Matsuoka, Furuyama, Fukuoka Win the 2022 Japanese Youth Riders Championships

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2022 Japanese Youth Riders Championships

Children rider Kenshin Matsuoka, junior rider Kanako Furuyama, and young rider Mio Fukuoka became the winners of their respective divisions at the 2°22 All Japan Dressage Championships for Young Riders, Junior Riders and Children at the Gotemba City Equestrian Sports Center in Gotemba on 23 - 25 September 2022.

Due to an approaching typhoon in Shizuoka prefecture, the event took a bumpy start with heavy rains forcing a delay in the programme on the first day of competition.

Children: Kenshin Matsuoka

The children division was open to riders aged 10 to 16 and was ridden over two national level L-tests of which the results were totalled for the final ranking.

Kenshin Matsuoka proved consistency aboard the dark bay mare Gratia and won both rounds. He scored 67,800% and 68,400% for the victory. With a total of 136,200 points he was on the highest step of the podium. He rides at the Shizuoka Riding Club.

“I am very happy," said young Matsuoka. "I tried to do my best just like I practiced, and I was able to perform like I should, so I think that was really good."

The silver went to Shigehiro Sato aboard Florence with 134.640 points. She followed closely in Matsuoka's footsteps and stayed right behind hum with 67,000% and 67,640% . Last year Sato also won silver with Florence at the 2021 Nationals.

The bronze went to Shonosuke Arita who rode The Duke of Cavan to a total of 133.027 points, good for a third place and bronze medal. In the two rounds this pair scored 66,667% and 66,360%. The 16-year old Irish Sport Horse (by Courage II x Ricardo Z) was competing in international eventing competitions under Yoshiaki Oiwa (JPN) up to 2020 before being turned into a dressage schoolmaster.

Junior Riders: Kanako Furuyama

After taking silver in 2021, this year it was Kanako Furuyama's time to shine. Aboard the chestnut Why Not, she won the individual test with 68.735% but felt Naruto Egami breathing down her neck. Kanako, however, made the difference in the freestyle as the only rider to crack the seventy percentage barrier. They won the Kur with 71.165% and totalled 139.900 points for the victory and gold medal.

"I'm really happy. I wanted to show Why Not's strengths today and I was able to have fun and put on my best performance," said Kanako. "Why Not is really a good boy. He's a great horse. In 2019, I won the children's championship, and this year I was able to win the juniors. In the future, I hope to win the young riders' division as well and conquer all three classes."

Naruto Egami and the 17-year old AES registered mare Soraya van het Trichelhof (by Don Ruto x Godwin van ten Bosch) moved from bronze in 2021 to silver in 2022. The pair followed in Furuyama's wake on 136.574 points after scoring 68.559% in the individual test and 68.015% in the freestyle.

Taiga Nishijima and Joie Earth captured the bronze with 133.174 points. Last year the pair was seventh in the 2021 Japanese Children Championship and the duo has made a successful transition to junior level. They scored 66.059% in the individual test and 67.115% in the Kur to Music.

Young Riders: Mio Fukuoka

The young riders championship was ridden over two rounds, the individual test and freestyle and was the highlight division of the weekend with seasoned competitor and former national champion Mio Fukuoka taking highest honours in her last year as a young rider.

Fukuoka navigated a new horse to the title and highest step of the podium, the 13-year old mare Chocolat Classic (by Dr. Doolittle x Invernel) . In 2021 she had bronze with the now 20-year old Westfalian Tiida (by Fetiche du Pas x Diamantino) and this year she was good for gold with the liver chestnut Chocolat Classic after winning the individual test with 68.627% and the Kur to Music with 70.565%. She totalled 139.192 points to finish first overall.

Fukuoka is one of Japan's most successful youth riders, having competed at the All Japan Youth Championships eleven (!) years in a row from children to Young Riders. She was the title once as a children rider and once as a junior, and twice as a young rider. She is coached by Ryuma Hieda. She got the ride on Chocolat Classic from the owner, Jyunichi Matsumiya.

