This year, The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) West Coast Championships took place at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California on October 24-25, 2020 alongside the 2020 USEA Future Event Horse (FEH) West Coast Championships. Judged by Peter Gray and Debbie Adams, the YEH West Coast Championships had over double the number of entries from last year’s YEH West Coast Championships.
The highest jumping score out of any horse competing at The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships was given to Adrienne Hillas's 5-year-old Selle Francias gelding Luxury Mail (Jaguar Mail x Aquidam) as he earned a 65.5 (out of 70) in the jumping phase. Luxury Mail was in 10th place after the dressage and conformation phases but the 65.5 moved him up to first to secure the title of The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast 5-year-old Champion. He finished with a final score of 88.6 - the highest score given to any horse on the West Coast during the 2020 YEH and FEH Championships.
In addition, this is the highest final score seen in the YEH West Coast 5-year-old Championships in over three years. Last year, Mucho Me Gusto earned an 88.47 to be named the 2019 YEH West Coast 5-year-old Champion, and in 2018, MVP Madburn earned an 82.40 to be named the 2018 YEH West Coast 5-year-old Champion.
On both coasts, Luxury Mail was the only 2020 YEH Champion to be a graduate of the USEA FEH Program (FEH). Luxury Mail competed in the FEH West Coast Championships as a 3-year-old and last year as a 4-year-old, placing in the top five both times.
With this impressive result, Luxury Mail is the USEA November Horse of the Month!
Get to know more about this record-setting West Coast Champion from his owner/rider, Adrianne Hillas.
“Remy.”
“Carrots and my fiancé Brett loves to feed him the occasional handful of Fruit Loops.”
“[He is] definitely an extrovert! He loves attention and he knows he’s handsome.”
“He loves massages, back scratches, and all his treats! He also loves when I mist water in his face.”
“Dressage, but we’re working on that!”
“I would love to [earn] the [Holekamp/Turner] Grant to go to France to compete him in the 7-year-old Championship [at Mondial du Lion in Le Lion d’Angers, France]. And also going to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event!
“He’s just the biggest bundle of love and kindness - a total gentle giant. He also has vitiligo! So if you look closely, he has speckles on his nose that change depending on the time of year and how much sun he gets. Plus, he has polka-dotted soles on his hooves."
Miss any of the previous 2020 horses of the month? Find out about the USEA January Horse of the Month, USEA February Horse of the Month, USEA March Horse of the Month, USEA April Horse of the Month, USEA May Horse of the Month, USEA June Horse of the Month, USEA July Horse of the Month, USEA August Horse of the Month, USEA September Horse of the Month, and the USEA October Horse of the Month.
The USEA is recognizing an event horse each month on the USEA website and social media. The USEA Horse of the Month is determined based on performance and event results and announced at the beginning of every month. The November Horse of the Month was determined by the performance at The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH West Coast Championships at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California.
With 2025 just days away, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of the top moments for the USEA across the 2024 season. Take a trip down memory lane with us and relive these high-performing moments from our online news, the USEA Podcast, and our Instagram account!
Eventers who are new to the sport may feel a little overwhelmed by the often-misunderstood world of saddle fitting. Riders are often bombarded with information from peers online or self-described experts, putting them at risk of following bad advice related to equipment that impacts horse welfare perhaps more than any other piece of tack. Finding a qualified expert to answer these questions is crucial. Who better to turn to than both a qualified Master Saddle Fitter and a fourth-generation saddle designer to answer some of these questions?
Did you know that the USEA Foundation awards over 150 grants each year to deserving individuals who are involved in the sport of eventing? With grants that assist riders with accomplishing their competition goals, grants geared toward licensed officials, grants that are specific to continuing education for coaches, grants that assist competitions with obtaining frangible technology, and so much more, there really is a grant opportunity available to almost anyone!
With the start of the New Year just days away, now is the time to consider how your actions can have a positive impact on the sport of eventing in 2025. Each and every member of the eventing community has an important role to play in ensuring the sport continues to grow and thrive. From fostering educational opportunities to supporting grassroots initiatives and participating at all levels of the sport, there are so many ways to get involved.