United States Eventing Association

Get to Know the USEA Foundation Grants: The Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Grant

Did you know that the USEA Foundation currently administers 15 grants and scholarships designed to help event riders reach their goals? From funds used to assist juniors have access to additional training to aiding up-and-coming riders fund international competition to helping adult amateurs gain education, the current grant opportunities offered by the USEA Foundation has something for almost everyone.

In 2012, Timothy and Cheryl Holekamp of New Spring Farm and Christine and T.J. Turner of Indian Creek Farm set out to address the issue of further developing an upward pathway for U.S. Team horses in eventing. Together, the families spearheaded the Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Grant which has been awarding the highest scorer of the USEA Young Event Horse 5-year-old Championships, both East and West Coast Championships combined, with funds to enable them to travel to the FEI World Young Horse Championships at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France for the 7-year-old three-star Championships since its inception. Together, the Holekamp and Turner families have continued to raise funds to enable the grant’s mission each year.

What You Need to Know

The eligibility of top-placing YEH horses remains with the horse, regardless of change of rider after the 5-year-old YEH Championships, but for the Lion d'Angers grant, only USEF-sponsored 7-year-old entries will qualify. Thus, only horses ridden by United States citizens will be eligible.

If the highest-scoring 5-year-old does not qualify or is unable to attend Mondial du Lion, the money will be awarded to the next highest scorer who is qualified, able, and willing to go. Owners of grant-eligible horses must notify the USEA of their intentions to compete in the Championships by September 1 of the year in which the horse turns 7 years of age.

Horses must have completed one CCI2* and one CCI3*-S, both with no cross-country jumping penalties and no more than one rail in show jumping, in order to be qualified to compete in the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships 7-year-old CH-3* division and therefore be eligible for the grant.

Grant funds vary depending upon the breeding of the grant recipients. Horses who are North American bred will be awarded with $17,500 to travel to Le Lion d’Angers, while grant recipients who are imported are awarded $8,000.

Catch Up With Previous Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Grant Recipients

2015: D.A. Duras (Numero Uno x Medoc) bred by H.H.J. Kessels, Baarlo LB and owned by Jacqueline Mars and previously Debbie Adams

Following his top five placing at the YEH Championships with Debbie Adams, Kelly Prather earned the ride on D.A. Duras in 2014 and competed him through the Intermediate level through 2015. Currently owned by Jacqueline Mars, Lauren Nicholson took over the ride in 2016. Together, Nicholson and the bay gelding received numerous impressive placings including a third-place finish in the 2019 Great Meadow International CCI4*-S. Now, D.A. Duras competes at the Grand Prix level of show jumping.

2016: Fleeceworks Royal (Riverman x Marisol) bred by Charlotte Wrather and owned by Judith McSwain

Fleeceworks Royal was the first North American-bred horse to receive the Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse grant after finishing in first in the USEA YEH West Coast Championships and third overall with Tamie Smith in the tack in 2014. Smith still has the ride on the gray mare and they are currently competing at the CCI4* level. Top results include a second-place finish in the CCI4*-S at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event in November of 2021 and a third-place finish in the CCI4*-S at the Twin Rivers International event in September of 2021.

2018: Quantum Leap (Quite Capitol x Report to Sloopy) bred by Elizabeth Callahan and owned by Doug Payne

Quantum Leap is quite the special horse, having been in Doug Payne’s barn since he was a yearling. Payne produced the horse all the way up to the two-star level without a single cross-country jumping penalty on his record. In 2021 the young horse made his CCI5* debut at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and would later contest the inaugural Maryland 5 Star as well where he would finish 9th out of 45 starters. At the 2022 LRK3DE, the pair finished third and earned the title of the USEF National Five-Star Champions.

2021: MBF Cooley Permission To Land (Cobra x Deeply Dippy K) bred by Knightfield Stud and owned by Cole Horn

Upon qualifying for the Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Grant, MBF Cooley Permission to Land had just come off of a winning streak having won the Intermediate division at the Stable View Summer H.T. , the Intermediate at the Horse Park of New Jersey Horse Trials, and the CCI3*-S at the River Glenn Summer H.T.