2003 North American Young Riders Championships

Team Ontario Wins the Nations Cup Jumping Event

Bromont, Friday August 22, 2003 – Day three of the Championnat des Amériques 2003 gave Canada a chance to shine as Team Ontario took first place in the Nations Cup Jumping competition supported by the performances of Keean White and Stone Elliot who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Québec rider Vanessa Paschini of Montréal was the best Quebecer finishing 7th in the individual competition. Team Québec finished in sixth place.

The North American Championship (NAYRC), in Bromont for a second time only in ten years has been enlarged to include all of the Americas in 2003. Close to 200 riders representing nine countries are competing in three different disciplines, Dressage, Jumping and Three-day event. The Three-day event is comprised of three disciplines, Dressage, Jumping and Cross country, the most spectacular discipline of them all.

Riders participating in the Three-day event were beginning their competition today with the Dressage component. The Americans took first place in the team category while North Hatley resident, Colleen Loach, lead the Quebec-Ontario team to a 3rd place. Individually Loach was the best Canadian with a 6th place.

In the Dressage individual competition, American Michael Shondel finished first while Quebecer Véronique Lavallée from St-Lazare finished 6th among 17 competitors.

Saturday’s competition will start off at 8 a.m. with the spectacular cross country event for those riders registered in the Three-day event. The cross country course will test riders and their horses on a 4,400 m – 26 obstacle course.

Dressage and Jumping for the Junior riders will complete Saturday’s schedule.