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U.S.
Wins Five Gold Medals at 2003 North American Young Riders'
Championships
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Bromont,
QC—August 26, 2003—U.S. riders won five of the six Gold
Medals awarded at the North American Young Riders’ Championships,
held August 20-24 in Bromont, Quebec, Canada.
Winning
individual Gold Medals for the U.S. were Mary Haskins Gray of
USA Region 1 (dressage), Ashley Dalton of USA Area 4-9 (eventing),
and Georgina Bloomberg of USA Zone 2 (show jumping). Team Gold
Medals went to USA Region 3 in dressage, Canada-Ontario in show
jumping, and USA Area 2 in eventing.
The
USA Region 3 Gold Medal dressage team comprised Jodie Kelly riding
Welt Kaar, Trae LaPoete with Fleetwood, Megan McKoy on Volsung,
and Schondel aboard Wallaby. The team had a total combined score
of 195.066.
The
Silver Medal went to USA Region 1 with a total score of 192.888.
The team consisted of Mary Haskins Gray and Fregat, Lauren Hopper
riding Mephisto, Catherine Malone aboard Kashmir, and Mary Alice
Malone, Jr. with Marko.
USA
Region 2 received the Bronze with Lindsay Koffler riding Alfredo,
Martin Kuhn with Romulus, Courtney Massie aboard Galateo, and
Lauren Spreiser on Bellinger receiving a team score of 192.000.
Canada-Ontario
won the team Gold Medal in show jumping with a combined total
score of 24 faults. With 28 faults, USA Zone 2 took the Silver.
The Zone 2 team comprised Bloomberg riding Riviera, Meghan Moran
aboard Mr. Happy, Michelle Pia and Fairplay, and Jessica Siuda
on Camerino. A combined team of USA Zones 4-6 and 7 earned the
Bronze Medal with a team score of 46 faults. The team included
Summer Bruington aboard VDL Mercedes, Courtney Frederick on Flocon
de Mieilles, and Lauren Van Eldik with Glory Days.
In
eventing, the medal race was very close with only 3.8 penalties
separating the Gold and Silver Medal teams. In the end, USA Area
2 won the Gold with an overall score of 226.6 penalty points.
The four riders comprising the Area 2 team were Hans Gerling aboard
The Maneman, Skyeler Icke on Dillinger, Emilee Libby riding Special
Excursion, and Kristin Schmolze with Rusheen Warrior.
The
team Silver Medal went to USA Area 3/5/8, who finished with 230.4
penalties. The team included Ashley Bailey-Classen on Temperence
Classic, Johanna Dufort and Northlight, Andrea Leatherman riding
Yoshi, and Stephanie Schmidt aboard Capitol Hill. With a combined
score of 322.2 penalties, Canada's Quebec-Ontario team earned
the Bronze.
The
North American Young Riders' Championships began in 1974 as an
eventing challenge between the United States and Canada in Jokers
Hill, Ontario. Canada swept all three team medals in the competition
that was then known as the North American Junior Team Championships.
A dressage championship was added in 1981, and since that year
the Young Riders' Championships have been recognized by the FEI
and are conducted in accordance with FEI General Regulations.
Show jumping made its debut in 1982 in British Columbia, when
the first complete Championships were held.
Next
year’s North American Young Riders’ Championships will
be held at Tempel Farms in Wadsworth, IL, August 11-15.
The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization
that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest
possible standard to represent our country in major international
competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
To accomplish this, the USET seeks out and nurtures the development
of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides
the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest
potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908)
234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org
.
