United States Eventing Association

Waredaca Celebrates 20 Years of the USEA Classic Series Three-Day Event: Meet the Winners!

Waredaca celebrated 20 years of its USEA Classic Series Three-Day Event from Oct.23-26 in Laytonsville, Maryland. From Beginner Novice through Modified, 72 horse and rider pairs got to experience the thrill of competing in a long format three-day event. Read on to learn more about the winners.

Modified Three-Day

Megan Loughnane and her own Flamenco Ping, a 13-year-old Selle Français/Hanoverian gelding (Je t’Aime Flamenco x Ping Pong) topped the small Modified division by moving up from third after dressage to finish on their first-day score of 37.3.

Loughnane, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, has owned the gelding for five years, and they’ve competed to Intermediate together.

“I had already competed to the Intermediate level before I bought him, and he had done a few Prelims, but we really had to take a while to step back and re-learn the basics together,” she said. “He’s a quirky horse, but so much fun when everything clicks, and I have been able to get back out at Intermediate again with him.”

Loughnane thought her horse would benefit from a long format event because, “He’s the kind of horse that needs to have a fun run every now and then to keep his confidence up, and I had never done a Classic Three-Day before, so this seemed like a great opportunity!

“He definitely had a ton of fun out there, and so did I,” she added. “I’ve never felt him so happy and confident in himself out on cross-country; the endurance phases, and particularly steeplechase, are the perfect setup to have a great cross-country round.”

Loughnane appreciated the chance to meet her fellow competitors as much as she did riding in the event, and says she made many new friends and caught up with old ones.

“It is such a fun experience that I think everyone should get to do at least once,” she said. “If you are on the fence about competing—go for it! Both you and your horse will love it even more than you think you will.”

Training Three-Day

Danielle Downing took on the challenge of her third long format event on Nancy Read’s Caribe PCH, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Con Capilot x Rhonda), and the topped the Training Three-Day on a score of 30.5—their second year in a row winning.

“Everyone around the barn knows Caribe as my boyfriend,” she said with a laugh. “I call him this because I do not own him and only get to ride him at a few shows a year—I call them our dates. I’m very lucky to be riding such an amazing horse.”

Downing, Moultonborough, New Hampshire, rode in the long format as a young rider and was excited when it was brought back.

“I encourage all of my students to put this event on the calendar,” she said. “I think that this event really teaches you a lot about horsemanship. Plus, all of the extra hours spent with your horse really improves on your relationship. I love all the people you meet at the show and how everyone is always helping each other. Everyone wants to see each other succeed, and it’s a pretty amazing thing to be a part of.”

She added that her piece of advice to anyone looking to try a long format event is to do your homework and put in the time for conditioning of yourself and your horse.

“This is one event I’ll definitely keep coming back for with all of my horses and students.

This win was an amazing way to end our season. If you look at our record this year, we were on a hot streak, and probably will never have a year like this again,” she added with a laugh.

Novice Three-Day

A flawless weekend finishing on their dressage score of 30.0 gave professional Jamie Leuenberger and N’Chantress the Novice Three-Day win.

Leuenberger, Millford, New Jersey, won the Waredaca Novice Three-Day in 2017 on a previous horse, Jack, who she eventually trained through Grand Prix dressage. Her business has shifted more towards dressage recently, but she plans to continue to pursue her eventing passion as well.

N’Chantress, a 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Toronto x Gremlin N’ Gold) is owned by Leuenberger’s mother, Marlene Leuenberer, who purchased her as a yearling from her breeder, Lauren Efford of Goldhope Farm.

“‘Tess’ was a surprise, and my mother picked her out on her own and was actually worried I might not like her,” Jaime said. “Everything that Tess does is special because we've done all of her firsts together. I showed her in hand in the USEA Future Event Horse classes every year from yearling to 4-year-old and have done all of her under saddle training from the first ride. Even though she’s very young, we know each other inside and out because I've had her from the beginning, and we've done everything together. Tess is the most talented horse I've had the privilege of riding.”

