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Beth Gold (508) 698-6810 classic.communications@verizon.net

Lexington, VA-August 10, 2006-Whether talking to riders, their families, team coaches, or anyone else associated with the 2006 CN North American Junior and Young Riders' Championships (NAJYRC), the consensus was that this year's event was a winner.

The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders. Young equestrians come from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands to vie for team and individual medals in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, and eventing.

This year marked the first time that fully-recognized FEI Championships for Junior riders (age 14-18) were held together with those for Young Riders (age 16-21). This year's Championships were held for the second consecutive year at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA.

"These championships are so significant for many of these Young Riders who benefit from the experience on their way to someday riding for their countries in international competition," said NAJYRC event director Penny Ross. "For those whose careers culminate with this experience, it is meaningful in a very different way. We feel it is important that everyone goes home having had a wonderful time and having gained a valuable experience whether they won medals or not."

For many competitors, the NAJYRC is their first experience riding on a team, as well as their first time competing under the rules of the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body for equestrian sport. Going through veterinary inspections, following FEI rules and working in a team structure are all valuable experiences for these young riders.

Highlighting the week, of course, was the competition. The combined Area I & III team won the team Gold in eventing's CCI** for Young Riders and Area IV won the team Gold in the CCI* for Junior riders. Canada's Ontario team won the non-championship CCI J/Y* division. The show jumping team Gold went to Zone 1 in the Young Riders competition and it went to the combined Zone 2 & 5 team in the Juniors. Canada West and Region 1 won the dressage team Gold Medals in the Young Riders and Junior competitions, respectively.

In eventing, Area II's Alexandra Zavoyna jumped a fault-free show jumping round on Merloch to win the individual Gold Medal in the CCI** Young Rider Championship with a final score of 49.2 penalties. Also turning in clear jumping rounds were Rebecca Barron and Jessica DiGenova. Barron, of Monticello, FL, and Area I & III, earned the Silver Medal with a final score of 51.5 aboard Oberon IV. DiGenova of Norval, ON, and Canada's Ontario/Alberta team, took the Bronze on Upolu with a score of 52.1.

"This was my third year competing at Young Riders," said Zavoyna of Unionville, PA, "but it was only the second two-star competition for both Merloch and me. I was thrilled with his dressage and he's just a machine on cross-country, but all I could think about heading to my first jump was [last year's winner], Jessica [Pye], speaking at the Opening Ceremony about doing well for her horse. I just wanted to be up on that podium for Merloch."

The Gold Medal CCI** team of Area I & III was the only team to have every member jump without any faults on cross-country and show jumping. The team of Barron on Oberon IV; Dana Widstrand of Richmond, MA, on Relentless Pursuit; and Kate Luce of Mobile, AL, on Fox in Flight, was also the only team without a fourth member, so each team member's score counted toward the team total of 159.2 penalties.

The Silver Medal went to Area II's Zavoyna on Merloch; Stephanie Boyer of West Grove, PA, on Macloud; Ashley Adams of Southern Pines, NC, on Vaunted; and Emilee Libby of Sussex, NJ, on Golden Malt with a team total of 171.2. Canada's team from Ontario/Alberta won the Bronze with riders, Jessica DiGenova on Upolu; Waylan Roberts of Port Perry, ON, on Pale Face; Kelly List of Bracebridge, ON, on Minstral; and Laura Thompson of Red Deer, AB, on Quinn with a final team score of 175.0.

The CCI* Junior Championship team Gold Medalist was Area IV. Meaghan Marinovich of Edina, MI, on Ahlerich; Callie Judy of Columbia, MO, on Kilkenny Castle; Cassidy Lundmark of Barrington Hills, IL, on What's Shakin; and Katlyn McMorris of Barrington Hills, IL, on Clifton Peekachu held their lead from the start, finishing with a team score of 159.6.

The team had advice for aspiring young riders hoping to qualify for future championships. "Don't give up," the girls said in unison. "We have learned so much and had so much fun meeting each other and becoming a team."

The Silver Medal went to the Area VI & VIII team with a score of 168.2, and Area II earned the Bronze with a score of 170.4. The Silver Medal team comprised Melissa Miller of Hamilton, OH, on Scotchfelder's Fancy; Jessica Rice of Kingsburg, CA, on I'm So Brite; Alexandra Caspary of Hidden Hills, CA, on Malletto V; and Alana Amack of Pleasanton, CA, on Wonder Not.

The Bronze Medal team members were Lela Hanagan of Dickerson, MD, on Benjamin Bunny II; Caitlin Silliman of Paoli, PA, on Twain; Julia Ward of North Potomac, MD, on Squeezable Sofly; and Leah Kramkowski of Kennett Square, PA, on Midnight Masquerade.

