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Nearly 20 promising young event horses turned out to compete at the first USEA Future Event Horse competition of the West Coast, held at Ram Tap Horse Trials in Fresno, California on May 1-2. "It was a gorgeous day and all the babies were very well-behaved. We all had a really fun time," said Connie Arthur, who helped organize the classes, while Janis Linnan served as the judge.
A conglomeration of different breeds were represented in the FEH classes, which included Irish Sport Horses, Connemaras, warmbloods, and Morgans. Six of the youngsters were sired by Bridon Beale Street, an Irish Draught stallion who competes in Training level events (even long-format Training events!) with Arthur.
Margaret Young's yearling Oldenburg filly Querida scored the highest out of all the participants in the show, earning an impressive 82.0 to win the Yearling Filly class. The chestnut filly is sired by the prolific "modern" warmblood stallion Quaterback, who's quickly making a name for himself in the sport horse breeding community. Querida's dam Petruschka is a lovely old-fashioned warmblood mare, sired by Presidio.
Earl McFall's Rouge Et Blanc, a Morgan/TB gelding sired by Dragonfire Kirin, took top honors in the Two-Year-Old Colts/Geldings class with a 79.0. Nolan Spence had a busy day handling six horses at the competition including the second placed winners in both the Two-Year-Old Colts/Geldings class and the Two-Year-Old Fillies class, which were both Irish Sport Horses sired by Bridon Beale Street. Paden, owned by Jennifer Campbell, scored a 78.6 behind Rouge Et Blanc, while Stoneleigh's Priscilla, owned by Shirley Kahlert, was runner-up in the Two-Year-Old Fillies class with her 77.0.
Highland Empress, also owned and shown by McFall, was the winner of the Two-Year-Old Fillies class with a 78.9. The Irish Sport Horse filly is sired by the late great Master Imp, who sired such successful Advanced eventers as Mandiba and Ringwood Magister. "'Jade' was ever so lovely as she wowed the crowd with her star quality," reported the McFall family on their Dragonfire Farm blog.
Jordan Janis's three-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Nobleman (Siberian Summer x Candi's Star) won the Three-Year-Old Colts/Geldings class, and the lone contender in the Three-Year-Old Filly class was Lady Eve, a Percheron/TB (Grey Legion x Happy Hill Princess Diana).
Max Gerdes of Redbud Ranch handled two of his and his wife Lisa's lovely homebreds, both sired by the Connemara stallion Wildwych Eclipse. Redbuds Moonrock, a Hanoverian halfbred, took second in the Three-Year-old Colts/Geldings class with a 75.9, while a 71.7 earned Redbuds Celtic Tiger a fourth in the Two-Year-Old Colts/Geldings Class. Maurya Falkner also showed her halfbred Wildwych Eclipse filly Stellaluna (out of a Holsteiner mare) in the Two-Year-Old Class, scoring a 73.9 for fourth place.
The next West Coast Future Event Horse competition will take place (for the first time) at the prestigious Rebecca
Farm Horse Trials in Kalispell, Montana on July 21. More information can be found on the Rebecca Farm calendar listing.
The USEA would like to thank our generous sponsors Nutrena and the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America.
 (Photo courtesy Margaret Young) |  Querida (Photo courtesy Margaret Young) |  (Photo courtesy Dragonfire Farm) |
 1st Place 2yo Geldings: Rouge et Blanc (Photo courtesy Dragonfire Farm) |  2nd Place Yearling Fillies: Street Melody (Photo courtesy Connie Arthur) |  2nd Place 2yo Geldings: Paden (Photo courtesy Connie Arthur) |
 4th Place 2yo Geldings: Redbuds Celtic Tiger (Photo courtesy Redbud Ranch) |  3rd Place 2yo Fillies: Killasandra (Photo courtesy Connie Arthur) |  4th Place 2yo Fillies: Stellaluna (Photo courtesy Redbud Ranch) |
 5th Place 2yo Fillies: Kayleigh (Photo courtesy Connie Arthur) |  2nd Place 3yo Geldings: Redbuds Moonrock (Photo courtesy Redbud Ranch) |  1st Place 3yo Geldings: Nobleman (Photo courtesy Christie Janis) |
Interview with Querido's owner, Margaret Young:
Did you breed Querida yourself? Why did you choose the combination? What is her personality like?
