United States Eventing Association

Sixty of the country's top young horses are headed to Elkton, Maryland, for the 2026 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships, held alongside the CCI3*-L at Fair Hill. The field includes 23 four-year-olds and 37 five-year-olds, and each one earned a qualifying score of 75% or higher at a 2026 USEA YEH qualifier. The 4-year-old champion will be crowned on Friday, October 16, and the 5-year-old champion on Saturday, October 17.

The Field

• Eight 5-year-olds are back after contesting the 2025 USEA YEH 4-Year-Old East Coast Championship. The highest-placed returnee is the 2025 4-year-old champion, MBF Mirror Image (Quality Time x Chestnuthill Lady Milbrook), an Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Alice Tarjan and ridden by Arielle Aharoni. She is joined by 2025 reserve champion Vagatendro (Vagabond x Contessa) ridden by Kendyl Tracy and third-placed Redtail Angel's Envy (Timolin x Miss Moneypenny V) ridden by Morgan Batton.

• Blue Hiello EFS (Hiello x Abbazia) has the highest qualifying score among the 5-year-olds, an 88.45% earned at Ocala Summer II Horse Trials. He is an Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Eliza Farren and ridden by Alexander O'Neal. Among the 4-year-olds, Quite Everglade (Quite Great x Babette) leads with an 84.55%, also from Ocala Summer II. He is a German Sport Horse gelding owned and ridden by Elinor O'Neal, which means the O'Neals bring the top qualifier in both divisions.

• Caroline Pamukcu, Madison Temkin, and Courtney Cooper each have three rides this weekend. Pamukcu rides HSH Beneficial (Coolkeeran x Thisonesformary) and HSH Straight Arrow (Datsdwhy x Imnotafraid Fortuna) in the 4-year-old Championship and HSH Moves Like Jagger (Cookstown Royal Cavalier x Shakira K) in the 5-year-olds. Temkin pilots Rock D'Oro (Bolt D’Oro x Rockport Babe) in the 4-year-old Championship and Fernhill Fiesta (HHS Cornet x Ploverfield Gem) and Fernhill Lord Chacoa ELm (Chacoa x Lady Alley) in the 5-year-olds. All of Courtney Cooper’s three rides, Atomic Star (Capital Colnardo x Count R Lucky Stars), Excel Star Jackpot (Casallo Z x Mullentine One to One), and Excel Star Stone Cutte (Cafallco x Dalmez), are competing in the 5-year-old Championship.

• Irish Sport Horses top the breed list again with 18 entries, four 4-year-olds and fourteen 5-year-olds. Thoroughbreds are second with 12.

• 31 of the 60 entries were bred in the United States, 4 of which were bred by their riders: Ferus de Muze (I’m Special de Muze x Wild Orange) - bred, owned, and ridden by Grace Fulton, Atomic Star - bred by Courtney Cooper with Neal Camens, and owned and ridden by Cooper, Tanyderi All In (Raven Sky x Twobits) - bred, owned, and ridden by Margo Goldfarb, and At Best (Saketini x Shezagreatgal) - bred, owned, and ridden by Audrea Dyer.

The Facts

• View the official USEA YEH East Coast Championship program here. All entries are listed in the program with full breeding info!
• Marilyn Payne and Chris Ryan will judge the USEA YEH East Coast 5-Year-Old Championship. Payne judges dressage, Ryan judges conformation, and both judge the jumping and galloping test. On the West Coast, Payne and Ryan will judge both age divisions.
• The USEA YEH 4-Year-Old Championship on the East Coast will be judged by Debbie Rodriguez (dressage), Cathy Tucker-Slaterbeck (conformation), and Peter Gray and Phyllis Dawson (jumping and galloping).
• Each horse had to score a 75% or higher at a YEH qualifying event throughout the 2026 season to earn their spot to compete in the USEA YEH East Coast Championships.
• Horses are scored on three sections: dressage (20%), conformation and type (10%), and a jumping and galloping test (70%) that combines show jumps and cross-country fences in one derby-style course. The course has 15 obstacles: 5 show jumps and 10 cross-country fences. Maximum height is 2'11" for the 4-year-olds and 3'3" for the 5-year-olds, apart from the show jumping option fence.
• The Holekamp/Turner Young Event Horse Le Lion d'Angers Grant and The Dutta Corp. prize of a $10,000 flight credit to France from the East Coast of the U.S. 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 WBFSH Eventing World Championships for Young Horses at Mondial du Lion 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 2028, based on their scores this week.
  • Phillip Dutton and Darwinn are representing the U.S. this year as the 2026 Holekamp/Turner Grant Recipients. Learn more here!
• Judge Peter Gray will host a free educational seminar during the 5-year-old jumping and galloping test on Saturday. Starting with the first horse and running into the late afternoon, Gray will explain how judges assess rideability, rhythm between fences, the gallop and overall impression, and what the judges are looking for. The seminar is open to all. Bring your own chair, and donations to the YEH program are encouraged.

The Schedule (updates posted here)

Thursday, October 15

• 4:30 p.m. (tentative): YEH rider meeting

Friday, October 16

• 8:00 a.m.: 4- and 5-year-old dressage and conformation (Gallaher Main Arena)

• 10:00 a.m.: 4-year-old jumping and galloping (Gallaher XC Course in Seagram's Field)

• Approximately 3:45 p.m.: 4-year-old awards ceremony (Gallaher Main Arena)

Saturday, October 17

• 8:30 a.m.: 5-year-old jumping and galloping (Gallaher XC Course in Seagram's Field), with Peter Gray's educational seminar running alongside

• Approximately 3:00 p.m.: 5-year-old awards ceremony (Gallaher Main Arena)

Next Up

The USEA YEH West Coast Championships will be held October 23–24 at Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, with a last-chance qualifier the day before.

Helpful Links:

• YEH Rules & Guidelines
• YEH Homepage
• USEA Prize List
• Schedule of Events
• Live Scoring
• Volunteer
• USEA Event Coverage
• Ride Times
• YEH Course Maps

Don't forget to follow the USEA’s event coverage on social media!

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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 4- and 5-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 Platinum Sponsor, The Dutta Corp., as well as Contributing Sponsors ARMA, Bates Saddles, CrossCountry App, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Gallagher's Water, Gorsebridge Go For Gold, The Jockey Club, Kerrits, Marshall+Sterling, Schneiders Saddlery, SmartPak, WeRideTogether and Standlee, and Prize Sponsor 100xEquine for sponsoring the USEA Young Event Horse Program.

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 $10,000 flight credit from the Eastern United States to Europe.