CCI* Junior Championship individual Gold Medalist, Katlyn McMorris, had some breathing room, going into the show jumping phase with a 10-point lead. Only one rail down gave McMorris, of Area IV, a final score of 44.7 on Clifton Peekachu. This was the second year the pair had competed at NAJYRC.

Clear show jumping rounds moved both Silver and Bronze Medalists, Jessica Rice and Caitlin Silliman, up in the placings. Rice rode I'm So Brite to finish with 51.7 penalties, and Silliman moved up five places on Twain, finishing with a three-phase score of 53.8.

In the CCI J/Y* non-championship division, Canada's team from Ontario emerged with the team Gold Medal. The team, composed of Robyn Miller of Milverton, ON, on T'Jean; Dana Carlin of Brockville, ON, on As Time Goes By; Amanda Doucette of Ashton, ON, on Charlie Horse; and Kendal Lehari of Uxbridge, ON, on Understudy, finished with a score of 196.6.

The Silver Medal went to the team from Area II - Alexandra Curtiss of Brookeville, MD, on Carakat; Courtney Sendak of Sparks, MD, on Wil'Ya Love Me; Lillian Heard of Hamilton, VA, on Frederick's Finest; and Brittany Strange of Whispering Pines, NC, on Luck Of The Draw - with a final score of 223.1.

Area VIII took the Bronze with a score of 410.5. The team comprised Kyle Smith of Hanoverton, OH, on Summer's Gift; Virginia Kerr of Lexington, KY, on Nigel; Maura Teal of Seven Fields, PA, on Bugsy; and Marty Whitehouse of Nicholasville, KY, on Final Score.

Team Ontario's Kendal Lehari emerged victorious with the CCI J/Y* non-championship individual Gold Medal. Lehari finished on her dressage score of 40.0 aboard Understudy. Area II's Brittany Strange earned the Silver Medal with 60.4 penalties riding Luck Of The Draw, and the Bronze went to Andrea Leatherman. Leatherman, of Rock Hill, SC, and Area I & III, had a final score of 61.9 on Mensa.

In show jumping, the team Gold Medal went to Zone 1 in the Young Riders division. Zone 1 had seven fault-free scores for the two rounds in which each team counted its three best scores. Maggie McAlary of Amherst, NH, had double clear rounds on Pedro; Julie Welles of West Simsbury, CT, was clear both rounds on Felix Des Noues; Natalie Johnson of Greenwich, CT, was double clear on Crocket 16; and Cody Auer of Fairfield, CT, had one rail in the second round for a dropped score of four penalties on Okido. McAlary was first in the order to ride in both rounds. "I had to ride first and I really didn't want to let the team down," she said. "We had a lot of motivation to win."

Zone 1's coach, John Brennan, was pleased for his team. "These are great riders. They have been riding on teams together now for the last couple of years, and they have been consistent. I told them all we needed was a little luck today. Let's fight for this and they did."

An exciting battle for the team Silver saw a jump-off between Zone 2 and the Mexico North team who had tied with four faults. Three clear jump-off rounds by Zone 2 riders, Hillary Dobbs of Sussex, NJ, on VDL Lotus Excel; Carolyn Kelly of New York, NY, on Omona A.W.; and Miasha Fisher of New York, NY, on Kitty 41, clinched the Silver. The team's fourth rider, Addison Phillips of New York, NY, did not need to attempt the jump-off on Flight.

The Bronze Medal team from Mexico North put up some tough competition. Alfredo Miguel of Puebla, Mexico, was clear in the jump-off on Accolino; Jose Alberto Martinez of Guadalajara, Mexico, had four faults in the jump-off on Leonard; and Miguel Torres Hernandez of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, had four faults on Libero. Their fourth rider, Javier Berganza of Tulancingo, Mexico, on HBC Haume Des Malais, did not jump-off.

The show jumping individual Gold Medal for Young Riders was won by Evan Coluccio of Frederick, MD, aboard Champigny, with a total of only 0.80 faults over four days and five rounds of competition. This was Coluccio's first time competing at the NAJYRC.

"I have only had the stallion since December so I've been figuring out things about him," said Coluccio. "He can be nervous and quirky sometimes, but he is such a good horse. He really likes the hard work. The more rounds he gets, the better he gets. I'd say this week I figured him out just in time!"

Coluccio also had words of praise for his Zone 3 chef d'equipe Sandra Ruiz, "She did a fantastic job. I'd like to say I did this for her. We need more riders from our zone to participate in this competition."

The Silver Medal went to Zone 1's Maggie McAlary, who had a total score of 2.69 on Pedro. McAlary's teammate, Natalie Johnson, was close behind, earning the Bronze with a score of 2.71 on Crocket 16.

