Calgary native, Katelyn Cooper and her nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Casino Royale (Cassini II x Coriander) added only a foot in the water and two time faults in her Final round at the Championships, which moved the pair up two places to finish in 18th place individually.
In her first Young Riders Final round, Carlie Fairty of Markham, ON, and Ladyplane (Levisto x Lad) her 10-year-old Brandenburger mare, had jumps 9a and b, a skinny vertical combination, and the last oxer down on course to finish with very respectable 12 faults over the large Young Riders Championships course.
Advancing to the second round, as part of the top 15 riders going forward, the pair added three rails to their score to finish in 14th place overall, Muhammad Itani of Essex, ON rode his 12-year-old Cheval de Selle Luxembourgeois gelding, Tax Free (Toulon x Pilot) to a final placing of 17th in the Final.
“I’m very, very happy with all my riders,” said Hyde Moffat, chef d’equipe. “When we come here, it’s always an overwhelming experience the first time-the big park, the big competition and the championship format. All those things can be a bit daunting at the start of the competition. But every year for the last few years we have managed to, almost without exception, have the riders produce better scores throughout the competition, and I think that is what we are really here for. They come back the next year and you can see how the learning and experience translates in to success in the successive years.”
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