Alberta Junior Jumping Team Wins Gold at NAJYRC

The Alberta Junior Show Jumping Team won the gold medal on Friday, July 30, at the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Riders’ Championship (NAJYRC). Presented by Gotham North, the Championships are being held July 28 – August 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, also the site of the upcoming 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Ben Asselin of Calgary, AB, Bretton Chad of Calgary, AB, Alexandria Smith of Calgary, AB and Jasmine Wiggins of Okotoks, AB had a total team score of 13 faults to win.

The Team competition is run in a Nations’ Cup format, with each of the team riders contesting two rounds of competition and aiming for the least amount of jumping and time faults over the challenging courses set by FEI ‘I’ course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr., of Germany.

Asselin riding Lolita, Attache Stables’s 12-year-old Oldenburg mare, was fault-free in both rounds to lead the team to its gold medal finish.

“All the riders were fantastic, and they each contributed a score to the team total,” said Canadian Olympian Jonathan Asselin, who was acting as chef d’équipe, and is also Ben’s father. “I am really proud of all of them. They each rode beautifully, and all four riders will compete in the Individual Final on Sunday.”

Wiggins went in the ring first and accumulated four jumping faults in the first round and eight faults in the second for a total score of 12 with Little Milton, her eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Chad was clean in the first round, and returned to post five faults aboard Stone Ridge’s 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Calle 11. Smith and Calira, a 13-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Blue Valley Farms Ltd., had a foot in the water for four faults in the first round and also incurred four faults in the second round.

The silver medal awarded to USA Zone 10 with a team total of 24 faults. USA Zone 4 won the bronze medal with 32 faults.

In the Young Riders division, the combined team from Alberta and Manitoba, comprised of Samara Heinrichs of Winnipeg, MB, Kyle Timm of Calgary, AB, Femke van den Bosch of Red Deer, AB, Marshall Whyte of Cochrane, AB and guided by chef d’équipe Gail Greenough, 1986 World Show Jumping Champion, finished in fifth place overall with a two round total of 55 faults.

In 2009, Canadian show jumping riders also enjoyed success at the North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championship with the Ontario Junior Team winning the bronze medal.