Renew Your USEA Membership for the 2023 Season Today LEARN MORE
There are only four days to go until the start of the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC), presented by Nutrena Feeds! Whether you’re already on your way to the Kentucky Horse Park or you’re preparing to start your trip, this article has all of the last-minute information you need for a smooth arrival at the venue. The 2023 USEA AEC takes place from Tuesday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Sept. 3, and features championship divisions from Beginner Novice through Advanced. The $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final is the pinnacle level of competition at the AEC, and the USEA Adult Riders will again have the opportunity to compete in the Adult Team Championships (ATC) from Beginner Novice through Preliminary.
Arrival Information
When traveling to the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) with a horse in tow, the recommended address to input into any GPS system is 4089 Iron Works Pkwy, Lexington, KY 40511. Please enter through the main entrance and follow the directional signage to the show office and barns. Take the second exit at the roundabout to Cigar Lane, then turn right onto Nina Bonnie Boulevard, and finally a left at the show office. Stabling assignments will be listed here on StartBox. Please note that parking near stabling and the show office will be limited, but additional gravel parking is available adjacent to Rolex Stadium.
All trailers must be parked in the Trailer Parking Lot or Overflow Lot. Please follow the “Trailer Parking” signs. This lot is regularly patrolled by the KHP and Mounted Police, but it is still recommended that trailers are kept locked. No trailers should be parked in the gravel lot next to the barns. The KHP has the right to move a trailer if it is parked in an invalid spot or is blocking a vehicle.
Local Information:
Educational Activities
The USEA will be hosting several cross-country course walks led by well-known professional eventers throughout the week. AEC competitors in the Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels can take advantage of the following walks:
From Tuesday through Sunday, an exclusive Daily VIP Hospitality ringside tent at Rolex Stadium will be serving delicious food and drink for interested attendees. The tent will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, serving breakfast from 7:00 – 9:00 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. A cash bar will be open until 5:00 p.m. as well. Click here to purchase tickets to the Daily VIP Hospitality ringside tent. Menus are listed under each daily ticket and package options are as follows:
AEC Parties
Wednesday, August 30 – “Red, White & Blue” Welcome Reception at The KHP Big Barn
Break out your best USA gear for the Red, White and Blue Welcome Reception from 6:30—8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 in The KHP Big Barn! Each horse entered will receive one complimentary ticket to the reception and additional tickets can be purchased here.
Thursday, August 31 – Carnival Adult & Young Rider Party at the VIP Hospitality Tent
The Carnival Themed Adult & Young Rider Party will be hosted at the VIP Hospitality ringside tent next to Rolex Stadium at 6:30 p.m. There will be food trucks and music, as well as a dunking booth fundraiser with celebrity eventers set to take the plunge. For just a $5 donation to the USEA Adult or Young Rider program, you can get three chances to dunk your favorite eventing superstars!
All USEA Adult Rider and USEA Young Rider program members will receive one ticket to attend the party. Adult Riders and Young Riders are encouraged to dress up in team spirit gear, to represent their Area program, ATC team, or IEL and Intercollegiate teams. Door prizes may be given for the most team spirit!
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation will be at the party, serving as presenting sponsor of the Adult Rider portion of the party, and they’ll share some insights on their recent research and educational programming.
Friday, September 1 – “Fiesta Friday” Competitor Party at the VIP Hospitality Tent
It’s Fiesta Friday at the AEC! Celebrate the incredible accomplishment of making it to the 2023 AEC over fun Mexican cuisine, including a full Taco Bar, at the Competitor Party on Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. Sombreros and maracas are encouraged! The party will be at the VIP Hospitality ringside tent next to Rolex Stadium and will be centered around watching the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final, where the Champion will walk away with a whopping $30,000 check. Cheer on your favorite combinations while enjoying a Mexican fiesta, AEC style.
Each horse entered will receive one complimentary ticket to the reception and additional tickets can be purchased here.
Interested in additional tickets for the Welcome Reception and the Competitor Party? Save more by purchasing the Party Package here, which includes one extra ticket for each event.
AEC Prizes
In partnership with all the generous AEC sponsors, the USEA is offering more than $100,000 in prize money and a plethora of exciting gifts across all 24 AEC divisions. The USEA will be providing prize packets through fifth place in all divisions, which will contain gift certificates redeemable for prizes from many popular brands! Some gift certificates can even be redeemed on-site at sponsors’ vendor booths in the AEC Trade Fair.
