The United States Eventing Association (USEA)/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series will kick off its 2007 season on March 14 at the Sporting Days in Aiken Horse Trials in Aiken, SC.

The series, which is best described as an equine talent search, gives some of the most talented youngsters in the country a chance to shine, with the ultimate goal to find future four-star champions. At least 20 qualifying competitions are planned for 2007, with the championships scheduled for September 12, at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL, leading into the start of the Wellpride American Eventing Championships, which will take place at the same site, September 13-16.

The series is split by age (four- and five-year-old divisions), with the qualifying divisions at each event offering 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 youngsters 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.

Qualifying divisions are held throughout the year in conjunction with horse trials around the country. The goal? Earn at least two scores of 70 or higher to qualify for the championships.

Last year’s championships were held October 6, at the Morven Park CCI* and Advanced Horse Trials in Leesburg, VA. Reigning Olympic Gold medallist Leslie Law aboard Patricia Tackett’s 16.3-hand Hanoverian Rain Man (Rosentau-Esperanza) earned the tri-colored ribbon in the five-year-old division. Kaiti Saunders’ Folklore, a 16.2-hand Hanoverian (Feinerstern-Vast N Bright) ridden by Allison Springer took the reserve champion title—almost a repeat performance of the 2005 championships, where he finished as the reserve in the four-year-old division.

Olympic and Pan Am medallist Darren Chiacchia rode away with the top two places in the four-year-old division, winning the championship honors on Hanno and taking reserve with Fantastik.

Tim and Cheryl Holekamp’s Hanno, a 16.2-hand bay Trakehner gelding that exhibited the athleticism of his famous father Windfall, won the division, while stablemate Fantastik, Chiacchia’s 17.1-hand chestnut Trakehner gelding (Connery-Helia), earned the reserve champion title.

The series is made possible through the generous support of title sponsor Spalding Labs; presenting sponsors of Fleeceworks and Stackhouse Saddles; contributing sponsor of Acorn Hill Farm; and underwriting sponsor of Dunlavin Horses.

For more information on the USEA/Spalding Labs Young Event Horse Series, visit www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=yeh. To find out more about Lamplight Equestrian Center, site of the 2007 championships, visit www.lamplightequestrian.com, and for more information on the Wellpride AEC, visit the AEC section of the USEA website, or www.aecatlamplight.org.


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