United States Eventing Association

Four YEH Graduates Entered to Compete at the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill

Twenty-three pairs are set to start the MARS Maryland 5 Star on Oct. 16, and four of those are USEA Young Event Horse program graduates.

The YEH program serves as a pathway to introduce young horses to the sport of eventing. Founded in 2004, the program’s goal is to identify 4- and 5-year-old horses that possess the talent and disposition that, with proper training, can excel in the four-star and five-star levels of eventing.

The 2024 Dutta Corp./USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships will run alongside the five-star at Fair Hill in Elkton, Maryland, with 34 pairs in the 4-year-old championship and 42 in the 5-year-old championship.

If you’re at the event, stop by to watch the future stars of eventing shine on Thursday in Arena C, then head over to the Timber Field on Friday to watch them jump.

Meet the four YEH graduates below!

Mai Baum, an 18-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Lordano x Ramira) owned by Alex Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn, and Eric Markell and bred by Gunter Gerling, will be heading east from California to contest the five-star with Tamie Smith.

In 2023, “Lexus” and Smith won the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, becoming the first U.S. pair in 15 years to win the event.

The gelding’s career started with Michele Pestl in the tack, and they contested two YEH qualifying events in 2010 and 2011. Both years, Lexus competed at The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, Montana) YEH Qualifier and collected a fourth-place finish in the YEH 4-year-old division in 2010, then a fifth-place finish in the YEH 5-year-old division in 2011.

Smith took over the reins from Alex in 2015, and the pair has achieved a number of accolades, including winning the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI4*-L (Elkton, Maryland) in 2015, as well as top-10 finishes in the Badminton Horse Trials CCI5*-L (England) and the FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, in 2022.

Lexus has had a light year in 2024, but Smith is hoping to give him one last shot at a big win in his swan song.

Nina Gardner’s 14-year-old homebred Thoroughbred gelding, Twilightslastgleam (National Anthem x Royal Child), will be tackling his fifth five-star at Maryland. With Jennie Brannigan in the irons for most of the horse’s career, “Comic” finished as Reserve Champion on a score of 82.83 at the 2014 USEA YEH East Coast 4-year-old Championship and returned in 2015 to finish in seventh place on a score of 77.61 at the 5-year-old Championship. In 2017, Comic was also the frontrunner for the Holekamp/Turner YEH Le Lion d’Angers Grant.

This spring, Comic and Brannigan finished 16^th in the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L and were seventh at the Plantation Field CCI4*-S (Unionville, Pennsylvania) in their final prep run.

Cosby Green has been living and competing in England since March 2023, helped this year in part by the Essex Horse Trials and Wilton Fair grants, and she’ll be crossing back over the pond to compete Clay and Edie Green’s Highly Suspicious, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Russel.

The gelding competed in three YEH 5-year-old qualifiers in 2015 with Will Coleman before contesting the YEH East Coast Championships at Fair Hill and finishing eighth with Coleman.

Coleman competed him through his first Intermediate horse trial before Cosby took over the ride.

Last year, the pair were fourth in the Lignières CCI4*-L (France), and this spring they were second in the Millstreet CCI4*-L (Ireland). This will be the gelding's five-star debut.

The final YEH graduate entered to compete in the CCI5*-L is Tsetserleg TSF (Windfall x Thabana), a 17-year-old Trakehner gelding bred by Dr. Timothy Holekamp of New Spring Farm, owned by Christine Turner, and ridden by Boyd Martin.

For most eventing enthusiasts, Thomas needs no introduction. He’s represented the U.S. at two World Championships (Tryon in 2018 and Pratoni in 2022), the 2019 Pan American Games (Peru), and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Thomas started with Cristin Stoop in 2012 in the YEH program. The duo finished in fourth place in the 5-year-old division at the Longwood Farm (Ocala, Florida) YEH qualifier in February of that year on a score of 79.43. Michael Pollard campaigned the gelding from the Training level up through Intermediate, then Martin took over the reins in 2016.

Most recently, Thomas and Martin were ninth at Burghley (England) in 2023 and 24^th at Badminton (England) this spring. They finished their final prep run at the Plantation Field CCI4*-S in 12^th place. Thomas' career is also winding down, and Martin will no doubt be looking for a top finish for him.

The USEA wishes all of those competing at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill a safe and successful event. Check back after the event to see how our YEH graduates fared!

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, Capital Square, HorseWeek, Kerrits, Parker Equine Insurance, SmartPak, Standlee, and The Jockey Club 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.

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 round trip flight from the Eastern United States to Europe.