Your 2018 USEA Future Event Horse Central Championship Grand Champion. Diamond Davinity owned by Jayne Lloyd. Photo by Kate Boggan.
The inaugural USEA Future Event Horse Central Championships crowned its winners this weekend at the Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas. The event was organized by Snowdonia Farms and FEH enthusiast, Jayne Lloyd. Jayne proposed the idea of a Central FEH Championship back in 2016 and this weekend’s results are a testament to her hard work and dedication to the program.
“The program is about education and learning,” says Jayne, “We don’t all step on these great horses as finished products, we have to start somewhere and this is where I want to help.”
Martin wound up handling many of the young horses for the competition Saturday, including the beautiful Pave Diamante WCF owned by Holly Parks. Photo by Kate Boggan.
Eighteen horses, from yearlings to 4-year-olds, competed in the Championship on Saturday and 12 horses participated in an FEH Clinic Friday with young horse guru Martin Douzant. Martin moved from France to The Plains, Virginia in 2014 and, with his wife Ashley, brought their training program, The Frame Sport Horses, to the USA. The husband and wife duo built their program around young horse development and that continues to be a central pillar of The Frame Sport Horses.
Martin Douzant shows owner Amanda Chance how to get the most out of “Presto’s” trot. Photo by Kate Boggan.
The clinic was open to horses competing in the Championship on Saturday and outside horses looking for some FEH experience. Yearling handlers worked in the triangle, receiving advice from Martin on how to best showcase their horse’s potential while horses 2 years old and up worked through the jump chute. Martin and his team focused on each horse as an individual and gave them confidence building runs through the chute in preparation for the competition or gave owners areas to focus on and improve in their young horses at home.
Heather, a 4-year-old Oldenburg Filly owned by Rebecca Speer, through the jump chute. Photo by Kate Boggan.
The yearlings kicked of the competition Saturday morning, strutting their stuff for the judges on the triangle. In FEH competition yearlings, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds all perform a set triangle pattern to be evaluated on gait and conformation. The 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds are free jumped through the jump chute, and 4-year-olds compete in a walk/trot/canter under saddle class. Horses are placed by age and gender and an overall champion is crowned for each age division. For the full list of rules for FEH competition, click here.
Layout of the triangle pattern FEH horses perform. Graphic by USEA.
All-in-all, the inaugural USEA Future Event Horse Central Championship was a huge success. The future of the FEH program and its development in the central regions is bright thanks to the efforts of program supporters like Jayne Lloyd, Martin Douzant, and all those who participated this weekend. Thank you to Texas Rose Horse Park for hosting, and thank you Snowdonia Farms for organizing. We can’t wait to see what 2019 brings.
Congratulations to all the winners at the 2018 USEA Future Event Horse Central Championships:
Yearling Colt: Like Magic WTW owned by Amanda Chance
Yearling Filly: Deanfield Ice Queen owned by Christine McCarter
Yearling Overall: Deanfield Ice Queen owned by Christine McCarter
2-year-old Colt: Changi owned by Jeanne Dolan
2-year-old Filly: Diamond Follie owned by Jayne Lloyd
2-year-old Overall: Changi owned by Jeanne Dolan
3-year-old Stallion: Diamond Davinity owned by Jayne Lloyd
3-year-old Mare: Through Osmosis owned by Ellen Doughty-Hume
3-year-old Overall: Diamond Davinity owned by Jayne Lloyd
FEH Grand Champion: Diamond Davinity owned by Jayne Lloyd
4-year-old Overall: Two Step Program owned by Ellen Doughty-Hume
Final official results will be posted on the USEA website on their Future Event Horse page.
Yearling Overall Champion, Deanfield Ice Queen, owned by Christine McCarter. Photo by Kate Boggan.
