Dressage
Friday – Canada Claims Children’s Team Gold
Dressage competition continued Friday, July 31, at the 2026 FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships, presented by USDF, at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, MI, with the FEI Junior Individual Test and the FEI Children’s Team Competition.
FEI Junior Individual Test
Bennett McWhorter (Wellington, Fla.) and Dalia claimed the individual gold medal in the FEI Junior Individual Test, earning a personal-best score of 71.059% and taking first place from all five judges. Adélia Gauthier (CAN) and Fayette DDS earned silver with a personal-best score of 68.382%, and Lauren Polk (Atlanta, Ga.) and Donauwelle P rounded out the podium in bronze with a personal-best score of 68.000%.
Gauthier, who earned silver aboard Fayette DDS, said the mare gave everything throughout the test. “My test felt great from the beginning until the end. I never felt that way in a ring before — she was with me; she gave all her heart, and everything was flowing. We came a long way to get that suppleness, and I think that’s probably the highlight of my ride. To everybody else, it’s probably our changes, because she has great changes,” Gauthier said.
FEI Children’s Team Competition
Canada topped Friday’s Children’s Team Competition podium, posting a combined score of 207.701 to take the gold medal. Region 1 & 6 earned silver with a combined score of 206.093, and Region 3 & 8 rounded out the podium in bronze position with 204.951.
Isla Grant and Wonder Woman helped Team Canada capture the gold medal in the FEI Children’s Team Competition during her first appearance at the FEI North American Youth Championships. (Centre Line Media)
Representing gold medal-winning Canada were Isla Grant and Wonder Woman, Estella Gosniak and Impact, and Annabelle Gauthier and Northwind Marrakesh, led by chef d’equipe Jillian Taylor-Mancusi.
Grant, competing at her first NAYC, said the win still feels surreal. “This is insane! It’s my first year at NAYC, and we worked so hard to get here. Credit goes to my horse and my teammates and Team Canada. They pushed me all the way here. This is just a dream come true,” Grant said.
Gosniak said the team turned around a previous, difficult first NAYC appearance last year. “For me, this is everything. This is my second year at NAYC. Last year, we didn’t do super great, but we came back this year, and I think my team is doing so amazingly. I couldn’t wish for anything more,” Gosniak said.
Gauthier, competing in her final year of NAYC Children’s eligibility, said the medal carried extra meaning alongside her sister’s finish earlier in the week.
“Winning this test means everything, because last year I came, and this year is my last year in FEI Children’s. I’m sharing this moment with all of my teammates and my sister, who came here too, and won silver in the FEI Junior category this morning,” Gauthier said.
Saturday – Canada Earns Two Podium Finishes
Competition continued Saturday with individual medals awarded in both the Young Riders and Children’s Individual Competitions. The CDIOU25 Grand Prix Freestyle concluded an exciting day of dressage at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City.
FEI Young Riders Individual Test
Eila Fisk (Aiken, S.C.) and Quaresma, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding (Quatersprung x Fuerstenball OLD), owned by Gina Fisk, topped the Young Rider Individual field with a score of 68.382%, earning their second individual medal of the week.
Alison Campbell-Wright (CAN) and Vintage, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding (Exquis Vivaldi x Belissimo NRW), owned by Bonnie Campbell, earned silver with a personal best score of 67.177%.
“NAYC is such a fun experience, and representing Canada, it’s great to be wearing the red and white,” Campbell-Wright said. “It is really nice to see all the different countries come together and have such camaraderie for each other. Even though I’m Canadian, some of my biggest cheers today were for Americans. I always try to watch as many rides as I can and cheer everybody on, because this is such a great experience for youth coming up through the programs.”
Brooke Mancusi (CAN) shows off her bronze medal earned with DeJohn Ymas. (Centre Line Media)
Of her mount, Campbell-Wright said, “We’ve only had him since December, so it’s been interesting trying to figure out each other. He’s a bit of a character; he loves people, but only once does he get to know them. He’s very opinionated; he has what he likes and what he doesn’t like, and he decides what we’re doing. I love him.”
