United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: 2024 USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships

It’s back! Now in its second year, 2024 marks the return of the USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships for 6- and 7-year-olds. With the goal of creating a pathway for young horses in the U.S. and participants of the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and USEA joined forces to launch this championship in 2023.

In its inaugural year, the championship was held during the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials in Aiken, South Carolina. For 2024, the championship has moved to Leesburg, Virginia, where it will run alongside the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials from Oct. 10-13. There are two levels offered: a CCI2*-S for 6-year-old entries and a CCI3*-S for 7-year-olds, and this year’s lineup is full of promising young eventing superstars!

The Field:

• There are 24 horses entered in the 6-year-old two-star championship and six in the 7-year-old three-star championship.
• In the CCI2*-S championship, six horses previously competed in the USEA YEH Championships. These horses are:
  • Fernhill Bertus | Second place overall in the 2023 5-year-old championship
  • Quality TNT | Fifth place overall in the 2023 5-year-old championship in 2023 and 11th place overall in the 2022 4-year-old championships
  • Mr. Quality | Sixth place overall in the 2023 5-year-old championship, 20th place overall in the 2022 4-year-old championship
  • Quasi Limko | Seventh place overall in the 2023 5-year-old championship
  • Betty Z | 36th place overall in the 2023 5-year-old championship
  • Arden Calliope | 63rd place overall in the 2023 5-year-old championship

• In the CCI3*-S championship, we will see three USEA YEH Championships graduates compete:
  • Adorrado | Third place overall in the 2022 5-year-old championship
  • Top Carrera | Fourth place overall in the 2022 5-year-old championship
  • Gortglas Lupin | 41st place overall in the 2022 5-year-old championship

• We will see eight two-star first timers in the 6-year-old Championships: Notorious, Mr. Quality, Royal Scandic, Ted 22, Monbeg Salt Fever, Starburst, Quasi Limko, and Jag’Fly JS.
• Meanwhile, in the 7-year-old championship, Gortglas Lupin, Adorrado, and Marvel will be making their three-star debuts.

• The entire three-star field is made up of geldings, while in the two-star field there are eight mares and 16 geldings.
• There are four horses who are U.S.-bred: Christina Aharoni's Notorious was bred by Lauren Efford, Natural Wonder was bred by her owner Christine Miller, and the American Warmbloods Arden Calliope and Arden Augustus were both bred by Anita Antenucci.
• There are two horses who competed in last year’s 6-year-old championships who are returning for the 7-year-old championships this year: Top Carrera and Montpellier Scais.
• In the 6-year-old championship, Antenucci’s American Warmblood gelding Arden Augustus (Jaguar Mail x Juneau) is coming off a really strong 2024 season with Sharon White in the tack. He has had two wins at the two-star level this year, once in May at the Virginia Horse Center Eventing H.T. and just recently at Plantation Field (Unionville, Pennsylvania). He has also had two recent wins at the Preliminary level at Waredaca (Laytonsville, Maryland) and Middleburg (The Plains, Virginia), and a third place finish in the hotly contested Bates Preliminary Horse Championship at the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (Lexington, Kentucky).
• Undertaker 7 (Unbreakable Z x Cassandra), a Westphalian gelding owned and ridden by Lexi Scovil, has also had a recent top placing at the two-star level, having recently finished in second at the Bouckaert Equestrian International H.T. (Fairburn, Georgia) in August.

The Facts:

• In addition to the 6- and 7-year-old Developing Horse Championships, the Morven Park International is also offering international competition at the CCI4*-L, CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S, Preliminary, Training, and Novice levels.
• The FEI Technical Delegates are as follows: Andrew Temkin (USA), TD for the CCI4*-S; Tim Murray (USA), Assistant TD for the CCI4*S and TD for the CCI3* and CCI2*; Katelyn Domino (USA), TD for the national levels.
• The CCI4* President of the Ground Jury is Christina Klingspor (SWE) and will be assisted by Richard Baldwin (GBR) and Gretchen Butts (USA). The CCI3* President of the Ground Jury is Bea di Grazia (USA) and will be assisted by Helen Brettell (GBR). The CCI2* President of the Ground Jury is Sara Miller Leary (USA) and will be assisted by Janice Conlon (USA). The President of the Ground Jury for the national levels is Amelia Pantaze (USA).
• The cross-country course designer for the CCI4* is Derek di Grazia (USA). He was assisted by Jeff Kibbie (USA), who designed the other levels.
• Chris Barnard (USA) is the show jumping course designer.

The Schedule:

Thursday, October 10:

• 3:00 p.m. | First Horse Inspection

Friday, October 11:

• 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | FEI Dressage

Saturday, October 12:

• 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | National Dressage
• 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | CCI2*-S Show Jumping
• 9:40 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | National Show Jumping
• 9:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. | CCI3*-YH, CCI3*-S, CCI4*-S, CCI4*-L, CCI2*-S, CCI2*-YH Cross-Country

Sunday, October 13:

• 8:00 a.m. | Second Horse Inspection
• 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | National Cross-Country
• 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | FEI Show Jumping

​​Helpful Links

• Morven Park Website
• USEA Prize List
• Schedule of Events
• USEA’s Coverage
• Results

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