Lexington, KY—Together with US Equestrian, Traverse City Horse Shows is pleased to announce that Flintfields Horse Park has been selected as the host venue for the 2026-2027 FEI North American Youth Championships for dressage and jumping. The championships will be held from July 28-August 2, 2026, with dates for 2027 to be confirmed. NAYC is the only FEI championship held annually in North America.
“Traverse City in the summer is an incredible place for championship sport. The mild temperatures, ample space and vibrant local community make it a prime destination,” said Matt Morrissey, Event Director of Traverse City Horse Shows. “We’re proud to welcome back the continent’s best young athletes and provide a world-class stage for an important step in their careers.”
The competition will include the FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship and FEI Dressage North American Youth Championship:
The FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship for Children, Pre-Junior, Junior, and Young Rider categories provides an exciting opportunity for athletes in these age categories to compete against their peers in a Championship format similar to that of that of international senior Championships. Competition in each age category is held over the course of multiple days and features both a team competition, with teams fielded by USHJA Zone, and an individual competition.
The jumping portion of NAYC features four FEI-recognized divisions:
- Children’s Championship (ages 12–14; fence heights up to 1.25m)
- Pre-Junior Championship (ages 14–16; fence heights up to 1.30m)
- Junior Championship (ages 14–18; fence heights up to 1.40m)
- Young Rider Championship (ages 16–21; fence heights up to 1.50m)
Similar to the Jumping Championship, the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championship is the premier dressage competition in North America for children (ages 12-14), juniors (ages 14-18), young riders (ages 16-21), and U25 (ages 16-25). Providing U.S. athletes of these age groups an opportunity to compete on teams based on their USDF Region.
Learn more about the facilities, grounds, and hotel information on the Traverse City Horse Show here.
If you have questions regarding the 2026-2027 FEI North American Youth Championships, contact Erin Keating, USEF Director, Jumping Development Programs, at ekeating@usef.org.
About Traverse City Horse Shows
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) offers 13 weeks of top equestrian competition each summer at Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan—just 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City. The venue blends world-class sport with the natural beauty of Northern Michigan and features 12 weeks of FEI-ranked events, including three five-stars and an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*.
The season culminates in the three-week Tournament of Champions, highlighted by the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W—Traverse City and $340,000 American Gold Cup CSI5*. New this year, the $100,000 Dudley and Barb Smith 3’6” Equitation Championship and $50,000 Cherry Capital 3’3” Equitation Championship deliver big prize money and prestige to the equitation ranks.
For more information on the season, visit TraverseCityHorseShows.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
