United States Eventing Association

First Class of YEH New Judge Education Program Graduates Added to the YEH Judges List

The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is proud to announce the first class of USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Judges have completed their certifications through the YEH New Judge Education Program, which was led by YEH faculty member, Marilyn Payne.

Rebecca Barber Tyler, Bonnie Barr-Briggs, and Ashley Boyd passed their in-person final examination for the judge education program at The Dutta. Corp USEA YEH East Coast Championships (Elkton, Maryland) last fall and will now be certified to judge YEH qualifying events in 2025. Congratulations to our newest YEH judges! Learn more about each judge and their excitement to join the program below.

About Rebecca Barber Tyler

Rebecca Barber Tyler is a U.S. Dressage Federation bronze medalist and an active event rider, who has competed through the Preliminary/CCI2* levels of eventing. Operating out of her own Jubilee Equestrian, located in Free Union, Virginia, Tyler’s business focuses on lessons, training, and sales. She has a keen interest in young horse development and regularly competes in YEH qualifiers, as well as The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships. Her own mare, Bondi Beach, finished in eighth place in the 2024 USEA YEH East Coast 5-Year-Old Championship, with one of the highest jumping and general impression scores of the day. In addition to running her business, Tyler is currently enrolled in the "r" judge program and is looking forward to testing for her "r" license in the fall.

When asked about her experience in the YEH New Judge Education Program, she said that, “I feel very fortunate to have been able to participate in program. The insight gained is invaluable; not just as an official, but also as a rider and a trainer. It's a privilege any time that you get to learn from Marilyn [Payne]. She is a great teacher!"

About Ashley Boyd

With over three and a half decades of experience in the sport of eventing, Ashley Giles has built a comprehensive career spanning competition, training, and breeding. As a competitor, Giles competed at the Intermediate level with multiple horses and has successfully developed multiple young prospects through the YEH program.

For the past 15 years, Giles and her husband have focused on strategic breeding for upper-level event horses. This endeavor recently reached a significant milestone with their first approved stallion, Falkor, whose prestigious bloodlines include Heraldik xx and E.H Windfall *Pg*E*.

Giles’ dedication to understanding young horse development has taken her to premier international events focusing on young horses, including the German Bundeschampionate, the Burghley Young Horse Championships (England), and regular attendance at the German Trakehner Verband’s Hengstmarkt (stallion approvals). Giles maintains an active commitment to continuing education, studying these competitions both in person and online, driven by the belief that matching international young horse quality is essential for the United States being competitive on a world stage.

"The YEH New Judge Education Program offers valuable insights not just for aspiring judges, but for anyone looking to compete in YEH classes,” Giles explained when discussing her certification experience. “The training enhanced my ability to identify promising young event horses and provided crucial understanding of how to present these horses effectively in competition. Through this program, I gained a deeper appreciation for what judges are looking for and how to showcase a young horse's potential."

About Bonnie Barr-Briggs

Bonnie Barr-Briggs is a lifelong young horse enthusiast with a background in breeding and training Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred-cross sport horses. She was excited to apply and to participate in the USEA YEH New Judge Education Program to become a judge for the Jumping and Gallop portion of the YEH competitions.

“It was an amazing program,” Barr-Briggs exclaimed. “The early video sessions allowed me to study the horses repeatedly to analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Later, as an apprentice, I learned from some of the top Young Event Horse judges. Their mentorship and guidance was invaluable to my journey. They were honest and fair and helped me understand what is expected from potential equine athletes. Their passion for horses, eventing talent, and knowledge of the sport was inspirational!”

Barr-Briggs bred or trained many young horses while running Riot Farm in Hume, Virginia. Several of her homebreds have achieved notable success in the eventing world, including Riot’s Fabulous (2008), who placed third at the 2023 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds in the Novice Junior Rider division, and Riot’s Veronica Mars (2018), who is currently first in Area I and seventh nationally for Novice Junior Rider. Others have excelled in various fields including show jumping, side-saddle, and as first-flight field hunters.

Barr-Briggs was an active leader of her local Pony Club chapter when her daughter was a member from 2009-2019. She is currently employed by USDF, working remotely from Virginia as the Senior Professional Developmental Coordinator, where she assists licensed officials and serves as the co-liaison to the Sport Horse Committee.

To inquire with any of these exciting new YEH Judges about their availability for upcoming qualifiers, please visit the YEH Judges List for their contact information. To learn more about the YEH Program, visit useventing.com/events-competitions/competitions/young-event-horse or contact USEA Staff Liaison, Kate Lokey, at [email protected].

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.