United States Eventing Association

This week, 69 of the East Coast’s brightest eventing prospects will converge on Elkton, Maryland for the 2025 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships presented by Dubarry of Ireland. The event, which runs alongside the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory, will serve as a finale for the 4- and 5-year-old horses that received a score of 75% or higher at any YEH qualifying event this season, ensuring top competition from start to finish. Meet the USEA in Timber Field on Thursday, October 16 and Friday, October 17 to watch the drama unfold.

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

The Field

• There will be 12 5-year-olds returning to contest this year’s championship after competing in the 2024 USEA YEH East Coast 4-Year-Old Championship.
  • The highest-placed horse from last year’s championships that is returning in their 5-year-old year is HM Belterra (Bandelero JSF x Murray Hillbilly XX), a Westphalian mare owned and bred by Kimmy Risser of Hickory Manor Farm and ridden by Chris Talley. HM Belterra also received the highest qualifying score of her age group last year.
• In the 5-Year-Old Championship, Diabolo (Diacorrodo x Orchide IV), the Oldenburg gelding owned by Kara Angulo and bred by Hof Richardt, earned the highest qualifying score this season with Kendyl Tracey in the irons. The gelding received an 87.70% at The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm in July.
• In the 4-Year-Old Championship, Alice Tarjan’s homebred Irish Sport Horse mare by Quality Time, MBF Mirror Image, earned the highest qualifying score of 88.40% at Applewood Farm II with rider Arielle Aharoni.

• Chris Talley earns the title of “Busiest Rider” in this year’s USEA YEH East Coast Championships with four entries across the two age groups:
  • In the 4-year-old championship, Talley will present Ashley Boyd’s Trakehner stallion, Falkor (E.H. Windfall *E*Pg* x First Flight Romance *H*E*), who was bred by Dr. Timothy and Cheryl Holekamp of New Spring Farm.
  • In the 5-year-old division, Talley has three mounts: CSF Darwin (Dallas VDL x CSF Scarlett), Allison Pratt’s Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Patrick Connolly, HTF Castle Kilmac (Castlecomer Q x PLS Diamond Heist), Home Track Farm’s Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by William McDonnell, and HM Belterra.
• Emily Bradford, Chris Talley, and Kendyl Tracey are the only riders that have entries in both championships.
• Kendal Fansler will be the youngest rider presenting a horse in the championships at just 14 years old. Fansler brings forward Hedgerow Farm’s 4-year-old Westphalian gelding, Redtail ZigZag (Redtail Achiever x Zick Zack). Redtail ZigZag was bred by Elinor Macphail O’Neal of Redtail Ridge Farm.

• The Irish Sport Horse is the most popular breed entered in the YEH Championships again with five horses in the 4-year-old championship and 18 in the 5-year-old championship.
• A total of 27 entries in this year’s East Coast Championships were bred in the U.S. with 13 in the 4-year-old championship and 14 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.

The Facts

• The USEA YEH East and West Coast Championships will be judged Debbie Adams (Dressage, Jumping & Galloping), Christel Carlson (Conformation), and Derek di Grazia (Jumping & Galloping). Additionally, the East Coast Championships will bring on four more judges for their 4-Year-Old Championship: Sally Ike (Dressage), Cathy Tucker-Slaterbeck (Conformation), Helen Brettel (Jumping & Galloping), and Phyllis Dawson (Jumping & Galloping).
  • Originally, Jeanne McDonald was selected to judge dressage, but due to a medical emergency, she is unfortunately unable to attend. The USEA thanks Sally Ike for offering to step in on her behalf.
• Each horse had to score a 75% or higher at a YEH qualifying event throughout the 2025 season to earn their spot to compete in the 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 ten cross-country jumps for a derby-style course.
• ClipMyHorse will live stream the Jumping & Galloping portion of the competition for each age group. The live stream will begin for the 4-Year-Old Championship at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. On Friday, the live stream will begin at 8:30 a.m. for the 5-Year-Old Championship. Click here to watch.
• The Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Le Lion d'Angers Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize of a $10,000 flight credit to France from the East Coast of the U.S. 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 WBFSH Eventing World Championships for Young Horses at Mondial du Lion 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 2027, based on their scores this week.
• New in 2025, Goresbridge will provide prize money to the YEH-4 and YEH-5 champions!
• On Friday for the duration of the YEH-5-Year-Old Jumping & Galloping competition, judge Sally Ike will host a YEH Educational Seminar to help riders, trainers, parents, owners, breeders, and young horse enthusiasts to deepen their understanding of the YEH Program. The seminar is completely free of charge and open to anyone that would like to learn more about judging methodology and the scoring system for the YEH Championships. Whether you stay for the day or only drop in for a portion of the seminar, there is something for everyone to learn from Ike! Interested participants should meet Ike in Timber Field at the bleachers next to the YEH jump course to attend.

The Schedule

Wednesday, October 15

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

Thursday, October 16

• 8:00 a.m. – YEH 4-year-old Dressage and Conformation at Arena C and Jog Strips
• 8:00 a.m. – YEH 5-year-old Dressage and Conformation at Arena C and Jog Strips
• 10:30 a.m. – YEH 4-year-old Jumping/Galloping Test at YEH Jumping Area in Timber Field
• 1:30 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Awards in Timber Field

Friday, October 17

• 8:30 a.m. – YEH 5-year-old Jumping/Galloping Test at YEH Jumping Area in Timber Field
• 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. – YEH Educational Seminar hosted by YEH Judge Sally Ike
• 3:00 p.m. – YEH 5-year-old Awards in Timber Field

Next Up: USEA YEH West Coast Championships

Dates: October 23-25

Location: Twin Rivers Ranch | Temecula, California

Helpful Links:

• YEH Rules & Guidelines
• YEH Homepage
• USEA Prize List
• Schedule of Events
• Entry Status
• Live Scoring
• Live Stream
• Volunteer
• USEA Event Coverage

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

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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 The Dutta Corp., Goresbridge, ARMA, Bates Saddles, CrossCountry App, HorseWeek, The Jockey Club, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, and Standlee for sponsoring the Young Event Horse Program and Championships.

About The Holekamp/Turner Grant

Founded in 2015 by Timothy and Cheryl Holekamp of New Spring Farm and Christine and T.J. Turner of Indian Creek Farm, the Holekamp/Turner Grant provides a USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Championship competitor with the opportunity to represent the United States at the FEI Eventing World Breeding Championships in the 7-year-old CCIYH3*-L Championship at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France. With the sole purpose of paving a clear pathway for U.S. team horses to progress in the sport of eventing, recipients who are North American bred will be awarded the full cash grant of $17,500, while imported horses are awarded $8,000. Additionally, The Dutta Corp. offers a prize to the Holekamp/Turner Grant recipient, consisting of a $10,000 flight credit from the Eastern United States to Europe.