United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: 2024 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships

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 Field

• Before the Last Chance Qualifier begins, nineteen horses are currently entered to contest the Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships with five entries in the 4-year-old division and 14 entries in the 5-year-old division.
• While the 2023 4-Year-Old champion and reserve champion will not be returning to defend their titles this year, there are four horses that competed in the 4-Year-Old Championship last year that will return to contest the 5-Year-Old Championship:
  • The highest placed competitor to return from the 2023 Championships will be Cobain PJ (Carridam PJ x Evian), the Hanoverian gelding that is owned and ridden by Sigourney Jellins and bred by Pferdezucht Jacobs.
  • Cupido Van de Hoge Dijken Z (Campino Gold x Cendrillon de L'herse), who is currently ranked within the top 10 highest qualifiers in the country for this year’s Championship, will return with Allyson Hartenburg in the irons for owner Amy Luca. The Zangershiede gelding was bred by Yaelle Coudeville / Van de Hoge Dijken (BEL).
  • Michlynn Sterling will have two of her 5-year-old’s return for this year’s Championship in Crockanboy Dancer (Echonix x Ardagh Dancing Queen), an Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Jennifer Leeper who Sterling will compete herself, and MBF Insta (Upsilon x Adora Silvi Mia), a British Sport Horse gelding bred by Ellie Guy Equestrian that Andrea Baxter will present.
• Both of the highest scoring qualifiers for each age group are entered in the West Coast Championships this year:
  • In the 4-year-old championship, it is MBF Dig Deep (Gold Digger x Amber), a Dutch Warmblood gelding who is owned by Estrella Equestrian and will be ridden Andrea Baxter, who claimed the highest qualifying score across the country at the Twin Rivers Fall International (Paso Robles, California) on a score of 88.15.
  • Anna Meegan’s Holsteiner gelding, FE Kyoto (Karajan x Zara XXVI), received the highest qualifying score for the 5-year-old age group with Elsa Warble at the Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. II (Santa Ynez, California). FE Kyoto wowed the judge to earn an 89.75.

• Geldings reign supreme again this year with only two mares entered to compete alongside 17 of their male counterparts.

• Michlynn Sterling will not only be the busiest owner of the week with five entries across the two age groups, but she is also the busiest rider presenting four of the five horses herself.
  • In the 4-year-old championship, Sterling will present Markonix (Echonix x High Offley Miss Arko), the Irish Sport horse Gelding bred by George McCullough, and ESI Harvard (Etoulon VDL x Castellana), the Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Ennisnag Stud, herself.
  • In the 5-year-old championship, Sterling will present her own CFH Fearless Impact (Hype x Douglas Darco), an Irish Sport Horse gelding, and Crockanboy Dancer, herself. Andrea Baxter will pilot her final entry, MBF Insta.

• The Irish Sport Horse claims the title of “Most Popular Breed” for both the East and West Coast Championships, adding two 4-year-olds and six 5-year-olds to the tally at Twin Rivers this week.
• There are no Thoroughbreds entered in this year’s West Coast Championships.

The Facts:

• The Dutta. Corp USEA YEH East and West Coast Championships will be judged by Sally Ike (USA) and Christian Schacht (GER).
• Each horse had to score a 70% or higher at a YEH event throughout the 2024 season to qualify to compete at the Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West 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 ten 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:

Thursday, October 24

• · Last Chance Qualifier
  • 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. – YEH LCQ Dressage
  • 2:00 – 3:10 p.m. – YEH LCQ Jumping in the Chain Ring
• · Championships
  • 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Dressage familiarization in the Flag Ring
  • 5:00 p.m. – Competitor Briefing in the Hay Pole Barn
  • 5:30 p.m. – Jumping course opens for walking
  • 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. – Competitor Welcome Happy Hour Sponsored by Estrella Equestrian & Michlynn Sterling at the River Bar

Friday, October 25

• 10:00 – 10:40 a.m. – 4-year-old Dressage in the Flag Ring
• 10:10 – 10:50 a.m. – 4-year-old Conformation
• 10:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. – 5-year-old Dressage in the Flag Ring
• 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – 5-year-old Conformation
• 4:30 p.m. – Conformation Discussion with YEH Judge Christian Schact in the Show Office

Saturday, October 26

• 9:30 – 10:10 a.m. – 4-year-old Jumping in the South Pipe Ring
• 10:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. – 5-year-old Jumping in the South Pipe Ring
• 12:45 p.m. – Dutta Corp. YEH West Coast Championships Awards Ceremony in the Flag Ring

Helpful Links:

• Live Scores
• YEH Rules & Guidelines
• YEH Homepage
• Twin Rivers Website
• USEA Omnibus
• 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.