United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: 2024 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships Presented by Dubarry

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!

The YEH East Coast Championships will again take place alongside the CCI5*-L and CCI3*-L National Championship divisions at the Maryland 5 Star, with the 4-year-old champion crowned on Thursday evening and the 5-year-old champion on Friday evening. Keep reading to get to know the field of talented young horses set to tackle this challenge below.

The Field

• A whopping 19 5-year-olds will be returning to contest this year’s Championship after competing in the 2023 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH 4-Year-Old Championship, including last year’s champion, HSH Afterglow (Hype x Ringwood Venus), an Irish Sport Horse gelding who will again ridden by Caroline Pamukcu, and is owned by Carolyn Mackintosh and Sherrie Martin and bred by Peter Leonard. The 2023 4-Year-Old reserve champion, Blacklist (Balvenie x F-Pasco Dame), a Holsteiner gelding owned by Katherine O’Brien and bred by Welling Heike, will also return to contest this year’s 5-Year-Old Championship with Alexandra Knowles in the tack this year.
• In the 5-Year-Old championship, returning champion, HSH Afterglow, also enters this year’s event with the highest qualifying score of the field. The gelding wowed judges at Flora Lea Fall H.T. just last month to win the 5-year-old division on a score of 89.45.
• In the 4-Year-Old Championship, it is HM Belterra, the U.S.-Bred Westphalian mare by Bandeleo JSF out of Murray Hillbilly, that holds the highest qualifying score in the U.S. for the age group. Bred and owned by Kimmy Risser of Hickory Manor Farm, HM Belterra was piloted by Chris Talley to a top score of 85.6 at the Ocala Summer H.T. II.

• Alexandra Knowles will be the sole rider competing in three divisions at the Maryland 5 Star this year on four horses that are all owned by Katherine O’Brien. In addition to partnering with last year’s 4-Year-Old reserve champion, Blacklist, Knowles will also field the following mounts in the upper-level divisions:
  • In the five-star, Knowles will return on her longtime partner, Morswood (Richardo Z x Princess in Arms), the now 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who was bred by John Doherty. This will be Morswood and Knowles’ third attempt at the Maryland 5 Star, finishing in 11^th place in 2021 and eighth place in 2022.
  • In the CCI3*-L, Knowles has two entries:
    • September Venture (September Storm x Solor Venture), the 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding who was bred by William McGaffin, and
    • P.S. I Love You (FSS Correlli Bravo x Woodmount Queen), the 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who was bred by Kevin Dooley. Fans of the sport may remember P.S. I Love You from his win in the USEA Intermediate Championship at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds this year or from when he won the CCI3*-S-YH division at the USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships last fall.
• Pamukcu and Courtney Cooper are tied for the title of “Busiest Rider” in this year’s Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships. Each rider will field four entries across the two divisions:
  • Pamucku has two Irish Sport Horse geldings that she’ll present: HSH Bali (Balou du Rouet x Cushinstown IMP) who is owned by Sherrie Martin and Gayle Davis and bred by Marianne Power, and HSH Hercules (French Connection x Voltaires Lady), who is owned by Catherine Hare and bred by Victoria Jepson, in the 4-year-old championship. In the 5-year-old championship, Pamucku will ride reining champion, HSH Afterglow, and After Hours (Tolan R x Mystic Touch), the Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Wendy Furlong and Sherrie Martin and bred by Raymond Kelly.
  • Cooper has three Irish Sport Horses entered in the 4-year-old championship: Evening Star (Cornado x Hunting Star), her own and Neal Camens’ homebred mare, Excel Star Sebastian (Phil VD Wezelse Heihoeve x Ballinteenauns Pride), Excel Star Sport Horses’ gelding bred by Ann Geraldine O’Malley, and Excel Star Lyrical (Chilli Willi x Lightning), Excel Star Sport Horses’ mare bred by Julia Paratore. In the 5-year-old championship, she will ride Excel Star Atlas (Ardragh Me O Moy x Ardragh Duchess), her own and Camens' Irish Sport Horse gelding who was bred by Oliver Ward.

