| 2005
USEA/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series
Competitor Information.
The USEA Young Event Series was undoubtedly
one of the most exciting projects launched in 2004. The Series follows somewhat
after the Irish model with classes designed specifically to showcase the potential
of four- and five-year-old event horses, giving breeders and owners a stage to
promote their youngsters’ talents among a field of their peers. The
classes offer four sections: dressage, jumping, conformation and type, and suitability
and potential. While the judges look for horses with strong abilities in dressage
and show jumping, they also look for a horse with correct, elastic gaits, scope
and athleticism over fences, and those that with the correct training will have
the speed, soundness, and stamina necessary at the top levels of the sport. USEA
Executive Director Jo Whitehouse, who spearheaded the launch of the YEH Series,
summed up the Series’ philosophy best: “Eventers in the U.S. are used
to buying horses that are already competing, or finding them off the track and
re-training them. Hopefully programs like the USEA/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse
Series will encourage more people to consider purchasing a young prospect bred
specifically for the sport, or even better, to try their luck by pairing up a
mare and stallion that could produce a future Rolex winner!” Five USEA
horse trials offered Young Event Horse divisions in 2004, with the championships
held at the final event at the Morven Park CCI* and Advanced Horse Trials in October,
presided over by George Mernagh, one of the directors of the Tattersalls Ireland
Bloodstock office. Fifteen events have signed on for 2005, with several in the
Midwest and on the West Coast. The championships will again be held at Morven
Park, though the hope is that in the very near future enough events will offer
Young Event Horse divisions so that finals will be held on both coasts and the
Midwest. Details
for 2005: Section I: Dressage Test - 35 marks
Section II:
Conformation and Type - 15 marks
Section III: Jumping - 40 marks
Section
IV: Suitability and Potential -1-10 marks Qualifiers:
Horses must earn a 70 or higher at two or more Young Event Horse
competitions to participate in the Young Event Horse Championships (Fall, 2005)
Requirements:
1. Minimum height of horses, 15 hands
2. Age: horses foaled in 2000
or 2001; minimum age of rider, 14 years
3. Membership: Riders are not required
to be USEA members, horses are not required to be USEA registered.
4. Saddlery:
Only snaffle bridles may be used and boots and martingales are optional for jumping.
No boots to be worn in Sections I or II.
5. Dress: Same as for USEA horse
trials, ASTM/SEI helmet with harness snugly fitted must be worn when jumping in
warm-up and in Section III. 2005
Venues:
May:
Jersey Fresh, Area II (NJ) May 13th
Jersey Fresh
CDCTA, Area II (VA) May 30th - if entries warrant CDCTA June:
Waredaca, Area II (MD) June 3rd Waredaca
Trinity River, Area V (TX) June
3rd Trinity River
Moon Rock, Area IX (WY) June 5th Moon Rock
Las Colinas,
Area V (TX) June 10th
CDCTA, Area II (VA) June 26th CDCTA July:
Wayne, Area IV, (IL) July 7th
Genesee Valley Hunt, Area I, (NY) July 8th
Wayne DuPage
Rebecca Farm, Area VII (MT) July 21st Rebecca Farm
Surefire
Farm, Area II (VA) July 22nd Surefire Eventing
Gemwood, Area VIII (OH) July
31st Gemwood August:
Lincoln Creek, Area VII (WA) August 19th
Lincoln Creek
Richland Park, Area VIII (MI) August 26th Richland Park
Millbrook, Area I (NY) August Millbrook September:
Plantation
Field, Area II (PA) September 16th Plantation Field
Golden Spike, Area IX
(UT) September Golden Spike
Morven Park, Area II (VA) September Morven Park
Pinehurst, Area II (NC) September 9th
River Glen, Area III (TN) September
10th
Heritage Park, Area IV (KS) September 24th October:
Woodside, Area VI (CA) October Woodside
Las Colinas, Area V (TX) October
1 - 2nd Guidelines
for Judges: The aim of these classes is to encourage breeders
and trainers to produce and present the correct type of young horse which is considered
to be the best material to make a top three day event horse. Method
of Judging: The Judges should bear in mind they are looking
for potential for the future. Unfortunately, all too often, the horse with the
most potential may not be the one which is presented in the best manner. They
are looking for an athletic, loose moving horse with a promising jumping technique
who with correct training will develop physically and mentally into a strong three
day eventer. His conformation and movement should enable him to withstand
the demands of the sport in terms of soundness, speed and stamina. Lack of quality
and other defects which may prevent him being fast enough, should be penalized
against him, even though he may make a nice dressage or show jumping horse. However,
a lack of size should not be held against him. Equally one should not allow a
possible prejudice against mares to affect any judgment. It is essential to encourage
riders to give mares more of a chance if we are to establish a better breeding
policy using proven mares. In the dressage phase, unlike a normal dressage
test, we are not assessing the state of training and marks are not given for individual
movements. Therefore the judge may stand wherever he will get the best view. Three
correct, elastic and regular gaits through a swinging back are the qualities that
judges will be seeking. The Judge will have to weigh up the influence of the rider;
a good rider may present a well balanced, smooth test from perhaps a moderate,
unscopey horse while a novice rider may even hinder a good horse from showing
its true worth. It is the horse's, and not the rider's real potential we are looking
for. Likewise in the jumping we are looking for a bold athletic horse with good
technique and a horse with these qualities should not necessarily be penalized
for knocking down a fence providing he learns from his mistake. Four year olds
may find it easier to jump out of trot. Use
of Marks Careful thought must be given as to how the marks are
used. In order to have enough of a gap between the fairly bad and good horses
it is necessary to use the full range of marks (see below). Similar to dressage
judging, the first horse in sets the standard and therefore one must leave enough
room to put better horses above and weaker horses below. In conclusion
we could sum up by asking the question "which horse would I buy to make the
best three day eventer?" We are not buying the rider .... only the horse.
Judging Section I - Dressage Test:
- Marking
1-10 poor
11-20 adequate
21-30 good
31-35 excellent
-To
be ridden from memory.
- Marking based on overall collective impressions Young
Event Horse Dressage Test:
Letter Movement
A Enter at working trot
X From X proceed directly to
M Working trot
C Circle left 20 meters
HXF Change rein. Show a few lengthened strides (not required by 4 year olds)
Between A & K Canter right
E Circle right 20 meters
MXK Change
rein at X working trot
Between K & F Canter left
M Working Trot
H Medium Walk
E Halt Salute
Long rein and leave Arena At Walk
Section II -
Conformation and Type
Out of 15 Maximum Marks
Horses are stripped of tack and shown in hand. Horses will be asked to jog.
Horses will be judged on potential for soundness, speed and stamina. Section
III - Jumping
Out of 40 maximum marks
- Marking
1-15
poor;
16-25 adequate;
26-35 good;
36-40 excellent Depending
on the event, horses may be required to cross a ditch or negotiate a water crossing.
Please take notice of individual omnibus listings for this information. Championship
classes will be required to cross water and jump a ditch. Jumps may be in an arena,
or a field. Maximum height of fences 2'11" (4- year-olds) 3'3" (5 year-olds).
Section IV - Suitability and Potential
1 - 10 marks
Horses are required to gallop immediately following the last jump in Section
III. Marks will be added to those from the previous three sections to find the
winner. Note: In the event of equality of marks at the end, i.e. after all four
sections, the jumping mark will take precedence. Should this still produce an
equality of marks, the highest mark attained in the final section will be the
deciding factor.
Presenting Sponsors --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stackhouse Saddle Makers
Contributing Sponsor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Underwriting Sponsors --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equine Medical Center
of Ocala
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