United States Eventing Association

The 2013 Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships were concluded this afternoon with the CH-Y** show jumping phase. Eleven young riders rode the challenging course designed by Richard Jeffery, determining the final placings.

Ending the day on a podium with a gold medal around her neck was 18-year-old Caroline Martin from Miami Beach, Florida. She and her 8-year-old Argentinian Sport Horse gelding, Quantum Solace, jumped a double clear round of stadium today to move them back into first place. The pair was originally in first place after dressage, but added 1.2 time penalties to their dressage score to knock them down to second place. Martin and “Nacho” ended on a score of 52.2.

Though Martin feels that she made a few mistakes in her show jumping round, she is ecstatic with Nacho’s ability to cope with a few tight spots and jump out of everything.

“I added another stride in each line and he just kept jumping higher and higher and higher,” Martin said. “I have so much faith in this horse. He’s one of those horses that it feels like your sitting on top of the world. I could aim him at a car. I could aim him at any jump and I know he could make it over.”

Martin was also thrilled to have the support of her main coach in Florida, Buck Davidson, come to NAJYRC today to support her. Davidson had planned to come to Lexington on Monday for an FEI meeting, and decided to make his way to the horse park a day early to watch Martin ride her show jumping round.

“I was so happy that Buck came,” Martin said. “It was great having his support. I love my coach so much and it was great having him cheering for me in the stadium and having him in my corner.”

Claiming the silver medal in the CH-Y** is 17-year-old Rowdie Adams from Greenville, Texas and her 13-year-old Thoroughbred off the track, No Money Down. Adams and “Boxer” moved up from second after dressage to first after cross-country, earning the only double clear round on Saturday . Unfortunately the pair had eight jumping faults this afternoon on the tricky championship stadium course, and moved back down to second place with a final score of 58.9. But Adams does not seem fazed or upset by the rails, as she is still proud of her horse.

“He did a beautiful dressage ride for me and jumped around yesterday like a pure genius,” Adams said. “He could have had every jump down today and I still would have been very proud of him, because he still does so much for me.”

Adams got Boxer out of a “junkyard” five years ago as an unsuccessful racehorse, and has brought him up through the levels. She named him No Money Down because her family didn’t pay a cent to buy him – he was free. Hopelessly devoted to her horse, Adams has declared that Boxer will “die on her farm” and will always be her “number one.”

“He’s given me everything,” Adams said earnestly through tear-glazed eyes. “And I never would have thought years ago that he had never been anything. Because I had a lot of people tell me he was never going to do anything, and he’s proven everyone wrong. And it’s fantastic that he’s come all this way.”

Finishing off as a NAJYRC individual medalist is 7-year-old Jenny Caras from Marietta, Georgia with her 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Fernhill Stowaway. Caras came out of dressage in third place, and maintained her bronze medal hold throughout both jumping phases. Caras and “Bodie” added just 12.7 cross-country time penalties and four stadium faults to her initial score, finishing on a 67.6.

Caras has had Bodie for three years, since he was a four-year-old. According to Caras, she was going on a horse shopping trip in England with her trainer, Julie Richards, with no intention of purchasing a horse. But when she saw Bodie, she knew she had to have him.

“I called my mom and I was just like ‘I have to have him,’” Caras said. “She worked it out and I brought him home, and I’ve been working with him ever since. And he’s been amazing. I don’t know that I’ve ever loved a horse this much before. He’s my baby.”

Claiming the gold medal in the CH-Y** is Area III, and with two of its riders as medalists, the victory comes as no surprise. The team finished with a total score of 191.5. Other than the silver and bronze finishes of Martin and Caras, Mary Atkins Hunt and Nuance contributed to the team with a score of 63.7 for fourth place.

As both the CH_J* and CH-Y** Area III teams took home the gold medals today, competitors on the team believe it is their ability to come together and work as a unit that makes them a winning team.

“I think you definitely have to have the kind of unity that our team has to be successful in any amount,” Segal said. ”We just have a lot of great girls on our team and we all want the best for each other. Some of us are best friends, some of us are new friends. But we all get along just the same. We all love each other a lot, and I think that’s exactly why we’ve had any success here.”

Coming in for the silver medal is the combined Area of VII, VIII & IX with a final score of 242.1. Though the team only had three members, all riders contributed a strong ride for the coveted silver medal. Solid team performances came from Lizzie Snow and Ringfort Tinkaturk, with a 86.3, Jacqueline Larouche and The Gingerbred Man, with a 83.2 and Erin Strader and Radio Flyer II, with a 72.6.

Rounding out the top three CH-Y** team medalists is Area V, finishing on a total score of 285.4. Other than the silver medal score of Adams, contributing rides came from Alexa Ehlers and In Any Event with a 109.8 and Mary Frances Cargile and Take the Mick with a 16.7.

With the 2013 NAJYRC concluded, the Kentucky Horse Park was witness to a myriad of young talent and upcoming upper level riders. And as cross-country course designer David O’Connor said in an interview:

“These are our future Olympians.”