United States Eventing Association

Competition at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships continued this morning with the CH-Y** dressage phase. Fifteen young riders were center stage in the Rolex arena.

Sitting in gold medal contention after an elegantly ridden test is 18-year-old Caroline Martin from Miami Beach, Florida. She and Quantum Solace, an 8-year-old Argentinian Sport Horse Gelding, were the first to set hoof in the dressage ring this morning at 7:00. The pair stayed true to their pinny number and maintained the lead with a score of 50.2. According to Martin, she was pleased were her test and “Nacho’s” performance, despite a couple of small bobbles.

Martin and Nacho came to Young Riders this year with the experience of a CIC*** under their belt. Though Martin is careful about moving her young horse up too quickly, she believes he has great potential as an Advanced level horse.

“Earlier this year, Quantum Solace and I competed at Chattahoochee Hills CIC***, where we placed fourth in the division,” Martin said. “And because he is so young, I wanted to take a step back, and I don’t feel like we’re really yet for a CCI3***. So we came here to do the CCI**, and hopefully this fall or next year at Jersey Fresh would be a good time to move up to the CCI*** level.”

Currently claiming second place is 17-year-old Rowdie Adams from Greenville, Texas and her 13 year-old Thoroughbred Gelding, No Money Down. The pair sits less than a point behind Martin and Nacho, kicking off the week with a dressage score of 50.9. According to Adams, the pair’s last run at Chattahoochee Hills was not as smooth as she would have liked. This time Adams concentrated on being consistent and relaxed, and “Boxer” trotted into the dressage ring “with the attitude of ‘I’ve got this.’”

Adams found Boxer five years ago in a “junkyard” as an ex-race horse who had little experience under saddle. After training with him and being eliminated in four events, something clicked with Adams and Boxer, and the pair began to move up the levels. The two have grown very attached over the years, and Adams has declared that Boxer will “die on her farm.”

“That horse came out of nowhere. People drove by him, on the side of the freeway,” Adams said. “And now, look where he is. He is at one of the prestigious competitions around, and he tries his heart out. I think he’s one of the best horses in the world-to me, at least, he is.”

Rounding out the top three CH-Y** riders is 17-year-old Jenny Caras from Marietta, Georgia with her 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood Gelding, Fernhill Stowaway. Heading into Saturday’s cross-country on a 52.0, “Bodie” is one of the youngest horses at NAJYRC and has been training with Caras since he was an inexperienced four-year-old. Despite his youth, Bodie remained composed and Caras put in an impressive round for Area III.

“My ride was good. My horse has never been in this much atmosphere before, and obviously I didn’t know how he was going to handle it,” said Caras. “But he went in and took a deep breath and put in some of the best work that he’s done.”

With two of its riders also in the top three as individuals, Area III latched onto the tentative gold medal in the team competition with a score of 155.9. Other than the top scores of Martin and Caras, the strong rides on the Area III team included Mary Atkins Hunt and Nuance with a 53.7, and Matilda Segal and Guinness X with a 68.1.

Though the Area III riders were not close friends in past years, the girls have become extremely close in their time at Young Riders. The four talk, joke and laugh together as a rule, and they credit their coach, Kyle Carter, for keeping the pressure-laden atmosphere light and encouraging.

The consensus from CH-Y** riders heading into the second phase is that the cross-country course, designed for the tenth year by David O’Connor, is challenging. Though terms to describe the track have ranged from “a fair 2* with tough questions” to “hard from beginning to end,” all riders are prepared to be on the top of their game tomorrow morning.

“David did a really good job designing it, and it’s definitely a championship course,” Adams said. “The fourth fence is a big ditch and wall, and you have to be game. In the first combination, you really have to be thinking. It’s a championship course. There’s not a lot of room for error here.”

Tomorrow morning, both the CH-J* and the CH-Y** riders will strap their safety vests on and head for the start box.