Exciting news for young reiners! The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is pleased to be included in a premiere equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders ages 14-21. For the first time ever, reining has been added to The United States Equestrian Foundation’s (USEF) 2007 North American Young Riders’ Championships (NAYRC).
The NAYRC began in 1974 as an eventing challenge between young riders from the United States and Canada. A dressage championship was added in 1981, and show jumping was added in 1982. The first championship was held in British Columbia, Canada, in 1982. Fully recognized championships for junior riders were added in 2006, and now this year a fourth discipline, reining, was added for young riders.
NRHA Executive Director Dan Wall said, “This is such an important step for the sport of reining. To be recognized as the only western discipline is a real honor. It is a great opportunity for our young riders, and we look forward to even more people becoming involved in the excitement of reining. This event will showcase one of the additional USEF programs available to NRHA members.”
Riders must compete in a series of qualifying competitions. These qualifiers are being held now in four regions across the nation. The qualifier for the Mountain region was at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO, on January 6, 2007. The qualifier for the Central region will be held during the Gordyville Breeders Cup in Gifford, IL, on March 17, 2007. The qualifier for the Eastern region will be held at the Central Ohio Reining Horse Association Show in Sunbury, OH, on May 27, 2007. The qualifier for the Western region has not yet been determined.
From those qualifiers, teams of four riders will be selected in each region by the USEF. Those four teams will then compete at the NAYRC July 31–August 5, 2007, at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA.
The selection procedures for the NAYRC in the reining competition can be found at www.usef.org/documents/highPerformance/approvedNAYRCSelectionCriteria.pdf. If you have any questions, please contact Courtney Barnett, USEF Director of Reining Programs, at (859) 225-6919 or [email protected].
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