Folk, Bacon, Woodcock, Berger Win Youth Divisions at 2024 U.S. Dressage Championships

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2024 U.S. Dressage Championships

Pony rider Mia Folk, children rider Miriam Bacon, junior rider Virginia Woodcock, and young rider Alicia Berger win the youth divisions at the 2024 U.S. Dressage Championships at Lamplight equestrian center in Wayne, ILL, on 18 - 25 August 2024.

The youth divisions drew nicely packed divisions, particularly for the junior and young riders. Interestingly, none of last year's title winners in four age categories (Ben McWhorter, Maryn Geck, Taylor Allen, Miki Yang) returned to Lamplight this year to defend their title.

The National Championships in the U.S.A are known as the "Festival of Champions" (FOC).

Pony Riders: Mia Folk

Mia Folk (Fullerton, Calif.) and Coelenhage Parco, a 2013 Dutch bred Welsh Pony gelding (by Vita Nova's Celesto) owned by Sage Chacon, became the 2024 U.S. Pony champion. In a field of just three competitors, she placed third in the team test (61.714%) and then won the individual test with 65.450% to move into the national champion standing.

“I’ve only been working with Parco for a couple of months now,” said Folk. “I’ve done the FEI Ponies the last couple of years, so it wasn’t new to me. Parco is actually my friend’s pony, and she was kind enough to let me borrow him.”

Folk has been spending the last couple of months doing a lot of practice rides with Parco, working to build a partnership in a fairly short amount of time.

“We’ve been working really well together, though,” she said. “We’ve been practicing, trying to make everything accurate and to get the best test possible.”

Parco came into the ring for the first test on Friday with quite a bit of energy, leading to some bobbles in the performance, but Folk was able to learn from the experience and return strong on Saturday.

“I came into the test a lot calmer and expecting him to be like that,” she said. “So I was actually telling him that it’s okay, and trying to keep him calm and reassure him every step of the ride. It was hard. I was probably a little discouraged from yesterday because he’s never that bad, but I’m kind of used to naughty ponies. Thankfully, today he wanted to work with me.”

Samantha MacDonald (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Candy Crush, her own 2009 Welsh Pony cross gelding (pedigree unknown), earned reserve champion honors after winning the team test (65.000%) and placed third in the individual (60.676%)

“I’ve had ‘Crush’ for about a year now, and we started in training level and worked our way up to pony,” said MacDonald. “I’m super proud of him. We’ve come a long way together, and I just love him so much.”

The FEI Pony Rider tests ask a lot of competitors, and MacDonald made sure her preparation was on point.

“I ran through the test a lot of times, because that test is not an easy one to memorize,” she said. “It was a lot of repetition, a lot of practice, and just really making sure that I hit all the geometry and get it as best as I can.”

Bridget Kelly (Roswell, N.M.) and the 15-year old Connemara pony Windover Tarragon (by Irish Parks Caraway Finn x Dee Man's Pride) turned in two consistent tests to finish in third place in the championship. They posted 62.667% in the team test and 62.117% in the individual test.

The pair have been together for five years. “I’ve done all the dressage training on Chai. When I first got her, she hadn’t been trained in dressage at all,” said Kelly. “So our main focus was just to ride the best we can. She’s not the biggest mover or anything, but she tries really, really hard. I was trying to ride a very accurate test and get every little point that we could, and I thought that we did that.”

Kelly and “Chai” have done a lot in their long partnership, and started in eventing before making the switch to dressage. They’ve also built a strong relationship.

“In the barn she’s not a super friendly or cuddly horse, but since I’ve been with her for five years, she started to get used to me, and she really enjoys spending time with me now.”

