United States Eventing Association

Three and a half years ago, if someone had told me I would qualify for the USEA American Eventing Championships, I would have laughed.

Not because I didn't love horses. I just thought my riding days were over.

I grew up riding and competing in the hunter/jumper world. Horses were a huge part of my identity throughout childhood and into college. But after graduation, I sold my horse before moving to New York City to begin my career, believing I was closing a beloved chapter that had run its course.

For more than a decade, I didn't ride. I built a career. I got married. I became a mother. Life became wonderfully full, but horses became something I talked about in the past tense. Something I used to do.

In 2020, my world was turned upside down when my youngest son was born deaf. Like many parents navigating a diagnosis they never anticipated, I found myself immersed in a completely new world. We learned sign language, attended countless appointments, and devoted ourselves to helping him thrive. Those first couple years were meaningful and transformative, but they were also all-consuming.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking about what brought me joy outside of being a mom, wife, and professional.

My husband noticed before I did. One evening, he suggested I find something that was just for me—not another responsibility, but something that made me happy.

"What about taking a riding lesson?" he said.

At first, the idea seemed ridiculous. It had been more than 10 years since I'd been in the saddle, I had zero free time, and wasn't looking to compete. I most certainly wasn't looking to buy a horse.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about it and finally agreed it might be fun to revisit something I once loved. So I found a local eventing program with a strong adult amateur community and signed up for a lesson.

I had never evented before. Dressage? Completely new. Jumping fixed obstacles outside of an arena? Slightly terrifying. But from the first ride, I was hooked.

Six months later, I entered my first Starter event. Six months after that, I bought a horse.

Her name is Dutchess. "Dutch" is a 13-year-old Dutch Harness Horse cross, and while we're preparing for the AEC at Beginner Novice, she’s competed through Training with her former owner. She's brave, athletic, incredibly honest, and has gotten me out of more sticky situations than I can count.

She’s also my first mare, and boy did she make me work for her affection.

Dutch wasn't interested in becoming my best friend overnight. She was stoic, independent, and perfectly content to let me earn my place in her world. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of that. Looking back, I think it's one of the reasons I love her so much.

Three years into our journey together, she'll spot my truck pulling into the barn driveway and walk over to the fence line to greet me. Every time it happens, I smile. Somehow, earning that quiet loyalty means more than if it had come easily.

She's also a mom. One of my favorite stories about Dutch is that she continued eventing while nine months pregnant before her owner at the time realized she was carrying a foal. That's how tough she is. She just kept showing up and doing her job. As a mother, I've always felt a connection to that story.

Motherhood changes you. It expands your heart, shifts your priorities, and reshapes your identity in ways you never expected. But it doesn't erase the person you were before.

In some ways, I think that's what Dutch helped me rediscover. When I got back in the saddle, I had zero goals other than to do something for myself.

But really, I was slowly reclaiming a part of my identify that had been dormant for years.

Because the truth is, once a horse girl, always a horse girl. The passion never really disappears. It waits patiently beneath careers, mortgages, school pickups, and all the responsibilities that come with adulthood until something sparks it back to life.

For me, that spark was eventing with my dream girl.

There is something extraordinary about finding a passion again as an adult. As a kid, I loved horses because it’s what I knew and riding was something I was good at. As an adult, I love them because I understand how lucky I am to have them in my life.

I don't take a single ride for granted. There are moments hacking around on a quiet morning when I catch myself thinking: I cannot believe I get to do this.

The American Eventing Championships have been a dream since the day I discovered eventing. Like so many adult amateurs, it was one of those goals that felt both inspiring and impossibly far away.

And soon we'll leave the start box together at the Kentucky Horse Park, surrounded by talented riders and horses from across the country.

Of course, I'm excited to compete. Of course, I'm proud that we qualified.

But more than that, I'm grateful for the journey that got us here. It brought me an incredible horse, a community of inspiring women, and a reminder that it's okay to pursue something simply because it brings you joy.

Most importantly, it helped me rediscover a piece of myself I thought I'd lost.

If you'd told me 10 years ago that I'd be preparing for the AEC, I never would have believed you. Back then, I thought I'd closed the book on horses forever.

Thankfully, life had other plans.

Because this journey wasn't just about finding my way to a championship—it was about finding my way back to myself.

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!