Traverse City, Mich. – Dec. 3, 2019 – The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors, LLC, in conjunction with US Equestrian, is pleased to announce the addition of the inaugural Pre-Junior Jumping Championship to the competition schedule for the 2020 Adequan®/FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), which will be hosted at GLEF in Traverse City, Mich., from August 4-9, 2020. The Pre-Junior Jumper Championship is open to athletes FEI ages 14-16 and will offer championship competition at the 1.30m height, bridging the level of difficulty between the Children’s Jumping Championship at 1.20m and the Junior Jumping Championship at 1.40m.
“We are confident the addition of the Pre-Junior Jumping Championship will strengthen the overall mission of NAYC by providing more opportunities for youth athletes to continue their development in the sport, while also allowing a larger pool of athletes to participate in the event,” said Erin Keating, Director of Jumping Development Programs. “The jump from the Children’s category to the Junior category can be daunting, and the inclusion of a Pre-Junior category will better facilitate that transition for both trainers and athletes.” The qualifying period for the Pre-Junior category will begin January 1st, 2020, and will continue through June 15th, 2020. Teams will be fielded by USHJA Zones, and athletes can earn points toward their USHJA Zone Standings list by competing in jumper classes with fence heights at 1.25m or higher within the qualifying period. The Pre-Junior Jumping Championship at NAYC will not include an open water jump or distribute prize money, but will run in the same championship format as the Junior category, and include team and individual competition.
The selection procedures for the Pre-Junior Jumping Championship will be available in mid-December, applications will open January 1, 2020, and must be submitted by June 15, 2020, in order to be considered. Athlete/horse combinations must obtain a Certificate of Capability by completing a course set at 1.30m or higher with a score of four faults or less between January 1, 2020 and June 22, 2020. Athletes and horses must be registered with the FEI, and the event will run under international FEI Rules. Due to the area’s popularity as a summer vacation destination, GLEF encourages exhibitors and guests to make lodging arrangements as soon as possible. Hotel room blocks have been reserved at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, the Official Resort & Fun Partner, Delamar Hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites Traverse City, All Seasons Resort, Grand Beach Resort, Sugar Beach Resort and the Great Wolf Lodge for NAYC competitors and their families. Please use code NAYC when booking. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2020 FEI North American Youth Championships. For more information on how to become a sponsor, please contact Nicolle Meyer at [email protected].
For more information on the Pre-Junior Jumping Championship, please contact Erin Keating, Director of Jumping Development Programs, at [email protected].
For more information, please visit greatlakesequestrianfestival.
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