United States Eventing Association

I have been riding since I can remember, but I grew up showing and raising American Saddlebreds. My old show mare, Desi, was 23 years old when my 9-year-old daughter, Lauren, had joined Pony Club and started eventing. Desi was the babysitter that any parent wants for their child. I didn’t know a thing about eventing but knew my daughter had immediately caught the bug and that is truly where my journey to the AEC starts.

In 2012, I received a call from a friend who told me her husband had just been offered a horse that was going to be heading to slaughter the next day, and she was wondering if I would be interested in him. My daughter had lost her horse the year prior, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a look but was wondering what I was getting myself into. When my daughter and I arrived at the farm, we saw this quiet dapple grey gelding tied in a stanchion barn with cows around him. He was an unbroke and mostly untouched 6-year-old Quarter Horse (by One Impressive Beau).

He had the kindest eye and calm demeanor to him. I paid $300 for him and was praying he would get onto the trailer. He walked out of the barn and onto that trailer knowing anywhere was going to be better than where he was at. That day was where the journey began with Beau’s My Daddy, affectionately known as Taz or Tito.

Lauren was 16 at the time and was eager to break out Taz. Months of groundwork, desensitization, and trust-building ensued. Taz was always curious and willing, and he was eventually started under saddle the following spring. For the first few years, Taz was a 4-H mount, showing in the hunter under saddle classes with my other daughter Brittney who did not have much interest in jumping. In 2015, Lauren reintroduced jumping to him again, and he was hooked.

Since 2015, Lauren has competed Taz up to the Training level. I got to travel to shows with them, always cheering along from the sidelines, making sure they were both always looking their best and being the most supportive mom/horse grandma that I could be. As the years went on, Taz was starting to get a bit older, and Lauren was looking for a new horse. She knew that Taz wouldn’t be able to continue at Training level for much longer, but he was not quite ready to retire just yet. I had stopped riding for over 20 years at this point, but the itch to get back on a horse was always there. In the winter of 2023, after a lot of conversations and convincing, it was decided that I would event Taz the following year!

We worked hard together over the winter trying our best to be prepared for the 2024 eventing season. It was during this time that I realized that I had never jumped a whole course during a show! I had started taking lessons with our trainer, Brad Hall, and felt we were ready to show at the Starter level.

At our very first event at Otter Creek, Wisconsin, we won our Starter division on a 29.4! I really felt like Taz took care of me the whole time. We showed the whole summer at Starter, getting better and more confident every show we went to. By the fall, Brad had convinced me that we might even be successful at Beginner Novice, even though I thought I’d stay at Starter forever!

In 2025, we made the leap up to Beginner Novice and finished in second at our first event at the level! Taz was definitely enjoying the leap into Beginner Novice where he could jump just a little higher. We maintained top 2 finishes the rest of the year, which qualified us for AEC.

I had a couple people reach out to me and say you need to go do AEC! A phone call was made to Lauren, and it was put on the calendar! We are feeling more confident than ever. I figured what better time to go than now. Taz is 20 this year, and I am 52. We are both having the times of our lives so why not. Let’s do it!

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 2026 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held on Aug. 25-30 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Click here to learn more about the USEA American Eventing Championships.

The AEC is a registered trademark of the USEA.

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, Gallagher’s Water, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartEquine, Standlee; and more!