FEI Children’s Individual Test
Austin Hermann (Cumming, Ga.) and Genevieve HF, his own 2011 KWPN mare (Unknown x Unknown), claimed gold in the Children’s Individual Test with a score of 72.914%, adding to a strong week of results. Roberta Carrillo Morales (MEX) and Artillero Mor, a 2018 PRE gelding (Unknown x Unknown), owned by Abelardo Morales Puron, earned silver with a score of 72.732%.
Annabelle Gauthier (CAN) and Northwind Marrakesh, a 2008 Welsh Pony gelding (Unknown x Unknown), owned by Adélia Gauthier, who she affectionately calls “Monty”, took bronze with a personal-best score of 71.874%. “I wasn’t ready for it, but it wasn’t that bad; it’s a great feeling,” Gauthier said of the result, “[Monty] is so nice to ride because he’s a bit funny.”
CDIOU25 Grand Prix Freestyle
Erin Nichols (Wellington, Fla.) and Kind Pleasure, a 2015 KWPN gelding (Governor-STR x Blue Hors Zack), owned by Premiere Sport Horses, topped the CDIOU25 Grand Prix Freestyle with a personal best score of 73.530%, sweeping all five judges’ panels and capping a triple gold week for the pair.
Alicia Berger (Wellington, Fla.) and Aqua Marin, a 2011 Oldenburg gelding (Ampere x Stedinger), co-owned by Alicia and Marianne Berger, earned silver with a personal-best score of 71.640%, riding to an Avatar-themed freestyle.
Brooke Mancusi (CAN) and DeJohn Ymas, a 2008 KWPN gelding (Glock’s Johnson TN x Sandro Hit), owned by BM Dressage, rounded out the podium with a personal-best score of 70.460%, riding to a Guns N’ Roses freestyle.
“My dad actually picked the music out. It was between Maroon 5 or Guns N’ Roses, and Guns N’ Roses is his favorite, so I said, ‘okay, we’re going with that,’” Mancusi said. “I wanted it to be something everybody knew, and we shaped the rhythm and the words to make it flow, which really helps me and my horse find the beat together.”
Mancusi pointed to a specific moment as the highlight of her test: nailing the tempi work late in the freestyle. “My coach told me I had to get my twos and threes. I didn’t get them in the beginning, so I made sure to get enough twos, and if I had the space, go for the ones. Doing the twos into the ones and getting everything I needed was just really special.” Mancusi and DeJohn Ymas, known in the barn as “Johnny,” have partnered for several years. “He’s big-hearted; he really drives his heart out for me. From year one to now it’s been a huge change, and he tries really, really hard no matter what.”
Mancusi has a busy fall slate planned, including a show in Bromont, Québec in September and Canada’s National Dressage and Para Dressage Championships in Bécancour, Québec in early October, where she’ll contest the Open Grand Prix alongside a second up-and-coming Grand Prix mount.
Young Rider Individual medalists Eila Fisk (USA), Alison Campbell-Wright (CAN), and Allison Berger (USA) show off their medals. Fisk earned gold aboard Quaresma, Campbell-Wright claimed silver with Vintage, and Berger took bronze aboard Delacure. (Centre Line Media)
FEI Children’s Individual medalists Austin Hermann (USA), Roberta Carrillo Morales (MEX), and Annabelle Gauthier (CAN). Hermann earned gold aboard Genevieve HF, Carrillo Morales claimed silver with Artillero Mor, and Gauthier took bronze aboard Northwind Marrakesh. (Gary L Howe/TCHS)
Sunday – More Strong Performances for Canada
The 2026 FEI NAYC concluded dressage competition Sunday, August 2 with the FEI Junior Individual and FEI Young Rider Individual Freestyles. This year’s championship marked a historic first for NAYC dressage as four nations competed in multiple categories throughout the week, with the U.S., Canada, and Mexico joined for the first time ever by the Cayman Islands.
Junior Individual Freestyle
Bennett McWhorter (Wellington, Fla.) and Dalia, a 2015 Hanoverian mare (Harmony’s Don Nobelesse x Contendro I), co-owned by McWhorter and Stephanie Mills, claimed gold in the Junior Individual Freestyle with a personal-best score of 74.355%, earning the top score of the class from four of the five judges, and earning his third gold medal of the week.
Adélia Gauthier (CAN) and Fayette DDS, her own 2010 KWPN mare (Don Shufro x Unknown), earned silver with a personal-best score of 73.460%. “This whole week was just such a surprise for me. I never really thought I could get on that podium, and to be on it twice this week means so much,” Gauthier said. “Throughout the entire week we’ve gained so much confidence in the ring and we’re going to come home with a lot we didn’t have at the start of this championship.”
Miriam Bacon (Columbus, N.C.) and Drambuie, a 2012 Hanoverian mare (Damsey FRH x Lauries Crusador), owned by Natalie Bacon, rounded out the podium with a score of 70.895% for bronze.
Young Rider Individual Freestyle
Eila Fisk (Aiken, S.C.) and Quaresma, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding (Quantensprung 3 x Feurstenball OLD), owned by Gina Fisk, topped the Young Rider Individual Freestyle with a score of 72.600%, earning their third gold medal of the week.
Eliza Marshall (CAN) and Ramazzotti Langholt, her own 2017 Danish Warmblood (Revolution x Unknown), earned silver with a personal-best score of 72.125%. “I think it was about trusting the horse,” Marshall said. “I’ve been a little conservative these past two days, and coming fourth yesterday made me want this. To have that focus and be able to ask of him. That’s a very cool feeling, and he’s only nine.” Marshall, in her first year at the Young Rider level, thanked her longtime trainer, as well as her family. “It’s my first year at Young Riders, and his first year at this level too, so it’s really exciting to be here with something I’ve had the chance to develop.”
Alison Campbell-Wright (CAN) and Vintage, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding (Exquis Vivaldi x Belissimo NRW), owned by Bonnie Campbell, rounded out the podium with a score of 72.015% for bronze, Campbell-Wright’s second medal of the week. “Honestly, it feels crazy surreal,” she said. “We just got Vintage in December, so I was happy to be here and experience a bigger atmosphere with him. Coming out with two medals is insane. I don’t think it’s fully registered yet.” Campbell-Wright said the week taught her to trust the process. “I’ve been so focused on everything that needs to be perfect and detailed. Coming into the weekend, I really trusted him more each day, and it was fun to just play around and see what he can do.”
Jumping
Friday – Zone 10 Edges Tight Battle for Pre-Junior Team Gold
Zone 10 was the big team winners of Friday’s exciting slate of competition at the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships, presented by USHJA, first earning the gold medal in the Pre-Junior category to kick off the day’s team events.
Led by chef d’equipe Michael Endicott, Zone 10 athletes Grace Wahlberg, Ripley Ehrlich, Brookelyn Roy, and Vincent Lin put in highly competitive rounds to finish on just 2 faults for the day, bringing their total team score to 7.94 penalties and taking the top spot on the podium. Ehrlich and Roy both jumped double-clear efforts, with Wahlberg jumping clear over all fences as well, but every team member’s performance was valuable in contributing to their overall low score.
In the silver-medal position, just one time fault off of Zone 10’s score for Friday and on 8.83 total penalties, was a combined team from Zones 5, 8, and 9. The athletes — Campbell Cauthen, Honor Coulter, Anabelle Deyoung, and Samantha Siler — didn’t have the luxury of ever competing together on a team before, but the special activities at NAYC and their overall team spirit helped build their team camaraderie quickly.
Zone 4 captured the bronze medal, with all four team members – Ryan Haselden, Sophia Segesman, Sterling Pollard, and Hailey Guidry – all jumping clear in round one.
Canada’s top placing came from Team 1, consisting of Bianca Ciarla / HHS Montreal, Sofia Bowes / Jesse Brillante, Lexi Pathy / Supernova de Nuit and George Balderston / Galahad, led by chef d’equipe Peter Gisborn, placing 5th with 35.59 penalties.
Zone 10 Completes Golden Day with Young Rider Victory
With Zone 10 continuing its dominance Friday, the team assembled for the Young Rider category of the Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships, presented by USHJA, took home the gold medal as well. Zone 10 athletes Della White, Emmeline Adamick, Grayson Pacelli, and Cameron Trimino put in consistent rounds for the winning performance of the day, once again led by chef d’equipe Michael Endicott.
