United States Eventing Association

The future stars of U.S. eventing are headed to Leesburg, Virginia! The 2026 USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships for 6- and 7-year-olds return to the Morven Park International, taking place Oct. 8-11.

First launched in 2023 by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and United States Eventing Association (USEA), the Developing Horse Championships were created to provide a continued pathway for promising young event horses in the U.S., including graduates of the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program. Now in their fourth year, the championships showcase 6-year-olds at the CCI2*YH-S level and 7-year-olds at the CCI3*YH-S level.

This year's field is packed with familiar faces from the YEH program and many exciting young horses to keep an eye on throughout the weekend.

The Field:

• 24 horses are currently entered in the 2026 USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships: 16 6-year-olds in the CCI2*YH-S and eight 7-year-olds in the CCI3*YH-S.
• The 7-year-old field includes three horses who finished in the top five of last year's 6-year-old championship: 2025 champion Arden Janeway and Sharon White, fourth-place finishers Centerfold and Alyssa Phillips, and fifth-place finishers HSH Cruising Spirit and Caroline Pamukcu.
• Half of the 6-year-old championship field will make their CCI2* debut at Morven Park, with eight of the 16 horses stepping up to the level for the first time. In the 7-year-old championship, defending 6-year-old champion Arden Janeway is the horse making her CCI3* debut.
• Caroline Pamukcu has the largest string in the two championship divisions with four horses: HSH Cruising Spirit and HSH Olive in the 7-year-old championship, plus HSH Winston and HSH Van Conquistador in the 6-year-old championship.
• Amber Birtcil has three championship rides: Orpheus in the 7-year-old division and Picasso and Prince of Oolde in the 6-year-old division.
  
• Alexandra Knowles has one horse in each championship: Tip Top Quality in the 7-year-old class and V. Charleston X in the 6-year-old class.
  
• Maya Clarkson has two horses in the 6-year-old championship: Redfield Pixar RFB and Indecision.
• Tip Top Quality enters the championship after an especially successful summer. The Belgian Warmblood gelding won the 2026 USEA AEC Open Preliminary Championship on his dressage score of 26.9 and also won the CCI3*-S at Bouckaert Equestrian in August.
  
• The YEH Program is strongly represented in this year's championships, with 17 of the 24 horses currently entered, or nearly 71% of the field, being program graduates. Fourteen of the 16 6-year-olds are YEH grads, while three of the eight 7-year-olds hail from the YEH. Read more about them here.
  
  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 and CCI1-S levels.
• The FEI Technical Delegates are as follows: Andrew Temkin (USA), TD for the CCI4*; Gary Parsnage (GBR), Assistant TD for the CCI4*; and Katelyn Domino (USA), TD for the CCI3*; CCI2*, and CCI1*.
• The CCI4* President of the Ground Jury is Peter Gray (CAN) and will be assisted by Christian Steiner, (AUT) and Bea di Grazia, (USA). The CCI3* President of the Ground Jury is Debbie Adams, (USA) and will be assisted by Helen Brettel (GBR). The CCI2* and 1* President of the Ground Jury is Sara Leary (USA) and will be assisted by Gretchen Butts (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:
  
  Wednesday, October 7:
  2:00 p.m. | US Equestrian Open First Horse Inspection
  
  Thursday, October 8:
  9:00 a.m. | CCI2*, CCI3* & CCI1* Dressage
  11:00 a.m. | US Equestrian Open Dressage
  
  Friday, October 9:
  8:00 a.m. | CCI2*-YH Dressage
  9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | CCI3*, CCI2* & CCI1* Dressage
  11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | FEI & US Equestrian Open Dressage
  
  Saturday, October 10:
  9:00 a.m. | CCI3*-S, CCI3*-YH, CCI2*-S, CCI2*-YH & CCI1* Show Jumping
  9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | CCI4*-S, US Equestrian Open CCI4*-L, CCI3*-S & CCI3*-YH Cross-Country
  
  Sunday, October 11:
  9:00 a.m. | CCI4*-S & US Equestrian Open CCI4*-L Second Horse Inspection
  9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | CCI2*-S, CCI2*-YH & CCI1* Cross-Country
  12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | CCI4*-S Show Jumping, US Equestrian Open Final & Awards Presentation
  
  Helpful Links

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

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