The second event in the two-leg Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Championships starts tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 18 at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California and continues through Saturday, Oct. 19. Today, competitors have one more chance to earn their spot in the Dutta. Corp YEH West Coast Championships this week during Twin Rivers’ Last Chance Qualifier, which will see one 4-year-old and five 5-year-olds attempt to secure a 70% of higher to finalize their qualification.
The Thoroughbred mare Rose Traveler (War Dancer x Nashwan Rose) was the last to be seen in the 2024 Dutta. Corp USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast 5-Year-Old Championship, and she definitely lived up to the age-old adage, “saved the best for last.” The mare was ranked 31st in the conformation and 22nd in the dressage, but her jumping and galloping efforts absolutely impressed the judges, launching her up the leaderboard to claim the champion title.
A field of 30 promising 4-year-olds completed all phases of the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast 4-year-old Championship today, and it was Leslie Morse’s homebred Dutch Warmblood mare Prime Star (Kingston x Stradiveria), ridden by Madison Temkin, who rose to the occasion. “Star” held the top spots in both the conformation and dressage phases and second place across the jumping and galloping phases to secure the champion title on a cumulative score of 88.76.
Not to be overshadowed by the epic five-star competition taking place this week at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, 72 of the country's best and brightest 4- and 5-year-old horses will converge on Elkton, Maryland, for the 2024 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships, presented by Dubarry of Ireland. On Thursday, Oct. 17 and Friday, Oct. 18, join the USEA in Timber Field as we witness new champions emerge from this exciting crop of potential future four- and five-star horses!
Twenty-three pairs are set to start the MARS Maryland 5 Star on Oct. 16, and four of those are USEA Young Event Horse program graduates. The YEH program serves as a pathway to introduce young horses to the sport of eventing. Founded in 2004, the program’s goal is to identify 4- and 5-year-old horses that possess the talent and disposition that, with proper training, can excel in the four-star and five-star levels of eventing.
The USEA Foundation encourages USEA members to consider applying for one of the many grant options available for the 2025 season. The application for many of these grants close in early to mid October, so it is important to apply soon for consideration.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce that That’s Me Z, owned by Tommy Greengard and Andrea M. Pfeiffer, is the likely recipient of the 2024 Holekamp/Turner Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize. That’s Me Z (Take A Chance On Me Z x Venetia) is a 7-year-old Zangersheide gelding ridden by Greengard and was bred by Simons Roeland. The pair aims to represent the U.S. at the 2024 FEI Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in the 7-year-old CCIYH3*-L championship. The championship will take place at La Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France, from Oct. 17-20.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) Foundation serves as the administrator for numerous grants and scholarships, including the Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant. On the evening of Saturday, September 7, 2024, the USEA Foundation was made aware of allegations of equine abuse, which included links to videos which appear to show a recipient of a Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant striking a horse.
Rebecca Farm and the Broussard Family have been made aware of allegations of horse abuse regarding one of the 2023 Rebecca Broussard Developing Rider Grant recipients.
The race to Le Lion continues, as the 2024 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships edge closer on Oct. 17-20. The USEA continuously tracks the horses in contention for the 7-year-old championship in Le Lion d’Angers, France, and this year includes several competitive horses vying for the Holekamp/Turner Grant, which provides significant funds to one eligible horse to represent the United States in France.
As the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Championships approach this fall at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (East) and Twin Rivers Ranch (West), the USEA is connecting with eventers that have their sights set on competing with their 4- or 5-year-old prospects. This month, Kaitlin Hartford checks in from Callahan, Florida, to talk about her journey with her own and Elly Schobel’s 4-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion, Tak For Farven (Tempest WT x Ostentatious).