Querida was bred by Cynthia Bergmann at Canterbury Court in Sanger, California. She chose Quarterback, with his phenomenal movement and modern type, to cross on her larger framed mare, Petruschka. While Querida shares her sire’s chestnut color with chrome, her dam is pure black with only a few white hairs on her forehead. I have always admired Quarterback and when I saw Querida at three days old, I knew she was something very special. Querida is very affectionate. She can be opinionated but seems very trainable with a good sense of self-preservation. She learned how to clip, bathe, tie, and trailer the week of the FEH show at Ram Tap.
Why did you choose to take her to the Future Event Horse competition?
I brought Querida to the FEH competition to show her off, gain recognition for her breeder, and let her begin gaining experience at an eventing venue. I think letting youngsters gain experience in a stimulating environment is important to their development. She was excited at first but as she hung out and watched the other horses, she really settled in and seemed to enjoy herself. I hope this experience reflects her future work ethic.
How did you like the format? Do you plan to attend any more of the competitions?
The format was very friendly for young horses. All the FEH competitors parked together and walked up to the show ring in groups. There were many people to help keep things running smoothly. I plan to take Querida to another FEH show and also the Area VI championships.
What are your future plans for Querida? Do you think you’d like to event her one day, or perhaps follow in her famous sire’s steps and concentrate on dressage?
Eventually, I would like to show Querida in the Young Event Horse classes and in dressage.
1. How did you first hear about the USEA Future Event Horse program?
Max and I first learned about the Future Event Horse Program after reading about it on the USEA website and then again in USEA's EventingUSA magazine. At the time there were no FEH venues being offered on the West Coast and so we inquired with our then Area Chair Person David Adamo. We attended our first Future Event Horse competition nearly a year and a half later in 2009 at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California.
2. Why did you decide to bring your babies to the FEH shows? Did you think it would be a great way to promote your breeding program and your stallion?
Max and I have successfully brought several of our homebred Connemaras up through the ranks of the USDF/Cosequin Breeders Challenge and felt that the Future Event Horse Series better matched our breeding goals with its emphasis on functional conformation and future soundness over extravagance. Our pony stallion WIldwych Eclipse successfully competed in the Spalding Labs USEA Young Event Horse Series in 2008 and we felt that Future Event Series offered the perfect venue to showcase his offspring and our breeding program. It is an excellent opportunity to network with others breeders and receive invaluable feedback on your individual prospects.
3. How long have you and Max been breeding horses? What are some of your breeding goals and what are some of the things you enjoy doing with your ponies?
Max and I have been involved with breeding Connemara ponies since 2002 but have also produced both Thoroughbred and warmbloods for racing and sport. Max and I both enjoy competing in recognized dressage and combined training and are active members of the American Connemara Pony Society, Oldenburg Verband Weser Ems as well as the ISR/Old NA. Our breeding goals include the production show quality pure and partbred Connemara ponies for dressage and combined training with a particular emphasis on rideability and character. We strive to produce conformationally correct athletes who are sound in both mind and body. Primarily we breed large ponies and smaller crossbred sport horses for the ambitious amateur who is ready to downsize but still remain competitive.
4. When your ponies age out of the FEH, are you hoping to compete in the YEH program?
Yes, we have two currently who will begin competing in the Spalding Labs USEA Young Event Horse Program starting in 2011. We look forward to supporting both programs both now and in the future.
5. What did you think of the format of the FEH program? Do you think it’ll help prepare your youngsters for their future careers as eventers…getting them out and about, etc.?
Yes, the time preparing to compete, traveling to the show, and the actual show ring experience are invaluable training opportunities for each youngster. The overall experience also provides valuable insight into how well your youngsters and your training hold up in the show environment.
