United States Eventing Association

Get Your Young Event Horses Ready: 2022 YEH Calendar and YEH Rule Change Updates Announced

The USEA established the Young Event Horse (YEH) program in 2004 to identify young horses that possess the talent and disposition to, with proper training, excel at the uppermost levels of the sport. While the goal of the YEH program is to identify horses that will be successful at the four- and five-star levels, horses with the potential for lower-level success are also showcased by the program.

Throughout the competition year, YEH classes are offered at competitions around the country, giving 4- and 5-year-old horses the chance to gain experience in eventing and show off their skills under saddle in dressage and over fences in a jumping and galloping test. Whether you are looking to qualify for the 2021 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse Championships or simply give your young horse some competitive experience without the stress and pressure of a full horse trials, YEH classes are a great way to introduce your young horse to the sport of eventing.

To qualify for the 2022 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships, horses must earn a score of 75 percent or higher at any YEH qualifying event. To qualify for the 2021 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships, horses must earn a score of 70 percent or higher at any YEH qualifying event.

The USEA YEH Committee recently added a few rule changes that were approved by the USEA Board of Governors at their December 2021 meeting. Those rule changes are updated in the YEH Rules document and the following are now in effect for 2022:

• Three refusals at one fence, or four total on course, will be recorded as Elimination at both YEH qualifiers and at YEH Championships. At qualifiers, judges may allow riders to continue for education, but still receive an Elimination on record.
• It will be recorded as a Technical Elimination if a horse misses a jump on course at YEH Championships. At qualifiers, all jumps must be jumped or it is a Technical Elimination. If a rider misses a fence, the judge may blow the whistle and allow them to go jump the missed jump with no penalty.

Ready to get out there and compete? Check out the 2021 calendar of YEH events:

2022 USEA Young Event Horse Calendar

The calendar of YEH events is updated periodically throughout the year. Please click here for the most up-to-date calendar information.

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

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

Helpful Links For YEH:

YEH Calendar

YEH General Page

YEH Rules and Guidelines

2022 YEH Championship Information

Holekamp/Turner Grant Information

YEH 4-year-old Dressage Test for Qualifiers

YEH 5-year-old Dressage Test for Qualifiers

Entry Form for YEH Qualifiers

About the USEA Young Event Horse 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, 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 Bates Saddles, SmartPak, Standlee Premium Western Forage, Parker Equine Insurance, Saratoga Horseworks, 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.