United States Eventing Association

The Race to Le Lion Continues: That's Me Z Holds Onto Lead for Holekmap/Turner Grant Consideration

The race to Le Lion continues, as the 2024 FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships edge closer on Oct. 17-20. The USEA continuously tracks the horses in contention for the 7-year-old championship in Le Lion d’Angers, France, and this year includes several competitive horses vying for the Holekamp/Turner Grant, which provides significant funds to one eligible horse to represent the United States in France.

The USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) horse that has the highest score from the overall 2022 Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse 5-Year-Old Championship that is also fully qualified to compete in the 7-year-old Championship, will receive the USEA’s Holekamp/Turner Grant. If the highest-scoring 5-year-old does not qualify or is unable to attend Mondial du Lion, the grant will be awarded to the next-highest scorer who is qualified, able, and willing to go. The grant remains with the horse and must be ridden by a U.S. citizen. The Holekamp/Turner Grant is supported by Timothy and Cheryl Holekamp of New Spring Farm, and Christine and T.J. Turner of Indian Creek Farm. The intention of the grant is to further develop an upward pathway for U.S. team horses in the sport of eventing. Grant recipients who are North American-bred will be awarded the full cash grant of $17,500 and imported horses will be awarded $8,000.

The title sponsor of the USEA YEH Championships, The Dutta Corporation, will also generously provide one round trip flight to travel to Europe for the event. This prize will be awarded to the Holekamp/Turner Grant recipient.

To qualify for the 7-year-old CCI3*-L Championship at Mondial du Lion, a horse must complete the Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MER) for the level, which is one CCI2*-L and one CCI3*-S, both of which must be without any cross-country penalties and a maximum of four jump penalties in show jumping. Activating a maximum of one frangible device on cross-country will maintain the MER results.

New Faces

In our first update, we outlined the two horses who had already met the full qualifications for grant consideration and the eight horses who had partial qualifications at that time. We are pleased to report that one horse, Spiro P, has finalized his qualifications and two additional horses have partially qualified.

Donna Wallace’s Spiro P (Spiros z X Ugomein), a German Sport Horse gelding bred by M.N. van der Pas, placed 23rd in the nation overall and 15th in the 2022 USEA YEH East Coast 5-year-old Championship. He has remained the ride of Megan Sykes since the start of his USEA career and has since placed fifth in the CCI2*-S at the 2023 USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships, completed his first CCI2*-L, and his first CCI3*-S. One of their biggest highlights together this year is a third-place finish in the CCI2*-S at TerraNova (Myakka City, Florida) this spring.

Adding their name to the roster of horse and rider pairs who are partially qualified are:

• Dassett Evermore (Pullux de Muze Z x Carneyhaugh Troubadour), an Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Patrick Breen, owned by Plain Dealing Farm, and ridden by Lucia Strini.
• Adoraddo (Adagio de Talm x Chiava), a Holsteiner gelding bred by Gripp Torsten, owned by Kara L. Angulo, and ridden by Michael Pendleton.

That’s Me Z Still Leads the Way

Both Andrea Pfeiffer and Tommy Greengard's That’s Me Z (Take a Chance on Me Z x Venetia), and Gabby Dickerson’s Top Carrera (Carridam PJ x Cecil 16) who were fully qualified as of our first Le Lion progress report are hoping to compete at Le Lion this year.

Greengard is making his way over to Europe early with the Zangersheide gelding That’s Me Z and one other horse to train in preparation for Le Lion. The pair, who were the overall national champions in 2022, are the front-running candidates for the grant this year.

Should they for any reason be unable to compete, however, Dickerson has already indicated her interest in taking her Hanoverian gelding Top Carrera abroad to represent the U.S. at Le Lion if the grant funds were to be made available to her.

The USEA will continue to follow along with this year’s exciting contenders as they race toward Le Lion d’Angers. For any questions regarding the Holekamp/Turner Grant or the USEA Young Event Horse Program, contact Kate Lokey 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, Schneiders Saddlery, 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.

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.