FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aspen Farms, Yelm, WA
Saturday, June 14, 2025

It has been a green spring at Aspen Farms in Yelm, WA; the cross-country course turf is in excellent condition and the weather will be dry for Sunday’s cross-country test for the four pairs competing in the CCI4*-S–a qualifier for the US Equestrian Open of Eventing.

For its second year at Aspen Farms, the CCI4*-S cross-country is designed by Morgan Rowsell of New Jersey and built by Tyson Rementer, NC, Joe Stylos, MT, Tim O’Neal, UT, Jeb Lorch, WA, and Ian Sproffske, WA.

The course consists of 32 jumping efforts over 3,420 meters, incorporating the natural undulating terrain through fields and woods at Aspen Farms. The speed is 570 meters/minute and the optimum time is 6 minutes–horses and riders crossing the finish line over 6 minutes will incur time penalties.

“There are many of the same elements and track as last year, but Morgan has a lot of new combinations this year and he has used interesting new lines in his combinations,” course builder Tyson Rementer explained about the course. “The water jumps are all very different this year. There’s a set of brushes at the Toklat Water–a big drop in to two very narrow chevrons–it’s a real accuracy question. It’s going to take a good bit of riding there. As they come around towards the end of the course, there’s a couple of offset brushes. Morgan has used the land and the brushes in a clever way; it’s on a relatively long distance… You’re going to have to be extremely accurate there. The course is a challenge all the way through to the very end.”

Rementer builds cross-country courses throughout the United States. When asked what makes Aspen Farms CCI4*-S course stand out from other 4* tracks, he shared: “It’s the setting. This place is like a magical fairytale land. You walk around the property, and it really is enchanting. It’s not just your run-of-the-mill cross-country course out in a big, flat field. There’s terrain; there’s beauty everywhere–not only the jumps, but the whole natural setting. The backdrop of the mountain is amazing. I call Aspen Farms ‘The Biggest Little Event in the World.’ It really is a gem.”

Show organizer and owner of Aspen Farms Jonathan Elliott has been preparing the course with his team for weeks. “For us, it has been a great year for the footing on the course,” he said. “The turf is really set up perfectly with the weather we have had. I think it looks great. It should be an exciting day of competition out there on Sunday!”

CCI4*-S COURSE PREVIEW VIDEO

GALLERY

 

The first CCI4*-S combination will leave the APF Start Box at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 15. Join us in person on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a Father’s Day BBQ Celebration free to all on the cross-country course near the Toklat Originals Water Complex.

See up-to-date scores from Aspen Farms Horse Trials online at Show Connect, here. Follow along with show coverage on Aspen Farms Horse Trials Facebook Page, or on Instagram @AspenFarmsHorseTrials.