AECs 2025

[Mounted]

Good luck to everyone competing at the AECs this week.

The courses are posted through the CrossCountry app: https://www.crosscountryapp.com/events/american-eventin

The USEA shared some data about this year’s AECs: https://useventing.com/news-media/news/fast-facts-2025-usea-american-eventing-championships-presented-by-nutrena-feeds

I was curious about how entries and other stats compared to previous years. I found the same “fast facts” from last year: https://useventing.com/news-media/news/fast-facts-2024-usea-american-eventing-championships-presented-by-nutrena-feeds

Perhaps not surprisingly, entries are way down (just under 400 this year compared to over 1000, including 812 unique riders, last year). I was more surprised to see that this year, there are entrants from 15 states, compared to 45 states last year.

[beowulf]

I just love this jump.

Wishing our competitors the very best weekend!!!

[Highflyer1]

The courses look gorgeous with the mountains in the back.

[FitToBeTied]

I’m not surprised the entries are down given it is on the west coast. The average amateur eventer from the east coast is not going to travel to california. I’d say that eliminates most in area ! and II and probably a big chunk of III. A friend from FLA is qualified but won’t be going.

Id there a place to see the courses without using a phone app?

[quarab]

Yup and I know more Area IX folks going this year. But there’s less of an eventing community out here in a way that seems like a chicken and the egg situation. Selfishly cool to have the AECs somewhere that’s reachable for our folks this year

[beowulf]

You can see them here - https://useventing.com/news-media/news/preview-the-aec2025-cross-country-courses

Just close/click out of the ad popup (mine says 2025 MARSHAL STERLING)

All the courses look lovely to me. I thought BN looked refreshingly straightforward. There was one year at Kentucky the BN course was looked less forgiving than the Novice. Novice and Training look great. Modified starts out beefy looking. Prelim - wowza - the woodwork on that course is gorgeous. The aerial views really give you more perspective on how much more ground the bigger courses cover.

Overall what a fun bunch of jumps. I’m going to try and watch the livestream on EN.

Any competitors on COTH? What are your thoughts on the courses?

[quarab]

The starter and BN courses looked friendly. The combo at 21 on Advanced made me gag (even more than the other pieces of that course).

Curious the opinions on the changes in footing throughout the course as it looks fairly significant to me going through more brushy fields as is typical out in the west to some dirt landscaping to repurposed soccer fields with some more lush grass.

[beowulf]

@quarab

The combo at 21 on Advanced made me gag (even more than the other pieces of that course).

Looks doable until you see the video of humans next to the first combination, don’t it?

The changes in footing strike me as typical for that area and likely a non-issue for the lower levels (they are confined to the lower field on the right hand side). At Prelim+ they should be used to changes in terrain, but I’m sure it will test some pairs.

I’ve never been to Galway downs. My burning question after looking at the courses is how the terrain compares to Area 1, say GMHA or Hitching Post? Some of the photos look pretty flat (especially on Novice and below) despite the huge mountain range behind them – is this deceptive?

[quarab]

I think flat is typical for the area and also how it’s been landscaped. We have big mountains out west but the land in the foothills is quite flat. You can also see on the google maps landscape view that the area is flat. I know that my trainer who grew up in Area II laments the flatness of the courses out here.

[enjoytheride]

@Mounted

Perhaps not surprisingly, entries are way down (just under 400 this year compared to over 1000, including 812 unique riders, last year). I was more surprised to see that this year, there are entrants from 15 states, compared to 45 states last year.

And they changed qualifications

There was a recent thread where west coasters insisted that entries would be the same, but historically other rotating east coast/west coast horse shows struggle with numbers in west coast years as well and have gone to a fixed location.

[RAyers]

There is a long pull on the east end of the course. This give you an idea of what the last few fences will be.

Show_24001_Ring_12_Class_160_Rider_94_572808

There are several soccer fields we gallop across as well, which is really fun.

[RAyers]

This doesn’t look flat to me.

Show_24001_Ring_12_Class_160_Rider_94_572808

[FitToBeTied]

I guess it depends on what you are used. To my eye, that is flat. My eventer/foxhunters all hunted in the mountains of Virginia, so you’ve got to add quite a bit of pitch before you get to something that concerned us. When I first competed at the Virginia Horse Center everyone said beware of the hills. My horse pretty much galloped the course and I don’t think he noticed anything he would rate as a hill.

All relative I guess.

[RAyers]

“Mountains of Virginia?!” Dude, those are hills. Maybe suggestions. The hill is quite long and steep enough. It would be 6% (Green ski slope) if it was here.

Is it as steep as our home course?

No.

Being at both the begining and the end, it blows out unprepared horses pretty easily. If they, or the riders can’t jump downhill, or they are tired coming home, the hill causes plenty of issues.

[quarab]

Anyhow the virtual coursework doesn’t show all. Here’s a pic from insta where I didn’t see how hard that line is on the virtual coursewalk

[FitToBeTied]

@RAyers

“Mountains of Virginia?!” Dude, those are hills.

Fun fact according to geologists. The mountains of Virginia are millions of years older than the rockies and at one time higher. Errosion! as bill nye would say.

That’s a good galloping hill you got there.

[FitToBeTied]

A legit question. What is the footing like at Galway if it rains? I know it is not the rainy season but just wondering.

[RAyers]

It is a well draining sand. It held up to one of those atmospheric river storms last fall.

The turf/soccer fields are irrigated blue grass

[FitToBeTied]

@RAyers

It is a well draining sand.

Kind of like aiken then.

[RAyers]

But with a cooler, laidback, California vibe.