Young Rider Freestyle medalists (from left) Devon Wycoff, Catherine Chamberlain, and Laurence Blais Tetreault (SusanJStickle.com)
Lexington, Ky. – On Saturday, dressage riders competed for their Freestyle Individual medals in the Rolex Stadium at the 2014 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC). In the USDF/Platinum Performance North American Junior and Young Riders’ Dressage Championship Catherine Chamberlain (Region 7) and Verdicci won their second Individual Gold medal of the week in the Young Rider division. Camille Bergeron (Canada/Quebec/Alberta) and Lowelas also won another Gold medal in the Junior division. Endurance riders competed in their 75-mile race yesterday, and it was Morgan Watson (Team USA Southeast) who won the race for the Gold medal with My Lords Elisha. The USA Southeast team took Gold in endurance.
Chamberlain Wins Gold Medal Number Two
The top 15 Young Rider Individuals advanced to the Freestyle Championship today and were judged by Cesar Lepardo Grana (ARG) at E, Adriaan Hamoen (NED) at H, Christof Umbach (LUX) at C, Gabriel Armando (ARG) at M, and Sandy Hotz (USA) at B.
The highest score of the day in the Young Rider division went to Catherine Chamberlain of Region 7 (19, Murietta, Calif.) and Verdicci with 72.525%. A self-proclaimed nerd, Chamberlain was thrilled to ride to music from the Harry Potter soundtrack. She and Verdicci performed some difficult sequences of movements, including the extended trot on two diagonals and flying changes on a serpentine to the counter lead.
“It was the first time performing this freestyle and it was really fun,” Chamberlain said. “I tried to make it difficult. In past I have had more simple freestyles and I wanted to show off a more difficult freestyle.”
Even though they had a challenging freestyle routine, Chamberlain and Verdicci had a stellar performance.
“It was a thrilling solid ride for me,” she said with a smile. “My horse was able to stick there with me and perform the best he could.”
Devon Wycoff of Region 5 (20, Boulder, Colo.) and Power Play earned the Silver medal with a score of 70.975%. She got her freestyle off to a strong start with lovely canter work and never looked back. She used music by Lindsey Stirling, a hip-hop violinist, that she enjoyed riding to and worked with her horse. After not having the best ride for her Individual Test, Wycoff was hoping to ride better in her Freestyle, and she did just that.
“My main goal was to keep my brain between my ears. I don’t know where I was when I was riding the Individual Test but it wasn’t on my horse,” Wycoff explained. “I needed to stay there and ride every movement. Thank God I stayed there, I stayed there. I didn’t care what the result was. This was just icing on the cake. I accomplished my goal when I walked out of the arena.”
The Bronze medal went to Laurence Blais Tetreault of Canada/Quebec (17, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) and Michealango after they scored 70.625%. She rode to catchy music that she inherited from her sister, Mathilde. Like Wycoff, Blais Tetreault wasn’t thrilled with her rides earlier in the week but that was not the case with her Freestyle ride.
“I am extremely happy with how today went,” Blais Tetreault stated. “We had a rough start. My horse was nervous in Team Test and Individual. To finish with this nice ride, I’m very happy. He did everything I asked.”
Bergeron Scores Second Junior Gold Medal in Freestyle
Camille Bergeron (14, Mascouche, Quebec, Canada) and Lowelas had another winning performance at NAJYRC, this time in the Junior Freestyle Championship. The pair’s performance garnered a score of 71.275% and the Gold medal. Bergeron and Lowelas rode to upbeat music, helping to highlight the power in Lowelas’ gaits.
“I was wanting powerful music so that people wouldn’t just think ‘oh, he’s cute.’ I wanted people to go ‘Wow,’ so I chose this music,” Bergeron explained.
Bergeron said she had an excellent warm-up with Lowelas, with him being calm and attentive.
“When I came in the ring I was really confident and it was amazing,” Bergeron shared. “I do my best to be the most precise I can be.”
The judges for the Junior class were Cesar Torrente (COL) at E, Lorraine MacDonald (CAN) at H, Lilo Fore (USA) at C, Mercedes Campdera (MEX) at M, and Marian Cunningham (PER) at B.
Cassie Schmidt (17, Aledo, Texas) rode Velasquer to the Silver medal after earning a score of X. The pair’s freestyle mainly used music containing pianos, including piano version’s Taylor Swift’s Love Song, Bach’s The Cello Song done by The Piano Guys and a song from the Twilight movie soundtrack. After Velasquer making it clear in a clinic with Karen Robinson that he did not enjoy powerful music, Schmidt realized he enjoyed piano music.
