Three of a Kind: Meet the 2018 USEA FEH East, West, and Central Grand Champions

This week on the USEA Podcast, meet the three USEA Future Event Horse (FEH) Grand Champions from the East Coast, West Coast, and Central Championships.

The 2018 USEA FEH East Coast Grand Champion title went to Lauren Welsh's Oldenburg gelding Solo Hit (Sagnol x Arista GS) on a final score of 87.64. Welsh shares the story of how she came across Solo Hit, who was bred by Red Gate Sporthorses in Canada, what he's been like to work with, and the other accolades he has achieved so far. Welsh used to breed show jumping horses, so she talks a bit about what she saw in Solo's breeding that caught her eye and her philosophy in producing young horses.

In 2016 she was the Yearling Champion, then in 2017 she took the 2-year-old Championship title, and this year Cheron Laboissonniere's Holsteiner filly Hallelujah DF (Mighty Magic x Columbia BF) made it a hat trick, taking the 2018 USEA FEH West Coast Grand Championship on an impressive score of 90.19. Jennifer McFall, "Halle's" handler, talked a bit about the story behind her breeding, including how she got her name, and the potential she's seen in the mare so far. 

In addition to owning Diamond Davinity (Diamond Domini x Hyperboreas), the Dutch Warmblood who scored a 78.93 to take the 2018 USEA FEH Central Grand Champion title, Jayne Lloyd is also the organizer of the inaugural USEA FEH Central Championships. Lloyd talks about the process she went through to get the new FEH Central Championships off the ground and then shares some background about her breeding program, her experience producing young stock, and her high hopes for what "Vinny" will achieve in the future.