NAJYRC 2013 - Young Rider Freestyle

The best freestyles in the Young Rider division were those with a forward-moving horse stepping up into a light contact. None of the music really got me going, but the top riders chose clear and interesting lines and made smooth and deliberate transitions in time to their music. They rode every moment with finesse.


Ayden Uhlir & Sjapoer: 72.175%

• Uhlir began with a power extended canter. Her first half pirouette left was quite weak, turning too quickly at the beginning. The pirouette right showed good collection. The extended walk could have used a longer stride and frame, but both it and the extended walk were active without tension. The trot half-passes could have used to maintain bigger strides crossing sideways, but they were balanced and rhythmical. The shoulder-ins, ridden down the centerline, flowed well. The last line of tempi changes was completely smooth but not on a consistent count. Sjapoer was up nicely in the bridle throughout the test, stepping with consistent impulsion into Ulyir's soft hands. 

Jaime Pestana & Winzalot: 70.975%

• This impressive horse unfortunately has the habit of sticking out his tongue despite Pestana's gentle contact. Early in her test, Pestana rode tempi changes on a curved line that jumped up and through in a beautiful way. The canter pirouettes needed to sit little more behind. Both canter half passes had good engagement sideways. There was an unfortunate mistake in one flying change resulting in about 20 meters of cross canter. The walk had nice march from behind and good over-track. In the first extended trot, the tongue showed significantly, but the movement itself had lots of power in every stride. In collected trot, Winzalot became slightly hurried at times, but all the lateral movements were well-balanced. Pestana finished on another power extended trot. 

Tanya Strasser Shostak & Action Tyme: 70.500%

• Strasser Shostak began on two smooth and regular shoulder-ins, each followed by quite steep half-passes that could have used a little more power crossing sideways. Both extended trots showed nice lengthening of the stride, though there was a small loss of balance in the second. Strasser Shostak rode quite steep canter half-passes with a change of direction that showed no loss of balance though they could have been slightly more uphill. The tempi changes had enough jump, but also needed to show more lift in front. She finished on a striding extended canter. 

Devon Wycoff & Power Play: 70.075%

• After a miscommunicated transition out of the halt, Wycoff's test transitioned into lightfooted  half-passes with a smooth change of bend. The extended trots were a touch unbalanced but Power Play showed pleanty of lengthening in his strides and good reach in front. Wycoff rode smoothly from walk to an extended canter that had lots of power from behind. The half pirouettes were small but Power Play needed to take more weight on his hindquarters. The four tempis written on a serpentine were of good quality. The changes in the threes were also good, but in the first line one was missed. She finished with a few nice expressive three-tempi changes on the centerline. 

Sydney Holme & Day Dreamer: 69.750%

• Holme began on a beautiful half-pass right with cadence and engagement. Day Dreamer was snorting in the half-pass left, causing it to lose some balance. The shoulder-ins were also ridden in correct uphill balance. In extended trot, the horse needed to show longer strides. Holme rode her walk in two parts, which was effectively done with smooth transitions in the gaits and in the music. The pirouette right was small and nicely uphill. While Holme tried riding flying changes on curved lines, she missed her count a couple times doing so. The overall picture was of an engaged horse in nice self-carriage. 

NAJYRC 2013 - Junior Freestyle

Among the top junior riders competing in the NAJYRC Junior division, we see riders who are still learning how to establish contact. There were a number of open mouths and more dramatic resistances early—not as a result of unfriendly riding, but possibly nervous riding (besides, it happens even to the best: e.g. Max-Theurer in her freestyle at Aachen this year)—but at the top of the class, we saw riders who had developed horses that moved positively from behind into the contact.

Laurence Blais Tetrault & Lowelas: 71.522%

• This precisely written freestyle contained some beautiful lines, including a lengthened trot to X followed by a change of direction and half past back to the rail. The half passes had good reach in the shoulder and engagement behind. Lowelas's rhythm was unflagging, and the frame consistently uphill. The collected walk was a little tight in the back and became a bit short-strided. In both directions, the canter half passes were uphill and reached well sideways. In extended canter there needed to be more power and longer strides. The flying changes were all springy and uphill. She was the clear winner.

Moreira Laliberte & Windbreaker 3: 71.200%

• This pair started with very nice canter work that was written on clear lines and in a nice symmetrical pattern. The canter half-passes jumped positively sideways. Some flying changes would have been improved by a little more jump. The walk work had a nice rhythm and marching stride. The extended trot that finished the test showed power, big strides, and good cadence, though Windbreaker was pulling down just slightly. 

Barbara Davis & Rotano: 69.875%

• Davis chose energetic music which was well matched to her energetic way of riding. The half-passes flowed sideways with nice crossing. There were rhythm issues in the first big extended trot. The extended walk showed lots of reach in the stride though it became just a tad deep in the contact. Davis showed canter half passes that were uphill and powerful, though with slightly unsteady changes of direction. She rode her very nice horse positively into the contact throughout the test. 

Rison Naness & Venezia: 69.675%

• Naness rode clear lines and crisp transitions between movements, Though in trot her horse could have used more energy into the contact. The extended trots had good ground-cover. The walk work was both relaxed and energetic. The canter half passes traveled well sideways. Venezia's flying changes were obedient and jumped through well. The riding throughout could have been more expressive but was consistently precise and to the music. 

