Ottawa, ON—The Alberta Reining Team won the bronze medal July 24 at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships. Presented by Gotham North, these Championships are being held July 21-26 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, also the site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
From a start list of 22 competitors representing eight regions throughout Canada and the United States, Darcy Wilson of Goodwood, ON, riding Miss Cielo Chex, representing the Canada Combined team, was the first to enter the arena and set the standard of 207. Wilson’s score lasted only until Erin Duddy on Too Busy Cashing Chex, representing the US North East team, finished her run and set the score to beat of 214. This ride was not matched until the last two rides of the competition when both Maggie Jo Gratny, for the US South East team, aboard Roo Fifty Two and Whats Up Doc Cody ridden by Amada Antifev of Calgary, AB, both scored a 214.
The Manitoba team put together four solid runs led by Megan Robinson Dufresne, MB, and her horse Breanna Kid to finish the team competition in fourth place with a total score of 616.5. The Canada Combined team started with a disadvantage, as did the US North East team, by only having three competitors each, but they did their best to stay in contention.
Sage Sapergia of Cochrane, AB, on Shiners Q Chex was the first to go for the Alberta team followed by Morgan Girletz of Airdrie, AB, on Hickory Ginnnin Peppy. Third in the ring for the team was Nancy Pratch of St. Paul, AB, and Mega Pay, and rounding out the team was Antifaev on Whats Up Doc Cody. The team ran very hard and it paid off with a third place finish and a score of 618.5.
“The competition was exciting and proved that Canada has a great deal of talent which bodes well for the future of reining in Canada,” said Chef d’équipe Wendy Dyer. “I can’t wait for the individual competition on Sunday as I feel there is still more for these young riders to show us.”
The US North Central team won the gold medal with a score of 637.0, and the silver medal was awarded to the US South East team with 631.0. The top 20 riders from the Team competition go forward to the Individual competition to be held on Sunday, July 26.
Complete results are available at https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/CompUp/Data/Result134.pdf.
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