The 2005 North American Young Riders' Championships (NAYRC) drew 150 of the nation's finest horses and riders in the disciplines of dressage, eventing, and show jumping, to the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia, July 26-31, 2005. The week-long event culminated in an Olympic-style presentation of awards and closing ceremony.

USDF Region 2 exhibited a strength that could not be met by the other dressage teams, with all of the Region 2 team members finishing in the top ten in the FEI Young Rider Team Test, giving them the dressage team gold medal with a final team score of 199.289.  Kaitlyn Hamilton from Oxford, Michigan, Kassandra Barteau from Gilbert, Illinois, Allie Nichols from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lauren Sprieser from Oak Brook, Illinois, combined to make up the Region 2 dressage team powerhouse.  Region 2 also advanced all four riders into the freestyle test, which is unprecedented in NAYRC history.  Due to FEI rules, which dictate only three team members may advance to the freestyle test, Allie Nichols served as the freestyle test ride on Sunday.

USDF Region 7 made the long trip to Virginia from California and finished in the dressage team silver medal position with a combined score of 195.333.  USDF Region 7, which consistently fields medal-placing teams, was led by team veteran Dani Judy, El Cajon, California, who scored 68.622 percent in the FEI Young Rider Team Test.  Newcomers to the decorated Region 7 team included Skylar Evans from Bonsall, CA, Ashley Schempp from Pleasanton, CA, and Alycia Mondavi from St. Helena, CA.

USDF Region 5, lead by Anna Wood from Boulder, Colorado, with 66.889% in the FEI Young Rider Team Test, picked up the dressage team bronze medal, which was the first NAYRC team dressage medal ever earned by Region 5. Other team members, Megan Gregg from Heber City, UT, Tyler Haney from Boulder, CO, and Leigh Romano from Boulder, CO, were all smiles after their outstanding performances and the overall result of 193.867 points.

The United States had selected 32 advanced Young Riders to represent the country in dressage at the 2005 North American Young Riders' Championships, the premier dressage, eventing, and show jumping competition for Young Riders aged 16-21. Four non-US dressage riders also competed in the championships.  Invitations to compete in the NAYRC are extended to riders from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and Bermuda.

For complete 2005 NAYRC results, visit www.youngriders.org.

Founded in 1973, the United States Dressage Federation is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to education, recognition of achievement, and promotion of dressage. For more information about USDF membership or programs, visit www.usdf.org, email [email protected], or call (859) 971-2277.