Lexington, KY – It’s “all hands on deck” as the final touches are being made and the horses and riders are arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park for what has become a celebrated annual event – the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North. And for the 2011 competition, there are some exciting additions to this highly-regarded series of international championships.
In addition to championships being contested in dressage, eventing, and show jumping, for the first time at the NAJYRC, the discipline of endurance will contest a CEI4* 100-mile championship race (a CEI2* 75-mile, non-championship race will also be run concurrently). Additionally, reining, which joined the championships in 2008 for the first time, will have two divisions for the first time in 2011. Non-championship events will also take place in the form of a vaulting demonstration during the Opening Ceremonies and a pair of para-dressage freestyles prior to the dressage freestyle championships on Saturday.
In all, some 250 riders spanning six countries have made the pilgrimage to the Kentucky Horse Park to battle for medals. Among them include:
174 riders from the U.S. (57 dressage, 19 endurance, 39 eventing, 52 jumping, 7 reining)
59 riders from Canada (21 dressage, 3 endurance, 9 eventing, 12 jumping, 14 reining)
10 riders from Mexico (3 endurance, 3 jumping, 4 reining)
2 riders from Columbia (endurance)
1 rider from Germany (endurance)
1 rider from Spain (endurance)
Continue reading NAJYRC Stars on the Rise at the Kentucky Horse Park