Dressage
Competition officially began on Wednesday, July 29 in the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championship presented by USDF at the 2026 FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), with the Junior Team Test, Children’s Preliminary Test B and U25 Intermediate II kicking off dressage action at Flintfield Horse Park.
FEI Junior Team Test
Region 2 took top honours in the Junior Team Test, posting a combined score of 201.879 to finish in gold medal position. Region 3 earned silver with a combined score of 198.273, and Region 5 rounded out the podium in bronze position with 196.393.
The junior riders will return to the arena on Friday, July 31, for their FEI Junior Individual Test, beginning at 8:00 a.m. EST.
FEI U25 Grand Prix 16–25 Test medalists (L to R): silver medalist Alicia Berger, gold medalist Erin Nichols, and bronze medalist Brooke Mancusi following competition at the FEI North American Youth Championships. (Centre Line Media)
FEI U25 Intermediate II
The U25 division took to the arena today for the Intermediate II Team Test. Region 3 & 6 claimed gold with a combined score of 197.794, Region 1/5/7 earned silver with 194.510, and Region 2/4/8 took bronze with 187.010.
Young Rider Team Dressage
Dressage competition continued on Thursday, July 30 with the FEI Young Rider Team Test and the FEI U25 Grand Prix 16-25 taking center stage.
Region 3 topped the FEI Young Rider Team Test podium, posting a combined score of 198.941 to take the gold medal. Region 9 earned silver with a combined team score of 194.853, and Canada’s Team Ontario rounded out the podium in bronze position with 193.705. Team Ontario was represented by Sapphire Daly and Stiletto, Taylor Wells and Hidalgo AYM, Imogen Hawes and Knights Cavollo Dolce, and Eliza Marshall and Ramazzotti Langholt.
FEI U25 Grand Prix 16-25 Test
Erin Nichols (Wellington, Fla.) and Kind Pleasure, a 2015 KWPN gelding (Governor-STR x Blue Hors Zack), owned by Premiere Sport Horses, claimed individual gold in the FEI U25 Grand Prix 16-25 Test, posting a score of 68.513%. Alicia Berger (Wellington, Fla.) and Aqua Marin, a 2011 Oldenburg gelding (Ampere x Stedinger), co-owned by Alicia and Marianne Berger, earned the silver medal with a 66.846%, and Canada’s Brooke Mancusi (CAN) and DeJohn Ymas, a 2008 KWPN gelding (Glock’s Johnson TN x Sandro Hit), owned by BM Dressage, took bronze with a personal-best score of 66.205%.
Mancusi, the lone Canadian rider in the U25 division, said representing her country at NAYC carries extra weight in her final year of eligibility.
“It’s really such a great country, and it’s really hard for us to get a horse to be here at this level. It’s always a pleasure to walk away with a medal. It’s my last year, so it’s bittersweet,” Mancusi said.
Mancusi called her test with DeJohn Ymas one of their strongest outings together. “It was probably one of our better entries,” she said, “Our piaffe and passage with the first half was good. We got all the changes today; the pirouettes were good, and extensions were good. He was just really with me the whole time, and it was really good. We really tried.”
Dressage competition continues Friday, July 31, with the Junior Individual Test, beginning at 8:00 a.m. EST, followed by the Children’s Team Test at 2:30 p.m. EST.
Region 3 celebrates the FEI Young Rider Team Test gold medal alongside silver medalists Region 9 and bronze medalists Team Ontario. (Centre Line Media)
Jumping
Children’s Team Competition
On Thursday of week five of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders, the team from Zone 4, led by Kim Land, rode to victory in Team Competition for the Children’s category at the FEI North American Youth Championships, finishing on just 4.32 penalties overall.
Coming in on a strong score already, with the Individual Qualifier winner as part of their team, the Zone 4 athletes added nothing to their score, producing a clean slate over two rounds of jumping Thursday. Teammates Jesus Rigu and Georgina Jewell, winner of the Individual Qualifier, both jumped double-clear rounds, undoubtedly solidifying the team’s win. Each of the other athletes produced a clear round as well, ultimately contributing to their final score of zero for the day.
In the silver-medal position was Zone 10, with athletes Brianna Shannon, Taylor Morrow, Lillian Loftin, and Isabel Moment, led by team chef d’equipe Michael Endicott.
Childrens Jumping Team: Nya Ryan, Blake Che, and Laura Nosworthy.
Team Canada, led by Peter Gisborn, rallied with a completely clear second round to secure the bronze medal. As a team of only three athletes, all scores had to go towards the final team score, and team members Blake Che (Casino de Vincy), Nya Ryan (Santa Rosa Delta), and Laura Nosworthy (Kitty Kash) made them count, even when things didn’t exactly go their way in round one.
“I have such an incredible horse who’s able to get me out of anything and she tries her heart out,” Ryan shared as she focused on round two and producing a clutch clear. “I was locked in and trying to make it through and keep the pressure off. I tried to ride like I usually do.”
Junior Team Competition
Capturing the team gold medal in the Junior section was Zone 2, led by Krista Freundlich. The winning team, made up of athletes Scarlett Samuels, Cecilia Chatterjee, Agatha Lignelli, and Rylynn Conway, rode to a score of just 4 faults over the two rounds, bringing their finishing score after days one and two to 8.47 penalties, carrying an impressive lead over second place. Conway and Samuels each put in double-clear performances, making them top contenders looking ahead to Saturday’s Individual Final.
Taking a second silver medal home to the West Coast was Michael Endicott’s Zone 10 team, this time with Junior athletes Allyn Marie Creel, Madison Weiner, Lauren Padilla, and Violet Tatum. Kim Land’s Zone 4 squad ended up on the podium once again Thursday, taking the bronze medal this time around.
The FEI North American Youth Championships continue Friday with Pre Junior Team Competition and Young Rider Team Competition in the Turtle Creek International Ring. Friday also features the $31,100 CSI3* Speed.
Results here.
Livestream here.
~ with files from Traverse City Horse Shows
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