Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City to Host 2020-2022 North American Youth Championships

Dressage

U.S.A.

Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, Mich., has been selected as the host venue for the 2020-2022 North American Youth Championships (NAYC) for the disciplines of dressage and jumping, pending final approval from the Fédération Equestre International (FEI).

Competition is scheduled to run from August 4-9, 2020.

The NAYC offers an elite opportunity for rising talent to build confidence in both a team and individual championship competition environment, while representing their country under international FEI rules. The competition format, which emulates that of senior championship competition, is essential in the continued development of athletes, while ensuring future success for US Equestrian’s Olympic programs. Athlete applications for NAYC will open by January 1, 2020.

“The NAYC is annually one of our largest commitments toward the continued development and growth of our talented youth athletes. The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival at Flintfields has quickly become a premier venue in the U.S. and is a location well-suited for this type of event,” said Bill Moroney, Chief Executive Officer for US Equestrian. “This competition is essential in order to continue building our Olympic programs, as younger generations of athletes are able to gain the valuable experience they need to excel at the next level.”

Top international competition organizer, Thomas Baur, who has previously managed dressage at NAYC, as well as other major championships including the World Equestrian Games™, will return to supervise competition needs for dressage participants, as Flintfields Horse Park welcomes the discipline back to the venue.

GLEF will also host their annual summer series prior to the start of NAYC, which will feature multiple weeks of international jumping competition. The first series is set to begin on June 9 and continue through June 21, followed by a second series, starting July 1 and continuing through August 9, offering participating jumping athletes the opportunity to compete for consecutive weeks at the venue.

“The entire team at GLEF is thrilled to be selected as the new host of the NAYC. We have been diligently growing and improving every year in order to reach our goal of standing out as a unique and all-encompassing championship venue, and to be selected to host NAYC for the next three years is the fruition of all of that hard work," said Matt Morrissey of Morrissey Management Group. "This competition is such an important championship in the North American pipeline as young riders develop into our future stars, and we are excited to be a part of that legacy. Preparations are already well underway so that we can provide the best NAYC yet, and we look forward to welcoming all of the exhibitors and their families and friends for the first time in 2020.”

GLEF has established itself as a popular summer competition destination, hosting multiple weeks of FEI-sanctioned jumping competitions, and quickly becoming a leading competition venue in the U.S. under the management of Morrissey Management Group. Traverse City, which is located two hours north of Grand Rapids, Mich., has continually been voted one of the best small town destinations by Trip Advisor and offers an array of summer activities and entertainment with its ideal location in Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan.