United States Eventing Association

The team at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, has made a significant commitment to growing eventing programs for young horses on the West Coast and has hosted the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) West Coast Championships as a standalone event each year since 2020. The goal is to create a championship atmosphere just for the 4- and 5-year-olds that will be competing.

The YEH West Coast Championships have become a stepping stone for top prospects on their journey to the FEI levels of eventing. With their victory in the 2022 5-year-old West Coast Championship, That’s Me Z (Take A Chance On Me Z x Venetia) and Tommy Greengard secured the prestigious Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant and represented the United States in the 2024 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships at Le Lion D’Angers in France. They placed 16^th out of 64 in the 7-year-old championship. In 2025, they had three podium finishes at the four-star level at Galway Downs in California, Rebecca Farm in Montana, and Morven Park in Virginia.

Camelot PJ (Colman x Hauptstutbuch Evita), the 2023 5-year-old West Coast champion, has moved up to three-star with Andrea Baxter this year and won at Intermediate at Galway in January. Of the 18 horses that competed in the 5-year-old West Coast championship in 2023, 10 have since gone on to complete FEI events at the, one-, two-, or three-star levels as 7-year-olds in 2025. They are:

• Camelot PJ and Andrea Baxter (1^st)
• LS Crown Royal and Jordan Linstedt (3^rd)
• Monbeg Salt Fever and Ashley Horowitz (4^th)
• New Gailllard AJK and Nadia Vogt (5^th, ridden by Amber Birtcil in YEH)
• The Big Easy and Andrea Baxter (6^th, and also won Safe Harbor Award)
• HSH Cellesto and Anni Grandia-Dodson (7^th)
• Excalibur O’Donoghue and Sabrina Glaser (9^th)
• Chiaro Z Excalibur and Colleen Loach (11^th, ridden by Sabrina Glaser in YEH under name of Excalibur Ardeo)
• MRF Nonchalant and Catie Cejka (14^th)
• Next Generation Especiale and Madison Temkin (17^th, ridden by Kendal Smith in YEH)

The 2024 5-year-old class had its first taste of FEI success this year with MBF Braxy V (Renkum Valentino x Roxsette) winning the CCI1*-S at the Twin Rivers Fall International and Fary Prince (The After Party x Farytale Cooley) being earning second place in the CCI2*-S at the Woodside Fall International in their respective FEI debuts.

One week after the East Coast championship held at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, Twin Rivers will once again host the West Coast championship classes for 4- and 5-year-olds that culminate the year’s YEH Program on Oct. 24 and 25. In addition, a Last Chance Qualifier for the West Coast is offered at Twin Rivers on Oct. 23.

Due to the vast area that the West Coast serves, getting to qualifiers during the year can be difficult. So, Twin offers a completely separate qualifier that doesn’t share any part of the championships’ atmosphere, dressage, or jumping areas. Some horses compete as a confidence-building warm-up round, as it takes place on a softer course than what is expected in the championships. Other horses compete for their last chance to qualify for the prestigious championships.

Here’s the field:

5-YEAR-OLDS

ESI HARVARD | Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Etoulon VDL x Castellana)

Rider: Bec Braitling
Owner: Michlynn Sterling
Breeder: Ennisnag Stud

Fifth in the 2024 4-year-old West Coast championship, ESI Harvard’s 2025 campaign has been highlighted by a third-place finish in the Beginner Novice Amateur division of the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds, ridden by owner Michlynn Sterling. Braitling rode the Irish import in his most recent event, a second-place finish at the Novice level in the Woodside Fall International. Sterling said that ESI Harvard is “easygoing, smart, and picks things up so quickly that I sometimes forget he’s only 5.”

EVEREST | Dutch Warmblood Mare (Escher x Zynnia)

Rider: Anna Collier
Owner: Anna Collier
Breeder: Linda Smyth

Marc Grandia rode Everest’s dam, Zynnia, to a fifth-place finish out of 46 in the CCI1* (now CCI2*-L level) at Galway in 2013. With Collier aboard, Everest moved up to Training at Caber Farm in Washington, placing fourth of 11 on a dressage score of 26.0. Everest’s brother Patriot, also out of Zynnia, has competed in Preliminary level eventing and Prix St. Georges dressage.

GHINO AWH Z | Zangersheide Gelding (Gullit HBC x Lowenna)

Rider: Josh Barnacle
Owner: Josh Barnacle
Breeder: Scholten W

Imported from Germany at the beginning of the year, Ghino AWH Z was first out of 17 in the Open Novice division of the Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials on a dressage score of 26.9. His sire, Gullit HBC, show jumped up to 1.45 meters in Europe.

