Without a doubt, the heart and soul of the American Eventing Championships (p. 8), both this year and last year, was at the novice and training levels. And it wasn’t just because those two levels had the most starters (260 at novice and training, versus 146 at preliminary and above). They also came from farther away than the upper-level riders–the winners journeyed from Michigan, Colorado, Alabama and Maine, and one training level rider came from Idaho–and their enthusiasm and excitement was infectious.

The best thing the creation of the AEC has done is to give the U.S Eventing Association’s grassroots members their own Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The folks who are the foundation for American eventing have made getting to the Carolina Horse Park a year-end goal. And one reason competitors hitch up and drive is that they know that the cross-country and show jumping courses will be the most demanding and best built they’ll find anywhere in America.

The lower-level enthusiasm is why I’d like to suggest to the USEA’s leaders that they tweak the schedule and promotion to further emphasize the novice and training competitors. I’d even make the radical suggestion of eliminating the advanced and intermediate divisions entirely, especially since the two-and three-star three-day event championships are only a month later.

Yes, I know–for a long list of logistical and promotional reasons–that isn’t going to happen. But at the two highest levels the AEC will never be able to get out from under the rock that’s drowned so many other “national championships”–there are just too many competitive prizes in this vast land, which each day becomes more expensive to cross. OK, if advanced and intermediate must stay, even if the field looks like your average Area II horse trials, how about flipping the schedule? How about advanced and intermediate running Wednesday to Friday, so the novice, training and preliminary riders can be stars of the show on Friday through Sunday?

I know that runs counter to the USEA leaders’ AEC promotional plan, which has hinged on showing off the best from across the country at the highest levels. But I really doubt that’s going to happen, unless they provide a tremendous cash incentive. And that would be at the peril of further inflaming or discouraging the organizers who offer advanced events around the country.

So why not really focus on the people who constitute about 90 percent of the USEA’s membership? Besides highlighting the competition even more, give them some really good educational chances. There were forums this year, but they’d be far better attended if they were more competitively oriented. How about offering course walks with riders like Karen O’Connor, Kim Severson and Will Faudree? And famous riders and trainers could give dressage or show jumping clinics just before the AEC starts.

In the past I’ve wondered if the AEC was the right thing for the sport, but I can see now that it’s doing some really good things. I continue to be concerned about its sustainability, especially if today’s gas prices are just the beginning, as some analysts warn. And I’m not convinced the AEC should stay past 2006 at the Carolina Horse Park, even though the folks there do an extraordinary job of staging it. The problem is that, although there are certainly other sites that could host the AEC, they don’t all come with a group to organize it or the dates to hold it.

One thing’s for sure–the AEC has quickly become “The Event” for novice and training level riders, and their wholehearted support deserves to be fully rewarded.