The EquiRatings Horse of the Year award is officially open for voting! This year’s race to the top of the votes will be a close one, as the list of finalists is full of fan favorites and horses who had successful 2025 seasons. 6 horses have already been locked in, but two more will be voted in by fans to proceed to the quarterfinal round. You can cast your vote for the two horses who move forward (one of which is the USA’s Commando 3, piloted by Boyd Martin) here. You can also read more about the #ERHOTY award here, and stay tuned for the full line-up reveal and the next round of voting.
U.S. Events This Week
Rocking Horse December H.T. (FL): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Full Gallop Farm Jingle Bells H.T. (SC): [Website] [Entries/Times] [Volunteer]
News & Reading
We’d love your help shaping Season 2 of The Go Eventing Podcast! Take our quick listener survey here and let us know what you want more of in 2026!
We’ll be publishing our full debrief on the Andrew McConnon case today, but in the meantime, The Chronicle of the Horse has put together their own breakdown of the case and the resulting FEI Tribunal decision and the documentation that followed. You can read that story here, and another breakdown on Horse Sport here.
It’s no secret that military service comes with a hefty cost of mental health after effects. For some veterans, finding peace on the back of a horse has been the key to transitioning back into civilian life. Down the Stretch Ranch in Creston, WA has played host to veterans as well as former racehorses, serving a dual purpose of helping these two sectors, who enter the Ranch’s gates bearing their own internal burdens, find some refuge. You can read the story of Down the Stretch Ranch and its valuable work here.
It’s the final countdown to this year’s USEA Annual Meeting and Convention! This year’s meeting will be hosted in New Orleans, LA next week, December 11-14. Included in the programming educational seminars and open meetings as well as year-end awards and a keynote presentation by mental performance coach Natalie Hummel. There’s still time to register and book your discounted lodging — you can learn more here.
Video Break
Hear from cross country course designer Mike Etherington-Smith ahead of the 2026 edition of the Adelaide CCI5* with a great in-depth interview about his background as a designer and with this event, and what might be in store for next year:
