Lexington, KY—Cross-country day has come and gone at the USEA North American Junior & Young Rider Eventing Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was a day full of athletic horses cruising around the course and strong riders enjoying every minute of it. The start time was delayed an hour due to strong storms that moved through the area, but the weather improved as the competition went on. The course, designed by Olympic Gold medalist David O’Connor, looked dashing as the horses and riders left the start box.

Stepping into the lead after the cross-country were Kaitlyn McMorris and Clifton Peekachu. McMorris was seated in third after the dressage, but jumped a nearly perfect cross-country round to move into the lead. The pair added just 0.4 time faults to their score to bring their two-day total to 56.6.

“Today was awesome,” she said. “Getting ready in the stall, he was very calm unlike me! I was doing deep breathing, and he was sleeping. Once he started seeing the horses running around he started picking his step up.”

“There were questions all over the course,” McMorris added. “I think the course was riding a little harder than everyone though, so we made a couple changes to our plans. We rode according to our new plans, and it went great.”

Standing close behind them are Maxance McManamy and her long-time partner, Beacon Hill. The leaders, McManamy and Beacon Hill had the lead after the dressage, but added 5.6 time penalties to their score to bring the total to 59.2.

“The course rode great,” McManamy said. “Being from California, we’re not used to such big, gallopy open areas. It’s a really big change. But he was just phenomenal on cross-country. He knew exactly what to do out there.”

Rounding out the top three after the cross-country are Elsie Patterson and her own Normandy Soldier. The pair turned in a double-clear round to move up from fifth place after dressage to third with a score of 59.7.

“It rode a little harder than we thought it would when we walked it,” Patterson said. “I’ve never ridden a course like that on that kind of grass. It didn’t look that technical, but it was.”

“[Normandy Soldier] is still pretty green,” she added. “We just moved to Intermediate at the beginning of the year. He’s a jumping machine. He tries really hard, and he definitely doesn’t ride like he’s only seven.”

Sitting atop the leader board in the Team competition is the team from Area VI. Both McManamy and Patterson are on the team along with Suzy Hettich and Given Half A Chance, in addition to Rachel Dwyer and Catch A Star. Their team total thus far is sitting on a score of 185.9.

Currently holding the Silver-medal position is the team from Area IV: McMorris and Clifton Peekachu, Hannah Ross and Fantasia, Jordynn Sahagian and Nestor and Callie Judy and Call On Me, who unfortunately had to withdraw before cross-country. The second place team has a total of 201.9.

The team from Area II is less than a point behind the second-place team with a total of 202.3. The team includes Alexandra Martone and Copperfield, Alyssa Peterson and Stormin’s Barbie and Katherine Samuels and Nyls du Terrior.

In the CCI* division, the competition was just as tough. Two riders were tied for first after dressage, but two time faults separated the two and left one clear-cut leader.

Sitting in first place is Laura Roberts and Galway Blazer with a score of 45.7. Roberts and “Blazer” turned in a double-clear round to boost themselves to the top of the leader board.

“My horse worked really well today,” Roberts said after her ride. “The course was really good for him. We had a minor setback last year trying to get here, so just being here is special.”

Just behind Roberts and Blazer are Devon Brown and Dynamic Image. Brown and “Dan” were tied for the lead after dressage, but they added two time faults to their score to bring their total to 47.7. Rounding out the top three in the Junior division are Allegra Aiuto and Spot Me One. “Billy” helped Aiuto earn a 51.1 from the judges in dressage, and they kept their score by going double-clear on cross-country.

Currently in the lead in the team competition is the team from Area II. Roberts and Blazer, Huxley Greer and Octavian, Colleen McKitrick and Connor II and Molly Curtis and Savannah IX all had great showings on the cross-country course to bring their total to 165.

Sitting in the second position is the team from Area I with a score of 177.2. The team includes Resolute and Ryann Quigley, Totally Awesome Bosco and Arden Wildasin, Ordinary Magic and Kimber Achorn and Lucky Light III and Anna Loschiavo.

Finally, wrapping up the top three is the team from Ontario and British Columbia, which is made up of Wondaree Skite and Bethany Healey, Mail Order Bride and Madeline Morra, Chocco de Pomme and Rachel Vear and Charleston and Katelyn Lafranier. The team racked a total of 194.3.

Tomorrow marks the end of the three-day eventing competition at the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North. Both divisions will show jump before the Team and Individual medals are awarded in the closing ceremonies, which are also taking place tomorrow.