Lillian Heard Wood and Dassett Olympus. Photo by Sally Spickard.
There’s a new incentive on the calendar for young event horses in Britain this season, as Dassett Eventing and Aston-le-Walls have announced the launch of the Dassett Eventing Young Horse League, a brand-new initiative for 2026 designed to support, reward, and celebrate the production of up-and-coming event horses.
The league will run across all Aston-le-Walls British Eventing fixtures throughout the 2026 season and will be open to 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-year-old horses, with a separate league for each age group. Each division will offer a prize pot of £1,500 in cash, alongside additional prizes and goodies for competitors.
The aim is simple: to give riders producing young horses something extra to aim for while competing within their normal season plans. Points will be accumulated at Aston-le-Walls BE fixtures, meaning eligible horses can take part simply by entering and competing at the venue’s regular events.
Rather than rewarding results alone, the league will use DE points, which are designed to recognize both placings and double clear performances. This means horses can earn their way up the standings not only by finishing near the top of the leaderboard, but also by demonstrating the consistency, education, and all-around development that are so important in the early years of an event horse’s career.
Live league standings will be published and kept updated on the Dassett Eventing website, allowing owners, riders, breeders, and supporters to follow the progress of young horses across the season. Each starter will also receive one starter’s bucket during the league.
At the end of the four Aston-le-Walls fixtures, the top three horses in each age category will be crowned league winners and will take home a share of the prize money, along with additional prizes.
The Dassett Eventing Young Horse League has been created to offer extra recognition and support to those producing the next generation of event horses — a process that takes time, patience, mileage, and, as anyone who has ever had a baby horse discover atmosphere can attest, a good sense of humor. By rewarding consistent performances throughout the season, the league aims to encourage correct production while adding another layer of excitement to the Aston-le-Walls calendar.
With four age-specific leagues, a healthy prize pot, and a full season of opportunities to earn points, the inaugural Dassett Eventing Young Horse League looks set to become a welcome addition for riders, owners, and breeders invested in the future of the sport.
Full rules and further information are available on the Dassett Eventing website here.
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