Print- The first day, Wednesday, July 28, of the 2010 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships got underway with the dressage team competition at the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Ky. The young rider team compiled from Regions 5 and 6 went home victorious with a combined score of 199.84.
- The team started their day with a 59.26 percent from Madeline Birch, 18, from Heber City, Utah, riding an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Starlight. Two solid scores from the Arizonians Laura DeCesari, 20, from Tucson, riding Cheenook II (66.05%) and Brandi Roenick, 15, from Scottsdale on Nobel (64.52%) followed. Jhesika Wells, 20, and Intrepid put in the final score of 69.26 percent to bring home the gold medal.
- As well as being part of the gold medal team, Wells, from Redmond, Wa., and her 20-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Intrepid’s 69.26 percent was the highest score of the day. Canadians Megan Lane and Jaimie Holland were close behind with a 67.47 and 67.26 percents, respectively.
- The Region 5/6 team encompasses much of the western United States including, Utah, Arizona and Washington. The four girls only paired up at the start of the show, but even the youngest teammate Roenick, 15, said, it was great “being able to meet new girls and be on a team and immediately click. It’s fun to have that bond with teammates.”
- Team Ontario was right on Region 5/6’s heels, missing the gold medal by only 1.4 percentage points. The team was spearheaded by 19-year-old Lane, from Collingwood, Ont., riding Caravella (67.47%). For 21-year-olds Amy Jager, Waterloo, Ont., riding Key West (63.64%) and Holland, Caledon, Ont., on Fleurina (67.26%), their team medal was bittersweet since it's their final NAJYRC. Maura O’Sullivan, 18, on Pik Czar made the jump from the juniors to young riders this year with a 58.10 percent.
- O’Sullivan and Lane teamed up for the second time after being victorious on the junior team in 2009. The duo made the leap to young riders this year and took their team to second. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Lane said. “It’s my horse's first time at this level, and I’m over the moon about how she did.”
- With a total score of 196.77, the combined Regions 4 and 8 Team took home the bronze medal. Tessa Dick, 21, riding Lord Chalk Hill, “Charlie” a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, was the first ride into the arena and laid down a 64.68 percent that would be difficult to match. Mary Bahniuk Lauritsen, 21, from Harvard, Mass., and Rossignol-ISF scored a solid 62.42 percent, while Meagan Davis, 21, Stone Ridge, N.Y., on Bentley put down a 66.84 percent.
- Hans Baertsch, 17, from Duluth, Minn., on Rubinstar GB, contributed a 62.57 percent, and made the Region 4/8 the only co-ed team to leave with a medal from Wednesday’s competition
- Davis and Bentley put last year’s fall in the freestyle test firmly behind them with a score of 66.84 percent, a team bronze medal and the fifth best score of the day.
