Upton House provided the perfect platform for young event horses to showcase their talent in the six- and seven-year-old The Howden Way Young Horse classes. The age classes give riders a platform in which to showcase their talented six- and seven-year-old event horses.
Tom McEwen piloted Penny and Fred Barker’s Maestro to victory in the seven-year-old class. A 27.3 dressage and just 3.2 cross-country time penalties saw them finish on a winning score of 30.5. The gelding by Hampshire VDL has had a successful season so far, with six top 10 finishes, including finishing fourth in his first CCI-S 2* at Osberton International in May.
The runner-up prize went to Izzy Taylor and Alex Phillips’ Retouchable with a score of 30.9, while Tom Jackson was third riding Sarah and Richard Jewson’s My Star Turn on a score of 33.
Six-year-old class
Laura Collett and Cooley Iceage were victors of the six-year-old The Howden Way Young Horse class. The finished on their dressage score of 29.3 following a super double clear. The gelding by Alicante is owned by Diana Chappell, Teresa Stopford Sackville, Gillian Morris-Adams and Carolyn Taylor, and hasn’t finished out of the top ten in any of his six runs this season.
“I’m really excited about him for the future,” said Laura. “He’s a dream to ride and has taken to eventing really well.”
A double clear saw Eliza Bell and Stellar Sky finish in second on a score of 29.8, while Izzy Taylor and Barrington Boy were third on a total score of 30.5.
For full results, click here
The series, supported by The Howden Way, is an ideal opportunity for riders to expose their up-and-coming eventers to the atmosphere of bigger venues, while competing against other horses of the same age. The classes offer recognition for the highest performing horses in these classes.
The Young Horse classes take place throughout the spring and summer in some of BE’s most stunning venues with the 6-year-old classes running at novice level, and the 7-year-old classes running at intermediate level.
The top three in each class receive an additional £250, £150, £100 respectively on top of the prize money already generated and awarded by the prize money calculator.
For dates of the young horse classes this year, please click here
Alongside these classes, the performance of young horses competing with British Eventing is acknowledged within The Howden Way Young Horse Leagues which can be found here. There are four leagues which cover the ages of 5 years, 6 years, 7 years and then the ages of 8 & 9 combined. The leagues display the average of a horse’s three best finishing scores via a Power Based Average score which highlights the ability to repeatedly finish on a low score.
The 2024 Young Horse Championships take place at Cornbury House Horse Trials in Oxfordshire between 12-15 September. The classes will also benefit those aiming their young horses at the FEI World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers between 17-20 October, which hosts a CCI2*-L World Championship for six-year-olds and a CCI3*-L World Championship for seven-year-olds.
Images courtesy of Hannah Cole Photography
