The 2024 North American Youth Championships came to a conclusion at Flintfields Horse Park on Sunday 4 August with the Kur to Music finals for junior and young riders. The evening before the Under 25 Kur was ridden. Junior rider Virginia Woodcock, young rider Kat Fuqua and U25 rider Christian Simonson were golden.
Junior Riders: Woodcock Does the Triple
Virginia Woodcock (Atlanta, Ga.) and her 2014 Danish Warmblood mare, Mollegardens San-Souci (by Sir Donnerhall out of Sascha), turned in another excellent test to earn a 72.635% and freestyle gold.
“It was a little bit of a rocky test. Obviously it ended up being great, but it was a little tough to hang on there at the end. Honestly, when I came down the last centerline, I was happy my horse didn’t run out of the ring,” Tucker said of her energetic test. “I was thankful, I’d obviously already done what I needed to do.
“I was really happy with the trot work. I think she was pretty hyped up, so she really swings through her back legs and gets moving pretty big,” she continued. “I obviously couldn’t have the horse that I have without the woman who bred her, Birgitte Byrialsen, she’s from Denmark and she’s probably the most fantastic woman I’ve ever met. She’s so strong and she’s been through much. She bred the horse and had her until she was 8 and really made her what she is. It makes my job a little easier to make her look nice, because she already is.”
Claire Tucker (Lincoln, Neb.), who earned bronze in the individual test earlier in the week, added a silver to her collection thanks to a 72.150% in her freestyle with her 2016 Hanoverian gelding, Finnur (by For Romance out of Wapi Yo by Wolkentanz I)
“I just wanted to ride my ride, and however he was feeling, I wanted to be there for him and be able to support him,” Tucker said of her horse, who at age 8 was one of the youngest in the class. “I had no expectations of medaling. No expectations of the scores I’ve been getting. I just wanted to come here with my horse and feel him out.”
Tucker’s freestyle was set to music by her favorite artist, Pink, and designed by Karen Robinson. The fun freestyle was a highlight of an excellent week for Tucker at her first NAYC.
“This week has been absolutely incredible, especially since it’s my first year at NAYC and my first year in the juniors,” said Tucker. “My horse has just been incredible, and I’m so happy with how he’s behaving since it’s his first CDI. He has just loved the environment, and I just love this show.”
Laila Edwards and Farah-Jade, her 2010 KWPN show jumping mare turned dressage (by Casantos x Gagson Wumborn x x Aram), secured bronze with a test set to high energy dance music that earned a 71.4%
“Terry Gallagher designed the freestyle and I’m so happy with the experience,” said Edwards. “I knew I wanted to do something fun. I love music; music is my other world. Doing the trot music, when you hear the claps in the audience, it makes it really fun. It makes you be in the moment and realize you’re just dancing. You’re doing what you love, and it’s not so stressful.
“It’s not the songs I thought we were going to do,” she continued. “But you ride through different songs and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is it.’ You know it. And when we found those songs, it clicked right away.”
Young Riders: Hattrick for Kat Fuqua
The Young Rider section saw another triple-gold medalist in Kat Fuqua (Atlanta, Ga.), who earned a 74.355% in her freestyle with her own Dreamgirl (by Spielberg x Goodtimes), a 2008 Dutch Warmblood mare who Fuqua calls “my ride or die.”
“It’s really, really special [to be undefeated at this NAYC]. I’m just so proud of Dreamgirl, and it’s even more important because it’s with Dreamgirl,” she said. “I’m so excited. Every day I felt like we were just getting better and better. I’m so proud of her.”
Fuqua and Dreamgirl were recognized for their consistent high scores this week, something that Fuqua says is a strength of Dreamgirl’s.
“For Dreamgirl, I think her strongest point is her consistency,” she said. “She’s maybe not the flashiest mover or biggest horse but she’s always on it and very consistent.”
Eva Levy made history as the first dressage athlete representing Jamaica to win a medal at NAYC. She rode her own Living Diamond (Livaldon x Fuerst Rousseau), a 2015 Hannoverian gelding, to a 73.4% and freestyle silver.
