United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: 2021 FEH East Coast Championships

The 2021 USEA Future Event Horse (FEH) Championships will take place at three different regional competitions. The first of the three to kick off the FEH Championship season is the FEH East Coast Championships which will start on Saturday, September 25, and run through Sunday, September 26 at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland. The 2021 USEA FEH Central and West Coast Championships will take place in October.

The Field:

• A total of 110 horses across the country have qualified to compete in the FEH Championships, however, additional horses are able to qualify at the FEH Last Chance qualifier hosted at each venue the day before the Championship.
• There are a total of 57 entries in the FEH East Coast Championships, which is seven more than were entered in the 2020 FEH East Coast Championships. Of those 57 entries, 10 are entered in the Yearling division, 17 in the 2-year-old division, 21 in the 3-year-old division, and nine in the 4-year-old division.

• Nine of this year’s entries competed last year in the 2020 FEH East Coast Championships.
• Last year’s highest-scoring FEH competitor and Overall Yearling Champion, Monica Fiss’s Oldenburg colt Utah Beach (Ulmar Mail x Avalan), will be returning to compete in the East Coast 2-year-old Championship. Bred by Elizabeth Callahan of Cool Na Grena Sporthorses in Oxford, Maryland, Utah Beach earned a score of 87.15 to claim the honor of highest score of the weekend, FEH East Coast Yearling Overall Champion, Colt Champion, as well as being named the recipient of The Maryland Horse Industry Board Maryland-Bred Award.
• Also returning to the FEH East Coast Championships for the final time is the now 4-year-old Holsteiner filly Knuit d’Emeraude (Contendro I x Etiole d’Emaraude), owned and bred by Emeraude Sharer. In 2018, Knuit d’Emeraude aka “Celeste” was the FEH East Coast Yearling Filly Reserve Champion and in 2020 she was the Overall 3-year-old FEH East Coast Champion.
• FH Landry Labyrinth (Weave it to Me x Jenny Redi Made), Adrienne Iorio’s 2-year-old Thoroughbred filly earned the highest qualifying score this year, an 85.1 at the ENYDCTA FEH Event at Larkin Hill in July. We will see her compete in this year’s FEH East Coast 2-year-old Championship.
• Breeder/Owner Ronald Zabala-Goetschel has his hands full this year with 10 entries: three in the Yearling Championship, three in the 2-year-old Championship, one in the 3-year-old Championship, and three in the 4-year-old Championship.
• The Thoroughbred is the most common breed at this year’s FEH East Coast Championships with nine Thoroughbreds competing. The Oldenburg is the second most common breed featured with eight Oldenburgs competing.

The Facts:

• Lori Hoos and Robin Walker will be serving as the judges for the East Coast Championships.
• This year, horses must have earned a 72% or higher at any FEH qualifier to be eligible to compete at the FEH Championships. Horses are only permitted to compete in one Championship.
• Championship divisions for Yearlings, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds will be offered at all three Championships.
  • Yearlings, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds will be judged in-hand on their conformation, and 4-year-olds will be judged under saddle before being stripped of their tack for the conformation portion.
  • Both 3- and 4-year-olds will then also be judged at the canter and over fences in the jump chute.
• Because safety is of paramount importance to the USEA, jump chute handling teams will be provided at all three championships. Owners may bring their own handlers if they’d like, but the USEA is providing teams in the jump chute for safety and efficiency.
• Jump chute clinics and last-minute qualifiers are once again being offered the day before each championship at each of the respective venues.

The Competition Schedule

Saturday, September 25, 9:00 a.m.

• 4-Year-Olds (Under Saddle/In-Hand)
• 4-Year-Olds (Jump Chute)
• 3-Year Olds (In-Hand)
• 3-Year-Olds (Jump Chute)

Sunday, September 26, 9:00 a.m.

• 2-Year-Olds
• Yearlings

Helpful Links

• Website
• USEA Prize List
• Entry Status

Don't forget to follow the USEA’s event coverage on social media!

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

About the USEA Future Event Horse Program

The USEA introduced the Future Event Horse Program in 2007 in response to the popularity of the already established USEA Young Event Horse 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, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds for their potential for the sport based on conformation and type. Yearlings, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds are presented in-hand while 4-year-olds are presented under saddle at the walk, trot, and canter before being stripped of their tack and evaluated on their conformation. Divisions are separated by year and gender. At the Championships, 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds are also required to demonstrate their potential over fences in an additional free-jump division. Click here to learn more about the Future Event Horse Program.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Parker Equine Insurance, SmartPak, and Standlee Premium Western Forage for sponsoring the Future Event Horse Program.