Equine Canada is pleased to provide daily coverage of the Canadian junior and young riders competing at the Adequan FEI North American Junior Young Rider Championships, presented by Gotham North, in Lexington Kentucky.
This year’s event, running from July 17 – 21, welcomes 222 young athletes from across Canada, the United States and Mexico who are competing for FEI team and individual medals in the three Olympic disciplines; jumping, eventing and dressage, and the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of reining and endurance.
Reining
Canadian Athletes Take Gold and Silver in the SmartPak Reining Team Championships
It was a stellar day for Canada’s up and coming reining athletes with two trips to the podium winning gold and silver team medals.
In the Junior Rider division, Canada earned team silver for the second year in a row with a total score of 400.5 points. The Junior Team consists of 2012 NAJYRC Team silver medallist Emily Wilson of Uxbridge, ON riding Miss Cielo Chex, an 11-year-old Quarter Horse mare sired by Buenonic Chex, owner Tamalyn Wilson; 2012 NAJYRC Individual gold medallist Haley Franc of Prince Albert, SK and Jacs Shy Boy, her nine-year-old Canadian bred Quarter Horse gelding sired by Jacs Main Sail; Hannah Steed of Cochrane, AB with Lil Cat N Gun, a nine-year-old Quarter Horse gelding sired by Colonels Lil Gun, owner Ron Barnes; and Maxine Whiteside of Olds, AB and her mount, Sailors Good Sackett, a 17-year-old Quarter Horse gelding sired by Jacs Main Sail.
“I am very pleased with all of the riders. The Junior Team had some challenges with nerves, which are now out of the way, and we look forward to seeing them have great individual runs on Saturday,” said Chef d’Equipe, Wendy Dyer. “Madison Steed was the last member to ride for the Young Rider Team and knew she had to get 208.5 to put us in the gold medal position. She went out there and scored a 211.0 to secure the gold medal for Canada.”
The Young Riders brought home team gold today by scoring 631.5 points for their runs in the ring besting their USA counterparts who finished on a final score of 628.5. Riding for the gold were, Pearl Aebly of Okotoks, AB partnered with Ms Smart Hollywood, nine-year-old Canadian bred Quarter Horse mare by Hes A Bueno Jac; Stephanie Thomson of Fort McMurray, AB on Jacs Docsan, Mark Thomson’s 13-year-old Canadian bred Quarter Horse gelding by Dolls Union Jac, and Madison Steed of Cochrane, AB aboard Jumpin Jac Trash, her 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding by Trashadeous.
“Today was an awesome experience. It’s so great to be here,” said Madison Steed. “It means a lot to be able to represent your country.”
For complete results visit: https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/CompUp/Data/Result354.pdf
Eventing
Canadian Eventers are off to a great start with Lauren Clark and her partner Yoscha Bosche sitting in first place at the end of the dressage phase in the Junior Championship CH-J* division.
“I am really excited to be at a team event with the rest of the members of our team. It’s a different atmosphere than most of our other shows and I’m really excited to be at the Kentucky Horse Park for the first time. We’re walking the cross country course tonight to get ready. We all have really awesome horses and we’re really confident going into the rest of the weekend. We have a great support team and fingers crossed we’ll have a really great outcome this weekend,” commented Lauren Clark
Clark of Uxbridge, ON and Yoscha Boscher, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding sired by Joyeux Danseur, completed their test scoring 47.7 coming in ahead of the USA’s Nicole Doolittle’s 48.1. Moira de Ste Croix of Kars, ON and Blue Ben, her 12-year-old Westphalian gelding sired by Gambit Z, are in fourth with 49.8 and Rebecca David McIsaac of Canmore, AB and Irish, Cathy Ann David’s 5-year-old Canadian-bred Thoroughbred gelding by Elphin Cronan, hold ninth place with 51.3, heading into Saturday’s cross country phase.
