United States Eventing Association

As of this morning, 19 young horses are entered in the 2026 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) West Coast Championships at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, which take place this weekend, October 23–24. The field includes six 4-year-olds and 13 five-year-olds. Horses qualify for the West Coast Championships with a score of 70% or higher at a 2026 USEA YEH qualifier, and a Last Chance Qualifier runs on Thursday, October 22. Both champions will be crowned on Saturday, October 24.

The Field

• Five 5-year-olds are back after contesting the 2025 USEA YEH 4-Year-Old West Coast Championship.
• Leading the group is the 2025 4-year-old champion, Earned Effort (Escher x Katie D), a Hanoverian gelding owned and bred by Anna Collier. Ashley Loucks rides him this year.
• Carnus GiH (Cornet de Semilly x St. Pr. Santana), third in 2025 with Erika Perez
• Rivale.T. (Kallmar VDL x Lady Olytha), fourth with Amber Birtcil
• DOS MBF Endeavour (HHS Cornet x DOS Kono), sixth and now ridden by Teresa Harcourt
• Ramino (Comme Il faut x Texana II), eighth with Birtcil.

• Nite Cap (Contenda x Happy Hour) has the highest 5-year-old qualifying score in the country this year, a 92.15% earned at the Twin Rivers Fall International, judged by Wendy Wergeles. The Hanoverian gelding is owned and bred by Linda Paine and ridden by Katherine Robinson.
• Close behind is Viking Viko Van De Dreef (Charisto VD Heffinck x Mango Moon Van De Dreef), whose 92.10% with Amber Birtcil is the second-highest in the nation, earning the score at Twin Rivers Summer, judged by Wendy Wergeles.
• Among the 4-year-olds, Wizmo Warrior OMR (Sandro Boy x Chaccuna Matata) leads the field with 91.65% from the Twin Rivers Fall International, judged by Wendy Wergeles. He is a Belgian Warmblood gelding owned and bred by Oak Meadow Ranch LLC and ridden by James Alliston.
• Amber Birtcil has five rides, all owned by Cellar Farm Corp. She rides Santiego.O (Levi VDL x I Am Nouvelle V&V) in the 4-year-olds, plus Ramino, Red-Rag VDL (Landing VDL x Krealba VDL), Rivale.T. and Viking Viko Van De Dreef in the 5-year-olds. James Alliston has three rides: Wizmo Warrior OMR, Champagne and Sunshine (Cassio's Picasso x Real Bubbles) and Viodor (Vidar x Hauptstutbuch Silbrensil).
• Hanoverians lead the field with six entries, one 4-year-old and five 5-year-olds. Dutch Warmbloods are next with four.

• The field includes 15 geldings and 4 mares.
• Three horses are entered by the people who bred them: Earned Effort (Anna Collier), Nite Cap (Linda Paine) and Wizmo Warrior OMR (Oak Meadow Ranch LLC).
• Nine of the 19 entries were bred in the United States.
• There are two 4-year-olds and six 5-year-olds hoping to earn their qualification at today's last-chance qualifier hosted by Twin Rivers, which would increase the fields to eight 4-year-olds and 18 5-year-olds if they all qualify!

The Facts

• View the official USEA YEH West Coast Championships program here. All entries are listed in the program with full breeding info!
• Marilyn Payne (USA) and Chris Ryan (IRL) will judge both the 4- and 5-Year-Old Championships. Wendy Wergeles will judge the Last Chance Qualifier.
• Adri Doyal designed the USEA YEH West Coast Championships jumping courses.
• Horses qualify with one score of 70% or higher at a 2026 USEA YEH qualifier. A horse may compete at only one championship (East or West).
• Horses are scored on dressage (20%), conformation and type (10%), and a jumping test, gallop and general impression (70%).
• The top-scoring 5-year-old in the nation may receive the Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Lion d'Angers Grant, pending further qualifications. The Dutta Corp. adds a $10,000 flight credit for the grant recipient. Currently in the lead from the East Coast championship is HSH Moves Like Jagger on a score of 88.41.
• Twin Rivers Ranch has donated the champion jump panel and poles. Estrella Equestrian has donated stall plaques for 1st through 5th place and silver championship coasters.
• USEA has donated ribbons and trophies, while USEA sponsors have donated Schneiders Championship-winning coolers and scrims, and other items like ARMA jumping boots, Bates leather halters and luggage sets, Kerrits Oughton groom bags, custom FLAIR strips, #WeRideTogether socks, gift certificates for SmartPak and the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale, and more!
• Judges Marilyn Payne and Chris Ryan will host a YEH and championship Q&A at 5:00 p.m. on Friday in the Hay Pole Barn.

The Schedule

Thursday, October 22

• 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.: Championship dressage familiarization (Flag Ring)
• 1:00–2:15 p.m.: Last Chance Qualifier dressage (Ring 2)
• 2:30–3:45 p.m.: Last Chance Qualifier jumping (Lower Pipe Ring)
• 5:30 p.m.: Championship competitor briefing (Hay Pole Barn)
• 5:30 p.m.: Championship jumping course opens

Friday, October 23

• 9:30–10:20 a.m.: 4-year-old dressage (Flag Ring)
• 9:40–10:30 a.m.: 4-year-old conformation
• 10:30 a.m.–12:40 p.m.: 5-year-old dressage (Flag Ring)
• 10:40 a.m.–12:50 p.m.: 5-year-old conformation
• 5:00 p.m.: YEH and championship Q&A with Marilyn Payne and Chris Ryan (Hay Pole Barn)

Saturday, October 24

• 9:30–10:20 a.m.: 4-year-old jumping (South Pipe Ring)
• 10:30 a.m.–12:40 p.m.: 5-year-old jumping (South Pipe Ring)
• 1:00 p.m.: Awards (Flag Ring)
• 1:30 p.m.: Cross-country course open for schooling

Helpful Links:

• YEH Rules & Guidelines
• YEH Homepage
• USEA Prize List
• Schedule of Events
• Live Scoring
• USEA Event Coverage
• Ride Times

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 4- and 5-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 Platinum Sponsor, The Dutta Corp., as well as Contributing Sponsors ARMA, Bates Saddles, CrossCountry App, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Gallagher's Water, Gorsebridge Go For Gold, The Jockey Club, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, WeRideTogether and Standlee, and Prize Sponsor 100xEquine for sponsoring the USEA Young Event Horse Program.

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.