United States Eventing Association

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 30—The USEA Starter Championships brought the 2026 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds to a memorable close on Sunday as competitors tackled their final phase of competition at the Kentucky Horse Park. After three phases and a week filled with milestone moments, the Starter competitors had one final opportunity to put everything they had worked toward into practice before the last champions of AEC 2026 were crowned.

USEA Starter Amateur Championship

The USEA Starter Amateur Championship leaderboard was in constant flux throughout the three days of competition at the Kentucky Horse Park, with both jumping phases wielding considerable influence.

Amanda Gantz rose steadily up the rankings from 11th after the first phase, to sixth overnight after a fast clear round cross-country and then soaring to take the Championship with another clear inside the time Sunday afternoon in the Rolex Stadium. Gantz and her own Meg O’Pint (Silver Shadow x Carnane Vanessa), an 8-year-old Connemara finished on their dressage score of 31.6

You might call it the luck of the Irish, or you might suppose there was a guardian angel watching over Gantz this weekend, perhaps it was just meant to be, but Gantz would like to think the win is a final gift from her late mother who passed away in 2023.

“My mom and I got him as a marginally backed 4-year-old from Ireland,” she explained, “We picked him up off of a video, I watched him jumping 1.30 meters free jumping, and he did it basically with his eyes closed. It was basically like a last gift from her, and it's very special and bittersweet because she kept up with his journey as much as she could until the very end, and that was literally the last conscious thing she said to me before she died was that she was very sad that she wouldn't get to see us succeed, but she knew that we would, and that she would watch us from heaven.”

Gantz, who is in remission from breast cancer, works for a local church in marketing and keeps “Pint” at home in Ohio. Without an indoor arena there are days when it gets too late and dark to ride, she says, but Gantz is positive that just the time spent together at home, be it feeding him, caring for him or just “hanging out” has been instrumental in their success.

“He lives in my backyard,” she confirmed, “I am not in a professional program. I am an amateur that works, and I have done all of this myself. I watch videos, I go to as many clinics as I can, I take as many lessons as I can, but he is literally blood, sweat, tears in my backyard, and I have worked so hard on a partnership with him. I feel like we know each other like the back of our hands. I mean, he knows what I'm thinking. I know what he's thinking, and we're there for each other, and he helps me out when things get sticky. And you know, when he needs his hand held, I tell him, ‘It's OK, you can do it’, and he shows up for me.”

Audrey Abbot scooped the Reserve Championship title with her own The Man In Black (CC Brunos Chinook x Foxy Peppy IMP), a 16-year-old Appendix Quarter Horse, rising five places from seventh after the first two phases. They placed second, but it was a weekend of firsts for Abbot and “Harley”—their first event outside their home state of Texas and first AEC.

Abbot has had Harley for about four years; she bought him while she was still grieving the sudden loss of her previous horse, and in her first year of college at Texas A&M. “I was still working through that [loss], and you know, starting college, that's a crazy period of your life. But riding is something that I really love. It's been a part of my life since I was little, and that's just something I can always come back to. It has its own challenges, but it's my happy place.”

Harley has been part of Abbot’s life throughout her college career, and she’ll graduate in December, so this weekend has been extra special, she shared, as her future is somewhat unknown. “He's been with me through a lot. We've had our ups and downs, we've had to work a lot on our jumping; he's very much someone that if I'm not on him and committed, he doesn't believe me, and he won't go, so we've worked on that a lot and made a lot of progress, and it's paid off. I'm thrilled that I even made it here in the first place. The goal was just to get through the weekend, to finish, to say I did all three phases, but to place, or get a ribbon, let alone second is huge. It's a ton of work paying off, and it's really special.”

Laura Wilson and her 8-year-old, one-eared palomino mustang One Ear Wonder slipped down a couple of places with a fence down on the final day, but she was nonetheless thrilled with her pony’s performance at just his fourth event.

Wilson spotted One Ear Wonder on the BLM grant adoption site at the end of 2024. She started riding him in January last year, winning the Mustang Classic here at the Kentucky Horse Park, and then also doing well in the Pony Cup in Ohio this year. “And then,” she said “I figured, ‘Well, I might as well just try to qualify for the AEC!’ So, after three events, I did, and this was his only fourth event ever so I’m very happy with him, he did great. I was very pleased. He's never really been in water a whole lot, but he was a good sport, and he went right in, so yeah, it was a fun weekend!”

USEA Starter Rider Championship

The USEA Starter Rider Championship jumped in the storied Rolex Stadium under the lights Sunday night to bring the 2026 USEA American Eventing Championships to a close. Fittingly, it was an exciting finale with the leaderboard constantly changing.

Mia Boglione and Amy Winnen’s Galatea HU (Galant Du Serein x Rohmanie) rose steadily throughout the weekend from sixth place after the first phase, to second place after cross-country and finally jumping clear on the last day to win on their dressage score of 30.2. The final result is, of course, a wonderful surprise for Boglione but also a small reward for her resilience as after her dressage test on the 20-year-old Rheinland Pfalz-Saar mare, known as Gia in the barn, Boglione was literally in tears. “I actually came out of my dressage test crying,” she said, “I was a little upset, not at her. Just, you know, I worked so hard to get here, and I didn't ride that great in my test. And then after a few tears were cried, we moved on and just wanted to get around cross-country clean, and really all I wanted is the completion medal and a picture in the Rolex ring. So, after we went double-clear at cross-country and moved up, it got pretty serious, and we went out there, and we did our best, and we had a lot of fun, and it got us where we are now!”

This is Boglione and Gia’s first trip to the AEC. “I'm just so incredibly thankful for Carrie Wheelie and Amy Winnen for sharing her horse with me, and my whole entire barn family,” she said, “All they've done is support me to get me here, and I just couldn't thank them enough.”

