2024 AEC PROGRAM
8
WELCOME FROM EEI & KENTUCKY CLASSIQUE
On behalf of EEI Board of Directors and Mary Fike, co-organizer, we welcome
you to the 20th Anniversary of the USEA American Eventing Championships
presented by Nutrena Feeds! Congratulations to all the riders who were
successful in qualifying for this very unique and special event. We are happy
you are here!
In hosting this event, we are thrilled to be able to showcase the wonderful
Kentucky Horse Park and surrounding areas, and we are happy to share
what a wonderful Eventing community we have here in Area VIII. The depth
of commitment to our sport is evident by all of the fabulous volunteers. They
bring their expertise and energy to ensure we all have a great competition.
We want you all to leave having had a wonderful week and with plans to
return in 2026!
The Kentucky Horse Park has been celebrating the relationship with the
horse since 1978 and welcomes over one million visitors each year. The Park
sees countless equestrian events throughout the year, including the Defender
Kentucky Three-Day Event, one of the world's premier equestrian 5* events
showcasing the world's highest level of equestrian eventing.
Owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Park is a
treasure to our state and a facility unlike any other in the world. This year
marks the fourth year of hosting AEC.
Your host city, Lexington, Kentucky, is known as the "Horse Capital of the
World" and offers an array of activities and attractions for you to explore
during your visit, including bourbon distilleries, historic attractions and a
vibrant downtown. Additionally, Georgetown, Kentucky, is minutes away
from the Park and offers a Victorian-era downtown full of independent shops,
art galleries, restaurants, and more than 200 buildings on the National
Register of Historic Places.
We hope you enjoy your time at the AEC and soak in all the excitement of the
competition. EEI and Kentucky Classique hope to see you in 2026 when the
AEC returns to the Kentucky Horse Park.
Vanessa Coleman
Equestrian Events, Inc.
Senior Director of Competition
Mary Fike
Kentucky Classique H.T.
Co-Organizer
