Young Riders Learn FEI Rules At NAYRC

Old Mill Creek, IL— June 28, 2002—The North American Young Riders' Championships (NAYRC), presented by State Line Tack, an official USA Junior Olympic-Equestrian event, which takes place at Tempel Farms in Old Mill Creek, IL on August 6 – 11, 2002, offers Young Riders the unique chance to compete under Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) rules. The FEI is the international governing body for equestrian sport; any and all internationally-sanctioned equestrian competitions are run under FEI rules.

The North American Young Riders' Championships, presented by State Line Tack, is the premier equestrian competition in North America for Young Riders, age 16-21. Young equestrians come from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands to vie for team and individual Championships in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of Show Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing.

Once at the NAYRC, riders must know and adhere to the stringent FEI rules, which differ in many respects from the rules of USA Equestrian, under which nationally-sanctioned horse shows in this country are run. For example, under FEI rules, horses may not be given any medications and are jogged for soundness before the competition begins. Scoring for the competition is also different under FEI rules.

“Riding at the NAYRC means not only competing under FEI rules, but in an FEI Championship format,” explains Zone 10 contact for Show Jumping, Marnye Langer. “There is secured stabling and a horse inspection. All of these are things riders need to be familiar with if they wish to go on and compete internationally.”

Competing internationally for their country is something many riders at the NAYRC will likely go on to do. Olympic Silver Medalists Greg Best and Karen O'Connor, as well as Megan Johnstone, Lauren Hough, Elise Haas, Buck Davidson, Abigail Lufkin, Alison Firestone, Chris Kappler, Nicole Shahinian Simpson, Ray Texel, Chris Pratt, Lisa Carlsen Lubitz, Kathleen Raine, Heather Mason, David Wilson, Tiffani Loudon, Mara DePuy, and Julie Gomena are all NAYRC alumni who have gone on to compete internationally.

The NAYRC began in 1974 as an eventing challenge between the United States and Canada. A Dressage Championship was added in 1981, and Show Jumping debuted in 1982. The first complete NAYRC was held in British Columbia, Canada in 1982. Tempel Farms has hosted the Championship 12 times since 1985. In 2003 the NAYRC will be held in Bromont, Canada.

Besides the advanced divisions for Young Riders, the NAYRC offers a CSI*-JY Combined Competition for show jumping and a one-star competition for eventing. Both competitions allow younger competitors to gain valuable first-hand experience of what it’s like to compete in international competition in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. The result is an experience that is educational, competitive and at the same time fun.

This marks the fourth year the Mills Team Challenge, a dressage competition for young riders with disabilities, will be part of the NAYRC. The Mills Team Challenge is coordinated by the National Disability Sports Alliance, the national governing body for equestrian sports for riders with disabilities.

The Mills Corporation is the fastest growing retail and entertainment developer in the United States, with new projects on the horizon in Madrid, Spain and along the waterfront in San Francisco, California. The Mills combines interactive shopping, dining and entertainment with environments that engage the entire family. Visitors come from across the nation and from 50 countries worldwide, making The Mills leading tourist destinations across the United States. Gurnee Mills, located near Tempel Farms in Gurnee, IL, is the Midwest's largest value retail and entertainment mall with over 200 manufacturer and retail outlet stores, and a long history of supporting the North American Young Riders’ Championships. For more information on Gurnee Mills, please visit www.gurneemills.com or on The Mills’ exciting brand of retail and entertainment, please visit www.millscorp.com.

State Line Tack, the presenting sponsor of NAYRC, is the leading equestrian retailer providing hundreds of brand name products at great prices, with the mission of making riding more affordable for everyone. State Line Tack continues to show their commitment to the sport by sponsoring over 3,000 horse clubs and shows nationwide each year. For more information or to order product from State Line Tack, please visit www.statelinetack.com.

For more information on FEI rules, please visit the FEI Website at www.horsesport.org.

For more information on NAYRC activities, please visit www.youngriders.org. At the NAYRC website you will find zone, region, area contact information, a competition schedule, Tempel Farms information, and many other details pertaining to the event.

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