Traverse City, MI – July 31, 2025—The 2025 Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships (NAYC), presented by USHJA, continued at Traverse City Horse Shows’ Flintfields Horse Park during week five of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by B&D Builders, on Thursday with pre-junior and children’s team titles being decided.
Zone 2 Takes Pre-Junior Title
After Wednesday’s Individual speed round and both rounds of the team final, Zone 2 stepped onto the top spot of the podium in the pre-junior category.
Gold medals were presented to Cecilia Chatterjee (New York, N.Y.) riding Cartouche vd Cumel, a 12-year-old Zangersheide mare (Contadoro van de Helle x Orioso vd Cumel) owned by Victor Depaolo; Agatha Lignelli (New York, N.Y.) aboard Xo Kiara, a 13-year-old Anglo European mare (Billy Mexico x Billy Congo) owned by Alexa Elle Lignelli; Kaitlyn Linck (Clinton Corners, N.Y.) on 9-year-old FF Happy Hour 21, a Westphalian mare (Hermantico x Phin Phin) owned by Freestyling Farms; and Rylie True (Bedminster, N.J.) in the irons of Quick Bob, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Verdi TN x Cassini II) owned by Esperanza Imports.
With Wednesday’s competition penalties carrying forward to determine their standing, the team held a score of only 3.22 penalties heading into Thursday’s team final where they only added a single rail to their total for a winning performance.
Lignelli won Wednesday’s opening day competition and was foot perfect over both rounds of the team final to lead Zone 2 to the victory.
“This is such a special event, and Xo Kiara is a long-time partner for me,” said 15-year-old Lignelli, who is in her first year as a pre-junior. “All of us are grateful to have such an incredible zone. This is everything anyone could ask for. We are all friends as well, so we are here to support each other; it’s extremely special for all of us.”
Zone 2 was led by Chef d’Equipe Krista Freundlich.
Taking silver was Zone 4 represented by Alexa Curry (Plantation, Fla.) on Quentin K, Laila Murad (Wellington, Fla.) riding I Can Ajh, Collin Sweetnam (Wellington, Fla.) aboard Sugar Girl and Marielle Walrath (Ocean Ridge, Fla.) with Vox Dei.
The bronze medal was presented to a combined Zone 1 and 9 team. Zone 1 athletes included Eva Mackenzie (Darien, Conn.) riding Idol H&H and Jordan Rich (Wayland, Mass.) on Sebastian, while Zone 9 was represented by Iris Hickey (Washougal, Wash.) with Daiquiri and Grace Wahlberg (Harrison, Idaho) aboard Zeppelin Blue.
The top 25 pre-junior athletes qualified after Wednesday and Thursday’s competition will return to the arena on Saturday with the opportunity to earn a medal in the individual final. All results from individual qualifications and team classes will count towards their overall individual standings.
For full pre-junior team results, click here.
Children’s Zone 4 Grabs Gold
With a true team effort on the second day of jumping, Zone 4 was awarded the gold medal in the children’s category.
Finishing on a score of eight faults after Thursday’s two rounds, gold medals were presented to Lola Bacardi (Reddick, Fla.) on her own Top New Tina, a 16-year-old mare; Ryan Haselden (Cumming, Ga.), aboard her own Hector du Gue, an 8-year-old Selle Français gelding (Satisfaction FRH x Lando); Khloe Kerins (Wellington, Fla.) riding Small Change, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Pacino x Poltarf) owned by Darragh Kerins; and Jesus Rigu (Parkland, Fla.) in the irons of Excel, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Canturano x Larino) owned by Gianni Gabrielli.
Carrying forward a fault-free score from Wednesday’s competition, Zone 4 kept their tally to a single rail in each round on Thursday. The team was led by 13-year-old Kerins in her first-ever appearance at NAYC, who jumped three clear rounds to keep her time in the hunt.
“This feels very good,” she said. “I was not expecting it. My horse is very good and I am so happy. I’ve been riding [Small Change] for three months. He’s quirky but such a nice horse to ride and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Haselden, 13, echoed Kerins by saying, “It means a lot to be sitting at this table. My horse is amazing and he always gives his best – he has a huge heart.”
Zone 4 is led by Chef d’Equipe Kim Land.
The silver medal went to a combined Zone 9 and 10 team, represented by Olivia Wright (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) on her own Happyfee, Ellington Vasan (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) riding Bling vd Duvelshoeve Z, Honor Coulter (Hailey, Idaho) aboard her own Clark, and Slate Mellencamp Arroyave (Encino, Calif.) on Clase Azul.
Canada, represented by Clara Zdunich (Foothills, Alberta) on GCS Rosie; Lexi Pathy (Westmount, Quebec) riding Billy Lincoln, Emma Ludwar (Calgary, Alberta) aboard Cleverboy van’t Gelutt Z; and Keira Smith (Burlington, Ontario) with Hautrantzau took bronze.
Children’s athletes will also have the opportunity to earn individual medals during Saturday’s final. The points they have accumulated so far will count towards their overall individual standings for the week.
For full children’s team results, click here.
Junior and Young Rider Competition Kicks Off
Individual athlete Philippa Ammann (Wellington, Fla.) opened junior jumping competition with a win on Thursday aboard Zarina de Vidau, a 14-year-old Diamant de Semilly mare owned by Temple Equestrian. In the team standings after day one, Zone 2 currently sits in the lead heading into the team final on Friday.
In the young rider category, Mexico’s Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez is atop the leaderboard riding Yoga Santa Rosa, a 13-year-old Mexican-bred mare owned by Andra Hernandez Velasco. Day one team results have Zone 10 leading the way into the final day of team competition.
Complete results from the FEI North American Youth Championships can be found here.
Scott Lenkhart Makes Hunter Derby Debut a Winning One
It was business as usual in the Van Kampen Ring on Thursday of GLEF five, hosting the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Thirty-four competitors took to the Hunt-and-Go format track, combining both the classic and handy portions into a single round.
Out of the competing bunch, it was the final competitor who impressed. Scott Lenkhart of Bartonville, TX, and Chicoletto, owned by Mercedes Lett, took the top call. A seasoned derby horse, the 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding is usually ridden by Scott’s wife and professional hunter athlete, Courtney Lenkhart. Due to a fall earlier in the week, Courtney decided to support ringside and let her husband take over the reins.
“I took a little tumble earlier in the week, so I told Scott he should do the derby,” said Courtney. “He didn’t want to do it originally because he’s never done a derby before but I told him if he did it, he would win.”
Courtney’s instincts were correct as Scott and Chicoletto received a classic score of 89.5 and a handy score of 91 to take the winning total of 180. The win also earned Chicoletto the Platinum Performance Hunter Horse of the Week title.
“We really love Chico,” said Scott. “You can just feel his confidence in the ring. I’m usually a jumper rider so to go in there and feel how comfortable he is with these derbies was a real booster.”
Finishing second on the podium was Anne Adams, of Austin, TX, and MTM Prince Philip, owned by MTM Farm. The pair earned scores of 87 and 88.5, totaling 175.5. Taking third was Nicholas Pongracz (CAN) and Holiday, owned by Marisa Metzger. The duo finished just fractions of a point behind second place, earning scores of 88.5 and 86.75, totaling 175.25.
For full results of the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, click here.
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.
