United States Eventing Association

Start your young horse’s competition season off on the right foot by participating in the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program! The USEA established the YEH program in 2004 to identify young horses that possess the talent and disposition to, with proper training, excel at the uppermost levels of the sport. While the goal of the YEH program is to identify horses that will be successful at the four- and five-star levels, horses with the potential for lower-level success are also showcased by the program.

Are you interested in competing in the sport of eventing but aren’t quite sure how to get started? Do you have a horse that is looking for a new career? Consider participating in a USEA New Event Horse (NEH) competition in 2023! The USEA NEH Program was created to be an introduction to the sport of eventing for both horse and rider, and the 2023 NEH Calendar is now available here.

Many top results from program graduates in 2022 have once again proven that the USEA’s Young Event Horse (YEH) program is meeting its mission of identifying future four- and five-star horses. With three of the four Team U.S.A. horses at the FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy being graduates of the YEH program, as well as top placings at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships, the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, the Kentucky Three-Day Event and the year-end USEA leaderboards, the YEH program is making its mark as a major talent spotter for top athletes in the sport of eventing.

If you look at HSH Blake’s competition record, it won’t take you long to understand why Caroline Martin is dreaming big with the7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Owned in partnership by Caroline Martin, Sherrie Martin and Molly Hoff, HSH Blake (Tolan R x Doughiska Lass) has already seen much success in his short career, collecting the championship title at the 2020 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast 5-Year-Old Championship, several top 2 finishes at the CCI2* level and multiple top 10 finishes at the CCI3* level since stepping up this year.

There were 42 young horses contesting the 2018 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) 5-year-old Championships between the East and West Coast Championships which were held in Elkton, Maryland, and Woodside, California, respectively. Following 2018’s YEH finale, many of the graduating class of the 2018 USEA Young Event Horse Championships have worked their way up through the rankings as they establish themselves as upper-level event horse prospects.

The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse Championships came to an exciting close in October with the final championship of the calendar year held on the West Coast. After seeing some of the highest turnouts for both championships since the program's inception, four champions were crowned.

It is no secret that Will Coleman has seen much success in his career as of late, including a team silver medal at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro and a first-place finish at the CHIO Aachen 4*-S in 2020, making him the only American rider to tackle such a feat. However, what some may not know is that several of Coleman’s top mounts, including Off the Record who helped him secure both previously mentioned accolades, are graduates of the USEA’s Young Event Horse program.

The final West Coast winners have been crowned at the 2022 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships and USEA FEH West Coast Championships. On the final day of competition at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, eager owners, anxious riders, and excited spectators watched as the respective judges determined the fate of their young horses in the YEH West Coast 4-Year-Old and 5-Year-Old divisions as well as in the FEH West Coast 3-Year-Old and 4-Year-Old divisions. With the young mounts competing for their respective titles this weekend producing some of the highest scores across all regional championships, the West Coast is proving it could be the best coast.

Four-year-olds and their respective riders kicked off competition on day one of the 2022 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships and USEA FEH West Coast Championships early this morning in the dressage ring at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California. Having seen the largest turn-out for the West Coast Championships in the program's histories, the day was filled with tight competition, championship crownings, and the lingering feeling of a bright future for the sport of eventing on the West Coast.

What a busy Young Event Horse (YEH) and Future Event Horse (FEH) Championship season it has been for the USEA and it all wraps up this weekend at the 2022 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships and USEA FEH Championships at Twin Rivers Ranch. Tons of talented young horses have made their way to Paso Robles, California for this year’s YEH and FEH finale, including several former Champions, in hopes of bringing home top honors this year.