United States Eventing Association

Meet the Teams: CCIJ2*-L Junior Team Championships

This article is based on the nominated entry list released by the USEF and is not a reflection of final team selections. A previous version of this article named Fernhill Athena as Paige Thorson's mount for NAYC. The correct horse is Fernhill Stateside.

The Event at Rebecca Farm has played host to the Adequan North American Youth Championships presented by Gotham North (NAYC) for the last two years and will do so for the third year running on July 24-28, 2019. The country's top junior and young riders will compete for team and individual medals at the CCI2*-L and CCI3*-S levels in breathtaking Kalispell, Montana. This year, all 10 USEA Areas are sending representatives to vie for top honors at the CCIJ2*-L Junior Team Championships. Final team and individual riders will be announced after the first horse inspection.

Without further ado, meet the horses and riders who have been nominated for the CCIJ2*-L at the North American Youth Championships at Rebecca Farm.

Area I

• Libby Scruton and Silver Flash (Fabulous Frolic x Enough Approval), Abby Hamblin’s 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Scruton and Silver Flash have been partnered together for two years and during that time have only finished outside the top 10 three times. They were eighth in the CCI* at Virginia last fall.
• Isabel Finemore and Shane Finemore’s Craig Mor Tom, an 18-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding or Andrew Hoy's Rutherglen, a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Ramires x Ramona). Craig Mor Tom began his eventing career in 2017 with Finemore and has nine top-five finishes on his record. Most recently the pair was second in the Preliminary at Essex Horse Trials. Finemore has been riding Rutherglen since 2018 and they have five wins together included the 2018 Virginia CCI*. Before Finemore took over the reins, Rutherglen competed at 10 five-star competitions including the 2012 London Olympics

Area II

• Madison Chisholm and Hooked On Ridin’s Beechcraft (Sarava x JustTellTheStory), a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Chisholm took the ride on Beechcraft at the beginning of 2018 and this year successfully completed the CCI2*-S at The Fork and the CCI2*-L at Virginia.
• Sofie Harangozo and Cynthia McNemar’s 2007 Oldenburg gelding Rain Dancer (Ruffian x Lady Logan). Harangozo and Rain Dancer partnered up in the fall of 2018 and this spring completed the CCI2*-S at Fair Hill and Virginia with no cross-country jumping penalties.
• Colette Leber and Willie Wiggins (Sligo Bay x Glory Days), her own and Tammy Leber’s 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Together Leber and Willie Wiggins jumped around Leber’s first CCI2*-S at Carolina International with no jumping penalties.
• Caitlin O’Roark and Shannon O’Roark’s 14-year-old Thoroughbred/Dutch Warmblood gelding Lucky Devil (Just a Devil x Lady Lucky). Previously ridden through the four-star level by Lauren Kieffer, Lucky Devil and O’Roark completed two CCI2*-S events this spring and were fifth at the CCI* at Virginia last fall.
• Dylan Philipps and her 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Fernhill Fierce (Furisto’s Diamond x Odette). This pair finished third in the Virginia Horse Trials CCI* last November and completed the CCI2*-S at Carolina International in March. Most recently they were winners in the JYOP division at The Fork.
• Sydney Shinn riding her own 14-year-old Thoroughbred mare Paprika (Shadow Show x Nifty). Shinn and Paprika have four top-6 finishes at the Preliminary level in 2019 and were 11^th in the CIC* at Plantation Field.
• Julianne Elliott and Buckharo (Buckhar x Shady Maid), Beth Sokohl’s 20-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The pair were 10^th in the CCI2*-S at Fair Hill earlier this spring and most recently completed the CCI2*-L at Virginia.

