United States Eventing Association

I started riding at the age of 3 and grew up doing hunter/jumpers. Like so many little girls, I was living the dream. It consumed my entire life; I went to school talking about the barn until I came home and begged to go to the barn. Until one day when I fell at just barely a walk, just going on a hack around the barn after my lesson. I should not have fallen, but I was 13 and dumb and didn’t know how to hold on right. I didn’t realize anything had happened, so I kept riding, taking lessons, and working.

I had some mild pain in my right knee, but I was stubborn and brushed it off and blamed it on growing pains. A year later, we finally went to the doctor and got my knee checked. After many X-Rays, MRIs, and physical exams, we found out I had torn my ACL, meniscus, rubbed down the cartilage in my knee, and my patella slipped. I simply should not have been walking, much less riding 4-5 days a week with mild pain.

I went under for surgery a few weeks later and did months of physical therapy with no recovery. I went to about four other doctors with no understanding of why I was not recovering. I couldn’t walk unassisted, use stairs, sit down or stand up bymyself, let alone go back to riding. As a very active 14-year-old, it was emotionally and physically exhausting. I did steroid injections, gel injections, red light therapy, aqua therapy—just about anything I could do to get back with zero progress.

After a year of trying any option, we found a new orthopedic surgeon and specialty radiologist who examined me and my scans and found the problem. The original surgery was done incorrectly, and I was put back to square one and worse than left off. The surgeon had done a form of the surgery that was intended for older, inactive adults, not extremely active teenagers. When doing physical therapy, I was stressing the ligaments out and ended up shifting and retearing everything that was fixed along with my LCL, MCL, and PCL. I also had extensive nerve, muscle and tissue damage which left me in bad shape.

Another surgery was underway with another surgeon, and I was now 15. The surgery alone went well but my body reacted horribly; it was a routine 4–5-hour surgery that took 9-10 hours. The scar tissue made the operation very difficult, and I lost a lot of blood. My recovery was rough, but I was finally making progress. I got cleared to start slowly riding after about seven months, so I began my search for a new trainer and came across Brooke Berry at Beating Hart Equestrian.

I had never evented before but was ready for a change. We went slow, relearning how to use my knee again, having so much damage that I only have a little feeling below my thigh, and Brooke was so patient with me. She understood that not only was I learning how to event, but I was also relearning how to use my own body. I struggled badly; it was hard on me mentally, and I was so out of shape. But I fell in love with the sport and the beauty of the game. The connection and beauty of the mechanics in dressage and the freedom and control of stadium and cross-country was electrifying.

Brooke started me on her incredible "been there, done that" Pelear Por Oro—better known as P-Man. At 15 years old, P-Man was as talented as he was opinionated. He is incredibly smart, wonderfully stubborn, and has absolutely no problem reminding you when your riding isn't correct. He made me a more technical, patient, and thoughtful rider.

P-Man's own story is just as remarkable. His dam was rescued by animal control after suffering severe starvation while pregnant. She gave birth to him shortly after arriving at the rescue. P-Man was born with Dummy Foal Syndrome at Tryon Equine Hospital and survived off nothing short of a miracle. He was eventually adopted by the Hart family, where Brooke first met him. He was labeled dangerous, but Brooke saw something different. The two formed an immediate connection.

Together, they climbed the levels until a conformational issue in his left front leg led to an unexpected injury. He was never expected to jump again, so Brooke and her vet made the decision to do surgery to just make him comfortable in the pasture again. After check-ligament surgery and months of rehabilitation, he was cleared to jump Starter and continue a dressage career. Brooke brought him back to doing what he loved, and eventually, he became the horse that helped rebuild my confidence.

I am now 18 years old, and this is my first AEC, and looking back at 13-year-old me struggling to just get through the day, I am so proud of how far I have come. This year I have worked so hard to prepare for AEC, focusing on dressage and the true mechanics behind the movement of the horse’s body. It is fascinating to see how minimal rider aids can translate through to the horse to push for beautiful natural movements. I still have little feeling in my right leg but have made so much progress to understand how my body works.

My journey has never been a straight line, and neither has P-Man’s. It has been filled with setbacks, surgeries, pain, and uncertainty. But every obstacle has made arriving here that much more meaningful. Making it to my first AEC isn't just another horse show. It's proof that sometimes the longest road leads to the most rewarding destination.

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 USEA would like to thank Presenting Sponsor: Nutrena Feeds; Advanced Final Title Sponsor: Adequan; Platinum Level Sponsors: Bates Saddles, Marshall+Sterling Equine Insurance; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, Gallaghers Water, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Kerrits, The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program, Rood & Riddle; Bronze Level Sponsors: 70°, Antech Diagnostics, Athletux, The Chronicle of the Horse, Devoucoux, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, John Deere, Retired Racehorse Project, Ride EquiSafe, Santa Cruz Animal Health; Contributing Level Sponsors: AnimaSol, CrossCountry App, Foxhollow Farm, Georgetown/Scott County Tourism, Kentucky Equine Research, Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, Lexmark, LV Harkness, Only Fools and Horses, #WeRideTogether, YETI; and Prize Level Sponsors: ARRO Helmets, The Dad Den, Dandy Products, Equiluxe Tack, Equine IMED, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, I Love My Horse Boutique, The Infused Equestrian, Love Equestrian, Majyk Equipe, Mare Modern Goods, Natalie Hummel Coaching, Neighborly Tack, Outlaw Nutrition, Parkmore Supplements, Peak Performance Equine Spa, Poseidon Animal Health, Rachel Dory Fine Art, Right Path Equestrian, Saddle Bird Boutique, Sidelines Magazine, Strides For Equality Equestrians, STRIDER, Stylish in the Saddle, VTO Saddlery, and XLR8 Equine.