This week kicks off arguably the busiest week in eventing in the United States as the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds gets started at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. This national championship will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and run through Sunday, Sept. 1, and will feature competition from the Starter level all the way up through the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final.
This year's Championships is already breaking records with over 1,000 entries for the 2024 event, and we anticipate many more records to be made throughout the competition week. USEA Podcast host Nicole Brown talks about all the excitement around this year's event with two of the members of the exceptionally talented organizing team, Mary Fike and Equestrian Event Inc's Vanessa Coleman, the mastermind behind the USEA Adams Horse Supply Adult Team Challenge, Amy Winnen, and USEA CEO Rob Burk.
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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 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held Aug. 27—Sept. 1 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 Sponsor: Bates Saddles, Horse & Country; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, Parker Equine Insurance, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Smartpak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Canter Culture Riding Apparel, Kerrits, The Jockey Club, Rood & Riddle; Bronze Level Sponsor: 70 Degrees, Athletux, The Chronicle of the Horse, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kraft Horse Walkers, Majyk Equipe, Retired Racehorses Project, Ride EquiSafe, Santa Cruz Animal Health; Contributing Level Sponsors: Cross Country App, Georgetown – Scott County Tourism, Lexmark, L.V. Harkness, #WeRideTogether; and Prize Level Sponsors: BEMER, Big Ass Fans, Boyd Martin Fan Shop, Ecogold, EquiFit, Equilab, FarmVet, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Horses 4 Your Consideration, I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique, Jack’s Favorites, Jane Heart Jewelry, Kentucky Equine Research, LeMieux, Mare Goods, Neighborly Tack, Outlaw Nutrition, Palmera Polo, Parkmore Supplements, Practical Horseman / Equine Network, Rachel Dory Equine Fine Art, Remond Minerals, Secretariat Center, Shapley’s, Sidelines Magazine, Strides for Equality Equestrians, and VTO Saddlery.
About the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final
The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will take place at the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Aug. 28-30, 2024. Thanks to Adequan’s amazing support, the Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will bring together the country’s top riders to vie for $60,000 in prize money and the title of Adequan® Champion. To qualify for the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final at the AEC in 2024, competitors will need to complete a minimum of two events without cross-country jump penalties at any USEA recognized Advanced horse trials, CCI4*-S, CCI4*-L , CCI5*-L, World Championships or Olympic Games. Click here to learn more about the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final.
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 eight teams from Beginner Novice through Preliminary level to the ATC. 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 Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships.
The USEA would like to thank Title Sponsor, Adams Horse Supply, and ARMA, The Chronicle of the Horse, Equilab, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kerrits, Nutrena Feeds, PulseVet, Ride iQ, Santa Cruz Animal Health, Schneiders Saddlery, Sidelines Magazine, and SmartPak for sponsoring the Adult Team Championships.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce the continued partnership with Nunn Finer for 2024. Nunn Finer has been a supporter of the USEA for over 30 years and their assistance helps to fund some of the overall leaderboard cash prizes.
High-performance sport, gender-equality, and female empowerment take center stage in the exciting film, "Hoof Dreams," which follows the journeys of top international eventers Tamie Smith, Lauren Billys, and Julia Krajewski on the road to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At this year's USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Seattle, Washington, meet Emmy-nominated filmmaker and director of "Hoof Dreams," Jessie Deeter, and one of the movie's stars, Smith, in-person during an exclusive screening for USEA Members on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 14. Purchase your ticket here.
The Southern Arizona Eventing Association (SAzEA) Fall Horse Trials in Tucson, Arizona, was the host to the final USEA Area Championship of the 2024 season. The Area X Championship offered four divisions at the Training, Novice, Beginner Novice, and Starter levels. Get to know each of the horse and rider pairs who rose to the challenge in Arizona this year below!
With the end of the year just a few weeks away, the dream team of USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown, USEA CEO Rob Burk, USEA President Lou Leslie, and Equiratings' Diarm Byrne, all got together to look back on the ups and the downs of the 2024 U.S. eventing season. This is an episode you won't want to miss as we gear up for what is to come in 2025!