In the Junior division, a combined team from Zone 2 and Zone 5 won the team Gold Medal. The team of Nicole Lakin of Reading, PA, on Alaska; Clementine Goutal of New York, NY, on Rastalla; Hilary Vijan of Westerville, OH, on Gandolf; and Catie Boone of Lexington, KY, on Naleida finished with a two-round total of four faults to claim the win.

Zone 10 took the Silver with eight faults. The team comprised Paris Sellon of Los Angeles, CA, on Aurora; Erica Buie of Rancho Santa Fe, CA, on Lady D; Aurora Griffin of Westlake Village, CA, on Scarlett; and Hannah Selleck of Thousand Oaks, CA, on Bauer. Earning the Bronze with 16 faults was the combined team from Ontario and Quebec - Amanda Knowles of Toronto, ON, on Mill Creek Marco Taere; Lauren Patava of Toronto, ON, on Revelin; Hannah Anderson of Caledon, ON, on Papillon; and Bianca LaFontaine of Hudson, QC, on Cardoso.

The show jumping individual Championship for Juniors culminated in two exciting jump-offs before the medals could be awarded. Team Gold Medalist Catie Boone also emerged victorious to win the individual Gold with a cumulative total of 12 faults over four days of competition on Naleida. Boone's Gold Medal teammate, Nicole Lakin, also had 12 faults, but was not able to beat Boone's blazing time over Linda Allen's difficult jump-off course. Lakin and her mount, Alaska, were awarded the Silver Medal. Paris Sellon, who was a member of the Zone 10 Silver Medal team, won the individual Bronze with 13 faults on Aurora.

Less than one point separated the top three teams in the Young Riders dressage team Championship. In the end, it was Canada West that won the Gold Medal with a combined score of 202.489. The team was composed of Pia Fortmuller of Burnaby, BC, on Donagna; Alexandra Duncan of West Vancouver, BC, on Elektra; Gabrielle Anderson of Bentley, AB, on Talisman; and Tara Dougans of Toronto, ON, on Nashua.

Fortmuller held up a Canadian flag as she rode out of the awards presentation. "This was absolutely spectacular and amazing! I got shivers when they announced the gold medal. Our team was confident coming here, but you never really know what can happen." Canada West's coach, Albrecht Heidemann, said, "The girls really kept it together in the ring. I am pleased with how they concentrated."

Winning the team Silver with a score of 201.866 was the Region 2 team of Kassandra Bateau of St. Gilberts, IL, who scored the team competition's highest score with 70.311% on Bentley; Kaitlyn Hamilton of Oxford, MI, on Noviembre; Brittany McCarthy of Cincinnati, OH, on Cinbad; and Allie Nichols of Cincinnati, OH, on Lexington. The Bronze Medal went to the Region 3 team of Erin Moran of Wellington, FL, on Widerhall; Kayce Redmond of Loxahatchee, FL, on Lipton; Caroline Roffman of Wellington, FL, on Bulgari 5; and Jocelyn Wiese of Keene, NH, on Lamborghini. Their team score was 201.644.

Pia Fortmuller, a member of the Gold Medal-winning Canada West team, also added the individual Gold Medal in the Young Riders division to her list of accomplishments at this year's NAJYRC. Fortmuller turned in a score of 69.500% aboard Donagna. Taking the Silver behind Fortmuller was Bobbie McKee of Cave Creek, AZ, and Region 5, who had a score of 69.400% on Jamalone. Region 3's Caroline Roffman posted a score of 68.150% with Bulgari 5 for the individual Bronze.

In the dressage Junior division, Region 1 won the team Gold Medal. The team of Hannah Holland Shook of Charlotte, NC, on Cape Town; Anna Stovall of Chesapeake, VA, on Ambitious; and Julie McKean of Camden, ME, on Heslegaard's Stravinsky had a combined score of 195.600. Earning the team Silver with a score of 195.050 was Team Canada - Amy Jager of Breslau, ON, on Jive; Danielle McKinnon of Proters Lake, NS, on Noma Tender; Jessica Rhinelander of St. Johns, NL, on Allende; and Breanne Willoughby-Brown of Uxbridge, ON, on Espar.

The Bronze Medal went to the Region 8 team of Margot Benedict of Shaftsbury, VT, on Bari; Frederica Crafts of East Killingly, CT, on Ranjeri; Meagan Davis of Stone Ridge, NY, on Cachet; and Alexa Rice of Still River, MA, on Nightwind. Their team score was 191.950.

Gold Medal teammates, Hannah Holland Shook and Julie McKean, swept the top two spots in the quest for the individual Championship in the Junior division. Shook and Cape Town scored a 69.600%, earning the individual Gold Medal, and McKean turned in a score of 68.550% on Heslegaard's Stravinsky for the Silver. Amanda Stearns of Royal Palm Beach, FL, and Region 3, took the Bronze with a score of 68.450% riding Mitchell.

