KALISPELL, Mont. (July 22, 2016)--Spirits were high today as family and friends gathered at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC), at The Event at Rebecca Farm, to celebrate a successful day of cross country for Team Canada's Young Rider team. Team Canada's combined score totaled 180.8 penalties, which was just enough to hold off second place team, Area 1/Area IV team at 182.

April Simmons of Team Canada laughed, "Impressively Done was awesome today. I wish I'd gone maybe a little bit faster so we'd have more of a lead but I was so pleased with him today. And it was definitely a big, bold course."

Fortunately for Simmons, experience is on her side. She's made a total of four trips to the NAJYRC and says the close scoring does not faze her. Instead, she and her teammates are banding together to fight off their nerves.

Simmons piped up that Team Canada hopes to, "Not only pull it off but pull it off in style" in tomorrow's show jumping, the final phase of competition.  

Teammate Anne-Sophie Levesque, mirrored Simmons' confidence and focus.

"It doesn't matter if we're in the first or last, we just have to go out and do our best."

Team Canada Young Rider Team (Photo courtesy of Montana Equestrian Events)

The themes of teamwork, family and heart ran strong in sentiments shared by the day's leaders. The frontrunner Junior team, Area I, boasts a brother-sister combo that brings with it a friendly sibling rivalry. It is that rivalry with Erica Jarrell, says her younger brother and teammate, William Jarrell, and his sister's strong example of team spirit that has inspired his recent progress.

"Last year I was doing Beginner Novice. Unsuccessfully. I saw the team and my sister and how well they worked together. I'd never seen that part of eventing. I'd just been beaten by my sister before. After seeing it I knew I wanted to commit to it and make it a real part of my life."

Commit he did. William Jarrell on Grey Area, turned in a score of 51.1, just a little over a point behind his older sister, Erica Jarrell, who rode Uni Sprite to a score of 49.8 in cross country. The Jarrells and team mates, Sloane Pierpoint (Indie) and Natasha Knight (Harbour the Truth), finished cross country with a team score of 148.4.

Area I's Pierpont and Indie also landed on the individual leaderboard in the CHJ-CCI* after finishing cross country on 45.5, just behind Area II's Megan Loughnane and Linford, who secured the front position with a score of 45.

In CICYO2*, Cornelia Dorr representing the Area 1/Area IV Team, held onto both first and third positions, riding Louis M and Sir Patico MH and adding nothing to the overnight dressage scores, to finish the day with respective scores of 37 and 50.7. William Zuschlag on RF Southern Command, riding for Area III, also posted a double clear round, holding onto second place with 42.2.

Cornelia Dorr representing the Area 1/Area IV Team at the 2017 NAJYRC at Rebecca Farm.

(Photo courtesy of official event photographer, Shannon Brinkman Photography)

In the CCI3*, Erin Sylvester aboard Frank McEntee's 10-year-old Thoroughbred, Paddy the Caddy, added just 3.2 time penalties to move up from second to first place. Sylvester, of Cochrane, Penn., finished cross country on 54.2. Followed closely by another quick competitor who moved up the leaderboard, Emily Libby on her own Nonsensical, who was just two seconds over the optimum time to finish on 55.6.

Sylvester said of Paddy, "He's got all the heart in the world...He marched out of the barn today...to head out to the cross country course. He was so keen for everything; I was really proud of him."

CIC3* and CCI2* division leader, Tamra Smith, was also proud of her mounts strong showings in cross country. Of her eight horses competing at The Event at Rebecca Farm, Smith says she's started most from the bottom up, including her Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3* entry, Fleeceworks Royal, an eight-year-old Holsteiner owned by Judith McSwain.

"I started with them young - most at three and a half. It's been four and a half years of working up the ranks and producing to get here...It is exactly like parenting. You are disciplining and training them. It's so rewarding to see the fruits of your labor paying off. Its just super to see how far she's come."

Aboard Fleeceworks Royal, Smith held her lead in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC3*, finishing on 53. In the CCI2*, Smith rode Sunsprite Syrius, The Sunsprite WB's 9-year-old Trakehner to finish on 40 and Lucida LLC's Glockman Pullman to 46.5.

Tomorrow's action starts with horse inspections at 8 a.m. followed immediately by show jumping led off by CH-J CCI1* at 10 a.m.

Erin Sylvester aboard Frank McEntee's 10-year-old Thoroughbred, Paddy the Caddy in the CCI3* at The 2017 Event at Rebecca Farm 

(Photo courtesy of official event photographer, Shannon Brinkman Photography).

 

For 2017 Ride Times and Results, or to watch live coverage please visit www.rebeccafarm.org.

 

Admission for this family-friendly spectator event is free, with full concessions and a large multi-interest trade fair, as well as a free Kid Zone that includes pony rides, PonyUp! (Horsemanship 101 classes for kids), face painting, arts and crafts, bounce houses and more. A one-time, recommended $10 parking donation per car to support Halt Cancer at X.

 

To access Rebecca Farm, from the junction of Highways 93 & 2, travel 2 miles north on Highway 93 to Reserve Loop and go west 2 miles, then south on W. Springcreek Rd. The entrance is 3/4 mile on the right.

 

For more information, www.rebeccafarm.org .

 

Remaining Schedule

 

Sunday, July 23, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Show Jumping phase all day. All FEI levels. CH-J CCI*. CICOY2*.

Final Horse Inspection: 8 a.m.

Trade Fair & Food Vendors: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Kid Zone: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Rebecca Farm to Market 5k: 8 a.m.

Halt Cancer at X Challenge: 1:30 p.m.

 

For further details about the schedule of events, please click HERE. 

 

ABOUT THE EVENT AT REBECCA FARM

The Event at Rebecca Farm presented by Montana Equestrian Events is held every July in Kalispell, Montana. One of the largest equestrian triathlon in the United States, The Event is also considered to have some of the world's finest scenery. Each year it draws hundreds of riders of all levels, from amateur to Olympians.

 

The Event at Rebecca Farm features ten courses ranging from novice to Olympian qualifier, which were originally developed by world-renowned course designer, Mark Phillips. In 2012, Scottish equestrian Ian Stark redesigned the Rebecca Farm courses. Known for his immense contributions to Eventing, Stark has won multiple Olympic medals and was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.