The 2026 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships will be held June 26-28, 2026, at The Maryland International in Adamstown, Maryland.

The following three levels are offered with the following FEI age requirements:

• CCI1* for FEI ages 14-18

• CCI2*S for FEI ages 14-21

• CCI3*S for FEI ages 16-25

The qualifying period is January 1, 2025, through May 24, 2026.

You CAN apply if you aren’t currently qualified, but you must be fully qualified by May 24, 2026, to be part of a YRC team.

There is no application fee to apply in 2026!!

In addition to the standard USEF and FEI requirements to participate at each level, the following additional qualifications are required to be on an Area IV YRC team:

Athlete must be a current Area IV Young Rider declared member for 2025.
Athlete must have at least 10 volunteer hours within the qualifying period.
CCI3*S athletes must also have a MER at a prior CCI3*-S within the qualifying period.
CCI2*S athletes must also have a MER at a prior CCI2*-S within the qualifying period. 
CCI1* athletes do not have any additional MER qualifications beyond what is required by FEI/USEA. 
An FEI MER is considered no more than 45 points in Dressage, no XC penalties, no more than 75 seconds XC time penalties and no more than 16 points in SJ.

USEF Application deadline to represent Area IV at YRC is May 1, 2026, at 10:59 PM Central Time (11:59PM Eastern). USEF has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for late applications. Area IV is not permitted to accept late applications. This application is not the FEI Entry for the event - it is a separate application.

YRC Team Application will be available on the USEF Athlete dashboard under online applications by March 2026.

Selected team members must also submit their FEI Entry through his/her USEF Athlete Dashboard AND submit his/her direct entry to the competition with the indication of YRC and Area IV for stalling - Definite Entry Deadline is TBD.

The 2026 USEF Selection Procedures will be available in 2026.

The 2026 Area Selection Procedures will be available in 2026.

The SafeSport, Background Check, and Conflict of Interest policies for the Championships are published in a memo below and available here.

• Please complete an Area IV YRC Intent to Qualify form. This intent form is for Area IV YR planning ONLY and not the official USEF application.

• You must also complete the USEF YRC Application if you wish to be a YRC team member.

• Review the YRC Checklist to prepare for the competition.

• 2026 Applications will be available on USEF Athlete Dashboard by March 2026 - The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026.

• USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships Website

  
  

In 2025, the Team at Loch Moy added more excitement to Championships, including:

Opening Ceremonies, Patch Ceremony & Welcome Reception (Thursday evening) – Kick off the weekend in style!
Exclusive Course Walk with Andrew Heffernan – Get inside insights from a world-class Course Designer.
Competitor Party (Friday night) – A chance to unwind and connect with fellow athletes.
Game Night (Saturday night) – Featuring a slip-and-slide and water obstacle course for a splash of fun!
Educational Lectures (Wednesday & Thursday) – Special sessions for Young Rider Championship athletes.
Incredible Prizes – Bring your A-game and compete for top honors!

Look for similar events and activities in 2026!

Direct Inquiries to:

Gemma Stobbs, USEF Director of Eventing Development Programs; gstobbs@usef.org

Kristin Strehlow Area IV Young Rider Coordinator; areaivyoungriders@gmail.com