The 2025 Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) got underway at Traverse City Horse Shows’ Flintfields Horse Park during week five of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, July 29 – Aug. 3. Young athletes from Guatemala, Honduras, Canada, Mexico, and the United States are in the spotlight in show jumping and dressage — an impressive gathering of the rising stars of equestrian sport competing on teams and as individuals.
Wednesday
In the Children’s jumpers first competition, Valentina Da Silva Giusti finished second with her 14-year-old KWPN mare Ginacolada, and Clara Zdunich and the eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare GCS Rosie finished fifth in the same class. Mathilde Candele and The Z Group’s 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding Corner Pocket Z finished second in the Pre-Junior first competition.
Gwendolyn Joinson and Blind Date AT. (Isaiah Dahl, Halite Creative)
Over in the dressage rings, Gwendolyn Joinson and Blind Date AT, a stunning grey Westfalen 11-year-old, finished second in the Children’s Preliminary B on 71.560. In the Junior Team competition, Canada placed fourth (Alison Campbell-Wright/Slapstick, Imogen Hawes/Knights Cavollo Dolce, Ainsley Leach/Frangelico and Taylor Wells/Hidalgo Aym).
Thursday
It was team bronze for Canada’s Children’s Jumper Team, who finished just two faults behind the second-place US team from zone 9/10. Canada’s first medal of the week was thanks to Clara Zdunich/GCS Rosie, Lexi Pathy/Billy Lincoln, Emma Ludwar /Cleverboy van’t Gelutt Z and Keira Smith /Hautrantzau. Hats off as well to chef d’équipe Peter Gisborn and team manager Kelsey McDonell.
The Pre-Junior Team of Emrey Lytwyn/L’Esperance la Vie Z, Darby Cook/Caya, George Balderston/Galahad and Mathilde Candele/Corner Pocket Z finished just off the podium in fourth place.
Following the first found of competition, Canada’s Junior team of Sofia Popescu/Katorose HV, Livia Martin/Vico G, Giuliana Dim/Espoir de l’Ermitage and Isabelle Erlick/Toucare KDW Z currently sit in third, fractions of a point behind the second-place Zone 4 team. Individually, Erlick occupies 6th place.
In the dressage arena, the FEI Team Young Riders took centre stage. Sophia Rokstad and Lord Nunes finished 4th in the CDIOY on 67.294%, and Anna Swackhammer and Fabienna GV finished 6th on 66.882%.
Competition continues through Sunday.
Full results here.
Livestream here.
~ with files from Equestrian Canada
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