July 28, 2005 – Lexington, Virginia – Competition officially opened in the show jumping portion of the 2005 CN North American Young Riders’ Championship on Thursday in Lexington, VA, with Kim Farlinger of Annan, ON, leading the Ontario Team with a third place finish.

In the first phase of competition, a speed round, Farlinger stopped the clock at 76.85 seconds but had one rail down to incur a four-second penalty. However, her blazingly fast time placed her third among a field of 31 competitors. Farlinger was aboard La Forza, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by her father, Peter Farlinger.

“I am very happy, La Forza is eight and has only been jumping at this level for the past few months, but she really tried hard for me,” said Farlinger, 20, who is making her third consecutive appearance at the North American Young Riders’ Championship. “She is naturally fast, but I still didn’t expect to have the time that I did.”

Acting as course designer is American Linda Allen, who also set the tracks at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

“The course was good, it involved lots of turning as opposed to just running like some speed tracks are,” explained Farlinger. “There were a lot of tight turns and roll backs, which was good for my horse because I can tighten up my turns and she can still be very fast across the jumps.”

Farlinger compared the competition venue, which is an indoor arena, to the conditions at the famed Royal Horse Show in Toronto, where last year Farlinger was named the Canadian Show Jumping Reserve Champion after finishing second to eight-time Olympian Ian Millar.

Next in the standings for the Ontario Team is Asta Torokvei, 21, of Toronto, ON, in 20th position riding Beringer while Tonya Henning, 20, of Cambridge, ON, is in 28th place with Mill Creek Rosalinde.

Ontario is competing with only three members instead of the usual four, meaning that there is no drop score, and all three scores must be counted towards the overall team standings. The Nations’ Cup competition, which will determine the final Team Medals, takes place on Friday afternoon. The Ontario Team has done well in recent years, earning the Team Gold at the 2003 edition of the North American Young Riders’ Championship held in Bromont, QC, and having won the Silver Medal in 2002 and 2001. The final round of competition, which determines the Individual Medals, will be held on Sunday.


Ontario’s Mark Leyton Leads in Junior/Young Rider Division

In addition to the Championship division, Ontario also has a full team competing in the Junior/Young Rider division. Ontario’s own Mark Leyton, 17, claimed victory in the opening speed round with Nairobi, the same horse he competed with last year as a member of the Silver Medal Team. Leyton of Stittsville, ON, posted the fastest clear of the day, stopping the clock at 79.25 seconds with his ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare.

“When their partnership is on, it is incredible,” noted Jill Henselwood, who is acting as chef d’equipe of the Ontario Team, assisted by Team Manager Sally Sainsbury. “Mark rode a smart speed round, and Nairobi is a fast horse. The plan was to be quick enough that he would still be among the top five even if he had a rail down, and luckily that didn’t happen.”

Laura Kelk, 21, of North York, ON, saw two rails fall during her trip with Gladdis to place her in 14th position. The youngest rider on the Ontario Team, 14-year-old Amanda Knowles of Toronto, ON, is close behind in 17th place riding Joconde de Sisse. Hannah Anderson, 15, of Caledon East, ON, is in 19th place with Papillon. A total of 27 riders are contesting the Junior/Young Rider division.

The Junior/Young Rider division allows developing riders the opportunity to experience competition at an international event, but over fences set a lower height. Held concurrently with the Championship division, the Junior/Young Rider competition is considered a ‘stepping stone’ for riders with the ability to compete at future North American Young Riders’ Championship events.

Running July 26 to 31 at the Virginia Horse Center, the North American Young Riders’ Championship is a ‘mini Olympics’ for riders aged 16-21 in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing. First established in 1974 as an eventing challenge between Canada and the U.S., the current North American Young Riders’ Championship format sees teams and individuals representing Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. For more information and complete results, please visit www.youngriders.org.

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For more information on the Ontario Young Riders’ Show Jumping Team, please contact Jill MacRae at mjillmacrae@aol.com.