’s how that always goes, right?! But I was determined to make it across that finish line. I kept picturing us going over it, even if we just trot, it’s OK! Well, we made it over that troublesome first jump and across the finish line with just a few time penalties. Dust, heat, who cares! We did it! And finished in sixth place.

Maybe our goal of qualifying for the AEC at Starter was a possibility. We were going to keep trying for it. The professional pictures came out for that first event, and I bawled my eyes out when I saw them. Like ugly cried. I didn’t realize it while showing, but I had the biggest smile on my face in every single picture. The same smile 13-year-old me had the first time I went cross-country schooling with my Thoroughbred. I had found my happy place again.

Our next event was in Tucson, Arizona, and I really wanted to make cross-country time! It would be a brand-new course we had not seen yet, and I knew we would have to be brave! Misty went clear in show jumping, giving us that confidence boost we needed for the following day. What a fun course! After Misty realized our wonderful jump judge volunteers in bright orange vests weren’t scary horse eating monsters, we settled in and got it done. With no time penalties and finishing on our dressage score in second place. Wait…what?! Second place…us? I was not expecting to actually qualify for the AEC, let alone so soon into our show season. Horses really are amazing animals. They give us hope, confidence, and bring so much happiness. I will always be grateful for a not-so-ideal circumstance that brought me to the baby horse that would become my next eventer 18 years later.

I think our cross-country colors are going to be a little different for the AEC. We usually wear black and yellow to match Misty’s buckskin color, but we will be wearing our Hobo Farm team green. We would not have made it this far without my fabulous trainer, and supportive teammates. Who else is going to pick you up when your truck doesn’t start and your ride falls through so you can still make it to your event? Our team green is also significant for me because it is the same color as 4-H green, where my love for horses began.

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, SmartPak, Standlee; and more!