MBF DIG DEEP | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (Golddigger x Amber)

Rider: Andrea Baxter
Owner: Estrella Equestrian
Breeder: B.G. Damhuis

MBF Dig Deep and Baxter won the USEA YEH 4-Year-Old West Coast Championship in 2024. They qualified for the USEA YEH 5-Year-Old West Coast Championship in 2025 with the fourth-highest score in the country of 87.25 achieved at the Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials. Plus, they have completed five horse trials at Training since May, finishing on their dressage score in four of them. Baxter said about the Irish import, “Dig Deep is a very serious guy and loves competing.”

O’MALLEY VAN HET PANNEHOF Z | Zangersheide Gelding (unrecorded breeding)

Rider: Nick Cwick
Owner: Cwick Eventing LLC
Breeder: unrecorded

O’Malley Van Het Pannehof Z came to the United States from the Netherlands. The chestnut Zangersheide gelding and Cwick successfully moved up to the Training level with a fifth-place finish out of 17 in the Open Training Division of the Twin Fivers Fall International.

PAREL VAN DER W | Dutch Warmblood Mare (Impressive VDL x Kalysha Diola V)

Rider: Audrey Sanborn
Owner: Audrey Sanborn
Breeder: J.R. Wanningen

Parel Van Der W and Sanborn won the Training Horse division of the 2025 AEC on a dressage score of 23.2. The Dutch import is by Impressive VDL, a 12-year-old stallion who has show jumped up to 1.40-meters in Europe.

PENDLETON GB | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (Franklin x Beyoncé)

Rider: Karen O’Neal
Owner: Karen O’Neal
Breeder: Gwen Blake

Pendleton GB and O’Neal were reserve champions of the Novice Horse division of the 2025 AEC, and then third in the Area VII Novice Championship at Aspen Farm in Washington. They most recently moved up to Training and won at Spokane in Washington for their fourth blue ribbon of 2025. O’Neal says “Baby P” is “absolutely obsessed with bananas and adores little kids,” and although dressage-bred, he prefers jumping.

PETAR D | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (Qatar Ter Saleghem x Ereda M)

Rider: Mickayla Howard
Owner: Mickayla Howard
Breeder: unrecorded

Third in the 2024 4-year-old West Coast championship when ridden by Bec Braitling, Howard took over the ride at the beginning of 2025. They won the Novice Three-Day, part of the USEA Classic Series, at Rebecca Farm in Montana in July. Then, they finished third in the Beginner Novice Horse division of the AEC. His sire, Qatar Ter Saleghem, is just 9 years old and is a 1.30-meter show jumper in Europe.

PICASSO | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (High Shutterfly x Athene HBC)

Rider: Amber Birtcil
Owner: Cellar Farm Corp.
Breeder: G.M. Benschop

Picasso’s 7-year-old full-brother full-brother Nicolai is competing at the three-star level of eventing in Europe with Dutch rider Willemina Van Der Goes-Petter. They took part in the 2025 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships at Le Lion D’Angers in France. Picasso came from the Netherlands. He won his USEA eventing debut at the Beginner Novice level at Caber Farm in Washington and has moved up to Novice with Birtcil.

PRINCE OF OOLDE | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (Ibolensky x Aurora J)

Rider: Amber Birtcil
Owner: Cellar Farm Corp.
Breeder: G.W. Reurslag

The Dutch import Prince of Oolde and Birtcil won at the Training level at Shepherd Ranch in California this summer. They’ve completed six events at Training, finishing in the top-three in four of them. His 8‑year-old half-brother Magical Touch is competing at the three-star level of eventing in Great Britain and Ireland with Eliza Bell.

SF CINEMATIC | Hanoverian Gelding (Chacfly PS x Cassie)

Rider: Sarah Sullivan
Owner: Sarah Sullivan
Breeder: Felix Geffken

Imported from Germany, SF Cinematic and Sullivan won at the Novice level at Equestrians’ Institute in Washington at the end of August. They also have experience competing in the Novice Three-Day, part of the USEA Classic Series, at Rebecca Farm in Montana and in the Area VII Novice Championship at Aspen Farm in Washington.

WHADDYA MEAN | Thoroughbred Gelding (Souper Speedy x Get It Straight)

Rider: Sarah Jane Nichols Jolley
Owner: Sarah Jane Nichols Jolley
Breeder: Gail Wood & Dr. Ruth Barbour

Whaddya Mean and Jolley recorded the highest 5-year-old qualifying score in the United States with a 90.2 at Shepherd Ranch in the summer. The Thoroughbred gelding was bred in Ontario, Canada, and raced nine times in his home province and in Florida before coming off the track in February 2024.

