United States Eventing Association

The 2016 USEA East Coast Young Event Horse Championships wrapped up today in Saw Mill Field at the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International Horse Trials as the young horses moved onto the jumping and galloping portion of the competition.

The USEA's YEH Series judges 4- and 5-year-old horses on their abilities on the flat and over fences with the goal of identifying horses that possess the talent and disposition that, with proper training, can excel to the upper levels of eventing. The competition is based on three scores: conformation (15%), dressage (35%) and jumping (50%). The judges for both the 2016 East and West Coast Championships were Ian Stark, Bea di Grazia and Cathy Tucker-Slaterbeck.

Marley Stone Bourke’s Foreign Quality continued to impress judges this morning, hanging on to his overnight lead and securing the win in the 5-year-old division. The Dutch Warmblood already earned 30.66 points in the dressage (out of 35 points) and 11.96 points for conformation (out of 15 points), and today’s impressive jumping score of 46.15 (out of 50 points) gave him a total score of 88.77 (out of 100 points) and the championship title.

Foreign Quality and Tim Bourke. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

“Badger” is a Dutch Warmblood, who was imported late last year from Ireland by his current rider, Tim Bourke. Tim got the ride while his wife, and the horse’s owner, Marley, is pregnant with their first child.

“Badger was bred in Holland and imported to Ireland as a foal. As a 4-year-old, we went and saw him last December at Jonathan Reape who we buy all our horses from. He got to our barn in Virginia on Christmas Eve,” Tim explained. “In the spring Marley rode him and did really well with him. He’s been a fantastic horse. He just went out last week to Morven and won the Prelim there, so we have big hopes for the horse. Easy to produce, easy to ride. He’s just a lovely horse, and we’re very happy to have him. We’ve got some super nice ones, but I think he’s up there.”

His impressive score of 88.77 was the highest score of any young horses at both the East and West Coast YEH Championships, which means that Foreign Quality is the top contender for the 2018 Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Le Lion d’Angers Grant, which would secure funds to help him compete in the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships as a 7-year-old in 2018.

Get Gaudi and Matt Flynn. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

Get Gaudi, owned by Flynn Sport Horses, also kept hold of his second place position and ended the competition as reserve champion of the 5-year-old division. Matt Flynn piloted the Dutch Warmblood mare to earn 44.75 points over fences, which combined with her conformation (11.67) and dressage (30.66) gave her a grand total of 87.08 points. The talented mare is by Alicante HBC and out of Second Floor.

Out of the stacked 35-strong 5-year-old division, third place went to Cooley Cut Copy, an Irish Sport Horse owned by Mark and Katherine Bellissimo. “Whitford” is by the stallion Mermus R. He finished on 28.56 in the dressage, 11.45 in conformation and 44.45 in the jumping to earn an overall result of 84.46 points.

Full Results are Available Here

The USEA would like to thank all of the generous YEH Sponsors, who make the Series and the Championships possible: Fleeceworks, Priefert, Standlee Hay, Merck Animal Health, SmartPak, and Professional’s Choice. The USEA would also like to thank Tim Holekamp and Christine Turner for their donations and support for the Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant.