United States Eventing Association

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 30—The Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Championships came down to one final test on Sunday at the 2026 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds as competitors headed into the show jumping arena. After tackling dressage and cross-country earlier in the week, the Beginner Novice competitors had just a handful of fences standing between them and an AEC title, and when the final rails had fallen, a new group of champions had earned their place in the AEC history books.

Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Junior Championship

The top three Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Junior Riders from the first phase all jumped clean and fast, adding nothing to their scores throughout the rest of the weekend to finish on their dressage scores.

Lauren Collett and her own Cozywing (Charley Marquitas Mark x Jumped Defence) did not have a fence in hand to stay in control of the division but delivered in the Rolex Stadium, adding nothing to their first phase score of 26.6 on her 12-year-old American Warmblood to take the champion title.

“It was definitely very nerve-wracking, the Rolex arena: it's definitely like you can hear a pin drop,” she said. “I could not breathe around the turns as my stomach was hurting the entire time. But I'm so glad that it's over now, and when I went through the finish I was so excited, so happy; my heart was so full.”

Based out of Waynesburg, Kentucky, the literal journey to the Kentucky Horse Park hasn’t been that difficult for Collett, but it’s taken a leap of faith to get here since she saw Cozywing a couple of years ago.

“I bought Cozywing two years ago from my barn owner,” she explained, “and she didn't know how to jump at all. Actually, she was a straight dressage horse, that's what she was sold to me as but I had a big dream to make her an eventer, so I just worked really hard all winter. It's just crazy how far she's came.”

Collett actually qualified for both the Beginner Novice and the Novice divisions, and has been schooling at the Training level at home. She plans to do a few more Novice level events before moving up to Training at River Glen (New Market, Tennessee) in November.

Carrigan Ingram and 13 Oaks Farm’s Fernhill Chili Martini (Chillout x My Golden Olive) completed the Championships on their dressage score of 29.8. Ingram found the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse in Ocala about a year ago after retiring her previous event horse.

“We've been doing Novice and Training schooling, but we qualified for Beginner Novice for here since we started so late and got him so late,” she said. “I've had so much fun here so far.”

Ingram is based out of Georgia so she can ride through the winter; she’s hoping to take Chili Martini up the levels.

Ashelyn Daniel and Jamie Daniel’s Hanky Panky are both 14 years old, and Ashelyn has been riding the Morgan for six years.

“He used to barrel race, and he came off a cutting farm,” she said, “and then we retrained him to event, and this is my first year trying to get here.”

They qualified last December and have been working on their show jumping over the summer as Ashelyn said it’s “their weak spot," and they jumped clear under pressure Sunday morning to finish on their dressage score of 30.2.

Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Horse Championship

The Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Horse division kicked off a busy final day in the Rolex Arena, jumping to decide final placings after three days of action. The top three all finished on their dressage scores, and so it was Megan Corriea-Bittner on Kimberly Ryan’s Lamborghini (Livello x Z-Carmel), a 6-year-old Holsteiner gelding who lifted the trophy on their first day score of 22.5.

Correia-Bittner imported Lamborghini three years ago from Czech Republic on one of her fairly frequent buying trips. "I only saw him in the stall and a video of him free jumping, and I'm like, nope, that's definitely one that we would need to have come over! He wasn't started yet so I did not ride him, he wasn't even gelded!"

Correia-Bittner runs a busy program with three facilities in Magnolia, Texas, and a farm in Massachusetts for the summer. Ryan has been a long-time owner and friend and as long as she’s enjoying it, Corriea-Bittner says they’ll see how far Lamborghini can go.

“He's come along nicely,” she said. "We’ve done a couple years of Beginner Novice now, and he's turned into a lovely horse, and I'm really excited for [Kim]. I think he probably will continue to do some events, probably move up. I think he's done enough Beginner Novice, and he's pretty bold at this point with most of those fences.”

Sadly Ryan couldn’t be here this weekend to watch in person but Correia-Bittner said she’s been glued to the live-stream. "She's been a longtime friend of mine for over 25 years, and she's been a great supporter of mine, and I'm thrilled to be able to take her horse along. She loves eventing and dressage, and she's super excited for for him and his future”.

Martin Douzant had been stalking the leading pair all weekend on Lucia Hanmer’s 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Supervillain (Super Saver x Vanquished) to finish as Reserve Champions on their dressage scores of 26.3.

Hanmer is learning to ride on Supervillain at home, and comes to competitions to cheer him on with Douzant aboard.