Click here to read about all of the exciting prizes up for grabs!
AEC Sponsor Trade Fair
Visit the AEC Sponsor Trade Fair from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday to browse through 30 shops and boutiques that offer horse tack, equestrian apparel, food, and more, including the Shop USEA booth where you can grab exclusive AEC gear. View the map below to start making your shopping list, and click here for more information.
AEC Livestream
Horse & Country will serve as the Official Livestream of the 2023 AEC. Horse & Country provides all USEA members with a 15% discount on annual memberships. Login to your online services account to access the code and sign up today! The livestream schedule is as follows:
The Beginner Novice and Novice divisions will be free to view live on Horse & Country on September 1-3. All remaining live coverage and on-demand content provided by horseandcountry.tv will only be available to H&C+ subscribers. Competitors can also purchase individual rider clips through Get My Clip on horseandcountry.tv/get-my-clip.
Official Photographer
Erin Gilmore Photography will be the Official Photographer of the 2023 AEC. Joining forces under one umbrella, Erin Gilmore Photography has partnered with Tina Fitch Photography to bring the best of the East and the West together to cover all three phases of each special ride at the event. Gilmore and Fitch are thrilled to lead a dedicated, experienced team working seamlessly to put final, edited image galleries into the hands of riders. Riders will be able to access their photos more quickly than ever before, with the ability to view, purchase, and receive their images digitally during the event at eringilmorephotos.com.
Volunteering at the AEC
The 2023 AEC needs more volunteers! Get a front-row seat to all the action at the Kentucky Horse Park next week by signing up for a shift. Volunteer positions are open to everyone, including competitors, trainers, owners, fans, friends and family that are making the trip to Lexington, Kentucky. Competitors are especially encouraged to give back by volunteering their time between rides, coming early or staying late to help make the event happen. Every AEC volunteer will receive an exclusive AEC volunteer shirt, AEC hats provided by #WeRideTogether, cookies from Mrs. Pastures, tote bags from Bates Saddles, socks from Kerrits, and an assortment of goodies from other AEC sponsors.
Click here to view available shifts and sign up. The AEC needs YOU in order to go off without a hitch!
Provisional Schedule
Follow along with the AEC updates by joining the 2023 AEC Facebook page. Once you arrive at KHP, make sure to join the 2023 AEC What’s App group for regular event updates as well. The QR code to join will be posted at the show office. For general questions about the AEC, please contact Kate Lokey.
Recent AEC News
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 Beginner Novice 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 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held Aug. 29—Sept. 3 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; Gold Level Sponsors: Capital Square, Horse & Country, Parker Equine Insurance, Smartpak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Ecogold, Kerrits, The Jockey Club; Bronze Level Sponsors: 70 Degrees, Athletux, Black Petticoat, The Chronicle of the Horse, Devoucoux, D.G. Stackhouse and Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Horseware Ireland, Majyk Equipe, Retired Racehorse Project, Ride EquiSafe; Contributing Level Sponsor: CrossCountry App, Georgetown – Scott County Tourism, Lexmark, L.V. Harkness, Mountain Horse, Mrs. Pastures Cookies, #WeRideTogether; Prize Level Sponsors: Coach Daniel Stewart, EquiFit, Equilab, Equiluxe Tack, Equine Essentials, Equine Pulse Performance, FarmVet, Achieve Equine/FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Horses 4 Your Consideration, Hound & Hare, I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique, Jack’s Favorites, Jane Heart Jewelry, Kinetic Equine Services, LeMieux, Levade Kentucky, Mare Modern Goods, OneTouch Fly Spray, Parkmore Supplements, Practical Horseman, Sidelines Magazine, Spy Coast Farm, 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 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Aug. 29—Sept. 3, 2023. 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 2023, 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 USEA Adult Team Championships
The 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 Adult Team Championships.
The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, The Chronicle of the Horse, Achieve Equine/FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Kinetic Equine Services, Horse & Country, Equilab, Kerrits, Nutrena Feeds, Sidelines Magazine, SmartPak and #WeRideTogether for sponsoring the USEA Adult Team Championships.
