Canadian Junior Riders Sarah Loewen and Monica Houweling continued their winning ways and earned the individual gold and silver medals in the Junior Freestyle test on July 30 at the 2011 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships.  The Junior and Young Rider Freestyles were the final dressage events at the competition being held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY from July 27 – 31, 2011.

Loewen of Winnipeg, MB, rode her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Ricardo to the gold medal victory scoring 69.675%. Right behind Loewen for the silver medal was Houweling of Delta, BC. Houweling earned 67.700% riding Stentano, the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding she co-owns Linda Houweling.

Anneka Sutton of Drumbo, ON, and Fidelio, her 13-year-old Westphalian gelding, finished in eighth place in the Freestyle with a score of 65.850%. Ninth place was awarded to Monika Zillinger of Armstrong, BC riding Nucari, Christa Massingwinkel’s 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, scoring 65.700%. Rounding out the top 10, with 64.200%, was Megan Overwater of Rocky Mountain House, AB and Wind Walker, a 10-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding owned by Kim Aasman.

In the Young Riders Freestyle, Mathilde Blais Tetrault of Montreal, QC, rode her horse Michelangelo, a 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood, to a sixth place finish with a score of 66.400%. In 11th place with a score of 64.300% was Alexandra Dvorak of Hillsburgh, ON riding Fling, Thomas Dvorak’s 11-year-old Westphalian gelding.

Exclusively for Junior Riders, aged 14–18, and Young Riders, 16–21, the NAJYRC gives up and coming riders the opportunity to experience representing their country as a team, and prepares them for future international competition. For more information and complete results for NAJYRC, please visit http://www.youngriders.org/.