“It means so much to me, and I’m so grateful to God who allowed me to be here, and to my family for supporting me throughout everything,” said Levy. “I was happy that I was able to represent my country. [NAYC] was a goal from the beginning of the season. We were playing it by ear all season because my horse is pretty young, so we were waiting to see if he was ready. Then we took our time all season, chipping away and making things better, and we got here, and he was better than he’d been all season.”
Levy designed her floorplan with her trainer, Australian Olympian Kelly Layne, to show off her horse’s best qualities.
“We came up with a floorplan that really makes his gaits and shows off what he can do best,” she said. “I love fun music, and something that really complements his movements and his gates and kind of tells a little story. It’s always so fun to ride.”
Alicia Berger (Wellington, Fla.) secured the bronze with Aqua Marin (by Ampere x Stedinger), a 2011 Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with Marianne Berger. The pair earned a 72.35% for their freestyle.
“This is my last year at NAYC, a show that’s just so special to me, and so to be able to get on the podium, not only with my team, who I love, but then again for the freestyle with my teammate from Europe was just amazing,” said Berger, referring to the Young Rider European Tour that she and Fuqua participated in earlier this year.
“I have a horse who is a little bit nifty and can do some cool things,” said Berger. “We put together a really cool floorplan, I think. Beth Hall did a fabulous job putting together the music. It’s been an interesting freestyle, but I think today is one of the best times we’ve gone through it, and I was super happy with how fluid it was and how with me he felt tonight.”
Under 25: Simonson on Top
The U25 competitors put on a golden-hour show on Saturday evening 3 August with five combinations performing their Grand Prix Musical Freestyle tests.
Christian Simonson (Ventura, Calif.) and Son of a Lady (Soreldo x Welt Hit II), a 2011 Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Christina Morgan and Clifton Simonson, were back at the top of the podium with a 73.845%. Simonson and “Sonny” are both in their first year of Grand Prix competition, and Simonson said he’s discovering new things about his horse through the journey.
Simonson trains with Adrienne Lyle, who is currently in Paris as part of the U.S. Dressage Team, and Katie Duerrhammer, who coached him at this year’s NAYC. He credits them with helping him navigate a successful path with Sonny at this level.
“It’s a big collaboration between Katie and Adrienne and myself, which is so much fun,” he said. “I learn so much, which I think is the best part of the whole dressage thing. We had a really solid game plan, and today was one of those rides where he was so on my aids. It was an absolute goosebumps feeling.”
The winner of individual gold on Friday, Josh Albrecht (Oroville, Calif.) earned a personal best score of 72.590% to win the silver with Goldenboy Vickenburgh (by Apache x Olivi), a 2011 KWPN gelding owned by Coalcyn Equestrian LLC. They performed their freestyle to music by Imagine Dragons.
“I came home from my last CDI and kind of wanted to take some time,” said Albrecht. “I didn’t compete at all, just got ready to come here and tried to fix some of our weaknesses and work together to make those better, and it appears as though we did that!”
Sophia Schults (Ocala, Fla.) added another bronze medal to her collection after her freestyle with Conocido HGF (by Cosaco XI out of Luz De Luna HGF), a 2012 PRE gelding owned by Hampton Green Farm.
“One of the high points was the final centerline,” said Schults. “He tends to grow as the test goes, so he became slightly more active. I knew we had our piaffe fan coming up, which was a little bit ambitious, but he pulled it off fairly well tonight, so I was quite pleased with that.”
Conocido’s Spanish type and movement are always crowd pleasing, and Schults says he has the personality to match.
“He has the classic PRE ‘never quit,’” she said. “He will go all day, every day. He absolutely loves his job. He’s taught me so much. Eight years ago, I brought him home from Hampton Green. Our partnership started 8 years ago today, and [being on the podium] with these guys is unbelievable.”
- USEF press release
Related Links
Scores: 2024 North American Youth Championships
Kat Fuqua Wins Individual Test Gold at 2024 North American Young Riders Championships
Virginia Woodcock and Josh Albrecht Win Individual Gold at 2024 North American Youth Championships
Region 3 and Region 3/5 Win Team Gold at 2024 North American Youth Championships