United States Eventing Association

Save the Date for the 2025 Young Event Horse Series!

Start your young horse’s career out on the right path by joining the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) program! Since it became a USEA program in 2005, YEH strives to identify talented young horses with the potential to excel at the highest levels of eventing in the years to come. The primary goal is to highlight future 4- and 5-star contenders, setting them up on a pathway to success.

YEH classes are held at venues across the country throughout the competition season, offering 4- and 5-year-old horses valuable experience in eventing. Each event includes dressage, jumping, galloping, and general impression components, providing an introductory format to the sport’s three phases. Whether you’re aiming to qualify for the 2025 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Horse Championships or simply looking to give your young horse positive competitive exposure without the demands of a full Horse Trial, YEH classes offer an excellent opportunity to build experience and confidence with your equine partner.

To qualify for the 2025 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 2025 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships, horses must earn a score of 70 percent or higher at any YEH qualifying event. More information on the 2025 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH Championships will be forthcoming.

YEH championship hopefuls can also look forward to the Holekamp/Turner YEH Lion d’Angers Grant. The Holekamp/Turner YEH Grant is awarded to the highest scorer of the USEA Young Event Horse 5-year-old Championship, both East and West Coast Championships combined, who qualifies for Le Lion. They will receive a cash grant that will enable them to travel to the FEI World Young Horse Championship at Mondial du Le Lion d’Angers, France for the 7-year-old 3*L Championships. The intention of this grant is to further develop an upward pathway for U.S. Team horses in eventing. Click here to learn more about the Holekamp/Turner YEH Grant and qualification requirements.

The 2025 USEA YEH Calendar is listed below, but please keep in mind that this is a tentative list of competitions that is subject to change. New competitions may be added regularly, so members are encouraged to reach out to their favorite local venues to ask them to participate in the YEH program. Please continue to check here for updates throughout the year.

2025 USEA Young Event Horse Calendar:

Masterson Equestrian Trust (MET) YEH/NEH Qualifier (Area VIII) March 15th, 2025

Snowdonia Sport Horse Complex YEH/NEH/OEH (Area V) March 30, 2025

Caroline Pamukcu Eventing YEH/NEH (Area III) April 11, 2025

Longleaf H.T. YEH (Area II) April 12-13, 2025

The Vista Spring YEH/NEH Qualifier (Area III) May 7, 2025

Spokane Sport Horse Spring H.T. (Area VII) May 15, 2025

Flora Lea Spring H.T. (Area II) May 24, 2025

Ocala Summer H.T. I (Area III) May 31, 2025

Shepherd Ranch Pony Club H.T. YEH/NEH/OEH (Area VI) June 13, 2025

Snowdonia Sport Horse Complex YEH/NEH/OEH (Area V) June 22, 2025

Twin Rivers Summer H.T. (Area VI) June 26-29, 2025

The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Area II) July 11, 2025

Woodloch Midsommer Combined Test YEH/NEH (Area IV) July 27, 2025

Shepherd Ranch Pony Club HT II YEH/NEH/OEH (Area VI) August 1, 2025

Masterson Equestrian Trust (MET) YEH/NEH Qualifier (Area VIII) August 9, 2025

Waredaca Farm H.T. (Area II) August 15, 2025

Ocala Summer H.T. II (Area III) August 16, 2025

Flora Lea Fall H.T. (Area II) September 6, 2025

The Vista Fall YEH/NEH Qualifier (Area III September 10, 2025

Twin Rivers Fall International (Area VI) September 18, 2025

Spokane Sport Horse 10th Annual Fall H.T. (Area VII) September 25, 2025

Dutta Corp. East Coast USEA YEH Championships October 16-17, 2025

Dutta Corp. West Coast USEA YEH Championships & LCQ October 23-25, 2025

Don’t see a YEH event near you? Please contact your local USEA Horse Trial organizers to express interest in 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.

The New Event Horse (NEH) program and Opportunity Event Horse (OEH) programs also exist as stepping stones to the YEH program, or for those not ready for the YEH at their respective ages. Learn more about the NEH program here, and the OEH program here.

Helpful Links:

• YEH Calendar
• YEH Homepage
• 2024 YEH Symposium
• YEH Rules and Guidelines
• YEH Organizers Guidelines
• YEH Championship Information
• Holekamp/Turner Grant Information
• Entry Form for YEH Qualifiers
• Registration for Eventing Test: YEH, NEH

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, HorseWeek, The Jockey Club, Kerrits, Parker Equine Insurance, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, and Standlee 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.

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.