4-YEAR-OLDS

BEACHFIELD VIVALDI | Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Vivant Van De Heffinck x Cloonacauneen Black Beauty)

Rider: Andrea Baxter
Owner: Michlynn Sterling
Breeder: Gemma Phelan

The dam of Beachfield Vivaldi, Cloonacauneen Black Beauty, evented up to the four-star level in Ireland with Brian Morrison. His sire, Vivant Van De Heffinck, is also the sire of Shane Rose’s Adelaide five-star winner and Paris Olympic horse Virgil. The Irish import debuted in the United States at the Beginner Novice level at the Twin Rivers Fall International with Baxter.

CARNUS GIH | Hanoverian Gelding (Cornet de Semilly x St. Pr. Hauptstutbuch Santana)

Rider: Erika Perez
Owner: Erika Perez
Breeder: Gestuti m Hofbruch

By the sire Cornet de Semilly, Carnus GIH combines the famous jumper lines of Cornet Obolensky and Diamant De Semilly. The Hanoverian gelding has done three YEH qualifiers, placing first in two of them at Spokane in Washington, and competed up to the Novice level in horse trials with Erika Perez.

DOS MBF ENDEAVOUR | Irish Sport Horse Gelding (HHS Cornet x DOS Kono)

Rider: Andrea Baxter
Owner: Steve Harcourt
Breeder: Dennis Sullivan

Baxter refers to DOS MBF Endeavour as her “underdog” of the this year’s string of young horses. He was slow to develop but had a successful first outing at the Twin Rivers’ July qualifier and some jumper shows this fall. He’ll compete again in the Last Chance Qualifier as a final prep run.

EARNED EFFORT | Hanoverian Gelding (Escher x Katie D)

Rider: Anna Collier
Owner: Anna Collier
Breeder: Anna Collier

Collier competed Katie D up to the Intermediate and three-star levels and bred her to the young Hanoverian stallion Escher to produce Earned Effort. Collier started competing Earned Effort in a YEH qualifier at Spokane in Washington in May and has since done two Novice horse trials, most recently finishing third at Caber Farm in Washington in August.

EXCEL STAR HENRY | Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Kings Cornet x Briarhill Debbie)

Rider: Earl McFall
Owner: Heather Bo
Breeder: Anne Coyne

One of two horses in the 4-year-old West Coast championship sourced by Excel Star Sporthorses and Courtney Cooper and sired by Kings Cornet, Excel Star Henry started competing earlier this month at the Beginner Novice level at the Woodside Fall International ridden by Earl McFall.

EXCEL STAR KC REPUTATION | Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Kings Cornet x Ella’s Girl)

Rider: Lauren Jarem
Owner: Lauren Jarem
Breeder: Martin Curran

One of two horses in the 4-year-old West Coast championship sourced by Excel Star Sporthorses and Courtney Cooper and sired by Kings Cornet, Excel Star KC Reputation qualified in his debut event at the Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials. He and Jarem have since finished third at the Starter level at the Woodside Fall International.

LADYBIRD | Oldenburg Mare (WT Leapfrog x Tiana Garbo)

Rider: Anna Collier
Owner: Anna Collier
Breeder: Colleen Peterson

Ladybird and Collier made their USEA-recognized eventing debut at the Starter level by placing second at the Caber Farm Horse Trials in Washington in August. They are entered in the Last Chance Qualifier to attempt to earn a spot in the championships.

MBF FIRST CLASS | Irish Sport Horse Gelding (Mountross Ernan x Killfeacle Star)

Rider: Maxance McManamy
Owner: Charlee Marinovich
Breeder: Ciara O’Riordan

MBF First Class placed first in the qualifier at Shepherd Ranch in his first event in August ridden by McManamy. He most recently finished third at the Starter level at the Twin Rivers Fall International ridden by owner Charlee Marinovich. MBF First Class came from Ireland to the United States.

MBF RAFELINDO | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (El Salvador x Cisijgje V)

Rider: Andrea Baxter
Owner: Estrella Equestrian
Breeder: P.J.H.M Snelting

Baxter won the 2024 4-year-old West Coast championship with MBF Dig Deep and will attempt to repeat with another Dutch Warmblood named MBF Rafelindo. They had the fourth-highest qualifying score in the country of 83.05, which came at the Twin Rivers Fall International. The Dutch horse from Ireland goes by the barn name of “Jamaica.” He’s been in the top-5 in all three Beginner Novice events in which he’s competed in his debut season.