Zone 4 walked away with the silver medal, led by chef d’equipe Kim Land. Athletes JJ Torano, Olivia Sweetnam, Isabelle Ehman, and Jole Kosloske delivered consistency as well, but ended up just shy of the winning position, ultimately on 39.26 collective penalties.
Zone 7, led by chef d’equipe Mary Ann Thomas, secured the bronze medal by only a small margin, finishing on 41.44 penalties. Athletes Eleanor Rudnicki, Philippa Ammann, Mary Rose Canterbury, and Campbell Brown staged an impressive comeback, posting low scores in round two and landing just over two penalties behind second place.
Saturday – Children’s & Junior Individual Finals
Pulling off an impressive feat during the three days of competition at the Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Championships, presented by USHJA, Georgina Jewell finished her week completely penalty-free, taking the gold medal in the Children’s category aboard her 9-year-old Holsteiner mare Conny 424.
Taking the silver medal, with only 0.55 penalties accrued over the course of five rounds, was Jesus Rigu aboard Indigo, an 8-year-old gelding. This is Rigu’s third appearance at NAYC and he made it count, coming home with a team gold and an individual silver.
Taking the bronze medal was Cisy Zhou aboard Dalido 8, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding. With just one rail down and one time fault in the Team Competition, Zhou delivered two faultless rounds in the Individual Final to rise up from seventh place and land on the podium.
Top Canadian in this final standings was Nya Ryan riding Santa Rosa Delta, 6th.
Tatum Takes the Gold in $25,000 Junior Individual Final
Like the Children’s category, the Junior category also saw Thursday’s Individual Qualifier winner continue her consistency and take the gold medal. Violet Tatum and BP Swifty finished on a score of just 4.00 penalties, earning the gold in the Junior category and capping a remarkable week with the Junior individual title.
Tatum and BP Swifty had a nearly perfect performance across the three days of jumping, just pulling one rail in round two of the Team Competition. Her performance helped secure a team silver medal, and then two more clear rounds Saturday finalized her placement at the top of the podium.
Just behind Tatum on only 5.52 penalties was Scarlett Samuels, who piloted the 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood Confidence to the silver medal position. Samuels brought 1.52 penalties forward from day one, and had one rail down in round one of the Individual Final, taking the second lowest score of the week.
Rylynn Conway finished the week as the bronze medalist, putting in another stellar performance and finishing on 10.44 penalties overall with her horse Capella.
Sunday – Young Rider, Pre-Junior Champs Named
The Young Rider category culminated Sunday at the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships, presented by USHJA, with a major victory for Kait Meggenhofen, who completed the three days of jumping on 12.99 penalties for the gold medal. She accomplished the feat on Diva de Talma, a 13-year-old Selle Francais mare who jumped two clear rounds over highly technical tracks across the three days.
Finishing in the silver medal position was JJ Torano of Zone 4, who piloted I Am Inge to an impressive finish as well, ending his championship run on 13.60 penalties. Torano finished with identical scores in each round as Meggenhofen, however his penalties from the Individual Qualifier put him slightly behind her for the silver.
In the bronze medal position was Isabelle Ehman, who proved that consistency could be invaluable on a stage like this. With her partner Darra du Soleil, she put in strong jumping rounds with little variation in scores that landed her on the podium after a tough week of jumping.
Top Canadian was Isabella Erlick, who placed 12th riding Toucare KDW Z.
As the Pre-Junior category drew to a close Sunday, there was only one rider who stood alone on a clear slate over five rounds of jumping. Zone 10 athlete Brookelyn Roy piloted Carlo DC Stables Z to the gold medal after a flawless performance, finishing on just 1.65 penalties carried forward from day one.
Roy was already headed home to the West Coast with one gold medal, after helping the Zone 10 team gold on Friday, but now she’s bringing home two, capping off her week with the individual victory as well.
Consistency proved key for all athletes on the podium, with the scores being very close to one another at the top of the leaderboard. Kaitlyn Linck, from Zone 2, ultimately took home the silver medal after winning the Individual Qualifier, then just having one rail down in the final round of the Individual Final aboard Frenesie de Mars, finishing on 4.00 penalties.
Top Canadian in the Pre-Juniors was Sofia Bowes with Jesse Brillante, who placed 7th.
~ with files from Traverse City Horse Shows media
All results here.
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