• Yet again, the Irish Sport Horse is the most popular breed entered in the YEH Championships with nine entered in the 4-year-old championship and 20 in the 5-year-old championship
• A total of 28 entries in this year’s East Coast Championships were bred in the U.S. with 15 in the 4-year-old championship and 13 in the 5-year-old championship. These horses will be eligible for the Born in America Award, which is presented to highest scoring American bred horse across both age groups.
• There are 10 U.S.-bred Thoroughbreds competing across both divisions that will be eligible for the American Thoroughbred Award, which is given to the highest scoring American-bred Thoroughbred at the Championships. Thoroughbreds entered in the Championship that participate in The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP) will also be eligible for the TIP Awards in each age group.

*Note: There are currently four horses on the waitlist for the YEH 4-Year-Old championship. These horses are not accounted for in the statistics above.

The Facts:

• The Dutta. Corp USEA YEH East and West Coast Championships will be judged by Sally Ike (USA) and Christian Schacht (GER). Additionally, the East Coast Championships will bring on four judges for their 4-Year-Old championship: Jeanne McDonald for dressage, Anne Moss for conformation, and Marilyn Payne and Phyllis Dawson for jumping/gallop.
• Each horse had to score a 75% or higher at a YEH event throughout the 2024 season to qualify to compete at The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships.
• Horses in the 4-year-old and 5-year-old championships will participate in three phases of competition: dressage (20%), conformation and type (10%), and a jumping/gallop test (70%), which combines five show jumps and 10 cross-country jumps for a derby-style course.
• The Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Le Lion d'Angers Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize of a round-trip flight to Mondial du Lion will be up for grabs for the highest-scoring horse from the YEH 5-year-old Championships (both East and West) that is qualified and willing to compete at the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships in Le Lion d'Angers, France, in their 7-year-old year. The 5-year-old horses competing in this year’s championship will be eligible for the grant in 2026, based on their scores this week.

The Schedule:

Wednesday, October 16

• 3:00 p.m. – YEH Jumping & Galloping Course open for walking
• 5:00 p.m. – YEH Rider Meeting in the Athlete Lounge

Thursday, October 17

• 8:00 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Dressage and Conformation at Arena C and Jog Strips
• 8:00 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. – YEH 5-year-old Dressage and Conformation at Arena C and Jog Strips
• 10:00 a.m. – 3:10 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Jumping/Galloping Test at YEH Jumping Area in Timber Field
• 4:15 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Awards in Timber Field

Friday, October 18

• 8:30 a.m. – 3:10 p.m. – YEH 5-year-old Jumping/Galloping Test at YEH Jumping Area in Timber Field
• 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - YEH Educational Seminar Hosted by Marilyn Payne: All interested parties are encouraged to attend
• 4:15 p.m. – YEH 5-year-old Awards in Timber Field

Helpful Links:

• YEH Rules & Guidelines
• YEH Homepage
• Maryland 5 Star / YEH Championships Website
• USEA Prize List
• Schedule of Events
• Entry Status
• Live Scoring
• Volunteer
• Event Coverage

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About the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program

The Young Event Horse (YEH) Program was first established in 2004 as an eventing talent search. Much like similar programs in Europe, the YEH program was designed to identify young horses aged four- and five-years-old, that possess the talent and disposition to, with proper training, excel at the uppermost levels of the sport. The ultimate goal of the program is to distinguish horses with the potential to compete at the four- and five-star levels, but many fine horses that excel at the lower levels are also showcased by the program.

The YEH program provides an opportunity for breeders and owners to exhibit the potential of their young horses while encouraging the breeding and development of top event horses for the future. The program rewards horses who are educated and prepared in a correct and progressive manner. At qualifying events, youngsters complete a dressage test and a jumping/galloping/general impression phase. At Championships, young horses are also evaluated on their conformation in addition to the dressage test and jumping/galloping/general impression phase. Click here to learn more about the Young Event Horse Program.

The USEA would like to thank ARMA, Bates Saddles, HorseWeek, The Jockey Club, Kerrits, Parker Equine Insurance, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, and Standlee for sponsoring the Young Event Horse Program. Additionally, the USEA would like to thank The Dutta Corp., Title Sponsor of the Young Event Horse Championships.