Area IX Young Rider Erika Carson was nice enough to blog for us a little from the perspective of a competitor this week. In her first blog, she introduced us to her teammates and how she hoped the week would go in Kentucky. However, as we all know, horses don’t always comply with our schedules! Erika and her team had a week of ups and downs, but together they bonded and as resilient young ladies, I know they’ll be back for more! Thanks to Erika for writing, and thanks for reading.
Jacqueline Larouche, Erika, Amy Gilbertson and Kendyl Tracy help cool off Jacqueline's 19-year-old appendix The Gingerbread Man.
From Erika:
After a busy week, I finally found the time to report on the weekend. Any spare time during the event was spent hiding from the sun or sitting comatose in a chair. The event is complete, and Area IX finished with mixed success and disappointment. However, it was a good week and we had an awesome team.
Both Amy Gilbertson and Jacqueline Larouche’s horses were accepted at the first jog, and they all looked fantastic doing so. Unfortunately, my horse Ricardo was spun at the first jog. He should be back to normal very quickly, but sadly did not get to compete this weekend. Instead, he enjoyed long hacks around the Kentucky Horse Park.
Amy had a wonderful dressage ride on her horse One Honest Man to put her in 22nd place on a 57.7 in the CCI*. Amy rode the test very well and gave Area IX a lot to cheer about. Jacqueline also had a great dressage ride on her horse The Gingerbread Man, who is 19 this year! She rode a lovely test to earn a score of 54.8, which put her into eighth place in the CCI2*. Jacqueline was very pleased with her test.
Amy Gilbertson and One Honest Man on cross country.
The first cross-country ride of the day was Jacqueline. She rode a fantastic round on a difficult course. She unfortunately had a stop at a jump that caused problems for a couple of riders, but moved up in the standings to sixth place. I am sad to report that Amy was eliminated on course.
The courses this year were challenging, but fair. They were beautifully designed and built and looked like a blast to ride around. This year the Head of the Lake was included in both the one-star and two-star courses. Overall, I thought they were fantastic courses, and it was a lot of fun to watch everyone ride around them.
Friday was a fairly successful day. Even though Amy and Honest had a bit of a rough go, all of our riders and horses came back safe and sound. At the end of the day, that is all you can ask for!
Jaqueline & Allen down the big drop in the CCI2*
On Sunday, Jacqueline had a great stadium round finishing in 6th place and adding only eight penalties to her cross-country score. This was a fantastic last ride for her and Allen before he moves on to a new home. It was a great end to a wonderful partnership.
Jacqueline was on a scrambled team that included Areas IV, VIII, and IX in the CCI2* division. This team was made up of Jacqueline Larouche (Area IX), Lizzie Snow (Area VII) and Erin Strader (Area VIII). Lizzie finished in seventh on a score of 86.3, and Erin placed fifth on a score of 72.6. Their team received a silver medal at the completion of the competition.
The CCI* combined team of Amy Gilbertson (Area IX), Natalie Kuhny (Area VI) and Brynn Littlehale (Area VI) finished in seventh place. Natalie place 23rd on a score of 82.2, and Brynn finished in seventh on a score of 56.7.
I was honored to receive the Eventing Style award this year. This award recognizes a rider’s “style” throughout the week, not only while mounted, but also in the form of manners and overall demeanor around the competition grounds and at the organized functions. It was such a privilege to receive this award, and it was an amazing surprise.
It was a fabulous weekend here at NAJYRC, and it is sad that it is already over. I met a lot of new people who I hope to see at Young Riders again next year. It was a great learning experience to be a part of a team in what is usually a very individualized sport. NAJYRC is an event that creates memories and friends that are very special.
Erika Carson won the Eventing Style award. Photo by ivegotyourpicture.com.
