With the goal of creating a pathway for young horses in the U.S. and participants of the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) Program, earlier this year the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and USEA joined forces to launch the USEF/USEA Developing Horse Eventing National Championships for 6- and 7-year-olds. The Championships also aim to cultivate horses into a pathway for U.S. Team horses on the global stage.
After the bidding process and review, Stable View Farm was chosen to host the championships, and will take place during the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials in Aiken, South Carolina, from Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. There are two levels offered: a CCI2*-S for 6-year-old entries and a CCI3*-S for 7-year-olds.
The Field:
Both of the Championship divisions offered will feature $5,000 in prize money.
There are seven horses entered in each Championship.
In the CCI2*-S Developing Horse Championship, all but one horse are former YEH graduates with five of those six graduates having competed in the 2022 USEA YEH 5-year-old Championships.Those graduates are:
Top Carrera (Carridam PJ x Cecil 16), a Hanoverian gelding bred by Josef Reinhold, owned by Roland Millican and Gabby Dickerson, and ridden by Dickerson.
Cajun Quality (Dakar VDL x Birrinview Holly), a Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Cyril Stephens and owned/ridden by Ashley Hays.
Milky Bar OS (UFO 192 x Oakingham Dollar), an Anglo European gelding bred by Oakingham Stud, owned by Christy Parsons, and ridden by Alexander O'Neal.
Cooley Corraghy Diamond (Diamond Roller x Seoladh), a Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by John Kenny, owned by Bill and Roslyn Johnson, and ridden by Kim Severson.
Monbeg Zebedee (Dignified Van't Zorgvliet x Bolacreane Dolly), a Irish Sport Horse gelding bred by Marti Rudd, owned by The Zebedee Group, and ridden by Allison Springer.
Spiro P (Spiros Z x Ugomein), an Anglo European gelding bred by M.N. Van Der Pas, owned by Donna Wallace, and ridden by Megan Sykes.
In the CCI3*-S Developing Horse Championship, there are two YEH graduates. Those horses are:
Ingress (Tatendrang x Isla Mujeres), a Trakehner gelding bred by Janice Simons, owned by The Ingress Syndicate, and ridden by Shannon Riley.
Creative Genius (Creative Cause x Bonnie Rose), a Thoroughbred gelding bred by Lazy Lane Farm and owned and ridden by Elinor MacPhail O'Neal.
Ingress is the most decorated of the YEH graduates having competed at and placed within the top 15 at both the USEA YEH 4-year-old and 5-year-old Championships.
Of the 6-year-olds, five of the entries are marking this year’s Championships as their first FEI two-star outing.
Katherine O’Brien’s 6-year-old Anglo Eurpean gelding Montpellier Scais (Quasimodo Van De Molendreef x Arina), ridden by Alexandra Knowles, has only had one recognized outing on U.S. soil since making his way over to the states from Europe.
All of the 6-year-old Championship contestants are geldings.
A lone stallion, Andre Parro's Irish Sport Horse Monbeg Downtown (Acorad 3 x HHS Clo Jo), and one mare, Cornelia Fletcher's Zangersheide DHI Qyaracolle Z (Quinnar Z x Celiacolle Z), break up the sea of geldings in the three-star championship.
Of the three-star competitors, three are U.S. bred: the Thoroughbred Boo Radley (Flatter x Lisa B) owned by Atticus Knowles-Tatam and ridden by Allie Knowles, Creative Genius, and Ingress.
Making a three-star move up at this year’s 7-year-old Championships are Boo Radley, Ingress, Creative Genius, Deborah Kuhn's Irish Sport Horse gelding Hashtag Trending (Future Trend x Silvanos Lift) ridden by Sarah Kuhn, and Katherine O'Brien's Irish Sport Horse gelding P.S. I Love You (FSS Correlli Bravo x Woodmount Queen) ridden by Allie Knowles.
The Facts:
In addition to the 6- and 7-year-old Developing Horse Championships, Oktoberfest is also offering international competition at the CCI4*-S, CCI3*-S, and CCI2*-S levels, as well as national competition from Beginner Novice through Advanced.
The FEI Technical Delegate for the CCI4*-S and CCI4*-S is Patricia Clifton (GBR), assisted by Muffin Pantaze (USA). Pantaze is also the TD for the CCI2*-S and all national levels.
The CCI4*-S President of the Ground Jury is Vanda Stewart (IRE), accompanied by Amanda Miller (USA). For the CCI3*-S, the President of the Ground Jury is Helen Brettell (GBR), assisted by Lori Hoos (USA). In the CCI2*-S, the President of the Ground Jury is Karen Winn (USA), aided by Amy Nichols (USA). For the national levels, the President of the Ground Jury is Amy Nichols (USA), aided by Stewart.
The cross-country course designer for the CCI4*-S is Captain Mark Phillips (GBR) with Mogie Bearden-Muller assisting. Bearden-Muller also designed the remaining FEI and national level cross-country courses.
Michel Vallaincourt (CAN) is the show jumping course designer.
The FEI Schedule:
Thursday, September 28th
9am-12pm & 1-5pm: FEI Arrival Exams
Friday, September 29th
8:00 a.m.-11:11a.m.: CCI4* Dressage
8:00 a.m.-3:11 p.m.: CCI3* Dressage
8:00 a.m.-10:49 a.m.: CCI2* Dressage
12:50 p.m. -1:38 p.m.: CCI4* Show Jumping
3:36 p.m. -5:16 p.m.: CCI3* Show Jumping
Saturday, September 30th
8:30 a.m. -9:14 a.m.: CCI2* Show Jumping
9:19 a.m. - 11:49 a.m.: CCI3* Cross-Country
12:07 p.m. -1:19 p.m.: CCI4* Cross-Country
2:20 p.m. -3:04 p.m.: CCI2* Cross-Country
To learn more about the USEF/USEA Eventing Developing Horse Championships please click here.
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