The Howden Way Young Horse Academy is designed to support and develop talented horse and rider combinations within the British Eventing framework who are not currently engaged in other performance pathways. By providing access to world-class training and education, the programme empowers riders to produce young horses through the age group levels with skill, confidence, and care.
Equine and rider welfare is the foundation of all activities, aligning with The Howden Way’s commitment to responsible, ethical, and long-term development in the sport of eventing.
Launched in 2022, the Young Horse Academy has already established a track record of success. In addition to having representation at the World Young Horse Championships, several graduates have shown real progression with the horse and rider combinations delivering double clear performances throughout the subsequent eventing season.
The Howden Way further supports the development of young event horses by investing in the British Eventing Young Horse classes for six and seven- year-olds and offering an enhanced prize fund. This incentivises riders and owners to run their young horses in specific age-group sections while also providing the opportunity to benchmark horses against others of the same age.
Potential candidates for the academy are identified at the Cornbury House Young Horse Championships, open to five, six and seven-year olds, and invited to attend ‘Development Days’ across the country. Here combinations receive a flatwork and jumping lesson after which coaches score them based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, training ability, way of going, paces, technique and type. Those combinations then invited to join the academy for the following year benefit from training with top level coaches and all-round support.
Combinations already on the programme who meet the age group performance levels remain on the programme for the forthcoming year.