Heartbreakingly close behind in second place, just 0.3 shy of the winning score, Megan Bond also climbed up the rankings over the three days to finish on her dressage score of 30.5 on Honey Locust Finch, a 15-year-old American Thoroughbred/Cleveland Bay gelding that Bond affectionately described as her “little plow horse”!

Bond has been riding “Finch” for about six years she said, and before that he’d been a trail horse, so she’s taught the slightly atypical event horse his new craft. “There is a local Belgian breeder that decided to do a couple sport horse crosses and threw a Thoroughbred in there,” she explained, “and they're great adult amateur horses. They're pretty sane, they're pretty sound. Most of them are much bigger than mine, and they're good hunt horses too.”

Bond has some previous AEC experience—she groomed here three years ago for her daughter, and in 2024 they both qualified and competed here together, but it wasn’t such a happy ending for Bond. “I didn't finish cross-country,” she said, “We did Beginner Novice. I lost all my confidence. We checked him out head to toe. Did all the things: the saddle fitter, the teeth, the chiro, the scopes, the acupuncture, and it was rider, 100% rider. So, we started over again with lessons diligently and step back to Starter, and here we are!”

Overnight leaders Nancy Rinn and Remington Steel added a couple of time penalties around the stadium course to drop to third place. At 22, Mark Hall and Rinn’s Remington Steel is the oldest horse in the Championships, but belied his age with his performance this weekend, particularly a fast clear round across country Saturday. Combining their ages, Rinn and her horse will be 95 this year, she shared, adding that she couldn’t be more delighted to be here, and particularly thanking her trainer Diana Hanrahan out of South Star Training in San Antonio, Texas. “It's a hike, but I'd never be here if not for her. She has brought us so far, and just I can't say enough good about Diane.”

Rinn took over the ride on Remington Steel after her husband decided not to continue riding. “What can I say about Remington Steel? He’s worth his weight in gold,” she gushed, “That horse, he is awesome. We bought him as a 6-year-old. He foxhunted, and my husband evented him for a while at Novice. Then my husband quit riding, and I was out of eventing for many, many years, and when Mark lost interest in riding him, I said, ‘Well, maybe I could have the ride on him,’ and I took him on. I guess my first event back in eventing was maybe 2021 on him before Starter was recognized, and we just hit it off. He's such a fine horse, just amazing. He's a 17-hand, half Thoroughbred and half Percheron, and he has the best of both worlds: the brain and the feet of the Percheron, the athleticism of the Thoroughbred.”

USEA Starter Junior Championship

Shelton Repetto started the weekend the way she would eventually finish it—leading the USEA Starter Junior division on a score of 25.8. Riding Susanne Repetto’s Accordingly (ES Florianus 2 x EM Conteah) a 10-year-old American Hanoverian, she added nothing further to win the championship. Based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Repetto trains with Susie Beale and only started riding “Cord” last winter, and to compete at the AEC, let alone win, was not even on her radar.

“I mean, [I hoped to come to AEC] maybe in like a couple years,” she said, “I didn't think I was gonna end up doing it this year. And when I came here, I was just hoping maybe to get a ribbon because that would have been really cool. I did not think I was gonna get first!”

As she rode down the ramp into the Rolex Stadium Sunday afternoon as the overnight leader, Repetto said she felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. “It was really cool,” she said, “a really cool feeling but I was really nervous.” After she completed her round, it took a moment for the magnitude of what she’d just achieved to sink in. “I think I was kind of nervous because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it's the last jump, and if I get a rail that's going to be really annoying!’ but when I cleared it and went through the flags, I don't think it really hit me that I went clear. Then I did a circle, and I was like, ‘Oh wait, I went clear!’ and that was really cool!”

Lila Maroul and WHF Wangari (Withages x Hannah) are your Reserve Champions. Owned by John Maroul, the 12-year-old Oldenburg mare, aka Maggie in the barn, also finished on their dressage score, completing with a 27.5 on the board.

Maroul just started riding Maggie last December, and the AEC was their goal; she was hopeful to do well, perhaps top six as she knew her horse was capable of laying down a good first phase score. “I bought her in December from Sarah Jackson,” she explained, “she was competing novice, and at AEC she got sixth place last year and third place the year before, and she's the sweetest mare I've ever known. She's so sweet. She's like done all of it, she's great. I was here mainly for the experience, but I knew she's great in dressage, so I was coming in. I didn't know if I was going to win or not, but I wanted to get top six or top 10 or whatever, but mainly for the experience.”

Liv Pospichal rounded out the top three on her own Donkey Hodie (Devil His Due x L’Etoile Jolie) The 19-year-old U.S.-bred Thoroughbred was bought as a schoolmaster as his owner was going to college, but Pospichal discovered quickly he wasn’t completely straightforward. “His old owner showed him in Novice, but she wanted to keep going up, and he would jump the jumps one day, but then the next day he'd refuse so she assumed that he was like ready for a step down. His last time at the AEC was with his old owner, and there's a photo of him on cross-country galloping across the field with no rider and no bridle!”

Obviously now they’ve ironed out most of the wrinkles, with the help of Pospichal’s trainer and “some encouragement,” and she said to come here, compete and finish in the top 3 at AEC was more than she dared imagine.

Adams Horse Supply USEA Starter Adult Team Championships

The Adams Horse Supply USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) also crowned its Starter champions on Sunday, with Start Box Social Club taking home the team title on a score of 102.8. The winning team featured Mia Boglione and Galatea HU, Donna Hayden and Kissed My Last Frog, Audrey Fazio and I'm Not Famous, and Anne Dottore and VSH Devine Magnum, who combined their efforts throughout the week to secure the top spot in the Starter 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.