Roenick and Tetreault Win North American Young Rider and Junior Freestyle Championship

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2012 North American Junior/Young Riders Championships

Brandi Roenick and Weltino's Magic had the highest score to capture the Young Rider Freestyle Championship, while Canadian rider Laurence Blais Tetreault and Pissaro were gold medalists in the junior division at the 2012 North American Junior & Young Rider Championships.

Racking up a incredible sixth gold medal at the NAJYRC, Brandi Roenick (17, San Diego, CA) was unbeatable this year. She and Weltino's Magic, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Jen Hlavacek, wowed the judges in their freestyle to score 72.625%, 70.625%, 71.250%, 72.375%, and 73.125% for a total of 72.000%.

"(The NAJYRC) is always a top goal," Roenick said. "It's always a very fun competition to come to and coming here every year and medaling has been an honor and more than I've ever dreamed of. It's just an amazing feeling."

Roenick and "Magic" performed a freestyle routine that Magic did with his former rider, Olympian Steffen Peters, who is also Roenick's trainer. "It got passed down to me due to such a short amount of time I had to get ready," Roenick said. The pair have only been together for three months.

Since Peters is in London preparing for the Olympic Games, Roenick's "eyes on the ground" were her mother. "My mom has been helping me," she said. "Steffen has taught me to not be dependent on his training because he can't always be here. I like having eyes on the ground, so Mom is the perfect fit for me. She knows me better than anybody does."

Roenick acknowledged Magic's initial fear of the cameras on the side of the ring, "I can't expect him to be a super star every day," but felt that the test's highlight were their tempi changes.

Monica Houweling (17, Delta, BC, CAN) and Rifradin put together a freestyle routine that included "beautiful and powerful" music by Karen Robinson that won them the silver medal. Their judge's scores were 67.750%, 68.750%, 73.250%, 73.375%, and 71.000% for a total of 70.825%.

Houweling designed her own choreography, and she was "super happy" with her ride. "She was a little bit nervous; she was looking at the cameras. But as soon as we went to work, she was just trusting me. Our pirouettes were really great. I was just thrilled with how she performed for me."

Mathilde Blais Tetreault (20, Montreal, QB, CAN) and Michelangelo were the bronze medal winners in the freestyle. They received judge's scores of 68.250%, 68.875%, 69.375%, 69.625%, and 70.500% for a total score of 69.325%.

Tetreault's Spanish influenced music was by Karen Robinson as well, and it was her music that caused anxiety in her test. Her music started skipping halfway through her test, which put Tetreault off where she was supposed to be. "I didn't know whether I should stop or keep going. After that I was anxious, but he was really good for me," she said. The music righted itself, and Tetreault got back on step with her test.

She described Michelangelo as "not easy. He has a little character," she said. "I'm careful not to cross the line, and he really likes to work for me."

It was a great day for the Tetreault family as both sisters received freestyle medals. "It's really nice because I'm so proud of her. She's working really hard. I would really like to be on the same team with her next year. We'll have to see if she can make it because she's only 15."

Taking home a third medal from the NAJYRC this year was Laurence Blais Tetreault (15, Montreal, QB, CAN) in the Junior Freestyle Championship. Tetreault rode Pissaro, a 15-year-old Westphalian gelding, to judge's scores of 73.000%, 74.125%, 75.500%, 71.625%, and 73.625% for a total of 73.575%.

Tetreault already won the team gold medal and the bronze medal in the individual championship. "I
can't describe how it feels. It takes really long and every day you have to ride and think of what you're training for. Have a goal and it keeps you going. I've had my horse for three years, and it's a long way to the top."

Tetreault and Pissaro performed their freestyle to music from the movies Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. "It is fun music," she said. "It fit my horse well because he's so cute and fun. I found my music with my sister and put it together myself." Tetreault said that her success was also bittersweet as this is her last competition with Pissaro.

Mariah Sutton (16, Kitchener, ON, CAN) was "still speechless" after her silver medal performance on Renoir, her Oldenburg gelding. The judges gave them scores of 72.375%, 72.625%, 68.125%, 70.375%, and 71.750% for a total of 71.050%.

Regaining her speech, Sutton exclaimed, "My test was awesome. It flowed so great and Renoir was just full of spirit and just so loyal. It's an honor to have a horse like that."

Sutton's music were instrumental versions of rap and breakdancing songs, which had a "lot of bass in it" and "expressed Renoir's gaits."

The bronze medal went to Ayden Uhlir (Arlington, TX) on Sjapoer, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding. They were given scores of 68.375%, 69.375%, 72.125%, 67.375%, and 73.375% for a total of 70.125%. "I feel pretty good right now receiving a medal in each one of my classes. I'm still up in the clouds right now," she said. Uhlir was on the bronze medal team and won gold in the individual championship.

Uhlir and Sjapoer have worked on various aspects of their tests since they competed at the USEF Dressage Festival of Champions last month. She explained, "We were really working more towards expression in the movements, and he needed to have more suspension in his gaits. We were fairly prepared for this competition this year."

Uhlir's music from The Blues Brothers was picked "because it really fits Sjapoer's personality," she said. "He's saucy and feisty, and he has an old soul to him. I like oldies music more than the new stuff. I really like the trot work music. I thought it matched him so perfectly. I picked the music myself and my trainer choreographed everything."

Again in the junior division, the highest scores of the day went to Nicolas Torres Rodriguez (15, Bogota, Colombia) on Silver Label, a 15-year-old SWB gelding owned by Alexandra Rodriguez. They were not eligible for a medal because of their home country designation, but nonetheless were very pleased to have such a strong performance. They received judge's scores of 76.000%, 75.750%, 77.500%, 72.625%, and 75.625% with a total of 75.500%.

Rodriguez lives in Bogota, but travels once a month to train in New Jersey with Cesar Parra. Silver Label lives in New Jersey, but Rodriguez is able to practice on his 17-year-old horse at home, with whom he competes in Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I competitions. He has had Silver Label for one year and hopes to advance to the grand prix level. Their freestyle music was from the movie Avatar.

"It was a great ride," he said. "All the week has been great and the horse has had his best week since I bought him."