This Thursday and Friday, join the USEA in the Timber Field at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill to witness 92 of the country’s brightest 4- and 5-year-old horses battle it out for top honors in The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships presented by Dubarry of Ireland!
The YEH East Coast Championships will again take place alongside the CCI5*-L and CCI3*-L National Championship divisions at the Maryland 5 Star, with the 4-year-old champion crowned on Thursday, Oct. 19 and the 5-year-old champion on Friday, Oct. 20. Get to know the field of talented young horses set to tackle this challenge below!
The Field
There will be 15 young horses returning to contest the 5-Year-Old Championship that previously competed in last year’s 4-Year-Old Championship, including the 2022 Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast 4-Year-Old Champion, Shmick (Luigi d’Eclipse x Winter Lady), a Zangersheide gelding owned by Anne Hennessey, bred by Chris Brems, and ridden by Boyd Martin.
In the 5-Year-Old Championship, Namara CFF, a Dutch Warmblood mare by Everdale and out of Damara, had the highest qualifying score of the entrants. The mare, owned by Alyssa Peterson and bred by Wiley Grosvenor, won the 5-year-old division at the Hunt Club Farms qualifier in May on a score of 88.15 with Sharon White in the irons. Lea Adams-Blackmore will present Namara CFF at the championship.
In the 4-year-old Championship, the Irish Sport Horse gelding, HSH Afterglow (Hype x Ringwood Venus), claimed the highest qualifying score of the entrants with an 85.80 at Flora Lea Fall in September. HSH Afterglow is owned and ridden by Caroline Pamukcu and was bred by Peter Leonard.
Jennie Brannigan will be the only rider competing in all four divisions at this year's Maryland 5 Star:
In the CCI5*-L, Brannigan will field Nina Gardner’s 13-year-old homebred Thoroughbred gelding, Twilightslastgleam (National Anthem x Royal Child)
In the CCI3*-L, Pascal (Pasco x Z-Corrada I), the 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Alexa Lapp and Gregory Newell, will be Brannigan's only mount.
In the 4-Year-Old Championship, she will ride Katherine O’Brien’s Holsteiner gelding, Blacklist (Balvenie x F-Pasco Dame).
In the 5-Year-Old Championship, Brannigan will have two rides: Shanon Baker's Hanoverian gelding Fulio (For Pleasure x Contensita), and Grand Finale (National Anthem x Catalina), a Thoroughbred gelding owned and bred by Nina Gardner.
Lee Maher will be the busiest rider in this year’s Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships with eight horses across both age groups.
For the 4-Year-Old Championship, Maher will saddle up three of Pamukcu’s horses:
HSH Unotuchable, the Irish Sport Horse gelding by Uriko out of Stella XXI,
Mario, the Holsteiner gelding by Escalade out of Clarimo,
and HSH Chase De Muze, the Irish Sport Horse gelding by NLS Nikitas Cool Dancer out of I’m Special de Muze.
In the 5-Year-Old Championship, Maher will be riding an astounding five horses:
Redfield Farm’s Warmblood gelding Redfield Need for Speed (Gasphar x Evita), who was bred by A. Kanter,
Redfield Farm's Warmblood stallion Redfield Nibor Van T Wod (Ultimo Van Ter Moude x I. Germie), who was bred by D. Ten Hoeve,
Caroline Pamukcu’s Belgian Warmblood gelding HSH Clever Z (Clicksem x Perla Van De Casterhoeve),
Debbie Adam’s Dutch Warmblood gelding D.A. Nobel (Falaise De Muze x Evyrose HV), who was bred by Hesen-Vossen,
and Mason Reidy’s Zangersheide gelding Balou Boy Z (Bisquet Balou C x Chelsy-St-Ghyvan Z) who was bred by Janssen Daniel.
The Irish Sport Horse reigns supreme again this year as the most popular breed in both divisions of the championships, with 14 entries in the 5-Year-Old Championship and 11 entries in the 4-Year-Old Championship.
This year, a total of 33 horses entered in the Championships were bred in the U.S., representing more than a third of the field. 19 of the domestically bred horses are entered in the 4-Year-Old Championships, and 14 will contest the 5-Year-Old Championship. These horses will be eligible for the Born in America Award, which is presented to highest scoring American bred horse across both age groups.
There are 12 U.S.-bred Thoroughbreds competing across both divisions that will be eligible for the American Thoroughbred Award, which is given to the highest scoring American bred Thoroughbred at the Championships. Thoroughbreds entered in the Championship that participate in The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program (TIP) will also be eligible for the TIP Award, which is presented to the highest scoring Thoroughbred registered with the TIP from either division.
The Facts:
The Dutta. Corp USEA YEH East and West Coast Championships will be judged by Marilyn Payne (USA) and Christian Schacht (GER). Additionally, the East Coast Championships will bring on four judges for their 4-Year-Old Championship: Linda Zhang for Dressage, Cathy Tucker-Slaterbeck for Conformation, and Peter Gray and Pam Wiedemann for Jumping/Gallop.
Each horse had to score a 75% or higher at a YEH event throughout the 2023 season to qualify to compete at The Dutta Corp. USEA YEH East Coast Championships.
Horses in the 4-year-old and 5-year-old Championships will participate in three phases of competition: Dressage (20%), Conformation and Type (10%), and a Jumping/Gallop Test (70%), which combines five show jumps and ten cross-country jumps for a derby-style course.
The Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Le Lion d'Angers Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize of a round trip flight to Mondial du Lion will be up for grabs for the highest-scoring horse from the YEH 5-year-old Championships (both East and West) that is qualified and willing to compete at the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships in Le Lion d'Angers, France, in their 7-year-old year. The 5-year-old horses competing in this year’s championship will be eligible for the grant in 2025, based on their scores this week.
The Schedule:
Thursday, October 19
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Dressage and Conformation at Arena C and Jog Strips
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. – YEH 5-year-old Dressage and Conformation at Arena C and Jog Strips
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Jumping/Galloping Test at YEH Jumping Area in Timber Field
Approx. 5:00 p.m. – YEH 4-year-old Awards
Friday, October 20
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – YEH 5-year-old Jumping/Galloping Test at YEH Jumping Area in Timber Field
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, 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.
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.
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