Tess also dabbles in the pure dressage ring with Jaime and competed at the GAIG/U.S. Dressage Federation Region 1 Championships (Lexington, Virginia) this fall.

The pair competed in the Novice Three-Day last year at Waredaca and had a blip on cross-country, so Jaime felt like this year was a bit of redemption.

“Tess is a fantastic jumper, but she is very, very careful so sometimes she isn't confident cross-country,” she said. “I feel that the full endurance day of the long format really helped her find her courage by opening up the gallop on the steeplechase. She tackled the whole event with a lot more maturity this year, and I think spending an extra season at this level will really help her confidence in the long run.”

Jaime has competed at the Waredaca Three-Day for six years. “My favorite part of coming to Waredaca for the Classic Three-Day is the way that it really brings new people together and showcases the comradery of the sport,” she said. “Every time that I've done this wonderful event I've met incredible people who have all stayed in my life in some way. We share a bond over this unique experience. I've never experienced anything else quite like it.”

Beginner Novice Three-Day

Alissa Genovese knew she was in good hands when she entered the Beginner Novice Three-Day with her best friend Jodie Potts’ 19-year-old Appaloosa gelding Island Fever (Jokers Measleyone x Tooyoungtohonkytonk) bred by Amy Kinsch.

Waredaca announcer Brian O’Connor called the gelding “The Professor,” and that’s an accurate moniker according to Genovese. “Fever” came to Potts as an untrained 6-year-old, and she trained him herself through Preliminary before he stepped down into his “first retirement” with Genovese.

“He is such a personality—he knows he is handsome, and he really hams it up for folks,” said Genovese, of Goldvein Virginia. “When he started telling Jodie he was ready for a different job, she offered me the ride. The timing was never quite right with my mare at the time; we completed some unrecognized events but more than that wasn’t in the cards. Being the amazing friend and person she is, Jodie thought Fever might provide me with a shot at reaching some long-deferred goals.”

Genovese describes Fever as emotional at times and not always the easiest ride, but she felt they clicked from the start of their partnership in 2021 with help from professional Edward Ewbank and Potts’ guidance. The gelding took Genovese to her first USEA-recognized event and her first USEA American Eventing Championships.

Waredaca was their third long format event together, and they led the division from start to finish on their dressage score of 27.5.

“For me, there is no better goal at the lower levels than the Classic events,” said Genovese. “Jodie and I knew this year we would likely be winding [Fever] down from his job with me. We tentatively planned to have our swan song at Waredaca. Jodie pulled out all the stops to keep him feeling his best. He came into the event feeling amazing, and he ended it feeling amazing.”

Fever has 12 long format events to his name, and Genovese credited the care, preparation, and base of fitness he has for those events as a key to his longevity.

Genovese enjoyed her weekend at Waredaca and appreciated the camp-like feel that was provided to the three-day competitors. “The horse show magic at a long format is so real,” she said. “You get to connect with your horse, your fellow eventers, and the clinicians and organizers and officials in a way that is truly unique. I have made friends each time I’ve been at a Classic who I then see and cheer on and celebrate, long after the event. The community building aspect is just so special. We really must support the organizers that keep the long format accessible, as well as the many sponsors and volunteers that help make the events possible.”

For full results, click here.

About the USEA Classic Series

The USEA Classic Series keeps the spirit of the classic long ­format three­-day events alive for Beginner Novice through the Preliminary levels. Competitors can experience the rush of endurance day, including roads and tracks, steeplechase, the vet box, and cross­-country, as well as participate in formal veterinary inspections and educational activities with experts on the ins and outs of competing in a long ­format three-­day event. Riders who compete in a USEA Classic Three-Day Event during the year will have the chance to win a variety of prizes at the events from USEA sponsors and earn leaderboard points. Click here to learn more about the USEA Classic Series.

The USEA would like to thank bronze sponsors SmartPak Equine and D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis Saddles, as well as contributing sponsors Bates Saddles and Parker Equine Insurance for supporting the USEA Classic Series.