United States Eventing Association

Holekamp/Turner Grant Recipient, Quantum Leap, Passes First Horse Inspection at Le Lion d’Angers

The 2018 edition of the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships got underway today at Le Lion d’Angers in France with the first horse inspection.

The U.S. is being represented by two horses in the 7-year-old CCI2* Championships - Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Lion d’Angers Prize and Grant recipient, Quantum Leap, and Cooley Quicksilver. Quantum Leap (Quite Capitol x Report to Sloopy) is a Zweibrucker gelding, owned and ridden by Doug Payne and owned by Payne and Susan and Dave Drillock. He was bred by Elizabeth Callahan of Cool Na Grena Sporthorses in Oxford, Maryland and was purchased by Payne as a yearling. Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp’s Cooley Quicksilver is an Irish Sport Horse gelding (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal).

There are also two U.S. pairs in the 6-year-old CCI* Championships – Halliday-Sharp is riding another Cooley mount, this time Deborah Halliday’s Cooley Moonshine, an IrishSport Horse gelding (Cobra x Kilpatrick Duchess). British-based rider, Tiana Coudray has Happenstance, her own and Kyrle Arscott’s KWPN mare by Quality Time.

All four horses passed the first horse inspection and dressage takes place over the next two days.

• Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Moonshine – Thursday – 11:05 a.m. (5:05 am ET)
• Tiana Coudray and Happenstance – Friday – 9:28 a.m. (3:28 a.m ET)
• Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver – Friday – 2:13 p.m. (8:14 a.m. ET)
• Doug Payne and Quantum Leap – Friday – 2:41 p.m. (8:41 a.m. ET)

Follow along with live scores here or watch the competition streamed here or on FEI TV.

Catch up on all of the articles about the Race to Le Lion:

• The Race to Le Lion: The Long and Winding Road
• The Race to Le Lion: Doug Payne and Quantum Leap to Represent the U.S. at the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships
• The Race to Le Lion: YEH Champions Contest for the Holekamp/Turner Grant

About the Holekamp/Turner Le Lion d'Angers Prize and Grant
The Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Lion d’Angers Prize and Grant awards the highest scorer of the USEA Young Event Horse 5-Year-Old East and West Coast Championships combined with a cash prize that will enable them to travel to the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships at Le Lion d’Angers in France for the 7-year-old two-star Championships. Winners who are North American-bred will be awarded with $17,500 to travel to Le Lion d’Angers. If the winner is an imported horse he will be awarded $8,000. Click here for more information about the Grant, and click here to view the FEI qualification criteria for Le Lion d'Angers.

The USEA would like to thank Timothy Holekamp of New Spring Farm and his family and Christine Turner of Indian Creek Farm and her family for spearheading this grant and raising funds to support it.

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 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 view the jumping standards and specifications.

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