Canada Shines During First Ever Para-Dressage Competition at NAJYRC

Canada’s inaugural Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) para-dressage team, formed by team veteran Madison Lawson of King City, ON, and up-and-coming riders, Sara Cummings of Cranbrook, BC, and Nel Godin-Keating of Dartmouth, NS, earned solid Team Test scores across the board.

Lawson, who is representing Canada internationally at the Kentucky Horse Park for the fourth time, earned a score of 66.815% in the Grade IV Team Test with her new horse Lawrence (Lynx x Ferro), a 14-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding she co-owns with her mother Nathalie Lawson.

Godin-Keating earned her first international score of 63.315% in the Grade 1a Team Test riding Mr. Itchy (Oxnead Allstar 591 x Sticky Lane Cassandra), a 17-year-old Haflinger gelding she owns with Lorraine Keating.

Rounding out the Canadians was Cummings and West Bay, her 11-year-old Swiss Oldenburg cross gelding. The duo scored 61.397%, five per cent higher than their previous Team Test score, in the Grade II.

The scores for the Team Test will be combined with the Individual Test, which will be held on July 17. The combined totals of all three team riders will determine the overall Team Championships awards. Canada is currently sitting with 191.527, while the United States has a score of 196.32.

Canadian Young Riders Finish Fifth in Jumping Team Competition
The Young Rider jumping team, comprised of Veronica Bot of Nepean, ON, Meagan Beunder of Calgary, AB, Paige Mawson of Toronto, ON, and Jacqueline Steffens of Harriston, ON, earned a fifth place finish overall in the team competition.

Canadian Endurance Riders Brave Challenging Conditions
Despite damp conditions caused by heavy rain in the Lexington area earlier in the week, Canadian endurance riders Savanah Wilson and Solstice Pecile tackled the NAJYRC-CH 4* FEI Championship endurance competition on July 16, 2015. Riding Cheryl Van Deusen’s 11-year-old Arabian gelding, Hoover the Mover (Ebony Masterpiece x Muslin), Wilson of Kemptville, ON, and Pecile of Bailieboro, ON, and her mare Glorious Song IA, a 19-year old Arabian, headed out at 6:30 a.m. to challenge the 120 km, five loop race. Official, final results will be highlighted in the Equine Canada July 17 daily wrap up.

NAJYRC Day Three Highlights
Canadian riders will take part in a number of competitions on day three of NAJYRC in Lexington.

Jumper riders not qualified for the Individual Final on July 18 will participate in the Farwell Competition on July 17. The para-dressage team will vie for top scores in the Individual Test, while members of Canada’s CCI 1* Championship teams will start the eventing competition off with the dressage phase. The second day of dressage competition will feature the Individual Tests for both the Juniors and Young Riders. The endurance medal ceremony will also occur on day three.

For more information and complete results for NAJYRC, please visit www.youngriders.org.