United States Eventing Association

Members of the U.S Eventing Team heading to the upcoming FEI Eventing World Championships in Aachen, Germany from Aug. 10-23 selected the Horse Park of New Jersey and the Tryon International Equestrian Center as their final destinations for the finishing touches ahead of travel overseas last weekend.

Many team riders contested the Advanced/Intermediate division of the HPNJ Horse Trials II from July 18-19 as part of their preparation. To ensure optimal conditions for all competitors, additional staff and time were dedicated to cross-country footing. The Horse Park of New Jersey's cross-country course designer Morgan Rowsell was assisted by course builder Levi Ryckewaert, and additional watering and aggravating work by David Taylor. Since the World Championships will feature show jumping on grass, competitors also jumped a Chris Barnard-designed Advanced-height track on the turf. Dressage was judged by FEI judge Debbie Adams.

With several team members currently based overseas and others in the U.S. coming from different parts of the country, US Equestrian opted to allow its team members to choose their own final outing path rather than hold a traditional Mandatory Outing.

“We feel it was best for the riders to prep their horses with what they felt would be the best run,” U.S. Eventing Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law said on the decision not to run a Mandatory Outing. “I think we've got a great team. We've got some really good, experienced riders there now, and we've got good horses. I'm looking forward to it.”

Seven-time World Equestrian Games competitor Phillip Dutton was the winner and runner-up of this preparatory Advanced/Intermediate division, taking the win on his reserve horse, Denim (owned by Ann Jones, Caroline Moran, Ann Lapides and Neill Sites) and second with Possante (owned by The Possante Group). Possante is the horse Dutton’s been tapped to take to these World Championships; US Equestrian has yet to announce which of the five squad members will ride as team versus individual competitors.

“I thought they did a good job at the Horse Park,” Dutton commented. “The footing was really good, and the course was not overly strong, but it [had] good little questions to practice on. Generally, I feel the ground there is pretty good. It's got a component of sand in it as well. I thought that it was pretty good conditions to have a last run.”

Dutton finished the weekend with a dressage score of 31.7 for division winner Denim and a 30.0 with Possante as well as clear jumping rounds with planned time penalties added on cross-country.

Dutton was joined by fellow U.S. squad members Caroline Pamukcu with HSH Blake (owned by Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin) and reserve rider Jennie Brannigan with FE Lifestyle (owned by Tim and Nina Gardner).

Also taking part in this unofficial preparatory event were Australian squad members Sophia Hill and Humble Glory as well as New Zealand’s Monica Spencer and Artist, who were members of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships (Pratoni, Italy).

The preparation for a major event like these World Championships requires a methodical approach, yet each horse involved is an individual. For Spencer, who has honed a system of preparation over the last few seasons with her 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, this final run was all about setting up for relaxation and a peak at the right time.

“[Artist] went to Kentucky in the spring, so he didn't need too much of a prep – just get him out and tick all the boxes, and [we’re] feeling ready to go,” Spencer commented. “[We] had a nice little quiet run the Intermediate so that he's feeling confident heading into Aachen. Just a nice slow run because the last event I did was Kentucky, where we went fast. So you want their brain to be relaxed heading into the start box at Aachen. So we just go for a no-pressure run.”

The athletes heading to Germany will begin their travel in the early parts of August, with most teams hosting training camps of some kind ahead of move-in day at the World Championships.

The Horse Park of New Jersey extends their gratitude to the United States Equestrian Federation for their support of the facility’s preparations for this event as well as to the hard-working officials, staff, volunteers, and many others for a successful weekend of eventing competition.

Tryon International Helps United States Eventing Team Prepare for FEI World Championships

Last week, Tryon International welcomed several members of the U.S. Eventing Team for a specially designed preparatory outing ahead of the World Championships. While attendance was optional, and not every team member participated, four riders took advantage of the unique opportunity: Will Coleman, Boyd Martin, Sydney Conley Elliott, and Emily Hamel.

The two-day event, held July 15-16, was carefully crafted to replicate the atmosphere, footing, and competitive environment riders can expect in Germany while giving them valuable opportunities to fine-tune every phase of competition alongside coaches and officials.

"Our goal was to support the U.S. team in any way we could," said Jimmie Schramm, Director of Marketing, Communications and Business Development for Tryon International. "To be able to provide these riders with a place to prepare for one of the most important competitions in the world is something we're incredibly proud of."