“She bought him from our program about a year ago for herself,” he explained. "He’s an [OTTB], so he’s a little bit of a war horse, and she's having a lot of fun with him. He qualified for the AEC, so we thought it would be fun to do that together. He’s a fun horse because he can teach her at home and we can ride him and compete him. He's been pretty successful and it's really fun for everyone.”

Frenchman Douzant runs a young horse development program, The Frame Sport Horses, out of Middleburg, Virginia, and will let Supervillain see how far he can go.

“I think we're starting to have more and more fun,” he said. “He's done Novice already. I think [Hanmer] wants to enjoy him at home because she rides him every day. It's fun for her to see him perform, and I'm happy to do that for her. It's really fun.”

Rounding out the podium in third, Ava Friese was faultless across both jumping phases on her own 17-year-old Appaloosa Friesian, aptly named Big Bad Spotty (Zorro x BBR Spex Blue Breeze). They moved up one place in the final phase, finishing on their dressage score of 28.3.

Friese found her horse, fondly known as Zeppelin, as a 2-year-old when she was doing weekly Western camps. She leased him for two years, then bought him, and since then she said they’ve done a little bit of everything.

"He's truly the best horse ever. He doesn't owe me anything so for him to come out here and just do this thing, it's all I ever wanted," she said.

Friese is based in Minnesota and is grateful to be able to ride in an indoor during the winter, but for now they’re going to enjoy the fall season. "We're just gonna go on some trail rides, and he's gonna continue to do his thing. He's really happy at the Beginner Novice level, so I think that's where he'll stay, but yeah, not much of a plan for that guy.”

Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Championship

The final phase was influential for the Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Master Amateur Division but Kendra Moss held her nerve in the Rolex Stadium, jumping clear on her own Presidential Nominee HU (Pikko Del Cerro HU x Noble Destiny HU) within the time to finish on their winning dressage score of 27.3 and take the top honors.

“I had absolutely no idea how anybody was doing,” she said. "I can't even think about that. My focus was just on my ride. I've been riding for a long time, and so I just had in my head to ride like I know how to ride and get to each fence. I kind of ate jumps one and two, and kicked myself a little bit, and was like, ‘OK, get get going!’ And then he was just spectacular, and he was not about to touch anything. So it was a great feeling.”

Moss “randomly bought” the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding a couple of years ago and has since then has been patiently teaching him everything.

“He had never jumped a jump, and his very first jump was a cross rail, and he wouldn't go anywhere near it,” she said. “It's just been a very long, slow, patient journey with him, because he is kind of a ham, and once he figures out his job, he's a rock star. He's a slow-go until he understands what you want but he's very, very special, and obviously today showed just how amazing he is, he's just such a good horse.”

Julie Wotring capitalized on a smooth, clean stadium round to move up from fifth place overnight to take the Reserve Champion title on their dressage score of 31.1. Riding Susie Beale’s B E Never Say Never (Spirit House x Renkum Blathainn), a 21-year-old Dutch Warmblood.

B E Never Say Never actually won here at AEC a couple of years ago with Kelly O’Brien, a friend of Wotring’s, and when his lease became available she decided to bite the bullet.

“I've been leasing for the past five years because leasing to me, I'm 58 years old, is less responsibility. He's a great horse, and I knew his lease was ending, and he was looking for a new home so I decided to hop on that train.”

They qualified for AEC last fall, and since then Wotring has been honing her skills in preparation. "Lots and lots of dressage lessons and jumper shows, and because he's old we haven't done a lot of cross-country to save his legs.”

Molly Smith and her own 12-year-old Fell Pony, Kimberlake Jophiel added nothing all weekend to their dressage score of 31.3, finishing just 0.2 behind second to round out the podium in third place.

“He was the USEA Pony of the Year last year, which put some pressure on this year,” she said. “I think he did his first event as a 4-year-old but it was last year that he finally decided, ‘OK, I'll try in stadium!’"

At just 13.2-hands Smith is accustomed to adding strides to the combinations to accommodate her pony. “Like the two, it's always a three. I don't care, it's a three! I've tried the two, and it's been ugly, so it's always a three. And cross-country he's really good because he can just shorten and lengthen if he needs to.”

Smith’s mother originally bought Kimberlake Jophiel to drive in her four-in-hand team, and he competed with her in the Preliminary Driving Championships but because “he likes to go” they both decided he might be better suited to eventing.

“Cross-country is his favorite,” Smith confirmed. “I think yesterday I decided I need a stronger bit for at least the first half of the course as he took off like a rocket!”

They’re planning a return to the Horse Park for the Area VIII Championships, and then the Hagyard MidSouth Team Challenge.

Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship

Madeleine Richards hasn’t been riding Kathleen Fitzgerald’s 5-year-old Global Glamour Boy (Glamourdale x Lady Rose) very long but an assured clear round on the final day moved them up a spot to bag the Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Amateur Championship. Richards and the 5-year-old Belgian Warmblood completed on their dressage score of 26.4 It’s a familiar position to be in for Richards who won the Preliminary Championships here a couple of years ago.

“I wasn’t too nervous,” she said. “It's almost the exact same position I was in second going into the final phase and had a nice clear round and you know ended up moving up to first. So kind of a little bit deja vu, two for two!”

Richards, who lives locally here in Lexington, Kentucky, and works for Event Pass, has since sold that horse and has been riding Global Glamour Boy for his owner Kate Fitzgerald who recently started working full-time, and because their trainer Megan Edward’s was pregnant at the time.

“I was looking to get some more experience in the saddle so I kind of took over the ride,” she explained. "After one show, we qualified, and we decided to come here and see what happens. He's very similar to the last horse I used to own, as far as like the type of ride so we just clicked right away, and he's a cool horse. I mean, he's a really nice horse, so I give him all the credit.”

Jamie Hernandez their own US Warrior (Majestic Warrior x Wendy’s Joy), a 10-year-old US thoroughbred were a close second in this division, also finishing on their first phase score 27.0.

Taylor Pahl and Lynn Leonard’s Sethos Jr added zero penalties across the jumping phases to complete on their first day score of 28.1. Pahl started leasing the 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse earlier this year, “I started riding him earlier this spring, and we've just had a really fun spring summer season going Beginner Novice, and he's just a rock star.”

Pahl, an accountant in Atlanta, came to the AEC as a child, and it’s been her goal to return since their season started so well this year.

Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Rider Championship

The Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Rider division saw little change on the leaderboard across all three days of competition, with the scores all tightly packed, and the top three positions all finishing on their dressage score.

Madeleine Bletzacker ultimately emerged victorious with her first phase leading score of 27.7 on her own Drummer Boy (Don Principe x Winterzauber), an 18-year-old Hanoverian gelding that she’s had since he was an unbroken 3-year-old bred for dressage. Bletzacker is no stranger to leading after the first phase—they scored a record-breaking 12.1 in May, and Bletzacker says he’s been easy to train since day 1. This was was his 73rd win.

Drummer Boy suffers from chronic colic and has survived two surgeries, and Bletzacker has learned how to manage his condition. “I have not been able to turn him out in the pasture for six years, because grass equals gas,” she said.

They’re planning a return to the Horse Park for Jump Start and mulling over sending an entry into the USEA Classic Three-Day at Waredaca (Laytonsville, Maryland) later this fall.

They say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, and when the previous owners of Constant Leigh (Cactus Creole x Favorite Miss), clients of vet Hayley Mesch, were looking for a new home for their mare to enjoy a low-key lifestyle and offered the mare to her, she jumped at the chance. Fast forward two years, and Louisville, Kentucky-based Mesch and the 18-year old Thoroughbred mare finished just the behind the leaders on their dressage score of 28.3 to become Reserve Champions.

This is the first time Mesch has competed at the AEC, and now she’s inspired to try to come back and compete at Novice level next year on her “spicy” mare. In the meantime, they’ve recently taken up fox hunting and are looking forward to some days out with the Hardscuffle Hounds.

Two Thoroughbreds tied for third place, finishing in a dead heat on the exact same score, with the exact same cross-country time and the exact same dressage collective marks.

Katie Strickland just started eventing again at the end of last year after a 19-year hiatus, during which she started a business and started a family. “I leased CB’s Charger from a girl named Summer, and he was her heart horse, but she was too busy to ride, so I leased him, and I convinced her to let me buy him in April,” she said. “I don't really know how we got here, but we did, and he's awesome. He's like beyond what I expected. I just wanted something easy, simple, just to get back into the horse world, and he is something else.”

The 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Three Hour Nap x Cherry Tart) is fondly known as Clifford at home, “He’s a big, red dog!” Strickland, based out of Birmingham, Alabama, juggles her business with three boys under 5-years-old, and still has horse girl dreams. “I think I’m moving up to Novice,” she shared, “I want to go to Stable View, the Octoberfest at the end of September, and then do a few Novices, and then just see how far he can go. I would love to just keep going; I want to keep going. I've had dreams of the Olympics since I was a little girl, and I don't know—that might be crazy, but I don't think it's a bad thing to have that goal!”

