Next week, young horse trainers, riders, breeders, judges, and enthusiasts will converge on Ocala, Florida, for the 2024 Ocala Horse Properties USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Symposium. On Tuesday, Feb. 20, attendees will be treated to two educational sessions on the proper training and evaluation of young eventing prospects, with a morning session on evaluation jumping, galloping, and conformation hosted at Majestic Oaks Ocala and a YEH Masterclass in the evening at Redtail Ridge Farm South. Click here to register!
The morning session of the Ocala Horse Properties USEA YEH Symposium at Majestic Oaks will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST and will be moderated by Marilyn Payne, Chair of the USEA YEH Committee.
An expert panel comprised of Lauren Nicholson, Liz Halliday, Debbie Adams, and Lisa Casinella, DVM, will evaluate and discuss several 4- and 5-year-old prospects as they navigate a YEH Jumping and Galloping test in real time.
The panelists will call on their individual experiences, whether it be as a competitor, a judge, or a veterinarian, to assess the horses’ technique, their potential improvement with appropriate training, and the effects of their conformation on future performance and soundness. Each horse and rider demonstration will be given 30 minutes to complete their test and return to the audience to review their ride. The audience will also have ample time to ask questions. The following horse and rider pairs will participate in the session:
Between the morning and evening session, symposium attendees have the opportunity to join a complimentary behind the scenes tour of the World Equestrian Center – Ocala at 2:00 p.m. EST with Jim Wolf. Be sure RSVP for the tour on your Symposium registration!
The YEH Masterclass at Redtail Ridge Farm South will begin at 5:00 p.m. and feature demonstrations from Jonathan Holling, Leslie Law, and Doug Payne. Alex will moderate the session and allow opportunities for attendees to ask questions and engage with the riders. While mounted on young horses, each rider will demonstrate and explain various exercises as outlined below:
During the evening session, title sponsor Ocala Horse Properties and gold sponsor Jump 4 Joy USA of the Symposium will be on-site to interact with attendees. Ocala Horse properties, the number one ranked realtor in the Ocala MLS, will have a representative in attendance to discuss the local area and help you start the process to find your next farm or ranch.
Sandy Mercier, owner of Jump 4 Joy USA, will provide the portable cross-country fences used in the masterclass and will serve complimentary margaritas and water at her Jump 4 Joy USA margarita jump display. Symposium attendees are eligible for 20% off the purchase of the cross-country portables used in the demonstration or 10% off any order placed with Jump 4 Joy USA through March 31, 2024.
The 2024 Ocala Horse Properties USEA YEH Symposium will be $50 per session or $100 for the full day of learning. Complimentary access to the World Equestrian Center – Ocala tour with Wolf is included with all registration types. Attendees will need to coordinate their own transportation to, from and between venues, as well as any materials they would like to bring to take notes. Seating options will be provided at both venues, while drinks and hors d’oeuvres will only be served during the evening session. Click here to register.
If you have any questions about the 2024 Ocala Horse Properties USEA YEH Symposium, please contact Kaleigh Collett at [email protected].
About the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) 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-years-old, 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 ARMA, Bates Saddles, Capital Square, HorseWeek, Kerrits, Parker Equine Insurance, SmartPak, Standlee, 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, Ocala Horse Properties, Title Sponsor of the YEH Symposium, and Jump 4 Joy USA, Gold Sponsor of the YEH Symposium.
About The Holekamp/Turner Grant
Founded in 2015 by Timothy and Cheryl Holekamp of New Spring Farm and Christine and T.J. Turner of Indian Creek Farm, the Holekamp/Turner Grant provides a USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Championship competitor with the opportunity to represent the United States at the FEI Eventing World Breeding Championships in the 7-year-old CCIYH3*-L Championship at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France. With the sole purpose of paving a clear pathway for U.S. team horses to progress in the sport of eventing, recipients who are North American bred will be awarded the full cash grant of $17,500, while imported horses are awarded $8,000. Additionally, The Dutta Corp. offers a prize to the Holekamp/Turner Grant recipient, consisting of a round trip flight from the Eastern United States to Europe.
The Southern Arizona Eventing Association (SAzEA) Fall Horse Trials in Tuscon, Arizona, was the host to the final USEA Area Championship of the 2024 season. The Area X Championship offered four divisions at the Training, Novice, Beginner Novice, and Starter levels. Get to know each of the horse and rider pairs who rose to the challenge in Arizona this year below!
With the end of the year just a few weeks away, the dream team of USEA Podcast Host Nicole Brown, USEA CEO Rob Burk, USEA President Lou Leslie, and Equiratings' Diarm Byrne, all got together to look back on the ups and the downs of the 2024 U.S. eventing season. This is an episode you won't want to miss as we gear up for what is to come in 2025!
The 2025 ECP Symposium, Hosted by Galway Downs is just over a month away, which means it is time to submit your registration for this must-attend educational event. On Jan. 14-16, interested attendees will converge on Temecula, California, for an important, impactful, and interactive experience focusing on honing the evaluation skills of coaches at all levels by identifying the correct, incremental steps of progression needed for each individual horse and rider combination.
The Godshall Accessibility Report, created by the United States Eventing Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, aims to honor Christopher Godshall’s legacy by addressing accessibility challenges within the sport of eventing. Inspired by Godshall’s own struggles with mobility due to Myasthenia Gravis, the report underscores the importance of creating inclusive environments for riders, spectators, volunteers, and others involved in the sport.