Boys ruled at the Spalding Labs/United States Eventing Association (USEA) Young Event Horse (YEH) competition at Waredaca Horse Trials in Unity, MD, with two geldings and their male riders rising to the top of the four four-year-olds and eight five-year-olds who contested the event.

Four-Year-Olds
Matt Flynn of Gladstone, NJ, travelled to Germany last fall to find a nice young horse to bring back to the U.S. as a sales project. Caspar (Contendro I x Orchidee 33) was the horse he chose and the Holsteiner gelding, who is co-owned by Susan Schmidt, arrived in the United States in January.

“Waredaca was Caspar’s first event,” Flynn explained. “He is just a real quality horse, and it turned out to be a great event.”

Caspar loped easily around the jumping phase and showed off an impressive gallop at the end to earn the highest score of the YEH competition, an 82.25. Flynn is hoping to compete Caspar in some Novice and Training horse trials this season and if he has not sold before October, you can expect to see him at the YEH Championships at Fair Hill.

Neal and Courtney Cooper’s Thoroughbred mare, Nevaeh (Cathy’s Regal Son x August Sunset) was not far behind Caspar with a 79.66.

Five-Year-Olds
Sarah Hughes’ pair of Warmblood geldings took home the top two spots in the five-year-old division with Ryan Wood in the tack beating out the six other horses entered. Zeizos, a Dutch Warmblood gelding by Gentleman out of Sentimental beat out his stablemate, Alcatraz (Lady Killer x Annes) an Oldenburg gelding to win the blue.

Alcatraz and Zeizos came from the same yard in England, but Sarah Hughes purchased them at different times. Alcatraz arrived in the United States in November 2009, and Zeizos crossed the pond in March 2010. “Both horses were incredibly green and had only been working under saddle for a few months prior to purchasing,” Hughes explained. “I was familiar with Alcatraz's breeding, as he is directly related to some other horses I own, so I felt he was a safe investment! I knew very little about Zeizos' breeding, but I was impressed with his movement and power, and he was quickly added to the team.”

“Phillip Dutton has essentially produced both horses from the minute they arrived in the U.S.,” Hughes continued. “I believe that the success my horses have achieved stems from the consistent and phenomenal training program offered at True Prospect Farm, coupled with Phillip's genuine interest in developing young horses. I don't have any specific goals for either horse at this stage in their training. Right now I thoroughly enjoy watching Phillip produce them, and I will support whatever short or long-term plan that he feels is in the best interest of the horse.”

The YEH competition at Waredaca represented Hughes’ first experience with the Spalding Labs/USEA YEH series, and it was also Zeizos' first competition. “I have watched the YEH series develop over the years, and I'm impressed with the quality of the venue,” Hughes said. “I feel these competitions offer owners and riders valuable feedback since the horse is being evaluated while performing skills that are considered age-appropriate. While one cannot go home and readily alter their horse's conformation, comments and scores obtained in the other categories may help raise awareness of education deficiencies, the young horses possesses and encourage early correction. The feedback obtained at the YEH competition may also assist with the process of setting realistic goals for the young event horse.”

The Young Event Horse Series made possible by the generosity of title sponsor Spalding Labs as well as our legacy sponsors: Fleeceworks, Stackhouse Saddles, Smart Pak Equine and Succeed.

Four two-year-olds and a lone three-year-old showed up to strut their stuff in the Future Event Horse Competition. Skylark WS, an FEH veteran, blew the competition out of the water with an 81.3. The two-year-old Oldenburg filly (Sinatra Song x Rockette) was handled by her owner, Jill Windsor.

Marsha Spencer’s Salute The Captain, the two-year-old Thoroughbred gelding by Salute The Truth out of Pippi Highstockings, took home the red ribbon after earning a score of 73.0. Third place in the two-year-old class went to another Salute The Truth progeny, Flirtin’ With The Truth, while Redshift (Reno x Big Hearted Lady) rounded out the competition with a fourth place.

The three-year-old entrant, Little Miss Moonshine, earned a 71.2. Emmi Holmes bred and owns the American Warmblood mare who is by Maxamillion and out of Holiday Impulse.

The Future Event Horse Series is sponsored by Nutrena and IDHSNA. For more information on the Series, please contact Wendy Weinstein at (703) 669-9996, [email protected].