Cross-Country Shakes Up the Standings at USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships
Adamstown, Md.—June 28—Whether they were riding as an individual or on a team, each young rider who crossed the finish line today at the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing Young Rider National Championships had a huge cheering squad.
The camaraderie was strong, with teammates helping to cool off horses and riders, and there with a hug of encouragement if the day didn’t go as planned or a high-five for a job well done.
Andrew Heffernan (BEL), making his cross-country course design debut at the Maryland International, set a strong track for all levels, and the standings in each championship division changed.
In the CCI3U25*-S, Maya Clarkson (Area II) and her own 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Mighty Magic x Winter Morning) Maks Mojo C rose to the top of the small division to hold the lead on a score of 36.8. They’ll have a 6-point lead ahead of Kelsey Seidel and Chico’s Man VDF Z, who were the dressage leaders yesterday, but added some time penalties today.
Clarkson and the gelding competed at Advanced last year, but he had surgery on his neck this year, so this was his first run back at the Intermediate level. They added 2.4 time penalties to their score and were the quickest of the four pairs to complete.
“I wasn’t really even trying to go that fast, but he’s a really quick horse across country,” she said. “I was going, but I wasn’t, you know, pushing it. It’s his first run back at the level after just two Prelims, and I thought, ‘I’m just going to see how he feels.’ Like, it’s Young Riders—of course I’m going to try to go for it if I can, but if it doesn’t feel great, I’m not going to push him.’
“The property is a bit tricky,” she added. “We love Loch Moy—they do so much—but there’s only so much space. I think Andy did a fantastic job making it flowy. It’s always going to be twisty-turny here because that’s just the layout, but I’m lucky to be sitting on a horse who’s very rideable—I don’t have to take a lot of tugs. If I were on a strong one, it might be harder.”
Clarkson rides with Lauren Nicholson and says she’s been working hard on show jumping, so she hopes they can jump clear tomorrow.
“Cross-country is definitely his best phase,” she said. “The connection has been something we’ve really been focusing on in both the dressage and show jumping. It felt better today, and we’ll see how it pays off tomorrow. He can jump clear rounds, but every once in a while… there’s one.”
A new leader emerged in the CCIYJ2*-S when Kate Bell and FE Velvet Black (Area V) moved up from sixth with 2.0 time penalties.
She’s owned “Axel,” an 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Vagabond de la Pomme x Cleo) for about two years.
“I’ve produced him myself, so it’s really rewarding for him to come out here and do that well on such a hard track,” she said. “It was very technical, which I kind of expected when I walked it. I was really happy that Axel was very rideable and came back to me when I asked. That helped us get up on the time. It actually rode a lot better than I expected—I was a little scared, so I was pleasantly surprised.
Bell competed here last year in the one-star, and said she appreciates the more flowing track this year. She’s a bit nervous for show jumping tomorrow, but has confidence in Axel as he’s a careful jumper.
“Honestly, he’s great—he’s super honest,” she said. “It really just depends on the ride I give him. I can definitely make mistakes in show jumping, but he’s always going to try his hardest.”
In the two-star team competition, the team from Area III is in the lead on a score of 122.5, followed by Canada on 125.2, and the combined team from Areas I and II on 137.6, so tomorrow’s show jumping will be decisive.
Charlotte Schaef (Area V) took over the lead in the CCIYJ1*-S with her own Tinraher Diamond, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare (Jack Of Diamonds x Lucky Mermaid) on a score of 30.5. They moved up from second after dressage.
“It was really good,” she said of her round. “I was very pleased with how she went around. She saved me at some of the jumps, but she was so game and made it feel easy. I just couldn’t be happier with her. I thought [the course] was really good. There were a bunch of hills, so the terrain was hard, but they were very generous in how they designed the course. I feel like it suited her very well—and it was very friendly.”
Schaef’s been partnered with “April” for about a year. “I feel like once a mare starts to trust you, she gives you her heart. I feel like we’ve finally gotten to the place where she trusts me. and I trust her. She even neighs when I come to the stall. It’s just like we’re best friends,” she said.
She’s feeling pretty good about going into show jumping tomorrow. “She’s generally a good show jumper, so I’m excited to see how tomorrow goes. I’m just going to control what we can control and try to get it done,” she said.
In the team competition, the combined team from Areas III and VIII are in gold-medal position on 93.8, while Area V is on 106.3, and Area II is on 231.8.
All riders will have their final horse inspection at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow followed by show jumping, which begins at 9:20 a.m. with the three-star, followed by the two-star, and one-star.
Helpful Links
Follow the USEA event coverage on social media!
Related Articles
The VIP Volunteer: Barb Bennett Loves 'Helping Make the Show Possible'
Growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, horses were far out of Barb Bennett’s reach. She made do by begging her parents for pony rides at local carnivals and daydreaming about a horse of her very own.
USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships Kicks Off at Maryland International
Thirty-four riders from seven USEA areas and Canada have flocked to the Maryland International this weekend for the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing Young Rider National Championships.
Weekend Quick Links: June 28-29
Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all...
