The prestigious $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final officially kicked off on Wednesday at the iconic Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, serving as a marquee highlight of the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. A elite field of twenty-one horse-and-rider combinations has assembled for this year’s edition of the championship’s flagship division, all vying for a prominent share of the substantial $60,000 purse along with the coveted Adequan Champion title. Demonstrating the extraordinarily high level of competition present at the event, the division features an impressive roster of 10 seasoned five-star riders, including Arielle Aharoni, Laine Ashker, Mary Bess Davis, Buck Davidson, Savannah Fulton, Allie Knowles, Boyd Martin, Allison Springer, Chris Talley, and Elisa Wallace.
The opening phase of dressage for the Advanced Final commenced Wednesday morning in the Stonelea Ring, setting the initial benchmark for the competition. The championship adheres to the classic, rigorous three-day eventing format: starting with the precision of dressage on Wednesday, transitioning to the demanding cross-country phase on Thursday morning, and concluding with the dramatic show jumping finale under the bright lights in Rolex Stadium on Friday evening.
Following the completion of the dressage phase, Laine Ashker and her standout black warmblood mare, Lovedance, delivered a remarkable test to command the top spot on the leaderboard with an impressive score of 28.1. The standings remain extremely tight, with a razor-thin margin of just 0.3 points separating the leader from second place, where Isabelle Bosley and the talented dark bay Oldenburg gelding, Conner, sit closely in pursuit on a score of 28.4. Fresh off his appearance at the World Championships in Aachen, Olympic veteran Boyd Martin has strategically positioned himself directly behind the leaders, holding both 3rd and 4th places heading into Thursday’s cross-country challenge—piloting Shanroe Cooley to a score of 31.3 and holding fourth with Fetiche Des Rouges.
Watch the leading test from Laine Ashker & Lovedance here:
What’s ahead:
- Thursday, Aug. 27: Cross-Country Phase — Competitors tackle the cross-country course starting at 7:30 a.m. ET.
- Friday, Aug. 28: Show Jumping Finale — The championship culminates with the decisive show jumping phase under the lights in Rolex Stadium during the evening session.
Comprehensive live streaming coverage throughout the event is available exclusively via Horse & Country, featuring expert play-by-play commentary and insights from seasoned eventing commentators Frankie Thieriot Stutes and Jon Holling.