With four of the 10 entries in this year’s $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final piloted by either James or Helen Alliston, odds were good that at least one of them would earn a spot on the podium. After show jumping concluded Friday evening at the USEA American Eventing Championships, they’d taken all three, with Helen on top and James in second and third.
The San Ramon, California-based husband and wife made the trek to Kalispell, Montana, for the second time this summer (they’d also visited in July for The Event at Rebecca Farm) with seven horses and one goal in mind: to win. For Helen, the hope was to win and schedule a much-needed vacation, but James had his sights set on investing in a new horse to add to their string. After Thursday’s cross-country, which ended with three Alliston-owned horses at the top of the advanced leaderboard (and one more who sat in fifth), the odds were in the couple’s favor.

Adequan USEA Advanced Final winner Helen Alliston (center) was joined on the podium by husband James Alliston (right), who finished second and third, and James’ mother Petey Allison (left) for a champagne shower. Meagan DeLisle/USEA Photos
Heading into show jumping, it was James’ mount gelding Paper Jam (Paparazzo—Reely Jammin XX) who was leading the division. Hot on the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding’s heels, however, sat Helen’s longtime partner Ebay (Escudo—Contessa), a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding who was just fractions of a point off of Paper Jam’s score. One rail would cost James the win—and potentially a new horse.
“I was rooting for him to jump clear because it is our horse and I knew he would sulk a lot, and that’s no good,” said Helen with a laugh. “But really, I just wanted to jump a clear round. My show jumping has been pretty poor this year, and he is a really careful jumper so I have been a little bit down on myself about that. So that is all I cared about.”
Helen, who led the division after dressage but dropped behind James and Paper Jam after a slightly slower cross-country round, went in and did just that. Her double-clear round ultimately pushed her back to the top of the podium after Paper Jam had a rail down.
“Helen will say I choked a little bit on Paper Jam,” said James jokingly after his round, “but I think I rode it really well and just had a rail down. It happens. I can’t complain.”
While the glory wasn’t his, James was beyond thrilled for his wife, especially when reflecting on the adversity that Helen has had to overcome recently.
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James Alliston and Paper Jam temporarily took the lead Thursday after posting the fastest cross-country round in the advanced division.
“She had a really horrible fall 15 months ago and it was very scary,” he said. “She was in the hospital and had to have surgery, so it was really awesome that she is back at this level and winning at this level. She is amazing and I am really happy for her.”
James’ double-clear effort on the 8-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding Nemesis (Novalis 46—Maesy) was good enough to secure the final spot on the podium. James also placed fourth aboard the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding RevitaVet Calaro (Camiros—Tanner).
The advanced division wrapped up what already had been a winning day for the couple: Earlier Friday, James took the second and third place in the USEA Intermediate Championship—won by Tommy Greengard and Joshuay MBF—with Monkey and Karma, respectively, while Helen was second in the Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Championship with the seventh horse they brought to Montana, Flinterro Z, behind winners Nicole Aden and Illustrator.

James Alliston was third aboard Nemesis, with whom he was named to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the FEI Eventing Nations Cup Netherlands CCIO4*-L in October.
With two riders taking the top three spots in the advanced final, there was an empty chair in the press center at Rebecca Farm, which was happily filled by James’ mother Petey Alliston, who shared her overall impression of Rebecca Farm: “Phenomenal venue. We were grazing the horses last night and it was a beautiful evening. The scenery was amazing. We thought, ‘Jeepers creepers, we will remember this for the rest of our life.’”
It was evident that Petey was elated for both Helen and James, although she secretly admitted that her money had been on Helen the whole time. “I go with my gut and it was her time. I know nothing about horses, it is all gut.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of them if they had won or not won,” Petey continued. “They are a remarkable couple, a match made in heaven. I love them both.”
Other national champions crowned Friday at the AECs:
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• USEA Intermediate Champion: Tommy Greengard and Joshuay MBF, owned by the rider
• Bates USEA Junior/Young Rider Preliminary Champion: Maddie Smith and Versace, owned by the rider
• Bates USEA Preliminary Amateur Champion: Amy Haugen and Ebenholtz, owned by the rider
• Bates USEA Preliminary Horse Champion: Nicole Aden and Illustrator, owned by Lexander Farm, LLC
• Bates USEA Preliminary Rider Champion: Eileen Galoostian and Ardeo Lord Lancelot, owned by the rider
• USEA Open Modified Champion: Madison Langerak and Normandy Kivalo, owned by Kelly Langerak