2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships wrap up

After a week of intense heat and one suspenseful afternoon of strong thunderstorms, the 2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North wrapped up on Sunday, July 31 under sunny skies at the Kentucky Horse Park. The competition in all five disciplines – dressage, endurance, eventing, reining, and show jumping – was intense, and the approximately 250 riders from six countries showed that they had come to win.

A member of the Team USA Southeast cools her horse before exiting the vet check area. Team USA Southeast took home Silver in the CEI2*. Photo: Leslie Potter

Endurance
The first competition to wrap up this year was the inaugural North American Young Rider Endurance Championship. Friday’s 75-mile ride featured both CEI2* and CEI4* divisions. The United States brought home four Gold medals, three Silvers, and two Bronze medals in the endurance competition.

In the CEI4* divisions, Team USA took home the Gold after accruing a collective ride time of 25 hours, 25 minutes, and 31 seconds.

Also Read: 2009 Adequan NAJYRC Kicks Off in Kentucky

Individually in the CEI4*, Kelsey Russell and My Wild Irish Gold (USA) took home the Gold, Lindsay Bean and Tektonic (USA) the Silver, and Kyle Gibbon and Missu Koran (USA) the Bronze.

Also in the CEI4* division, Tektonic received the Best Conditioned Horse Award.

In the CEI2* class, the Team Gold medal was awarded to Team USA Northeast A, whose collective ride time totaled 25 hours, 40 minutes, and 57 seconds.

The Silver was awarded to Team USA Southeast with a collective ride time of 25 hours, 49 minutes, and 19 seconds.

Individually in the CEI2*, the Gold medal was awarded to Sophia Bashir and Dazed and Amazed (USA) , the Silver was presented to Cassandra Roberts and SA Belshazarr (USA), and the Bronze to Steven Hay and Khalil Asam (USA).

Sir Valient, who represented Colombia in partnership with Camilo Andres-Villa, received the Best Conditioned Horse Award in the CEI2* division.

Jesus Arturo Leal was part of the silver-medal winning reining team from Mexico with Smart Little Elan. Photo: Leslie Potter

Reining

The SmartPak North American Junior Reining Championship concluded Saturday morning with the individual championships at the Alltech Arena. Canada secured two Gold medals and three Bronze medals, the United States won a Gold and two Silver medals, and Mexico received a Silver.

The individual Young Rider Gold medal was awarded to Will Letner and A Genuine Diamond (USA) for a score of 218.5 from the judges. A ride-off was needed to break a tie of 217.5 for second place, but in the end the Silver went to Laura Sumrall and Einstein’s Fancy Pine (USA). Taking home the Bronze were Shelbie Friesen and Golden Lena Chex (CAN).

In the team competition, Team Canada Alberta and Manitoba loped away with the Gold on a score of 632. The team from Mexico – consisting of a group of cousins – took home the Team Silver with a score of 619.5. Taking home the Team Bronze was Canada Saskatchewan with 615 points.

In the Junior division – included in the competition for the first time – Lane Wilson (CAN) rode No Finer Shiner to a Gold medal, scoring 207. Tiffany Wynn (USA) won the Silver on I Gotta Whiz with 187.5, and Emily Wilson (CAN) earned 182.5 on Miss Cielo Chex for the Bronze.

Julia Burtt and Aaron IV earned Individual Bronze for the Junior Rider division and helped Region 1 win Team Gold. Photo: Leslie Potter

Dressage
The competition at this year’s USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior and Young Rider Dressage Championship was stellar, and upon completion of the event, judge and President of the Young Rider Ground Jury Linda Zang praised the competitors for the quality of riding they displayed.

The United States brought home three Gold medals, two Silvers, and four Bronze medals in dressage. Canada secured one Gold medal and two Silvers.

The Gold medal in the Young Riders Freestyle competition was awarded to Isabelle Leibler and Watson 108 (USA). The pair turned in a brilliant test and received a score of 74.00%. The Individual Silver went to Chase Hickok and Palermo (USA), who received a score of 70.725%. Rounding out the top three and taking home the Individual Bronze were Mackinzie Pooley and Jonkara (USA) with a score of 70.004%.

In the team competition, the Young Riders from Region 5 took home the Gold with a score of 198.104. The Silver medal was awarded to Team Canada British Columbia/Quebec, who amassed a score of 197.027. The team from Area 8 took home the Bronze with a score of 196.132.