Area III

• Caroline Dannemiller and Tops (Dermot Maguire x Tomgard Diamond), an 18-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Skylar Rowan. Tops and Dannemiller were third in the Preliminary at Rocking Horse in February, sixth in the Preliminary at Ocala in March, and completed the CCI2*-L at Ocala in April.
• Claire Howard and Euro Star (Qredo van de Kempenhoeve x Panama), her 10-year-old Portuguese Sport Horse gelding. Euro Star was imported in 2016 and began competing with Howard at the Novice level. The pair already has two blue ribbons this year, one each from Rocking Horse and Stable View, and completed the two-stars at Ocala and Virginia this spring.
• Hanna Johnson and her own Urlanmore Beauty (Ricardo Z x Cavaliers Delight), a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Johnson and Urlanmore Beauty began their partnership last summer at the Training level and have five top-six finishes at the Preliminary level this year, including sixth in the CCI2*-S at Chattahoochee Hills.
• Grace Montgomery and her own 15-year-old Connemara/Selle Francais gelding Quicky de Barbereau (Aronn x Daisy de Boislarge). Together for just over a year, Montgomery and Quicky de Barbereau have amassed eight top-five finishes, including fourth place at the Chattahoochee Hills CCI2*-S in April.
• Olivia Mogridge and Calysta MWF (Contucci x Karrena), Meredith Michelfelder’s 12-year-old Hanoverian mare. This spring the pair were fifth in the Preliminary at Ocala, fifth in the Area III Preliminary Championships, and 14^th in the CCI2*-S at Chattahoochee Hills.
• Madeline Mogridge and Betsy Ball’s 18-year-old Quarter Horse gelding West Point. Mogridge and West Point started out at the Novice level at the beginning of 2018 and have been successfully competing at the Preliminary level since February. They were fifth at Ocala in March, second at Ocala International in April, and sixth in the Area III Preliminary Championships.
• Paige Thorson and her own Fernhill Stateside (Cloneen Clover x Liladora), a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Thorson and Fernhill Stateside moved up to Preliminary in May and have not finished outside the top 10. Most recently they were seventh in the River Glen CCI2*-S.
• Emma Vallner and her own T Other Guy (Loughehoe Guy x Colleen Diamond). Vallner and the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding have five top-10 Preliminary level finishes on their record in 2019 and also finished 11^th in the CCI2*-S at Chattahoochee Hills.

Area IV

• Caitlyn Ruud and Light Speed Equestrian LLC’s Up to You De Lorage (Mylord Carthago *HN x Mirande de Saunoir). Ruud and the 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding had a successful move-up to Intermediate this spring and most recently were fifth in the CCI2*-L at Bromont.
• Benjamin Noonan and his own Keep Kitty (King Julio x Emelie), an 8-year-old Hanoverian mare. Since partnering up in the spring of 2017, the pair has finished in the top five 13 times. They most recently won their Preliminary division at Surefire Farm.
• Brittney Anderson and Kristen Anderson’s 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding Lennard (Likoto xx x Ronja). Anderson and Lennard were sixth at CDCTA in April and completed the CCI2*-S at Virginia Horse Trials.

Area V

• Samantha Tinney and Glenbrook Cooley (Cassidee x Glenbrook Spirit), her own 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare. Tinney and Glenbrook Cooley moved up to the Preliminary level this spring, winning the Preliminary at Ocala and placing third in the Preliminary at Three Lakes. They also completed the CCI2*-S at Red Hills and Chattahoochee Hills.
• Kit Ferguson and her own Cillbhrid Tom (OBOS Quality x Cillbhrid Avoca). Ferguson and the 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding have been together since the beginning of 2018 and in that time have finished inside the top 10 at 14 events, including three wins. The pair finished the CCI2*-S at River Glen in second place last month.

Area VI

• Charlotte Babbitt and 2 A.M. (Sheraton x Regina K), her own 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. Babbitt and 2 A.M. won both of their outings at the one-star level in 2018 at Woodside in October and Galway Down in November. This spring they successfully moved up to the Intermediate level and most recently were fifth in the CCI3*-S at Aspen Farms.
• Sarah Ertl and her own Global Show Time (Ulano M x Its Show Business), a 9-year-old Warmblood gelding. This spring, the pair completed the Galway Downs CCI2*-S in seventh place and were 16^th in the CCI2*-L at Twin Rivers.
• Savannah Gwin and her own 13-year-old Warmblood gelding Glock Pullman (Coriall x Ahdonna Pullman). Gwin and Glock Pullman have several top-10 Preliminary level finishes under their belt, including second place in the CCI2*-L at Twin Rivers in April.
• Taylor McFall and High Times (Hunter x Gerda I), The High Times Syndicate’s 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding. In their four starts together at the Preliminary level they have not finished outside the top three and they were eighth in their first CCI2*-S together at Galway Downs in March.
• Meg Pellegrini and her own RF Eloquence (Contender x D-Ginger), a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding, or Ganymede (Ballywhim An Luan x Court Hawk), Pellegrini Barn LLC’s 16-year-old Connemara/Thoroughbred mare. Pellegrini and RF Eloquence have three wins on their 2019 record, including the CCI2*-S at Galway Downs and the CCI2*-L at Twin Rivers. Pellegrini and Ganymede were fourth at both the Galway Downs CCI2*-S and the Twin Rivers CCI2*-L and most recently won the Preliminary Challenge at Woodside.