Alison O’Dwyer tied for third place on Knockemdown (American Pharoah x Ancient Goddess), her own 6-year-old off-track Thoroughbred gelding. Knockemdown, who she calls her “best friend” came to her via a friend’s recommendation and racing connection, and they won the Thoroughbred Makeover in 2023. After losing her confidence on a different horse O’Dwyer had no aspirations to event again, but Knockemdown has renewed her passion and given her second thoughts, and they’ve already competed at the Novice level together and plan to keep going.

“I don't necessarily have upper-level ambitions. I'm a mom now, and I'm OK staying away from the Intermediate and the big stuff, but I'd like to at least go Training,” she said. “He's very polite, he's great after time off, he's very quiet, he's kind of a push ride. He reminds me of an ATV. He goes as fast as you tell him to go. If you tell him to go, he goes; if you don't tell him, he'll just kind of stall to a walk. He's the perfect mommy horse!”

Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Junior 14 & Under Champion

The Marshall+Sterling USEA Beginner Novice Junior 14 & Under Championship top 6 remained unchanged from day 1, with all six combinations finishing on their dressage scores.

The top 3 were separated by mere fractions of a penalty and so the pressure was enormous going into the final phase, but these young competitors all kept their nerve to jump clear in the impressive Rolex Stadium.

Champions Skylar Ragsdale and Finnegan’s Irish Dream, her own 9-year-old Irish Draught Sport Horse (Pairadox Cassanova x Gaellant Quest) came down from Ohio where Ragsdale juggles her riding with school. Ragsdale tries to ride almost every day. This is her first visit to the AEC and the Kentucky Horse Park which she thinks is “very cool,” but she admitted to being quite nervous before entering the arena and said she tries “just to breathe.” Ragsdale has been riding this horse for about three years after finding him in Michigan, and Ragsdale shared that his favorite treats are Mrs Pasture’s Cookies, and that sometimes he’ll just lick her while they’re in the stall. They finished on their dressage scores of 28.1.

Arabelle Armstrong and Lindsay Hafer’s Rhetorical Question G (Rotwing x She’s A Witch) finished in second place, just a half penalty in arrears on their dressage scores of 28.6. They’ve been together for about a year and a half, but Rhetorical Question G has been in the family since Armstrong’s mother bought him as a 4-year-old. Armstrong is hoping the now 13-year-old Hanoverian mare can take her up the levels, despite a less than stellar start to their partnership.

“Actually, my first ride, I fell off!” Armstrong remembers, “We did not click immediately, but it it's gotten much better, and we're getting along now, she's just a really nice horse and she’s got a great personality.”

Although Armstrong thinks her strongest phase is dressage, she knows her horse definitely prefers cross country and she rose to the occasion around the Bluegrass track. “It felt great,” she said, “ She was very gamey and was ready to go up to all the fences, it's pretty much how she always is, she loves cross country!”

Armstrong also juggles school and riding and tries to ride every day and is hoping to move up to Novice level.

Macyn Wolpert was achingly close, just 0.3, behind in third on her dressage score of 28.9 with Heather Norman’s Faldeus (Amadeus x Ziwalda), a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood.

Adams Horse Supply Beginner Novice Adult Team Championship

The Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) also crowned its Beginner Novice champions on Sunday, with Area VIII’s We Should Be Crafting taking home the team title on a score of 85.9.

The winning team featured Jamie Hernandez and US Warrior, Alison O'Dwyer and Knockemdown, Leah Beam and TRF Star Quality, and Laura Wogen and Symphony, who combined their efforts throughout the week to secure the top spot in the Beginner Novice team competition.

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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.

About the Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships

The Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships, which debuted in 2014, is the capstone event for the USEA Area Adult Team Challenges, providing adults the chance to compete as a team and represent their Area of the country in a friendly and fun environment. Historically, adult riders had three regional Team Challenges in which to compete with fellow adults in a team environment, with the locations changing each year. In 2013, the USEA Adult Rider Coordinators voted to move to support Adult Team Challenges taking place in all 10 Areas across the country, with the finale being the ATC at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds. Each Area can send up to nine teams and 39 riders for the BN, N, T, and M levels, plus an additional eight members if they are at the Starter level only. Adult Riders know how to have a good time, and there is no doubt that they bring an increased level of excitement and camaraderie to the AEC! Click here to learn more about the USEA Adult Team Championships. The USEA would like to thank ATC Title Sponsor, Adams Horse Supply, and contributing sponsors ARMA, Bates Saddles, The Chronicle of the Horse, FarmVet, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Gallagher’s Water, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Nutrena Feeds, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, SmartPak, and Santa Cruz Animal Health for sponsoring the Adult Team Championships.