United States Eventing Association

The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is pleased to announce that registration is open for the 2026 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Symposium, returning to Ocala, Florida, and taking place on Monday, Feb. 16. It will be an in-depth day of education, demonstrations, and discussion focused on developing the next generation of top event horses. This year’s program features two immersive sessions hosted at Majestic Oaks and Longwood Farm.

The morning’s educational program will take place at Majestic Oaks from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., where attendees will observe horses navigating a YEH 5-year-old course. A diverse group of young horse prospects, along with an experienced upper-level event horse, will demonstrate the qualities judges hope to see as young horses develop through the program. This interactive session will be guided by audience-driven discussion and led by a panel consisting of a judge, trainer, veterinarian and rider. These individuals will represent multiple perspectives within the sport. The goal of this session is to provide participants with a deeper understanding of what makes a successful young event horse, from early education to future potential.

Panelists will include:

• Karen O’Connor
• Debbie Adams
• Caroline Pamukcu
• Nathan Mitts

Riders will include:

• Lauren Nicholson
• Buck Davidson Jr.
• Ariel Grald
• Mia Farley

The day will continue at Longwood Farm from 3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. with an exciting mounted masterclass featuring elite riders demonstrating exercises for building jumping strength, confidence, and introducing narrow cross-county obstacles. Following the completion of the evening session, attendees will gather for food, drinks and an engaging Q&A session with the panelists and riders – an opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas, and learn directly from some of the sport’s top professionals.

Riders will include:

• Olivia Dutton
• Phillip Dutton
• Leslie Law
• Jon Holling

Discussion will be led by:

• Peter Gray
• Lesley Grant-Law

To register for the 2026 YEH Symposium, complete the registration form located here. The morning session at Majestic Oaks (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) is $50, and the evening session at Longwood Farm (3:30 – 7:00 p.m.) is $50. Full registration for the YEH Symposium, including both the morning and evening sessions, is $90.

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 Platinum Sponsor, The Dutta Corp., Gold Sponsor Goresbridge, as well as Contributing Sponsors ARMA, Bates Saddles, CrossCountry App, HorseWeek, The Jockey Club, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartEquine, and Standlee for sponsoring the Young Event Horse Program.