OLYMPIA 21 | Holsteiner Mare (Rip Tide x Austria aka Glamazon)

Rider: Sarah Jane Nichols Jolley
Owner: Sarah Jane Nichols Jolley
Breeder: Sarah Jane Nichols Jolley

Jolley and Olympia 21 have competed in two events at Beginner Novice at Woodside and Shepherd Ranch and a qualifier at Shepherd Ranch. Jolley also competed Oympia 21’s dam, the Thoroughbred mare Austria, with completions up to Training. His sire, Rip Tide, stands in Southern California and is by multiple USEF Eventing Sire of the Year Riverman.

RAMINO | Oldenburg Gelding (Comme Il Faut x Texana II)

Rider: Amber Birtcil
Owner: Cellar Farm Corp.
Breeder: Michael Heitmann

Ramino and Birtcil come into the championships off the highest West Coast qualifying score of 84.2. The 4-year-old with the highest East Coast qualifying score, MBF Mirror Image, won the East Coast championship. Imported from the Netherlands, his dam, Texana II, has two offspring that have competed up to 1.45-meters in show jumping in Italy.

RIVALE.T. | Dutch Warmblood Gelding (Kallmar VDL x Lady Olytha)

Rider: Amber Birtcil
Owner: Cellar Farm Corp.
Breeder: M. Terpstra

Rivale.T. represents new breeding lines. Sire Kallmar VDL is 10 years old and won a 1.40-meter show jumping class at Bedizzole in Italy in June. Dam Lady Olytha is 9 years old and has competed in show jumping, dressage, and eventing. Imported from the Netherlands, Rivale.T. made his American eventing debut at the Beginning Novice level and in a YEH qualifier at the Twin Rivers Fall International with Birtcil.

THUNDERHOOF’S ODIN | Warmblood Stallion (Markus Des Jardins x Wandamere Faye)

Rider: Tijon Moore
Owner: Tijon Moore
Breeder: unrecorded

Thunderhoof’s Odin, a warmblood-Shire cross, will be making his USEA-recognized eventing debut with Tijon Moore in the Last Chance Qualifier. His sire, Markus Des Jardins, is 8 years old and competed in 4- and 5-year-old jumper classes in the Pacific Northwest. He’s also the sire of Prachtige Schat, who competed in the 2024 4-year-old West Coast championship and 2025 5-year-old East Coast championship with Erin Storey.

The 2025 USEA YEH West Coast Championships will feature significant prizes from: the USEA, Goresbridge, Schneiders, Adequan, ARMA, Bates, Kerrits, FLAIR, Marshall+Sterling, SmartEquine, Standlee, #WeRideTogether, CrossCountry App, and The Jockey Club.

Twin Rivers is proud to offer additional prizes and keepsakes from Twin Rivers’ Young Event Horse sponsors: Fleeceworks, MBF Sport Horses, Vanguard Eventing, Bec Braitling Eventing, Estrella Equestrian, Equimotion Media, Michlynn Sterling, and Cellar Farm.

The competition is scheduled to be livestreamed by EquiMotion Media, with the broadcast sponsored by Fleeceworks and USEA.

Links Entries | Website

Sponsors and Volunteers

Twin Rivers is proud to host the 2025 USEA Young Event Horse West Coast Championships with generous support from sponsors.

Presenting sponsors for the season include: Auburn Labs, manufacturers of the adaptogenic APF Formula for horses, people and dogs; Best Western PLUS Black Oak, which offers exclusive discounts for exhibitors; Professional’s Choice, manufacturers of sports medicine boots for equine athletes; Riding Warehouse, your one-stop online tack shop for quality horse gear and supplies; and Whirlwind Excavating, excavating contractors in San Luis Obispo County.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Christina Gray of Gray Area Events at [email protected].

Volunteers play a major part of events at Twin Rivers. Twin Rivers’ generous volunteer incentive program includes vouchers for show stabling and credits for schooling between events at the beautiful 500-acre venue. That is in addition to the genuine appreciation of the Baxter family and the entire Twin Rivers team. To sign up, please visit www.twinrivershorsepark/volunteer.

Connect with Twin Rivers

Location: 8715 N. River Road, Paso Robles, CA. 93446

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.twinrivershorsepark.com

Volunteer: www.twinrivershorsepark/volunteers

Show Photographer: Tina Fitch Photography

Show Videographer: EquiMotion Media

Facebook: Twin Rivers Ranch, Equestrian Events

Instagram: TwinRivers2020