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International championships in Parker next week

Contributed by: Christine DeHerrera on 7/21/2008


The Colorado Horse Park will soon be inundated with young riders from all over North America who will be competing in the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC).

Riders ages 14-21 will come from the United States, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands to vie for Championships in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing, plus the western style discipline of reining.

The championships take place July 29-August 3, 2008 and are the stepping-stone to the Olympics. This will be the first time in eight years that the event has been held west of the Mississippi.

For spectators, the NAJYRC is a great opportunity to glimpse future Olympic athletes. The competition has been host to many young riders who have gone on to represent their countries in the Olympics, including McClain Ward who is representing the United States in show jumping in Hong Kong next month. Many other Olympic medalists, like Greg Best and Karen O'Connor, got their international start at NAJYRC.

Each young rider must qualify to represent his or her country, zone, region or area at NAJYRC. The riders must successfully compete at designated competitions and put in many long days of hard work to reach their goal of going to NAJRYC.

Sisters Anisa and Kendyl Tracy, Parker, CO, will represent Area IX in eventing for the second year in a row. They made their NAJYRC debut in 2007 and not only were on the gold medal winning CCI* team, but also claimed the individual gold and individual bronze medals.For the sisters, the thrill of representing the team is an honor that they are looking forward to.

"You work up to Young Riders and you work up to be part of the team," Kendyl says. Anisa agrees. "I think it's really cool to be a part of an international team as a junior," she explains.

For most of these young riders, this is the first chance to experience team competition in what is essentially an individual sport.

The competition is run under the rules of the international governing body of equestrian sports, the Fédération Equestre International (FEI). It is an opportunity to learn the FEI rules and prepare for a life of international competition-Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games and the World Cup Finals.

Sarah Tredennick, who hails from Greenwood Village, will be representing Zone 8 in show jumping at the championships. This is Tredennick's second NAJYRC. She placed fifth overall last year at her first championships, which were held in Virginia. She is excited about how unique the NAJYRC is on the competition schedule. "Since it is set up like the Olympics, it is different, " she explains. "The FEI rules are a lot different."

The NAJYRC is also unique because the competition follows a team format. Kyle Timm, who will be coming from Canada to represent his province of Alberta in show jumping admits that the team atmosphere is a new element for most riders."It really does add pressure when your team is expecting results," he says. "You have to be able to deal with the pressure. As soon as you start jumping internationally the pressure is on and this competition (NAJYRC) is a good preparation for that."

The 2008 edition of the NAJYRC will be the inaugural year for reining to be featured in the competition. Reining is a fast paced, exciting western event that is becoming very popular in the United States and across the world. Reining is not currently an Olympic sport but will hopefully join the Games in the near future.

The NAJYRC began in 1974 as an eventing challenge between young riders from the United States and Canada. A dressage championship was added in 1981, and show jumping joined the roster in 1982. The first championship was held in British Columbia, Canada in 1982. Fully recognized championships for junior riders (ages 14-18) were added in 2006.

Langer Equestrian Group will be the show manager for the event. Their vast experience includes the 1992 World Cup Finals, 1996 Atlanta Olympics, two previous NAJYRCand hundreds of high quality hunter/jumper shows throughout California, as well as the Colorado Summer Circuit held every July at The Colorado Horse Park.

Spectators are welcome at all events. Admission and parking are free. Equestrian-themed shopping completes the fun. Visit www.youngriders.orgfor complete information.


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Christine DeHerrera

Aurora , CO

Christine DeHerrera has posted 25 stories and 0 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. Christine DeHerrera's average story rating is 5.
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