United States Eventing Association

The U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the host locations and dates for the USEF Eventing National Championships taking place in the fall of 2023. The USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship will return to the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in Elkton, Maryland, Oct. 18-22, 2023. The USEF CCI2*-L Eventing National Championship and USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship as well as the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships (CCI1*, CCI2*-L, CCI3*-L) will take place at the Galway Downs International Horse Trials in Temecula, California, Nov. 1-5, 2023.

The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce that up to 20 grants of $2,500 each will once again be available for talented young riders aged 25 and under aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont (Quebec, Canada) or Galway Downs (Temecula, California) CCIs in 2023. Highlighting this year’s program is the return of three-time German Olympic team member Bettina Hoy as a guest coach for 2023.

The March 2023 Galway Downs International H.T. featured the first CCI4*-S competition of the season on the West Coast, in addition to several other national and international divisions, in which over 300 riders battled it out for the blue ribbon.

The top of the leaderboards from last weekend’s events were filled with riders preparing for the CCI5*-L at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. The two CCI4*-S at the Galway Downs International H.T. (Temecula, California) and The Event at TerraNova (Myakka City, Florida) are prestigious competitions in their own right and served as stepping stones for the first American five-star on the 2023 calendar. Also, the CCI4*-S at the Eventing Spring Carnival at Thoresby Park in the United Kingdom helped prepare some of the international entrants for Kentucky.

Temecula, Calif.—April 2—Clayton Fredericks' April Fools Day international cross-country track left no place for foolin' around Saturday in the final phase of the Galway Downs International's FEI divisions.

Temecula, Calif.—March 31—Sunshine was Friday's first star at Galway Downs International after Thursday's long afternoon of heavy rain, and Tamie Smith ended the day in her same starring role with the first, second, and third spots in the CCI4*-S after show jumping.

Temecula, Calif.—March 30— "World class." That's what Galway Downs Spring International dressage judges Helen Brettell and Robyn Fisher said in unison of the two rides that put Tamie Smith in the one and two spots in the CCI4*-S after dressage.

Galway Downs International Horse Trials, held in picturesque Temecula, California, will host the West Coast’s top riders this weekend as they prepare for their spring three-days, along with horse trials divisions from Advanced through Beginner Novice. This year features record turnout, with 320 entries across all divisions.

West Coast eventers experienced tremendous success in 2022. Tamie Smith recorded top-10 finishes at Badminton in England, at the FEI World Championships at Pratoni in Italy, and at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. Helen Alliston won the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final, and Tommy Greengard captured the USEA Intermediate Championship at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC), presented by Nutrena Feeds. James Alliston returned to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event for the first time since 2017 and finished third in the CCI4*-S.

I was fortunate and grateful to be selected as one of the recipients of the Galway Downs Mars Bromont Rising Program Grant. My home base is Carnation, Washington, and I frequently travel to events outside Area VII, which is an ongoing logistical and financial challenge. The financial benefits of this grant were incredibly helpful, and of course most welcome, but the other benefits of the grant went far beyond the financial aspects. The amazing opportunity to spend time and learn from eventing legends such as Bettina Hoy, Peter Grey, and Marilyn Payne was incredibly beneficial to me at this point in my young professional career. I have a burning desire and hunger to continually receive diverse and high-level coaching experiences, in addition to my longstanding local team of coaches in the Northwest.