Brand new 2020 U.S. Junior Riders Champion Averi Allen had an amazing week at the 2020 U.S. Dressage Championships and put the icing on the cake when she also took the overall victory in the 2020 USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final.
Fifteen youth riders entered arena to display their equitation in the 14-18 division of the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final. The young athletes rode in front of the judges, performing rail work and a pattern to demonstrate their skills.
The USEF/USDF Dressage Seat Medal (DSM) Program celebrates excellence in equitation and strives to develop a solid foundation for future success in the dressage arena.
Sixteen-year-old Averi Allen (Pleasant Hill, Mo.) stood out in the class while riding Superman, Jonni Allen’s seven-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Allen earned a score of 86.000% to earn top honors in the competitive class.
“I just went in the class and rode my best and tried to breathe through everything,” said Allen.
Seventeen-year-old Emma Teff (Renfrew, Pa.) rode Beaudacious, Rhianna Pankhurst’s 11-year-old RPSI gelding, to reserve national champion honors on a score of 84.000%. Seventeen-year-old Caroline McQueen (Milton, Ga.) collected third-place honors with a score of 79.000% on Mandolin RH, her 16-year-old Hanoverian mare.
From the Mixed Zone:
What did you work on at home to practice your equitation?
Allen: “Basically all of it—sitting deeper, keeping my legs quieter, sitting straighter, more up with my back, not leaning in the turns or anything.”
Teff: “I’d say my elbows are a bad habit of mine. I will tend to get too far back or too wide so I’m always trying to keep them in at my sides just by my body. I am always trying to get better at using my seat and sitting deep.”
Did past experiences in the final help you today?
Allen: “Definitely because I know all the rules and how the whole class goes and what exactly you do, so I practiced in the warm-up. Doing it multiple times helped.”
How does it feel to win the title after being third last year?
Allen: “It feels really good, especially on the same horse. We had a lot of improvement.”
How does it feel for you with the result that you had?
Teff: “I am absolutely thrilled. I actually borrowed my trainer’s horse, Beaudacious, so I was super excited just to be here. Then, being able to come away with reserve champion is just icing on the cake.”
McQueen: “I’m really surprised. I have only had my horse for about eight months and this is our sixth show together. It is very new.”
What are your thoughts on a class focusing on equitation?
McQueen: “I did hunters and hunter equitation for a long time. Coming into dressage, I always had the mindset that your equitation kind of dictates how the horse will move, so dressage is really, really a tough sport. It means a lot when you are asking a horse to do hard movements.”
Related Links