Area 1 Adult Team Challenges
2026 Area 1 Adult Team Challenge Competitions:
- Valinor Farm H.T. (June 21)
- Huntington Farm H.T. – Area I Championships (August 22-23)
- Cross Over Team Challenge at Hitching Post Fam (October 24)
Area 1 Adult Rider Program Members are automatically entered! If you do not want to participate, notify the Area 1 Adult Rider Program Coordinator
Team Selection:
- Put together your own team of friends and/or barn mates and send to coordinator
- Randomly selected by the Area 1 Adult Rider Program Coordinator (evenly between divisions,
amateurs, and professionals) - Teams are finalized the Wednesday before the event starts
Requirements:
- All team members must be Area 1 Adult Rider Program members
- Teams may include a minimum of 3 or a maximum of 4 riders competing at any level
- Riders entered with more than one horse may participate on more than one team but only as
one member on a team - Three scores will count, allowing one score to be dropped. An elimination will add 1,000 points
to the score but will keep the team in the competition - Prizes will be awarded for Teams placing 1 st – 3 rd and ribbons will be awarded to eighth place.
If you have questions, contact Amy Winnen @ adultriders@area1usea.org
USEA National Adult Team Challenge (ATC) during American Eventing Championships
August 25th to August 30th , 2026
Kentucky Horse Park – Lexington, Kentucky
The USEA Adult Team Championships (ATC) is the capstone event for the USEA Area Adult Team
Challenges. The ATC provides adults with the chance to compete as a team and represent their Area in a friendly and fun environment.
The USEA Adult Team Challenges have been generously sponsored by the Chronicle of the Horse for more than 20 years. The Challenges have given adult riders not competing at the highest levels of the sport to compete in a friendly team competition. In previous years, the Challenges were held annually in different locations (Eastern, Central and Western) around the United States. For Adult Riders that have participated in the events, they have always been an exciting way to team up with fellow adult riders in your Area to compete nationally.
Unlike our Regional Adult Team Challenge program where we mix levels to field teams, the National ATC
requires Areas to field a team all competing at the same level (Beginner Novice Team, Novice Team,
Training Team, Modified Team, Preliminary Team).
If you are entered in the AECs, you may also participate on a National ATC team.
REMEMBER the USEA Adult Rider Coordinators are requiring that all ATC riders submit this letter of intent before July 18, 2026 in order to be considered for an ATC team. Please fill out the form as soon as possible via the USEA website at this link
https://useventing.com/
Qualifications for Entry into the USEA Adult Team Championships
- The qualifying period for each horse and rider pair is May 20, 2025 – August 12, 2026
- Horses and riders must be members/registered with the USEA at the time of achieving qualifications and during the USEA Adult Team Championships.
- All riders must be 22 years of age or older.
- Closing dates will be consistent with the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC).
- Each horse and rider pair must meet AEC qualifications for the level they are competing in.
- The rider must be a current Adult Rider Member for their Area by August 1, 2026.
- Each Area may have up to eight teams, with a maximum of 35 riders at the USEA Adult Team Championships (plus 8 riders at the Modified level)
- All teams should be coordinated through the Area Adult Rider Coordinator(s).
- The Adult Team Challenge teams should be composed only of riders competing in the Amateur divisions and/or the Rider specific divisions hosted at the USEA American Eventing Championships. Riders competing in the Horse or Open divisions cannot be placed on ATC teams.
- Mixed Area teams are allowed and encouraged. All horse and rider pairs without a full team of 3-4 members must be identified by the Area Adult Rider Coordinators as qualified and willing to compete and submitted to the USEA for inclusion on a mixed team.
Area 1 National ATC Voucher program
- If you are a competing in the National ATC Championships, you may be qualified to receive up to
$250 reimbursement for travel expenses
Additional Resources
