Zone 10 Captures Back-to-Back Team Gold Medals on Friday at NAYC
Zone 10 Edges Tight Battle for Pre-Junior Team Gold
Zone 10 was the big team winners of Friday’s exciting slate of competition at the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships, presented by USHJA, first earning the gold medal in the Pre-Junior category to kick off the day’s team events.
Led by Chef d’Equipe, Michael Endicott, Zone 10 athletes Grace Wahlberg, Ripley Ehrlich, Brookelyn Roy, and Vincent Lin put in highly competitive rounds to finish on just 2 faults for the day, bringing their total team score to 7.94 penalties and taking the top spot on the podium. Ehrlich and Roy both jumped double-clear efforts, with Wahlberg jumping clear over all fences as well, but every team member’s performance was valuable in contributing to their overall low score.
All Zone 10 athletes agreed that the team experience was incredibly rewarding, however it could be stressful at times.
“Competing on a team has been really exciting because you have a support system and get to be with a group,” Ehrlich shared about her experience this week. “But I also think it’s hard because you’re watching everyone and there is so much pressure on the last rider, and on all of us. I really liked the whole team and it was so fun to be with them.”
Roy had the daunting task of serving as the anchor rider for her Zone 10 team, and she delivered the clear round needed for gold, because the second-place finishers were only a hair behind them.
“I was really nervous going in but I was saying to myself that whatever happens it was still such a cool experience to ride for this team,” Roy remarked. “My horse [Carlo DC Stables Z] is great; he took care of me through the course and I knew I’d be okay.”
Zone 10’s cheering squad included the traveling reserve athlete, Ellington Vasan, who wasn’t competing but came out to show team support and help her teammates rise to the occasion.
In the silver-medal position, just one time fault off of Zone 10’s score for Friday and on 8.83 total penalties, was a combined team from Zones 5, 8, and 9. The athletes — Campbell Cauthen, Honor Coulter, Anabelle Deyoung, and Samantha Siler — didn’t have the luxury of ever competing together on a team before, but the special activities at NAYC and their overall team spirit helped build their team camaraderie quickly.
“With the combined team, we don’t really know each other because we’re from different places so it’s really about building that team spirit and being there for each other,” Cauthen explained. “Campbell had a clear round and we all ran out and congratulated her. Being nice teammates to each other is really important and it strengthens the bond.”
Siler and Deyoung pointed out the importance of activities like the opening parade and poster decorating as ways to bond with their teammates before competition got underway.
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Zone 10 Captures Back-to-Back Team Gold Medals on Friday at NAYC – Traverse City Horse Shows
