This week, the LA28 committee announced that the 2028 Olympic Torch Relay will travel through all 50 states, stopping at major landmarks and locations along the way. It will kick off its U.S. journey in Atlanta, which hosted the 1996 Games and was the last American city to host a Summer Olympics.
History nerds: Who were the riders on the gold medal-winning Australian team in Atlanta? Keep reading to the end of this column to see if you were right!
[Watch some footage of the eventing in Atlanta, thanks to the Vintage Eventing YouTube channel]
The flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, before beginning its journey stateside in the spring of 2028 for what organizers say will be one of the largest torch relays ever staged. Along the way, it will pass landmarks, stop at major cultural and sporting events, and anchor festival celebrations in select cities. The full route won’t be released until 2027, so there’s no word yet on whether the flame will make a stop in any type of horse country. The Paralympic Torch Relay will follow the Olympic Games in August 2028, with its flame originating in Stoke Mandeville, England, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement.
Major International Events This Weekend
Military Boekelo / FEI Eventing Nations Cup CCIO4*-NC-L (Netherlands): [Website] [Entries/Timing/Scores] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Live Stream]
U.S. Events This Weekend
The Maryland Horse Trials & Area II Championships at Loch Moy Farm (MD): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Woodside Fall International (CA): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Apple Knoll Farm H.T. (MS): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Volunteer]
WindRidge Farm Fall H.T. (NC): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Ocala Fall H.T. (FL): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Pine Hill Fall H.T. (TX): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Middle Tennessee Pony Club H.T. (TN): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores]
In the News
- Do you know someone who’s utterly dedicated to making horses’ lives better? The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award is accepting nominations, looking to recognize an individual or group of individuals who have “devoted considerable effort to making the quality of life of our equine partners paramount.” The recipient will receive a $5,000 grant to the charity of their choosing and recognition at the 2026 Pegasus Awards Dinner at the USEF Annual Meeting in January 2027. Nominate or pass it along.
- Speaking of Annual Meetings, you’re invited to the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention in Arlington, VA December 11-13. In addition to the usual slate of meetings, forums and educational seminars, this year also signifies a Hall of Fame induction year. This class of inductees is still being revealed, but we know that eventing icons such as Jerome Broussard, Sally Ike and Carawich, the legendary horse of Jimmy Wofford’s, have all been invited so far. Registration is now open for this year’s Convention.
- Just under two weeks remain to submit your application for Equestrian Canada’s Country Yucca Travel Grants for U25 athletes, designed to assist young Canadian eventing riders in furthering their competition experience either across North America or overseas. Applications close on October 12.
Recommended Reading & Listening
- Ideas from the top: Andrew Nicholson shares some thoughts on many areas of the sport, including a lack of support for the (honestly super cool) Arena Racing Company Racehorse-to-Eventer Challenge Series, which offers some of the best non-five-star prize money in the country at £45,000 (Bubby Upton won this year), the outcomes at Burghley and Blenheim and how a 3*-L for 8-year-olds could benefit an event like Badminton or Burghley. Read his column on Horse & Hound.
- “An Education and Content Opportunity”: That’s the opening equestrian sports has, according to Equerry / Co’s latest insight write-up. As equestrian sports continue to grow, should they still be marketed as a niche? What benefits exist in the “creator economy”? Read the deep dive.
Sponsor Corner: Stable View’s Eventing Academy Season is Winding Down!
Registration closes TODAY for the October Eventing Academy at Stable View (October 9 and 10 in Aiken, SC). This is one of the best ways to experience or introduce eventing, and as the series nears its end, those pursuing Series points for year-end awards will want to earn them at these final three events.
Eventing Academy consists of an open schooling day on the first day (October 9, for this one) and an unrecognized three-phase competition on the second (October 10). Competitors can also choose to compete in just single phases or choose their own adventure all weekend.
More information can be found here, and don’t miss out on the final two Eventing Academy weekends of 2026: November 20-21 and December 11-12
Coaching Corner
- Protect Your Back, Strengthen Your Core
- Encourage your horse to lift and lengthen with the help of this zig-zag polework layout
Go Eventing
Get ready for some great footing this weekend for the Ocala Fall Horse Trials at Florida Horse Park!
Today’s Quiz: How’d You Do?
Andrew Hoy (Darien Powers), Wendy Schaeffer-Macdonald (Sunburst), Phillip Dutton (True Blue Girdwood) and Gillian Rolton (Peppermint Grove) all rode on the Australian team that won gold in Atlanta.
The USA took team silver that year, with team riders David O’Connor (Giltedge), Bruce Davidson Sr. (Heyday), Karen O’Connor (Biko) and Jill Henneberg (Nirvana) riding for the medal and individual Kerry Millikin riding Out and About to individual bronze.
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