Last year's CCIJ1* winner Eliza Dolittle is lying third in the CCIY2*
The 2014 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) is playing host to 216 young athletes from Canada, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States across four disciplines. The riders have converged upon the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Kentucky for the competition running July 15-20. The NAJYRC festivities kicked off on Tuesday with the Golf Cart Parade to neighbouring Spy Coast Farm, followed by the Opening Ceremonies and Exhibitor Party.
Riders from four disciplines (a total of seven championships for Juniors and Young Riders) will take part in the only FEI Championship held annually in North America. The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for juniors and young riders, ages 14-21. This year, young equestrians have come to vie for Team and Individual FEI medals in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of jumping, dressage, eventing and the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of endurance.
2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the Championships which began in 1974 as an eventing challenge between the United States and Canada. A dressage championship was added in 1981, and jumping was added in 1982. The first complete Young Riders championship was held in British Columbia, Canada, in 1982. The Championships were expanded to officially include a championship division for juniors in 2006. The discipline of reining was added to the official schedule in 2008; endurance joined the championship for the first time in 2011. At the NAJYRC, athletes learn valuable information about international rules and regulations that will serve them well when they represent their country at senior-level events.
A total of 65 eventing competitors began their quest for a medal on Thursday morning, with the CCI1* riders performing their dressage test in the morning, followed by the CCI2* riders in the afternoon. David Ziegler riding Critical Decision leads the CCIY2* with Hannah Bundy riding D’Jion in second place and last year’s CCI1* winner, Nicole Doolittle riding Tops in third. In the CCIJ1* Kaylawna Smith riding London Calling OHF is in the lead followed by Alyssa Phillips riding Bliss III and Moira de Ste Croix-Laframboise riding Blue Ben
The heart of the USEA North American Junior and Young Riders' Eventing Championship, the cross country phase, will take place Saturday across the rolling bluegrass landscape of the Kentucky Horse Park. The championship will culminate on Sunday with riders tackling the show jumping phase in the Rolex Arena.
The USEF Network will be live streaming from the Rolex Stadium on Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July
Full results and more information at www.youngriders.org
