Dressage-News

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, July 17–The USA’s Region 7 of California riders won the North American Young Rider Championships team gold Wednesday while Canada’s Quebec team took the Junior title.

The United States’ Region 6 covering the Northwest won Young Rider silver and U.S. Region 5 comprsing a slice of the mountain states from Canada down to Arizona and New Meixco bordering Mexico took the bronze.

The Junior silver went to Region 7 embracing California while Region 3 of the southeastern U.S. were awarde the bronze.

The highest scoring riders in both divisions came from Region 7/California–Jamie Pestana, 20, of Livermore and Winzalot topped the Young Rider leaderboard with 71.105 per cent while Olivia Zeilinger, 15, of Danville and Stentano led the Juniors with 68.811 per cent.

The two Region 7 California teams conducted a successful fund raising drive led by Tracy Gallmann of San Diego to collect $25,000 so all of their horses could be flown to Lexington instead of making the 2,000-mile (3,200km) drive and be as fresh as possible for the competition.

Both the Region 7 Young Rider and Junior teams were led by Jan Ebeling, the 2012 U.S. Olympic team rider of Rafalca, in his first time ever as a chef d’equipe.

The riders described him variously as “awesome” and “great” who applied his epxerience on American internationa squads as building team spirit and training.

Region 7/California Young Rider team – 206.421 – gold
Jamie Pestana, 20, Livermore, and Winzalot – 71.105%
Jaclyn Pepper, 20, Santa Rosa and Taboo – 68.132%
Ariel Thomas, 18, Briones and Montfleury – 67.184%
Teresa Adams, 16, Woodland and WeeJee – 64.237%

Region 7 won silver last year, so the team was happy to improve on that performance in 2013.

“We’re all here to support each other and we have a really great team this year,” Jaclyn Pepper said. “We’re all rooting for each other to do our best, even in the individual competitions. Our Chef, Jan Ebeling, has been awesome this year. He’s been so supportive and let us go down to his barn before we came here and get some training in. There are a lot of great opportunities in our region in general. We have some really great shows and getting the CDI experience before we get here is a really big advantage. Some regions don’t necessarily have that advantage.”

Jamie Pestana, who was the 2010 Junior Individual and Freestyle gold medalist and a two-time Team silver medalist, added, “it’s great when you’re out there and your team is cheering for you and you know that you’re not just there for yourself, but for your teammates and your region.”

Teresa Adams, at her second championships, said that she was excited to see her other teammates do so well.

“It’s so different than any other show,” she said. “It makes us all just ride that much better to help our team members because this represents everyone here. We want to give each other a good name, make our horses look good, and have fun together.”

Ariel Thomas noted that California has helped produce great riders that consistently do well at NAJYRC.

“California is really nice because we have so many shows and CDIs, so it really helps us get the feel of what it’s going to be like before we come here,” she said.

Region 6 – 198.841 – silver
Ayden Uhlir, 18, Kirkland, Washington and Sjapoer – 69.184%
Molly Eastridge, 20, Longview, Washington and Donnerspiel – 66.368%
Sadie Lahey, 19, Eagle, Idaho and Up to Date P – 63.289%

Region 5 – 198.158 – bronze
Devon Wycoff, 20, Boulder, Colorado and Power Play – 68.605%
Amelia Child, 21, Provo, Utah and Veto – 65.553%
Talia Hershaft, 20, Boulder and Westfalica – 64.000%

Canada/Quebec team took home the Junior gold medal for the second year in a row with Region 7 just 0.404 behind.

Canada/Quebec – 201.864 – gold
Laurence Blais Tetreault, 16, Montreal and Lowelas – 68.378%
Naima Moreira Laliberte, 16, Outremont and Windbreaker 3 – 67.054%
Betrice Boucher, 15, St-Dominique and Dante – 66.432%
Felixe Cote Villeneuve, 17, St. Lambert and Pissaro – 62.865%

Both Naima Laliberte and Laurence Tetreault were on last year’s winning team, but Laurence is on a different horse this year, Lowelas. “I was really happy with my horse. He was really tired because of the heat, but he was a really good boy,” she said.

Laurene spoke for the team when she said, “We’re really, really lucky to be able to win two years in a row. We’re really blessed. I think we just trained really hard. Naima and I are from the same stable, so we train and work together. Working together I think really helped us.”

For Felixe Villeneuve and Beatrice Boucher, it was their first time at NAJYRC. Felixe said, “I’ve never done a CDI, so it was kind of a big step for me. But to win with the girls is very, very, very nice.”.

Region 7/California – 201.460 – silver
Olivia Zeilinger, 15, Danville and Stentano – 68.811%
Rison Naness, 16, Burbank and Venezia – 66.730%
Lindsey Brewin, 16, San Ramon and Vaillant – 65.919%
Gabriela Glumac, 17, San Ramon and Zodessa – 63.838%

Olivia Zeilinger tried out for the team last year but did not make it and this was a first time experience.

“I’m having the time of my life,” she said. “I’m definitely trying for the Junior team next year.”

Rison Naness said that qualifying for the first time was such a stressful experience that by the time she made the team she did not know whether she wanted to do it.

“It has been a really great experience,” she said. “We really feel like a team, the juniors and the young riders have all bonded.”

Gabriela Glumac was proud that Zodessa, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood, had been trained up from training level.

It was the first time in a big stadium for the horse, she said, and he was a “little overwhelmed” but expects him to be back on his game for the individuals.

Lindsey Brewin, also in her first year at the championships, said the resut “exceeded all our expectations. We hoped we would do well but you never know. I definitely want to come back. It’s been a ton of fun.”

15 san ramon. junior team. first year going really great ex. team come together and supported. all expectations exceeded. hoped we would do well but you never know. havent decied what going definitely want to come back. its been a ton of fun.

Region 3/Southeast USA – 196.865 – bronze
Lindsey Holleger, 17, Whigham, Georgia and Friedensfurst – 67.757%
Mallory Kent, 16, Birmingham, Alabama and Okidokie – 66.027%
Rachel Robinson, 17, Orlando, Florida and Ucarius – 63.081%
Jamie Doolittle, 18, Reddick, Florida and Wild Tiger – 57.703%