Ottawa, Ontario— The British Columbia Ontario Combined Junior One Star Championship Team won the silver medal at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC). Presented by Gotham North, the Championships were held July 21-26 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, the site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
The team was comprised of Bethany Healey of Winfied, BC, Katelyn Lafranier of Whitby, ON, Madeline Morra of Oshawa, ON, and Rachel Vear of Markham, ON. The team was coached by former Olympian Ian Roberts and all four team members completed the competition a final score of 214.3 which featured just 5.2 cross country time penalties.
Vear led the team’s individual placings, partnered with Lynne Vear’s 10-year-old Selle Français gelding Chocco de Pomme. The pair finished on their dressage score of 68, moving up throughout the competition, from a 24th place following dressage, to 19th following cross country and finally into ninth place overall after clear cross country and show jumping performances.
With Charleston, her own 13-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding, Lafranier was the next best placed team member. The pair stood in 11th place after dressage on a score of 60.4, and moved into 10th place following cross country. Three rails down in show jumping for 12 faults, moved them back one spot to finish 11th individually on a score of 72.4. Healey and Wondaree Skite, her 11-year-old Australian Thoroughbred mare, finished in 15th place on a score of 73.9 which included a 65.9 dressage score and eight faults in show jumping. Rounding out the team was Morra and Mail Order Bride her American Thoroughbred mare, who finished 27th on a score of 100.8
“Everyone had a great competition this weekend,” said team coach Ian Roberts, who is also the personal coach of Lafranier, Morra and Vear. “It is personally gratifying to see the three girls who have been part of our program since they started riding progress to the point where they contribute to a team silver medal at the Championships.”
Placing eighth in the One Star Junior Team Championships was the combined three member team of Alberta/Quebec on a team score of 252. Leading team member and best placed Canadian in the overall individual standings was Sophie Laframboise of Westmount, QC, and Way Cool, her 12-year-old Appendix Quarter Horse gelding. Tied for 12th place following dressage, Laframboise added just one rail, for four faults, in the jumping test to finish in eighth place with 66.4. Liam Kronlund of Cochrane, AB, and Goodness Gracious, his own 10-year-old Canadian bred Thoroughbred/Warmblood cross mare, finished in 16th place individually on a score of 74.9, while Alexandre Cousineau-Denis of Knowlton, QC, and On Target, Ferme Tandem’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, completed the competition in 28th place scoring 110.7.
Winning the Junior One Star Championships was the US Area II Team with a score of 185, while the US Area VI Team took bronze with a score of 216.8.
In the Young Riders Two Star Championship division Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON, and Gigi, a nine-year-old Selle Francaise mare Roberts co-owns with mother Kelly Plitz, was the top placed Canadian. Standing in ninth place after dressage on a score of 61.2, the pair moved up the leader board into fourth place following a fault free cross country ride. Two costly show jumping rails dropped them two places to finish seventh individually on a score of 67.9
Roberts was awarded the prestigious Eventing Style Award during the closing ceremonies. Determined by the all of the NAJYRC Eventing Championship officials, the award is presented to a Junior or Young Rider who has shown style throughout the competition—not only when mounted, but also in the form of manners and their overall demeanour around the grounds and at the organized functions.
American Maxance McManamy and Beacon Hill took the gold medal in the Two Star Championship division on a score of 59.2.
The North American Junior/Young Riders’ Championships are held annually under the rules of the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) the international governing body for equestrian sport. The 2009 competition hosts the Olympic disciplines of eventing, dressage and show jumping as well as FEI disciplines of reining and vaulting. Many of the world’s top event riders, including many Olympic gold medalists, began their careers at the NAJYRC.
For more information and full results, please visit www.youngriders.org.
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