“Eventually [Robinson] tried the piano music and he just took a deep breath and felt so good,” Schmidt said with a smile. “Everything just felt perfect about it.”
Despite being excited by the nearby cross country action in the warm-up, Velasquer listened to Schmidt and laid done a great test.
“He just felt so with me. Everything just fell into place today,” Schmidt explained, coming back from some minor mistakes earlier in the week.
Molly Paris (18, Charlotte, N.C.) and Diamante Sky executed a strong freestyle to music from the Harry Potter soundtrack, put together by Marlene Whitaker, to claim the Bronze medal. The music fit Diamante Sky well and emphasized his elegance
“We tried not to make it too powerful since he’s a powerful horse but also kind of elegant,” Paris commented. “So we just tried to get something that matched his personality.”
Diamante Sky was also a bit unsettled in warm-up with the eventing horses galloping nearby, but was all business in the arena.
“He gave me all he had and that’s all I can ask for,” Paris said.
Endurance Gold for Southeast Team and Watson
Though the 2014 race for the North American Young Rider Endurance Championship took place Friday, the winners received their medals today in the Rolex Stadium. Standing atop the podium as the Team Gold medalists was the Southeast team.
The Southeast team finished with the best cumulative time of 19:16:37. The team is composed of:
Michael Bishop (17, Raleigh, N.C.) and Thundering Overtime
Mallory Capps (20, Cumming, Ga.) and SA Belshazzar
Morgan Watson (21, Clinton, Tenn.) and My Lords Elisha
Josie Whelan (20, Leicester, N.C.) and FFC First Csea Lord
Cassandra Roberts (17, Bronson, Fla.) and Golden Lightning
The unseasonably cool temperature Friday made the 120km race a bit easier for the horses and riders, but, nonetheless, it was still quite a task.
“The weather made it extremely easier on the horses,” Capps explained. “It was the best completion rate we ever had here. Usually we only have a 50% completion rate. I didn’t get hot during the day so that was awesome. The weather had huge impact on how the horses were.”
The Chef d’Equipe for the Southeast team, Lynn Kenelly, noted that, “These riders worked beautifully together. It was a collaborative effort. A five out of five completion rate doesn’t happen at this level.”
The Central team was the second and final team to complete the course in a time of 23:01:12. The team is composed of:
Mary Kathryn Clark (20, Eatonton, Ga.) and Chasing The Wind
Emilynn DiBassie (16, Magnolia, Texas) and MK Spyder
Jessica DiCamillo (21, Las Cruces, N.M.) and SHA Strike Two
Christina Kimery (16, Bixby, Okla.) and Noslo’s Selket Da Yankee
“My plan was to finish and to get a team medal and keep everybody going and stay strong on the trail and we succeeded,” DiCamillo said. “We’re all here with medals on us and we are all happy.”
Watson and My Lords Elisha crossed the finish line first in a time of 6:14:23 to win Gold, with Roberts and Golden Lightning finishing in Silver medal position with a time of 6:14:24. Roberts displayed her horsemanship by letting her teammate win the Individual Gold medal since it was Watson’s last year to be eligible to compete at the NAJYRC.
“It’s her last year. I won the Gold last year so I gave it to her this year,” Roberts stated.
Watson added, “I was chasing her and then we decided to work together and it worked out really well.”
Christina Kimery (Bixby, Okla.) and Noslo’s Selket Da Yankee crossed third in a time of 6:44:32.
“Everything went to plan,” Kimery said. “I held my position like I wanted to and the horse did great.”
The Best Conditioned award went to Laconic ridden by Maria Muzzio of the USA Northeast Combined team.
USEA North American Junior and Young Riders’ Eventing Championship
As expected, David O’Connor’s course proved extremely influential on Saturday as both the Young Rider and Junior leaderboards saw a great shake-up.
In the USEA North American Young Riders’ Eventing Championship, Area III stormed to the lead after strong rounds in CCI2* competition, where two riders were able to jump clear helping the team to only add 43.7 points to their score. They head into the show jumping on a score of 218.9.