Children: Miriam Bacon

Miriam Bacon (Columbus, N.C.) and Drambuie (by Damsey x Lauries Crusador xx), a 2012 Hanoverian gelding owned by Natalie Bacon, turned in two excellent tests to earn an overall score of 79.912% and the champion title. They were third in the team test (78.200%) and won the individual test (79.912%)

“Yesterday, my ride was kind of crazy. It was good, but he spooked a lot,” said Bacon. “Today was much better. He wasn’t spooking at anything, and he was just generally so much better today.”

Bacon has owned and ridden “Buie” for about a year and a half, and he had previously been with her trainer, Julio Mendoza.

“Buie is very funny in the barn,” she said. “He’s always been really hot to show. At first, I had some trouble showing him because he’ll spook at everything if I let him, but he’s gotten so much better. I’ve had a lot more confidence with him recently in these past few shows.”

Grace Christianson (Noblesville, Ind.) and FHF Roulee (Routinier out of Marelee Du Bois (by Cottonwood Flame)), her own 2014 American Warmblood mare were reserve with a score of 77.783%. The pair were gold medalists in the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final 13 & Under earlier in the week before taking on the FEI Children division. They were fourth in the team test (77.475%) and second in the individual test (77.783%).

“I’m really happy with all my rides this weekend,” said Christianson. “Our Children’s individual test was some of the best work we put in in the ring, and I was really happy with our team test. She was super good.”

Christianson has been riding Roulee for about a year, and says her horse as great at home in the barn as she is in the show ring.

“She’s super sweet,” she said. “She loves to be bet and told she’s beautiful. She thinks she’s perfect, and she’s a really good girl. I think she’s perfect, too.”

Adalynn Nelson (Marion, Iowa) and Custom Made (by Come Back II x Lobster), her own 2012 Danish Warmblood gelding, finished in third place after winning the team test (79.375%) and placing third in the individual test (71.871%).

“Yesterday I had a really good ride,” she said of Saturday’s Children Team Test. “I ended up getting a personal best about 79% and I think that going into today, I was really in my head, and I think that kind of threw off my riding. It’s pretty stressful taking it all in, but it’s a good environment, and the longer that I was here, the more confident that I got with my horse here.

Junior Riders: Virginia Woodcock

Virginia Woodcock (Atlanta, Ga.) and Mollegardens Sans-Souci (by Sir Donnerhall out out of Sascha), her own 2014 Danish Warmblood mare, continued the winning streak that started at last month’s FEI North American Youth Championship where they won three gold medals. With wins in both junior tests at Lamplight, the pair clinched the national championship after posting 71.414% in the team test and 70.000% in Friday’s Individual Test.

Virginia Woodcock on Mollegardens Sans Souci

“It's been a great show,” said Woodcock. “I’ve really felt on with this horse recently, and she just is giving me her all, so I can't ask for more. I've had her for almost two years, and I'm really starting to feel the bond. And I go in that ring, and I just know that she's going to try her best for me.”

Woodcock and “Soucy” made a big impression at FOC, and earned especially high marks from the judges for their flying changes and half voltes. Their success in the competitive junior division is a testament to Woodcock’s dedication to the sport and to her horse—she put up a hammock in Soucy’s stall so they can maximize their quality bonding time.

“It's been a ride with this horse for sure,” said Woodcock. “I think I've been riding for almost 12 years now and the first time I came [to FOC] was in the 13 and under equitation, and kind of coming back full circle and realizing that all the work you've put in kind of pays off, it makes you really emotional. I have kind of struggled with anxiety in the ring, and having my trainer, Karen [Lipp], helping me through that, and my parents and my whole support system. And this horse is just incredible. She’s a dream. Realizing that it's all kind of coming together, it makes you a little emotional.”

With a second-place finish in the individual test, Justine Boyer (Ocala, Fla.) and Hampton Green Farm’s 2013 PRE gelding Campanero HGF (by Camaron IX out of Quintera XII) earned the reserve champion title for the division. The pair have been together for four years.

“The last few days have been great,” said Boyer. “I feel like I really have a connection with my horse again. He's coming really through, and we've developed the trot work a lot. And at this show, he really demonstrated that he was with me the whole time.”