Lindsay Holleger & Friedensfurst: 67.750%

• Holleger began her test with cadenced trot half passes with some unfortunate breaks into canter. The collected walk was uphill and engaged, though the horse was slightly fussy in the mouth. Holleger rode lots of changes of direction in her canter work with smooth flying changes and transitions in the bend. At the end of her test Holleger reproduced the cadenced trot half passes that became the highlight of her test. 

Mallory Kent & Okidokie: 67.725%

• Kent rode her test with a very soft contact which was good for her apparently sensitive horse. In the early trot work, Okidokie was a little sluggish, but Kent did a good job adding energy as her horse settled. The right canter half past moved fluidly sideways with nice balance. The flying changes were correct, but could have shown a bit more uphill jump. The collected walk was quite quick and tense; the extended walk was better. The first extended trot became a little downhill but had plenty of power from behind, while the second showed a better uphill frame supplementing its power. 

Cassie Schmidt & Velasquer: 66.500%

• In the shoulder-ins and half-passes Schmidt rode the horse with good even engagement in front and behind to achieve a well-balanced trot. Unfortunately, like the riders before her in the class, she ran into contact resistance issues, including a major leap and backwards scoot in the first extended trot. The transition to canter was prompt and energetic. There were more resistances to the bit in the canter half-pass left, but the flying changes had lots of jump and impulsion. The second half-pass was much better in the contact, and Velasquer showed a nice jumping canter. Though the contact problems brought down the quality of some elements, much of the test showed a horse in self-carriage with plenty of engagement.

Hope Cooper & Don Diamond: 66.475%

• Don Diamond had a nice frame in the body and was stepping positively into the bit, though at times he could have used touch more energy in the collected trot. Cooper then executed her half-passes canter which were expressive and, like those in trot, nicely uphill. The extended canters should have had more power. A couple of the changes to the right were late behind whereas all the ones to the left work clean with plenty of jump. Cooper rode her whole test positively into the bit, making up for the few small mistakes.

Betrice Boucher & Dante: 66.350%

• Boucher chose music with a nice amount of energy for her freestyle and she rode clean lines and transitions. The canter half-passes were springy but could have used a little more sideways propulsion. The extended walk was very good quality with lots of energy and swing through the body. The shoulder and showed good uphill balance as did the half passes though like in canter could have been more crossing. On the whole, the test was energetic and accurate. 

Olivia Zeilinger & Stentano: 65.525%

• Zeilinger's trot work was supple and relaxed with plenty of impulsion, but sometimes showed little mistakes in the rhythm. The extended walk had nice overstep and stretch in the neck. The first flying changes after the walk looked a little labored, with the horse losing some energy behind. Ending on an extended trot, Zeilinger showed her horses strength and power. 

Kayla Barteau & GP Ubilee: 65.200%

• In the trot work, Barteau rode a nice uphill balance and consistent rhythm. The frame of the horse through the test was sadly marred by the pretty consistently open mouth. The extended trot should have shown bigger strides. In canter, Barteau rode difficult steep half passes with good carriage from the horse. The flying changes were all correct and clear. The extended canter was bold and balanced. 

Georgia Tooke & Magic: 62.625%

• In the extensions in the trot, Magic shoulder showed nice shoulder freedom and lengthened strides. The half passes in trot were written steeply for more difficulty, but needed a little more power from behind. In walk, the horse was nicely uphill with an active and quite small half-pirouette. The extended walk needed more energy and over truck. The changes were not quite off the aids and a couple were short behind. The last one changed only in front. The halt-passes in canter had slightly lagging haunches, but a good three-beat rhythm. Tooke produced a steady, obedient test that just looked a little bit heavy in the movement and contact at times.

Guilia Cohen & Lasserre: 61.600%

• Though Lasserre could have used more energy and engagement behind, the trot work was supple and well-balanced in the shoulder-in and half-passes. Cohen's test had a nice line where she rode a half diagonal to the centerline with a flying change, followed by a half-pass back to the rail. The flying changes were sometimes behind that aids and generally needed more impulsion. Lasserre's collected walk was up in the frame with plenty of overtrack. The second extension of the trot showed nice lengthening of the stride and frame. While the horse was not the most expressive mover, the ride was obedient and pleasing to watch. 

Kalie Beckers & Carush: 61.775%

• Sadly Beckers's test started with resistances to the bit and tension, despite Beckers's steady contact and her horse's pleasantly open frame. The half-passes in canter that she was intending to ride ended up being very conservative. The flying changes, on the other hand, were the highlight of the test: quite light-footed and expressive, executed on a circle both to true and counter canter for a high degree of difficulty. The extended trot was a little out behind and took a while to develop. The walk tour was steady but couldn't have shown up bit more engagement. The lines in the test were quite confusing. There were some minor rhythm mistakes in the latter trot work but the preparation for the final lengthening showed a lovely uphill cadenced trot into a soft contact. Unfortunately, the horse's tongue came out before the final centerline. 

Gabriela Glumac & Zodessa: ELI

• Glumac was eliminated since her horse inexplicably reared twice in the first minute of her test. Such a shame!