United States Eventing Association

The Ram Tap Horse Park Horse Trials hosted the final USEA Classic Series Event of the year this past weekend in Fresno, California. The event offered three traditional long-format divisions at the Beginner Novice, Novice, and Training levels. Meet the final USEA Classic Series champions of 2024 below.

The Waredaca Classic Three-Day Event & H.T. is a destination location for many eventers seeking to complete a USEA Classic Series event. Waredaca was the first host of the USEA Classic Series Three-Day Event, and this year marked its 18th year offering the traditional long format. This year, three-day competition was offered at the Modified, Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice levels.

The Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event is a staple in the midwestern eventing calendar, one that often has an impressive waitlist if you didn’t get your entry in at 12:01 a.m. on opening day. This year the event, held Oct. 18-22 in Lexington, Kentucky, also hosted two USEA Classic Series Event divisions at the Novice and Training level, both of which were hotly contested.

The Spokane Sport Horse Farm HT in Spokane, Washington, was host to three USEA Classic Series events this past weekend, giving Area VII eventers the opportunity to experience the thrill of a traditional long-format event. With Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice levels offered, three horse and rider pairs had the chance to be titled as a USEA Classic Series Champion.

Success at a Classic Three-Day Event requires attention to detail and careful management of many things. Everyone knows how much attention they need to put into conditioning, but often everyday tasks get lost in the excitement of going to a Classic Three-Day Event. A horse’s shoeing should be part of the competitor’s regular schedule, but will it coincide with their Classic Three-Day Event plans? It can be easy to forget and suddenly a competitor is right on top of what might be the most demanding competition them and their horse have attempted.

The Event at Rebecca Farm is known for its stunning venue, energetic atmosphere, its CCI4*-L competition, and its much-loved USEA Classic Series divisions. This year, Rebecca Farm hosted both a Training and Novice Three-Day level, both of which were hotly contested with 27 entries in the Training division and 32 competitors entered in the Novice division.

Competing in a long-format three-day event is the ultimate test of preparation, conditioning, stamina, and determination for horse and rider. Recovering your horse from the rigors of a Classic Series Three-Day Event, both during and after the event, is a critical component to your overall success. Recovery is a simple yet complex process that requires a lot of planning and effort from the horse owner, and it doesn’t just begin and end in the vet box on endurance day.

Three new USEA Classic Series champions were crowned during the Summer Coconino HT and Western Underground, Inc. Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice 3-Day Event, held July 7-8 in Flagstaff, Arizona, and in a repeat of 2022, trainer Brittney Caflisch and her student Jaeli Uselding took home two of those wins.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for eventers in Area X (Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada). Riders are gearing up for back-to-back weekends of eventing at the Summer Coconino H.T. I (Jul 1-2) and Summer Coconino H.T. and Western Underground, Inc. Training, Novice, Beginner Novice 3-Day Event on July 6-8 in Flagstaff, Arizona.

On the heels of the first USEA Classic Series of 2023 at the IEA H.T., USEA podcast host Nicole Brown is joined by Dorothy Crowell, a clinician for the classic series at IEA, and by Anna Banks, who won the Training Three-Day at IEA with Primrose BMD, to talk about the special experiences that the long-format offers eventers.