United States Eventing Association

Get Out and Have Fun With Your Youngsters at the 2019 YEH/FEH Events!

From yearlings to 5-year-olds and everything in between, young event horses will have vast opportunities to get out and compete in the USEA Future Event Horse (FEH) and Young Event Horse (YEH) program events in 2019. The dates and locations for the 2019 USEA FEH and YEH Championships have already been announced, but first, young horses must get out and earn qualifications on the pathway to Championships. Even if a youngster isn’t aiming for Championships, the qualifying events are a great way to gain experience without the stress and pressure of a full Horse Trial division.

The Future Event Horse classes are in-hand classes for yearlings, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds where they are judged on conformation and movement. At Championships, 3-year-olds are also required to compete in an additional free-jump division. The FEH program now also offers a 4-year-old class in which the horses show their gaits under saddle at qualifier events and also compete in an additional free-jump division at Championships.

The Young Event Horse classes give riders, owners, and breeders the opportunity to showcase the potential of their 4- and 5-year-old horses under saddle with a dressage test and a jumping and galloping test. At Championships, the YEH horses are also judged on their conformation.

The mission of the FEH and YEH programs is to identify top quality young horses with potential for the uppermost international levels of eventing. In order to qualify for FEH Championships, youngsters must earn a 72% or higher at any FEH qualifier event. To be eligible for the YEH Championships, horses must earn a 75% or higher at any YEH qualifier event. Check out the FEH and YEH calendars below.

2019 Future Event Horse Series Calendar

A "*" denotes events offering the 4-year-old FEH class.

2019 Young Event Horse Series Calendar

Don’t see a FEH or YEH event near you? Please contact your local USEA Horse Trial organizers to express interest in attending FEH/YEH classes and ask if they are willing to add them to their event.

For more information regarding the FEH and YEH programs, contact Kate Lokey at [email protected] or (703) 779-9897.

About the USEA Young Event Horse Program

The Young Event Horse 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 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 three- and four-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 USEA Young Event Horse Program.

About the USEA Future Event Horse Program

The USEA introduced the Future Event Horse Program in 2007 in response to the popularity of the already established USEA Young Event Horse Program. Where the YEH program assesses 4- and 5-year-old prospective event horses based on their performance, the FEH program evaluates yearlings, 2-year-olds, and 3-year-olds for their potential for the sport based on conformation and type. Horses are presented in-hand and divisions are separated by year and gender. At the Championships, 3-year-olds are also required to demonstrate their potential over fences in an additional free-jump division.

In 2017, the FEH added a 4-year-old division designed for youngsters not quite ready for the rigors of the YEH program. These horses are presented under saddle at the walk, trot, and canter before being stripped of their tack and evaluated on their conformation. Additionally, 4-year-olds also participate in the free-jump divisions at Championships to show their potential over fences. Click here to learn more about the USEA Future Event Horse Program.

The USEA would like to thank SmartPak, Standlee Hay Company, Merck Animal Health, and C4 Belts for sponsoring the USEA Young and Future Event Horse Programs.