"I am very happy to be able to finish with a win in my last year of the All Japan Youth Championships," said Mio "Both me and my horse were able to focus on the competition, and we were able to perform satisfactorily. Thanks to the various horses that I have ridden, so far, I were able to produce this result. I'm very grateful."

Hiroaki Yokoyama and the 14-year old Dutch warmblood Djazz F (by Jazz x Sir Sinclair) were the silver medallists with 135.294 points. The duo was second in the individual test with 66.814% and second in the Kur with 68.480%. Yokoyama was the 2020 Japan Children Champion on Etoile and in 2021 he was 10th as a junior on Bum Buick. His new horse Djazz F was competed first in Europe by Czech Tereza Habova before selling to the Narita Riding Club in Japan to become the new horse of Japanese para rider Tomoko Nakamura. This rider took the gelding to the 2018 World Para Equestrian Games in Tryon.

Seasoned young rider Yurie Yoshida brought a new, third horse to the 2022 Nationals: the bay gelding Drop Shot. The pair finished with the bronze medal on 133.396 points after posting 66.471% in the individual test and 66.925% in the freestyle. The 21-year old Yoshida was champion in 2020 on Remilia Spectrum (by Weltmeyer x Welt Hit II) and silver medalist in 2021 with Hexagon's Conquest (by Rubiquil x Weltmeyer II). She is committed to her equestrian career alongside her university studies and has spent time training and learning in Europe this year. Yurie is based at the La Hacienda equestrian centre in Japan.

The 2022 Japanese Grand Prix Championships will be held in November.

Results - 2022 Japanese Youth Riders Championships

Children

1. Kenshin Matsuoka - Gratia - 67,800 68,400 --- 136,200
2. Shigehiro Sato - Florence - 67,000 67,640 --- 134,640
3. Shonosuke Arita - the Duke of Cavan 66,667 66,360 --- 133,027
4. Shunma Asakawa - Holy Night - 65,867 66,480 --- 132,347
5. Isami Saito - Theodore Will - 64,600 65,920 --- 130,520
6. Sakura Inaba - Kant Joule - 63,467 63,680 --- 127,147
7. Yui Miyake - Buick 63,667 61,720 --- 125,387
8. Mao Nishihara Tim Taylor - 62,600 62,200 --- 124,800
9. Rieko Hara - Scente - 61,933 62,480 --- 124,413
10. Kana Morikawa - Danon Hideki - 62,267 61,320 --- 123,587

Junior Riders

1. Kanako Furuyama - Why Not - 68,735 71,165 --- 139,900
2. Naruto Egami - Soraya - 68,559 68,015 --- 136,574
3. Taiga Nishijima - Joie Earth - 66,059 67,115 --- 133,174
4. Saya Iida - Roi De Figeac - 65,853 66,330 --- 132,183
5. Reina Kishimoto - Alias Max - 64,441 67,350 --- 131,791
6. Kanon Ajima - Wisconsin - 63,823 64,640 --- 128,463
7. Aya Nishiki - Double Twist G - 64,000 64,320 --- 128,320
8. Gaito Hidaka - De Miro - 63,618 64,030 --- 127,648
9. Ako Matsuda - Ribery - 61,941 65,360 --- 127,301
10. Shigehiro Sunagawa - Estefania - 63,471 63,205 --- 126,676

Young Riders

1. Mio Fukuoka - Chocolat Classic - 68,627 70,565 --- 139,192
2. Hiroaki Yokoyama - Djazz F - 66,814 68,480 --- 135,294
3. Yurie Yoshida - Drop Shot - 66,471 66,925 --- 133,396
4. Marie Yoshida - Remilia Spectrum - 66,569 66,020 --- 132,589
5. Yuki Takamatsu - Hermes Der Ⅱ - 65,490 66,495 --- 131,985
6. Arisa Komiya - Bum Fleur - 65,833 65,320 --- 131,153
7. Chie Hattori - Pastorius - 64,559 66,415 --- 130,974
8. Miki Nakagomi - Ousetsu - 65,784 64,845 --- 130,629
9. Yuya Segawa - Ouu - 64,314 66,230 --- 130,544
10. Mai Miyamoto - Schwaben Melody - 65,539 64,435 --- 129,974