August 12, 2022 
Less than two percentage points separated the podium in the Young Riders dressage team competition at the FEI North American Youth Championships in Traverse City, MI on Thursday.
The ultra-competitive division saw riders achieve personal bests and overcome personal demons to earn a place on the podium.
Clean, consistent, correct
That was the formula for Region 3/9’s gold medal win on Thursday.
Represented by Sophia Schults (21), Mary Piller (20), Sydney Shultz (21) and Sydney Lipar (19), the team rode to team total of 199.353% to score a narrow victory over Region 7 (198.618%).
“This is my last championship season, I was super happy with my ride today,” said Sophia Schults (21). “My goal was to have a clean and consistent tests, and I’m very thankful that we achieved that. It’s a new record for us, so a great time to do it.”
Schults’ 67.647% score was both a personal best and the team best.
That 70s Horse
Region 7 settled for silver, but honors for top score of the day went to Erin Nichols (19) and Handsome Rob AR, the only pair to crack the 70s with a score of 70.147%
“I am just so proud of my horse. I’ve had him since he was a five year old and I’ve brought him up through the levels. My goal is to break 70s this week. To do that, it’s just really amazing to me. I think the changes were definitely a highlight, and parts of the trot work really showed some his talent. He’s really grown through the years that I’ve had him,” she shared.
The youngest team on the podium, Nichols was joined by twin sisters 18-year-olds Lily-Rose Bacon (Warm Night) and Lucienne Bacon (Do Re Mi), and 16-year-old Ellanor Boehning (Sir Junior).
Help in hard times
Riding to a team score of 197.559%, Region 6/8 captured bronze with consistent performances from Brenna Donovan (21) with Scandal LWF, Jessica Best (21) aboard Elwaard, Gemma Starn (21) and Diamond First Choice, and Megan Tursi (19) with So Speciale Edition. It was an emotional moment for Starn, who returned to riding in May after a year out of the saddle to earn the team’s high score of the day, a 66.971%.
“Theo has gotten me truly just incredible hardships. And I’m so, so grateful. He is an angel and everything to me,” shared Starn. “I struggled with a lot of things just within my own mind [this past summer] and horses have always been the thing that has pulled me through.”
The horse that helped Starn through her difficult year came to her at a difficult time. Her trainer found Theo, “a true diamond in the rough,” three years ago, just a week after her first horse and partner of five years passed away.
“I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to get another [horse] so soon. I was really broken up about my horse passing,” said Starn. “I tried so hard, honestly, not to fall in love with him because I was so scared of it destroying me. And few months later, there we are absolutely adoring this horse.”
Dressage at the 2022 NAYC continues on Friday, Aug. 12, with the Individual Championship for Juniors starting at 9:00 a.m. E.T. Watch live on USEF Network.