The Area III team consists of:
Emily Rusinyak (19, Franklin, Ga.) and her own Reatta HW (no jumping penalties and 2.4 time penalties) – 63
Adrian Jones (16, Shamong, N.J.) and Laura Jones’ Irish Odyssey (40 jumping penalties and 26.4 time penalties) – 127.1
Calvin Ramsay (17, Lafayette, La.) and Courtney Ramsay’s Flintstar (no jumping penalties and no time penalties) – 63.2
Nicole Doolittle (16, Charlotte, N.C.) and her own Tops (20 jumping penalties and 18.8 time penalties) – 92.7
Rusinyak, who was the pathfinder for the Area III, thought the nine minute and 26 obstacle course asked technical questions but also rewarded horse and rider.
“I thought it was a great course and asked some tough questions but rewarded good riding. My horse was great.”
The Area III team attributed much of their success on Saturday to the mentality of putting the team before individual pursuits.
“Last year I rode at Young Riders as an Individual and this year I’m lucky enough to ride on a team. And there is a lot more riding on it (as a team competitor)” said Ramsay, who was one of only four riders to jump clear and finish within the time. “You’re not just riding for yourself, you’re riding for the team and it’s not about the Individual Gold, it’s about Team Gold.”
Ziegler (21, Beiseker, Alberta) maintained his lead after a faultless round on Saturday with his own Critical Decision and heads into the show jumping with a 14-point lead on score of 46.3.
“He smoked around [the course]; the cross country is what he lives for. If I just steer and keep my foot on the gas, he’s great,” said Zeigler, who competed later in the day in the Young Rider Freestyle, of his CCI4* veteran. “You just put him in the right direction and he locks on.”
April Simmonds (17, Uxbridge, Ontario) and Impressively Done stand in Silver medal position after adding just 3.2 time penalties to their dressage score and are now on a two phase total of 60.2. Autumn Schweiss (21, Fairfax, Minn.) and her own and Mike and Julie Schwiss’ Oakport Strauss are lying third on a score of 62.1.
Area II climbed two position in the standings to hold the lead heading into show jumping in the USEA North American Junior Eventing Championship, with all four members of the Area 2 completing the CCI1* course without jumping penalty helping the team to head into the show jumping with a 19 point lead.
The Area II team consists of:
Grace Fulton (15, Finksburg, Md.) and Sharon White’s Wild Orange (no jumping penalties and no time Penalties) – 57.9
Margret Schaeffer (17, Quakertown, Pa.) and her own Grey Area (no jumping penalties and no time penalties) – 54.6
Maddie Mosing (16, Hoffman, Tx.) and Sterling Silver Stables and Jennifer Mosing’s Tako (no jumping penalties and six time penalties) – 65.8
Alexis Nelson (18, Purcellville, Va.) and her own Total Eclipse (no jumping penalties and no time penalties) – 49.4
All four team members have grown to be fast friends and are enjoying riding as a team this weekend.
“I think that riding on a team is a privilege,” said Schaeffer. “We all get along so well and that really helps and everyone encourages each other.”
Nelson also believes that the week they spent in training camp together in The Plains, Va., at Morningside Farm really helped their riding and team spirit.
“It was very helpful to get to go to camp and train and school. It was amazing.”
Moira de Ste Croix-Laframboise (16, Ontario, Canada) and her own and Jane Teddie Laframboise’s Blue Ben also climbed two spots in the rankings to head into the final phase in the lead on a score of 49.2 on the strength of a fault-free round on Saturday.
“I was pretty happy with my whole round; the two waters were definitely bigger than I had originally thought,” said Laframboise of her round on Saturday. “He’s really an amazing horse and I’m really glad I brought him up here.”
Nelson and Schaeffer are poised to add Individual medals to resume as well as they stand in Silver and Bronze positions, respectively.
USHJA North American Junior and Young Riders’ Show Jumping Championship
Twelve horses went to task in the Walnut Arena on Saturday to contest the Farewell class with Zone 10’s Eve Jobs (16, Palo Alto, Calif.) and her own Esprit topping the field. The pair posted the quickest clear jump-off round in a time of 35.83.
Finishing 4/10ths of a point behind Jobs was Zone 10’s Samantha Kasowitz (16, New York, N.Y.) and Fairplay Farm’s Corprizia in second, while third went to the Dominican Republic’s Maria Jose De La Torre Ramierz and Wiseguy finishing the jump-off clear in a time of 37.03.
For full results or to learn more about the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North, please visit www.youngriders.org.
USEF Network presented by SmartPak will live stream the entirety of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s events from the Rolex Stadium during NAJYRC. Visit www.usefnetwork.com to find out more and watch!