North American Junior & Young Rider Championships
The Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) competition is held annually in the summer. The NAYJRC is the pinnacle of a young rider's achievement. Teams from all areas of the U.S. as well as from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean are invited to compete in this international championship event. Special invitations have also included countries from South America. The NAJYRC is also recognized as the official Junior Olympics for Equestrian by the USOC. The championship models the format of the Olympic Games, whereby riders from all three Equestrian disciplines of Eventing, Dressage, and Show Jumping assemble on one site to represent their country in competition. In the Eventing competition, each area will send a team and/individuals to represent their area. From very early on, many young riders see this as a potential goal for themselves as they progress through the levels of competition.
NAJYRC CANDIDATES (CCIO-Y**and CCI-J*) - Area declaration: A competitor's Area is determined by their address as listed with the USEA and USEF membership files. Competitors who choose to represent another area MUST declare in writing to the USEA National office, what Area they will represent no later than June 1.
Candidates from each area will be selected for the following divisions:
CH-Y** (ages 16-21); CH-J* (ages 14-18)
Location:
Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY is the site for the 2013 NAJYRC to be held July 17 - 21. See www.youngriders.org for more information.
2013 NAJYRC Eventing Qualifications
The FEI has granted an exemption to Article 521 of the FEI Eventing Rules allowing the following qualifying options for US and Canadian horse/rider combinations hoping to compete in the 2013 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships Eventing Competition:
Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERs) as follows:
CH-J* - CCI1* or 2 CIC1*
CH-Y** - CCI2*
or
2 CIC2*
or
CH1* and CIC2*
Previously only those MERs required specifically for the purposes of qualifying for the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships had to be achieved as a combination. What has changed for 2013 is that for uncategorized riders, all MER’s required by the FEI must be achieved as a combination.
How does this effect Junior and Young Riders hoping to compete in the 2013 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships?
Juniors will not be affected as they may achieve the necessary National Qualifying Requirements (NQRs) at the Preliminary level separately then, as in the past, compete as a pair for the CIC1* or CCI 1* competitions needed to qualify for the Championships.
Young Riders may be affected only if they have not achieved the necessary MERs required to compete in the CIC 2*s or CCI 2* need to qualify for the Championships as a combination.
Interested in being considered for your area's Young Rider Team? Contact your Area Young Rider Coordinator for more information.