Teams filled the Anderson Coliseum floor as medals were awarded in all three disciplines during the closing ceremonies at the conclusion of the 2006 CN North American Junior and Young Riders' Championships. The national anthems of both the United States and Canada were heard several times with teams stepping forward to the podium to receive their medals. The ceremonies also included the presentation of some special awards.

Each discipline honored one rider with a style award. The recipients, each of whom received bronze sculptures created by Timi Saviers of Bel Cavallo Bronze, were selected for having exhibited style not only when mounted, but also in their manners and demeanor throughout the week. The winners were Pia Fortmuller of Canada West in dressage, Acacia Brush of Area VIII in eventing and Alberto Balas of Mexico in show jumping.

A longstanding award at the NAJYRC is the Captain Andrew B. de Szinay Memorial Sportsmanship Trophy, presented annually to the rider who best personifies the high standards and virtues of integrity, sportsmanship, honor, courage, team spirit, good temper and unselfishness. This year's winner was dressage rider Natalie Perry of Region 6.

The Howard B. Simpson High Five Trophy was awarded jointly to Andrew Ellis, the NAJYRC Jumping Organizer, and Bettina Longaker, the NAJYRC Dressage Organizer. The award, given to the volunteer who best exemplifies Howard Simpson's spirit of giving back to the sport he loves so much, honors Simpson, who not only served for so many years as NAJYRC Director at Tempel Farms, but also as a sponsor and a tireless volunteer. The encouragement he has always given to the athletes who work so hard to qualify for the Championships is an example to all.

The Caristo Cup, named in honor of Zone 2 chef d'equipe Ralph Caristo, was created in Caristo's honor and is given each year to one chef d'equipe at the Championships who exhibits the same spirit of sportsmanship, horsemanship and enthusiasm that Caristo brings to his position. This year's award was given to Richard Spooner, Zone 10 chef d'equipe.

The Fiona Baan Memorial Trophy, presented annually to the dressage rider who earns the highest average percentage score from his or her team and individual rides, was given to Caroline Roffman of Region 3. The award honors the memory of Fiona Baan, past USEF Director of dressage, driving, and eventing; USEF "I" judge; U.S. dressage team leader for the 1976 and 1992 Olympic Games, 1987 Pan American Games, and 1991 World Championships; and long-time friend and supporter of the NAJYRC.

The 2006 CN North American Junior and Young Riders' Championships were supported by their Title Sponsor, CN, and were also supported by this year's Platinum Sponsors - Howard and Martha Simpson. Gold Medal Sponsors were the United States Equestrian Federation, Equine Canada and Zone 4. Other sponsors for the 2006 NAJYRC included Silver Medal Sponsors Devoucoux, Rebecca Broussard, Blue Ridge Farm Center, Practical Horseman, Horsecity.com, The United States Dressage Federation, Antares, Waterjumps.us, Southeast Equine, Dressage Today, Ariat and The Mosaic Foundation; and Bronze Medal Sponsors Becker College, Dover Saddlery, Virginia Dressage Association, Stewart Title, The Jefferson Florist, Larry and Marnye Langer, Thornhill, U.S. Hunter-Jumper Association, and Der-Dau.

Blue Ribbon Sponsors included Rambo Blankets, VTO Saddlery, Mary Phelps-a Markel Equine Insurance specialist, Kelly's Ford Equestrian Center, Beval, and Cynron Saddlery & Footwear. Other sponsors were American Horse Trials Foundation, Starr Vaughn Equestrian, Inc., Harmony Sporthorses, EMO Insurance, Flame Treating Systems, Inc., Foxden Equine, Mead Associates, North Carolina Dressage and Combined Training Association, Southern States/Triple Crown, Virginia Golf Cars and Tennessee Valley Dressage & Combined Training Association.

Additional donors included Cowboy Magic, Dermafas, Mrs. Pastures Cookies for Horses, Southern States/Triple Crown, Absorbine, Red Ridge Tack, Green Mountain Coffee, Janet Crawford, Charles Owen, Brandy, Straight Arrow, Royal Riders, Sunbelt, Intervet, Hamilton Products, Davis Boots, Cavalia, Best Shot Equine, Horse Tech, Inc., Flair Nasal Strips, Summit Dynamics, Ladysmith Chaps, Equus Entries, Shenandoah Connection, The Clothes Horse, Exhibitor Labs, Nutramax Labs, Hadfields, Fortiflex and Omega Fields.

The North American Young Riders' Championships began in 1974 as an eventing challenge between the United States and Canada. A Dressage Championship was added in 1981, and Show Jumping debuted in 1982. The first complete NAYRC was held in British Columbia, Canada in 1982. This year's addition of Junior Championships in all three disciplines marked the first NAJYRC.

For full results and further information on the 2006 CN North American Junior and Young Riders' Championships, please visit www.youngriders.org.