A new championship is set to make its debut in North America this coming January with the announcement of the inaugural FEI Pan American Equestrian Confederation (PAEC) Championship of the Americas, which will be made up of the three Olympic disciplines and held January 21-31 at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.
This new championship serves to provide a platform for emerging talent in dressage, show jumping and eventing and will be hosted on a quadrennial cycle, coinciding with the Pan American Games (which will next take place in July 2027 in Lima, Peru) and intending to be a qualification pathway for the Games themselves.
For the eventers, this means a CCI2*-S level competition, with two phases hosted at WEC Ocala and cross country held at nearby Florida Horse Park. At the two-star level, this PAEC Championship will provide an opportunity for developing talent to shine on the pathway to the higher level championship offerings.
US Equestrian (USEF) will serve as the host national federation, WEC as the organizing committee, and PAEC as a major organizer of this event. The event will run concurrently with weeks III and IV of WEC’s 2027 Winter Spectacular Show Series.
“The ‘Championship’ was created to provide more opportunities for riders across the Americas, grow the sport, and build a structured pathway for athletes,” said PAEC President Cesar Hirsch in a press release announcing the event. “The idea was a continuation of PAEC’s mission of supporting and growing equestrian sport from the grassroots to the elite level.”
The PAEC Championship of the Americas will be open to all 30 nations within FEI Groups IV, V and VI. “PAEC aims serve all of the countries in the Americas with this landmark event, no matter the extent of their high performance program. We want to build a legacy,” Cesar Hirsch continued.
The Championship will feature jumping at the 1.45m-1.50m level, and dressage will be contested as a hybrid of Small Tour and Big Tour combinations. Eventing will be held at the 2*-S level. Countries may field teams of up to five athletes, including one reserve, in all three disciplines. Qualification is based on the Minimum Eligibility Requirements, and team and individual medals will be awarded in each discipline at the only FEI medal championship for senior teams in the Americas.
PAEC is the official continental authority recognized by the FEI, Panam Sports, and major sports associations. The board includes Hirsch, USEF President and Group IV Representative Tom O’Mara, FEI Group IV Chair Monique Archer (BAR), FEI Group V Chair Daniela Garcia Nigaglioni (MEX), FEI Group VI Representative Luiz Roberto Giugni (BRA), FEI Group VI Chair Esteban Abedrabbo (ECU), and Athlete Representative Tiffany Foster (CAN). The strategic objective is for the Championship to become an established qualification pathway for the Pan American Games, alongside the various Regional Championships. This framework ensures continuity of high-level competition across the region and provides National Federations with a predictable pathway for athlete development and planning.
Further information regarding schedule, officials, and format will be announced soon. For more information on PAEC, visit PAECEquestrian.com. Information on WEC can be found at WEC.net. For more information on US Equestrian, please visit USEF.org.