Area VII

• Callia Englund and her own and Michelle Drewien’s 9-year-old Cheval Canadian gelding Xyder (D-D-D Cromwell Prince 2 x Cosyland Star Kandi). Englund and Xyder have been together since she was 12 years old and he was 4 years old, moving up from Beginner Novice all the way to the Preliminary level. The pair were second in their outing at Twin Rivers in April and completed the CCI2*-S at Fresno and Galway Downs earlier this spring.
• Ashley Widmer and What Are The Odds (Cash Dash x Amanda Quick), her own and Shelly Widmer’s 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. The pair started out at the Beginner Novice level in 2016 and moved up the levels to the Preliminary level in 2018. This spring they were seventh in the Preliminary at Equestrians’ Institute and 13^th in the CCI2*-S at Aspen Farms.
• Kayla Dumler and Faramir (CapitalImprovement x Princess Malaga), her 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Faramir’s eventing career started with Dumler in 2017 and he has earned nine top-10 finishes since then. Together they won the CCI2*-S at Aspen Farms last month.
• Olivia Miller and her own Fritz Patrick (Regazzoni x Pandora). Miller and the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding don’t have a cross-country jumping penalty on their record in the last year and so far in 2019 have completed the CCI2*-S at Galway Downs and Aspen Farms and the CCI2*-L at Twin Rivers.
• Lilly Linder and Tucker Too, Anni Grandia’s 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Linder and Tucker Too partnered up in the summer of 2018 and were in the top five at their first five events together, winning both the Preliminary at Aspen Farms and Spokane Sport Horse Farm. This year they were third in the CCI2*-S at Galway Downs and completed the CCI2*-L at Twin Rivers.

Area VIII

• Elizabeth Henry and her own Charlotte La Bouff. Together since 2017, Henry and the 11-year-old Warmblood mare have finished outside the top five only once. Last fall they were fifth in the CCI* at Midsouth in their sole FEI start.
• Cierra Daratony and Rio de Janeiro (River Dancer x Vanilla Ice), her own 10-year-old Holsteiner/Thoroughbred gelding. Daratony and Rio de Janeiro moved up to the Intermediate level this spring, winning their first attempt at the level at Full Gallop Farm. They also completed the CCI2*-L and Virginia and were second in the Preliminary at Fox River Valley last month.
• Gracie Elliott and her own 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Ballylanders Finn McCool. Elliott and Ballylanders Finn McCool started at the Beginner Novice level together in 2016 and moved steadily up the levels together. This year they were 10^th in the Preliminary at Stable View and 15^th in the CCI2*-S at Chattahoochee Hills.
• Tate Northrop and her own Fine with Me (With Approval x Alycheer). Northrop and the 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding moved up to the Preliminary level last fall and have five top-five finishes on their record. Together they completed the CCI2*-S at Fox River Valley in eighth place.

Area IX

• Lynnea Woody and Prince Eric, her 9-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Prince Eric began his eventing career with Woody in the irons in 2015. This year, Woody and Prince Eric were fifth in the CCI2*-S at Chattahoochee Hills in April and sixth in the CCI2*-L at Fox River Valley in June.

Area X

• Jordan Crabo and Over Easy (Quite Easy x Olivia of GCF), Barbara Crabo’s 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare, or Santino (Johannesburg x This is Crazy), Barbara Crabo’s 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Crabo and Over Easy have several top finishes at the Intermediate level this spring, including a win at Galway Downs and second place at Woodside. Crabo and Santino were sixth in the CCI2*-S at Galway Downs in March and picked up fourth-place ribbons in the Intermediate divisions at Twin Rivers and Galway Downs.
• Malia Hunter and Dancing on the Moon (McCann’s Mojave x Dancing Step). Hunter and her 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding stepped up to the Preliminary level at the beginning of 2019 and have earned four top-five finishes, including a win at Twin Rivers.