The event began Wednesday morning, where Tryon's expansive Derby Field was transformed into a dressage setting designed to closely resemble the iconic grass arena the riders will encounter in Aachen.

Two grass arenas, one dedicated to warm-up and one for competition, were set up specifically for the outing. Riders performed their championship tests before FEI five-star judge Jane Hamlin, who judged each test exactly as she would in international competition.

"It was a privilege to judge some of our world class event riders heading to Aachen World Championships at the beautiful Tryon Equestrian Center," Hamlin said, "Tryon made every effort to provide a great competition setting for this practice event, and I'm very excited to see what great results our strong American team can produce."

Rather than simply receiving scores, each rider was given the opportunity to return immediately to the arena to work through specific movements with Hamlin's guidance. The fine-tuning continued after the horses returned to the barns, where Hamlin sat down with each rider for individual video review sessions, discussing strengths, opportunities for improvement, and details that could make the difference on championship day.

Following the morning's dressage, the focus shifted to show jumping as the six horse and rider combinations entered Tryon Stadium to contest a 1.30-meter show jumping class during Tryon International's Week 6 Summer Series.

Designed by Catsy Cruz, the course provided exactly what the riders were looking for; an opportunity to compete in a true horse show environment. With spectators, sponsor signage surrounding the ring, and the energy of an active international venue, the class offered valuable experience under the type of atmosphere riders can expect on the world stage. Rather than building a private course, integrating the riders into an active competition added another layer of realism to the week's preparation.

Five of the six combinations delivered fault-free performances over the course. Emily Hamel incurred an uncharacteristic single rail in an otherwise polished effort.

Thursday morning concluded the prep event with the cross-country phase over a course designed by Clayton Fredericks.

Every detail of the outing was intended to mirror an FEI championship as closely as possible. Riders left the start box individually, allowing U.S. Eventing Team Coach Leslie Law to follow each horse and rider combination around the course, observing every question without distraction while also giving each athlete the space and focus they would experience in international competition.

The track featured 36 jumping efforts across 3,749 meters, with a speed of 570 meters per minute, producing an optimum time of 6 minutes 35 seconds and a time limit of 13 minutes 10 seconds. While official times were not recorded, riders chose their own pace depending on what was needed for each horse for their individual preparation, but started and finished through the same procedures they would encounter at a recognized FEI event.

"The course was absolutely perfect," said Will Coleman. "Clayton laid a beautiful track that offered some nice questions to prepare the horses for Aachen and its technicality, all while giving us the opportunity to keep them confident and on the job."

The course itself looked every bit the part. Fully flagged and decorated, with volunteer jump judges stationed throughout the track and an official starter in place, the outing recreated the atmosphere of championship competition while maintaining the flexibility of a training environment.

Just as important as the course itself was the footing beneath it. Following meticulous preparation by the Tryon International grounds crew, and aided by timely rainfall in the days leading up to the outing, the footing was in exceptional condition throughout the morning, allowing riders to gallop with confidence around the track while ensuring the horses finished feeling fresh.

When asked about the footing, Coleman said, “It was probably the best footing I’ve run on anywhere this year, so all the credit goes to Clayton, his team and obviously Tryon for doing an outstanding job preparing the facility for us. We are so grateful.”

All six horse and rider combinations completed the course without jumping penalties, capping off two days of preparation designed to build confidence before the team heads overseas.

Hosting the U.S. Eventing Team reflects Tryon International's continued commitment to supporting elite equestrian sport while providing world-class facilities for athletes preparing for international competition.

When asked about the event Boyd Martin stated, "The prep event at Tryon was the best I have ever experienced coming into a championship. Dressage and jumping was world class. Unbelievable footing around an ideal cross country track."

Although the outing was not mandatory, the opportunity allowed participating riders to sharpen their performances in all three phases while receiving invaluable feedback from coaches and officials in an environment designed specifically for championship preparation.

"The experience could not have been any better," said Sydney Conley Elliott. "It was absolutely phenomenal at recreating what we are probably going to get in Aachen. From start to finish, it was above and beyond, honestly."

As Team USA now turns its attention toward Aachen, the work completed at Tryon represents another important step on the road to one of the sport's biggest stages.