So it’s that time of year again! Junior and Young Rider competitors throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are gathering for the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships in Lexington, Kentucky July 25-31. I am from Alpharetta, Georgia, so I compete for Zone 4, consisting of riders from the southeastern states.
 

Zone 4 is sending both a Young Rider and Junior team. The Young Rider team is: Chase Boggio with Hennessy, Jordan Coyne with Lazaro, Liza Finsness with Ormsby Hill, and me, Taylor Land, with Nepal. The Junior team is: My sister, Frances Land, with Merlin, Hayley Barnhill with Toucan Tango, Michael Hughes with Shockwave, Hasbrouck Donovan with Delilah, and Elizabeth Patz with Serato.
 

I can’t wait to get started! This will be my fifth year attending Young Riders, and it is always a ton of fun. This is my first year riding Nepal, as he was my dad’s horse until I took over the reins in April. I competed with him at a few horse shows in the southeast before driving 43 hours to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where my sister and I participated in five weeks of tournaments at Spruce Meadows. Spruce is a great way to prep for Young Riders because the meter 1.40-1.50 divisions give the riders the opportunity to jump the open water, as well as jumping big, tough tracks and natural obstacles. I hope we are all ready! One of the biggest challenges of NAJYRC will be the intense heat. It is so hot and humid in Kentucky, with temperatures in the upper-90s, and the horses have just come back from Calgary where the air is dry and it hardly ever gets above 75 degrees.
 

Every year, NAJYRC is a big reunion for kids who don’t always compete at the same shows throughout the season. East coast and West coast riders hardly ever see each other except at Young Riders! I’m very excited to see my friends. Hopefully the show jumping won’t go too badly either!

-Taylor Land