Parker, CO - July 25, 2000 - Former North American Young Riders' Championships (NAYRC) dressage Gold Medalist Chelsey Sibley of Oakland, California recently trotted back into the national spotlight.

Sibley and her mount, Ijsselmeer, made the most of their first trip to the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions in Gladstone, NJ. By riding all out, they secured the USET's State Line Tack/Intermediaire Reserve Championship, narrowly beaten by Jan Ebeling for the Championship. The former North American Young Riders' Championships (NAYRC) Individual Gold Medalist, Sibley qualified to ride for the national championship at Gladstone in both 1998 and 1999, but was unable to attend either year.

"The NAYRC experience definitely helped prepare me for national and international competition," Sibley shared. Now 26 years-old, Sibley won six medals at the NAYRC between 1992 and 1995. Sibley maintains a stable in California, with horses in training ranging from Training Level all the way up to Grand Prix.

In addition to Sibley, many top international and Olympic riders also began their successful careers at the NAYRC. Such great riders as Olympic Silver Medalists Greg Best and Karen O'Connor, as well as Megan Johnstone, Elise Haas, Buck Davidson, Abigail Lufkin, Alison Firestone, Chris Kappler, Nicole Shahinian Simpson, Ray Texel, Chris Pratt, Lisa Carlsen Lubitz, Kathleen Raine, Heather Mason, David Wilson, Tiffani Loudon, Mara DePuy, and Julie Gomena all competed at the NAYRC.

The 2000 NAYRC Is Just Around the Corner
The 2000 North American Young Riders' Championships (NAYRC), Presented by State Line Tack, will be held August 1 - 6 in Parker, Colorado at High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center, the site of the 1998 Championships. The premier equestrian competition in North America for young riders, age 16-21, equestrians come from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands to vie for the Championships.

NAYRC riders compete in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of Show Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing. The competition is run under rules of the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale, the international governing body for equestrian sport).

The NAYRC 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. The 1998 NAYRC was hosted by High Prairie Farms, while Tempel Farms in Wadsworth, Illinois was the site of the 1994-1997 and 1999 NAYRC.

NEW FOR SHOW JUMPERS
New to the competition this year will be a CSI-JY Show Jumping division open to FEI Junior Riders as well as Young Riders. Although this exciting competition is being offered to complement the Show Jumping Championships, teams will be unofficial. Each U.S. Zone, Province of Canada, Mexico North and South, and Central American country may enter one unofficial team of not more than four competitors and four horses. The format will be the same as for the Championship. Riders in the CSI-JY may bring a second horse for the Non-Championship Division.

DRESSAGE
For the first time, a Prix St. Georges Freestyle will become part of the Dressage Championships. The top 25 riders from the Team Championships will return to compete in the FEI Young Riders Individual Test. The Prix St. Georges Freestyle Test is compulsory for the best 15 competitors out of the Team and Individual Test.

EVENTING
Once again this year, a challenging CCIY* Event will be offered in addition to the CCI-CH-C-Y** Event Championship. This allows up-and-coming Junior and Young Riders an opportunity to ride on a team and get a taste of international competition. Many CCI-CH-C-Y** riders got their start and gained confidence by first tackling the CCIY*.

ACORD RETURNS
For the second time, the NAYRC will also feature a competition for young riders with disabilities, the High Prairie Team Challenge. The High Prairie Team Challenge will be presented in conjunction with ACORD (American Competitive Opportunities for Riders with Disabilities). Each rider in the High Prairie Team Challenge will perform a Dressage ride set to music. Their scores will be combined with NAYRC participants (one Show Jumper, one Dressage competitor, and one Eventer) for the overall championship in The High Prairie Team Challenge.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO COLORADO?
If you can't join the excitement of the NAYRC at High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center, you can still watch it on TV. Fox Sports will air the competition - date and time of broadcast will be announced shortly.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?
If you're a Young Rider, Junior Rider or a younger equestrian interested in the NAYRC program, we want to hear from you! To keep abreast of NAYRC details, please send your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, riding discipline, and date of birth to the NAYRC - attn: Hallie McEvoy, 242 Wentworth Road, Bolton Valley, VT 05477.

Another way to keep in touch with NAYRC activities is to go to www.youngriders.org on the Internet. This site will be up and running by the middle of March. At the NAYRC website you will find Zone, Region, and Area contact information, a competition schedule, High Prairie Farms Equestrian Center information, and many other details pertaining to the event.

For all other information, please contact Charlotte Skinner at Equestrian Sports, Inc. at (818)563-3250 or write to 480 Riverside Avenue, Suite 1, Burbank, California 91506.