Oct 13, 2018

East, West, and Central: Meet the 2018 USEA FEH Champions!

By Claire Kelley - USEA Staff
The four overall highest-scoring horses from the 2018 USEA FEH Championships. Marcus Greene Photography and USEA/Jessica Duffy Photos.

Four age groups, three championships, two judges, and one horse to score in the 90s; the 2018 USEA Future Event Horse (FEH) Championships was a success. A total of 91 young horses were entered in the championships, which Robin Walker considered “very exciting and very encouraging. I’m just impressed with the whole thing.” Peter Gray added that it was “exciting to see the thoughtfulness in the bloodlines. We’re now seeing some quality young horses and adding to the depth of much needed horsepower in the United States.”

The first stop for FEH championship judges Robin Walker and Peter Gray was in the sunny state of California where the USEA FEH West Coast Championships took place on September 20 at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California. Flying directly to the next venue, Walker and Gray judged the USEA FEH East Coast Championships at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland on September 22 – 23. Last but not least the judges flew to the middle of the country to judge the inaugural USEA FEH Central Championships at the Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas on September 29.

The West Coast brought its A-game to Twin Rivers Ranch as three out of the four West Coast Champions earned the highest scores across all three championships. The highest score for a 4-year-old was given to Andrea Baxter’s Coronado (Chili Morning x Estrella) on an 82.45. Owner, breeder, and handler, Baxter described her excitement for Coronado, “This one I’m proud of because I rode his grandma [Say Grace] at Young Riders and then I bred his grandma and rode his mom [Estrella] around Rolex and his dad is Chili Morning so I’m extra proud.”

The highest scoring 3-year-old, who had the highest score out of the entire field of 91 horses, was Cheron Laboissonniere’s Holsteiner mare, Hallelujah DF (Mighty Magic x Columbia BF), on a 90.19. “We knew she was special right from the beginning,” said Jennifer McFall, the breeder and handler of Hallelujah DF. “This program has set her up so well for the future.”

The honor of highest scoring 2-year-old went to Ann Patton’s Iluminada on an 88.35. It was a close call for the babies of FEH, but the East Coast claimed ownership of the highest scoring yearling, Cynthia McNemar’s Oldenburg, Royal Casino (Rosenthal x Lady Logan), who took home the highest yearling score with an 88.33. To learn about the FEH Champions from East, West, and Central FEH Championships, please see below.

2018 USEA FEH West Coast Championships

Yearling Overall Champion

81.58 - Twain’s Fireflight DF, Oldenburg (The Twain x Dominga)
Owner: Sarah Moseley
Breeder: Dragonfire Farm
Handler: Sarah Moseley

Twain’s Fireflight DF. Marcus Greene Photography Photo.

2-Year-Old Overall Champion

88.35 - Iluminada, Irish Sport Horse (Mighty Magic x La Patrona)
Owner: Ann Patton
Breeder: Unknown
Handler: Ann Patton

Iluminada. Marcus Greene Photography Photo.

3-Year-Old Overall Champion

90.19 - Hallelujah, DF Holsteiner (Mighty Magic x Columbia BF)
Owner: Cheron Laboissonniere
Breeder: Dragonfire Farm
Handler: Jennifer McFall

Hallelujah DF. Marcus Greene Photography Photo.

4-Year-Old Overall Champion

82.45 - Coronado, Oldenburg (Chili Morning x Estrella)
Owner: Andrea Baxter
Breeder: Andrea Baxter
Handler: Andrea Baxter

Coronado. USEA Photo.

2018 USEA FEH East Coast Championships

Yearling Overall Champion

88.33 - Royal Casino, Oldenburg (Rosenthal x Lady Logan)
Owner: Cynthia McNemar
Breeder: Cynthia McNemar
Handler: Cynthia McNemar

Royal Casino. USEA/Jessica Duffy Photo.

2-Year-Old Overall Champion

85.98 - Jaguar My, Selle Francais/Thoroughbred (Jaguar Mail x Katlyn Lil)
Owner: Denis Glaccum
Breeder: Denis Glaccum
Handler: Alyssa Peterson

Jaguar My. USEA/Jessica Duffy Photo.

3-Year-Old Overall Champion

87.64 - Solo Hit, Oldenburg (Sagnol x Arista GS)
Owner: Lauren Welsh
Breeder: Red Gate Sporthorses
Handler: Martin Douzant

Solo Hit. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

4-Year-Old Overall Champion

78.49 - Star Quality CSF, Canadian Warmblood (Schwarzenegger x Garcia)
Owner: Chrissteen Miller
Breeder: Tracy Anderson/Cornerstone Farm
Handler: Laura Kosiorek-Smith

Star Quality CSF. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

2018 USEA FEH Central Championships

Yearling Overall Champion

80.67 - Deanfield Ice Queen, Irish Draught Sport Horse (Braveheart x Glenlord’s Laralie)
Owner: Christine McCarter
Breeder: Christine McCarter
Handler: Christine McCarter

Deanfield Ice Queen. USEA Photo.

2-Year-Old Overall Champion

84.55 - Changi, Thoroughbred (Giant Oak x Our Miss Brookside)
Owner: Jeanne Dolan
Breeder: Al Ulwelling & Bill Ulwelling
Handler: Jeanne Dolan

Changi. USEA Photo.

3-Year-Old Overall Champion

78.93 - Diamond Davinity, Dutch Warmblood (Diamond Domini x Hyperboreas)
Owner: Jayne Lloyd
Breeder: Jayne Lloyd
Handler: Martin Douzant

Diamond Davinity. USEA Photo.

4-Year-Old Overall Champion

80.56 - Two Step Program, Thoroughbred (Two Step Salsa x Itzcocktailtime)
Owner: Ellen Doughty-Hume
Breeder: Ellen Doughty-Hume
Handler: Lindsay Gnann

Two Step Program. USEA Photo.


Check out USEA’s coverage on the Championships at following links:

About the USEA Future Event Horse Program

The USEA introduced the Future Event Horse (FEH) Program in 2007 as a pilot program in response to the popularity of the already established USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program. Where the YEH program assesses 4- and 5-year-old prospective event horses based on their performance, the FEH program evaluates yearlings, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds for their potential for the sport based on conformation and type. Horses are presented in hand and divisions are separated by year and gender. At the Championships, 3-year-olds are also required to demonstrate their potential over fences in an additional free-jump division. New in 2017 was the FEH 4-year-old division, designed for youngsters not quite ready for the rigors of the Young Event Horse program. These horses are presented under saddle at the walk, trot, and canter before being stripped of their tack and evaluated for their conformation. Additionally, 4-year-olds also participate in the free-jump divisions at Championships to show their potential over fences. Click here to learn more about the Future Event Horse Program.

The USEA would like to thank SmartPak, Standlee Hay Company, and Merck Animal Health for sponsoring the Future Event Horse Program and Twin Rivers Ranch, Loch Moy Farm, and the Texas Rose Horse Park and Snowdonia Farms for hosting the USEA FEH Championships.

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