“I thought our riders handled themselves extremely professionally today. I was really proud of everyone and thought they were a really good representation of Canada,” said Jessica Phoenix, Coach, Team Ontario. “We had some really strong dressage scores, which gets us off to a great start. All five girls on our team are really in a good place mentally and their horses look amazing. The cross country course is a true 1* championship course and I can’t wait to see all of them out there jumping this course on Saturday.”
Jennifer Kellock, Chef d’ Equipe, Team Ontario added, “All of our riders handled the pressure of major Championships extremely well. They are a well prepared team for all three phases and the girls have put themselves in the medal hunt. Everyone is looking forward to The Cross Country phase on Saturday”
Top Three Individual Standings:
1st – Lauren Clark/CAN/47.7
2nd – Nicole Doolittle/(Area III) USA/ 48.1
3rd – Reagan LaFleur/(Area V) USA/49.6
Top Three Canadian Individual Standings:
1st – Lauren Clark
4th – Moira de Ste Croix Laframboise
9th – Rebecca David McIsaac
For complete individual results visit:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AvYIx9_KP1xrdEFQV3d0M3RTVW1ENzRob3FlYjRVZWc&gid=1
Top Team Standings
1st – Area V/155.9
2nd – Area III/157.7
3rd – Area VII and VIII/159.7
_____________________
5th – Team Ontario/166.8
Lauren Clark/Yoscha Bosche/47.7
April Simmonds/Impressively Done/53.7
Mia Dover-Terrattaz/Etoile/65.4
Jamie Kellock/Don’t Blink/69.8
For complete team results visit:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AvYIx9_KP1xrdEFQV3d0M3RTVW1ENzRob3FlYjRVZWc&gid=3
Jumping
Canada’s Junior Rider, Kaitlyn Blum of Gormley, ON, and Carnell, her 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Carnute, qualified to move onto the Individual Final Saturday morning after completing three rounds with 34 faults today in the Rolex Stadium. Team-mates Mikala Chesler of Orangeville, ON and her mount Ilian de Taute, Ruth Armstrong’s 19-year-old Selle Francaise stallion by Narcos II, and Adrien Vilcini of Peterborough, ON and John Jamieson’s, I AM, a 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, gave their best efforts over the course improving each round. Both riders have qualified for Friday’s Farewell Class however only Vilcini will compete.
“I’m very proud of the team’s efforts on course today. They improved with every round showing their incredible ability to learn from each ride making the next even better,” said Hyde Moffatt, Chef d’Equipe. “They are a talented group of junior athletes. This event gave them invaluable insight into this level of competition. It will make them all that much more equipped for future competitions. The team earned their stripes this year gaining mileage that will serve them well in the years to come.”
In the Young Rider division the team finished 5th overall and all four riders made it through three challenging rounds to each make it through to Saturday’s Individual Finals, where the top 25 athletes will compete.
“This Young Rider Team finished in 5th place today with scores improving from the first round to the second. They managed to qualify all four riders for the Individual Final, which is hard to do,” said Moffatt. “I’m looking forward to seeing them take what they have learned so far and apply it in the ring on Saturday.”
Competing in the Young Rider Individual Final on Saturday will be; Lexus Arbuckle of Guelph, ON riding Castor Van De Kranenburg, her 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Kimball; Jacqueline Steffens of Harriston, ON riding Double C Stables’s, Quercus Van Generhese, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Darco; Muhammad Itani on his horse Tax Free, an 11-year-old Selle Luxembourgeois gelding by Toulon and Hayley MacKinnon and her mount, Class Action, Synergy Farm’s 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Libero.
YR – Top Three Standings
Gold – (Zone 2) USA
Silver – (Zone 8/10) USA
Bronze – (Zone 3) USA
5th – Team Canada
For complete results visit:
https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/CompUp/Data/Result359.pdf
JR – Top Three Standings
Gold – (Zone 2) USA
Silver – MEX
Bronze – (Zone 4) USA
For complete results visit:
https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/CompUp/Data/Result352.pdf
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