United States Eventing Association

While many spousal partners may choose to keep business and family separate, such is not the case for the duo behind Alliston Equestrian. From riding and coaching to winning the American Eventing Championships, husband and wife James and Helen Alliston do everything together, every day.

From the backwoods of the Bayou to Santiago, Chile, Sydney Elliott has certainly traveled far since her days riding with Pony Club in Benton, Louisiana. While the Pan American Games U.S. Team Member is “still Louisiana, through and through,” her recent move to Southern Pines, North Carolina, has helped prepare her for her latest experiences as a rider for Team USA.

Dedication, perseverance and a support team like no other—that’s Liz Lund’s recipe for eventing success. An accomplished eventer, breeder and trainer, Liz splits her time between Copeland Farms North in her home state of Minnesota, and Copeland Farms South in sunny Ocala, Florida. As Liz continues growing her business, she has only one mantra: love what you do, and the rest will fall in place.

It’s a new year and the 2023 eventing season is just around the corner. Now is the time to start thinking about what competitions goals you have for you and your horse(s), and what path you should take to achieve them.

I’ve been in this game a long time now and have had my fair share of ups and downs and mistakes along the way. I think that if you choose eventing as your sport, then it’s inevitable that you have some bumps in the road and moments of reflection when things don’t quite go to plan.

This story first appeared in the August 2022 issue of Sidelines Magazine.

I have had many young horses in my time, and one thing I’ve learned is that it’s rarely the perfect, easy baby that becomes the next superstar. In fact, I’ve always considered it a positive to have the well-behaved youngster throw a little bit of attitude my way, as I believe that it takes fight to become a great event horse.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I have a slight obsession with bits. I like to say, “Some women buy shoes; I buy bits.” I should bring a chaperone if I’m heading to a store with a wide assortment of bits—so I don’t come home with an expensive selection of new ones. While the addiction is real, it has also served me well through the years as I’ve managed to help many horses improve by finding them a bit that they’re more comfortable in.

Anyone who has ever gone from driving a runaround to taking the wheel of a Ferrari can testify that that there are cars—and then, there are cars. Ben Noonan had a similar epiphany on horseback when he went from riding a trail horse over cross-country fences to riding an eventer. “I didn’t really understand why everyone liked eventing so much,” said Ben, now 18 and on the cusp of a professional career, “until I was riding an event horse.”

This story first appeared in the May 2022 issue of Sidelines Magazine.

In all horse sport, there’s a risk that you might hit the deck. But if you’re an event rider, that is pretty much guaranteed.