In the Junior division, Sarah Loewen (CAN) turned in an expressive performance aboard Ricardo to receive a 69.675% from the judges, which was enough to clinch the Individual Gold medal. Monica Houweling and Stentano (CAN) earned a 67.70% from the judges, which was good enough to take home the Individual Silver medal, and taking home the Individual Bronze medal with a score of 67.15%, were Julia Burtt and Aaron IV (USA).

In the team competition, Region 1 ran away with the Gold with a score of 199.189. The Team Silver was awarded to Region 5 with a score of 195.856. Taking home the Bronze was Region 8 with a score of 194.297.

Katherine Dinan riding Vancouver won the Individual Gold in the Young Rider division. Photo: Leslie Potter

Jumping
Teams from the same zones took home Gold medals in the Junior and Young rider divisions in the show jumping competition. The United States was awarded four Gold medals, four Silvers, and four Bronze medals.

Taking home the Individual Gold medal in the Young Rider division was Katherine Dinan (USA), who piloted Vancouver quickly and carefully around the courses to finish with a score of 10.14. Finishing just behind Dinan in Silver-medal position were Samantha Senft and Early Morning (USA), who amassed a total score of 10.24. Finishing in the Bronze-medal position were Danielle Korsh and San Diego (USA). The pair finished with a score of 16.57.

In the Young Rider team competition, the Gold medal went to the riders from Zone 4, who finished the week with a team total of 12. The Silver was awarded to the team from Zone 10 with a total of 15. The team from Zone 2 took home the Bronze with a score of 16.

Taking home the Individual Gold in the Junior class was Samantha Schaefer and Trezebees (USA), a 15-year-old Belgian-bred mare, with a score of 4. The Silver medal was awarded to Frances Land (USA) and the 11-year-old British Warmblood, Merlin, who also had a score of 4 but was slightly slower in the jump-off than Schaefer. The Bronze went to Hayley Barnhill and Toucan Tango (USA), who dropped one rail in the jump-off to bring her total score to 8.

In the Junior team competition, the top two medals were decided by a jump-off. But in the end, the Gold went to the riders from Zone 4, who had a team total of 12 and added nothing in the jump-off. Finishing in the Silver-medal position – also with a team total of 12, but with 16 in the jump-off – was the team from Zone 2. Finishing in Bronze-medal position with a score of 16 was the team from Zones 1 and 6.

Eventing
The last championship to wrap up Sunday was the USEA North American Junior Eventing Championship. The United States secured four Gold medals, three Silvers and one Bronze medal during eventing. Canada took home one Silver and four Bronze medals.

Devon Brown and Dynamic Image (USA) led the CCI2* from start to finish and secured the Individual Gold after posting a flawless show jumping round to finish on their dressage score of 50.5. Jumping all the way from seventh to take home the Individual Silver medal were Jacob Fletcher and Falcon Splash (USA) with a score of 57.2. Dropping down one position to finish with the Bronze medal were Joelle Baskerville and Malibu (CAN) with a score of 58.4.

In the team standings, Area III’s team regained their lead to finish with the Team Gold medal and 168.6 points. The team from Areas V & IX slid to the Silver-medal position with a total of 178.2. Canada remained solidly in third to secure the Bronze with a score of 233.2.

In the Junior division, Alyssa Phillips and Sundance Bay (USA), had a brilliant and quick round to finish on the score of 52.7, which was enough to clinch the Individual Gold. Overnight leaders Sable Geisler and Evil Munchkin (CAN) pulled the first rail of a double combination on course, bringing her total to 56.3 and dropping her to the Silver-medal position. Edging up into Bronze-medal position with a speedy clear round were Brooke Pickering and Abbey Rhode (CAN).

In the team competition, Area V led from start to finish and finished the competition with a score 184.4 to clinch the Gold. Holding on to second in the team standings was the team from Area VI, finishing with a score of 205.2 to take home the Silver. Rounding out the top three, the Bronze-medal position was presented to the team from Ontario with a total of 219.8 points.

To watch videos and see photos from all the NAJYRC events, visit /redirect.php?location=www.usefnetwork.com%2ffeatured%2fNAJYRC2011.

See complete scores at /redirect.php?location=http%3a%2f%2fyoungriders.org%2fResults.aspx.