Claire Tucker (Lincoln, Neb.) earned the third-place finish with Finnur (by For Romanceout of Wapi Yo), her own 2016 Hanoverian gelding. The pair have only been together for eight months, but Tucker said when she rode him for the first time, “I just knew. This is my horse.”

“I've been really happy with how my horse has been trying so hard, even with being tired from all the trailering,” said Tucker. “He's been trying super hard, and his brain has just been right there the whole time.”

All three of the top combinations in the junior division also competed at NAYC a few weeks ago, and the athletes have been careful to keep their horses fit and comfortable for these back-to-back championships.

“I think keeping the horses happy is really important,” said Boyer. “They’re 50% of the equation, or even more, so it’s making sure they're appreciated and that they can have some time off.” Woodcock agreed, saying of her post-FOC plans for her horse, “I see a lot of hacking in my future. Lots of bareback hacks.”

Young Riders: Alicia Berger

Alicia Berger (Wellington, Fla.) and Aqua Marin (Ampere x Stedinger), her own 2011 Oldenburg gelding were on winning streak, topping the team test (69.902%) and Individual test (69.559%) to become overall national YR champion with an average score of 69.731%.

“We've only been a partnership for a little bit now, and to end my season after [the European Young Rider Tour] and seeing how much we've improved from then was a highlight,” said Berger. We had an extended trot today that was just absolutely fabulous. It felt like I was flying. And you know, that's what I love about riding—me and my horse are flying in that arena, just having fun, just us. And I think that was the highlight. Is he trusted me so much today, and we had a really great time.”

Berger and “Aqua” have had an exceptional 2024 season, competing in Germany at Future Champions and CHIO Aachen, and coming home to win the Young Rider individual gold at NAYC. She said that the experience in Europe helped prepare her for the championships at home.

“In Europe, we had three competitions each a week and a half apart,” she said. “Learning in Europe and getting to be with all our senior riders and the team, and George [Williams] and all the great people who helped us with what to do in that situation and how to prepare your horse. Aqua got a lot of light, stretchy days. He knows everything that he’s supposed to do, so we worked on a lot of thoroughness and making sure he’s happy and healthy and ready to go.”

Sophia Forsyth (Milton, Mass.), and her own Dimagico (by Dimaggio x Jazz Time), a 2014 Hanoverian gelding, clinched reserve champion in the division after placing second in the team test (66.225%) and second in the individual test (69.167%)

“I've also only had my guy for a little more than a year at this point, and we made the jump to young riders this year, which was super exciting,” said Forsyth. “Didn't really expect much from it, but just the whole other level that I feel like I got from him this weekend, being able to trust each other in the ring. I think my half halts were a lot better. And kind of like Alicia said, our extended canter today was he was so uphill, he flew, and it was just an amazing feeling.”

Forsyth is starting her first year of college soon, but is staying close to home, so she’ll be able to continue working with “Magic.”

“He has a very big grass paddock that he loves to nap in, so I think he’ll enjoy that for a while,” she said. “So he’ll definitely have a lot of time off, and then we’ll slowly get back into things.”

Josephine Hinnemann (Murrietta, Calif.) and Copa Cabana MRF (by Contucci x Bordeaux), a 2009 US-bred Hanoverian gelding owned by Natalie Hamilton-Hinnemann earned the overall third-place spot after placing fourth in the team test (65.392%) and third in the individual test (68.284%).

Hinneman has known “Copa” for his entire life. “He has been in the family since he was three days old,” she said. My mom showed him up to Grand Prix, and three years ago, I started riding him from juniors to now. I think the tests I had this weekend were probably some of the best tests I've ever had. The highlights were my changes, especially in the first test today. I did have a blip in the threes, but I think my changes are a strong suit. And he was just very listening this weekend. He was forward and fluid and bending well. And I think we were just really on point this weekend together.”