Only a location that has been scouted and rigorously reviewed is able to host the premier championship for North America’s best young riders. After an overwhelmingly successful opening in 2017, Rebecca Farm has once again been designated as the host site for the 2018 and 2019 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships, known as “The Junior Olympics” of eventing. This is the only FEI championship hosted in North America.
The 2018 championship will coincide with the Event at Rebecca Farm to be held July 18-22.
“We have proven ourselves as a viable competition site,” event organizer Sarah Broussard said. “Rebecca Farm was approved to host based on our strong record and the event’s success being hosted for the first time last year.”
The North American Junior/Young Rider Championships brings together the sport’s highest ranking junior and young riders, ages 14 to 21, from across the globe; it tests skill, discipline and endurance. Teams of qualified riders from North America and Canada will vie for team and individual medals in the Olympic equestrian discipline of eventing, which consists of show jumping, dressage, and cross-country.
“The Young Rider competition is a fundamental first step for competitive riders,” Broussard said. “This is the rider’s first time on a team and early exposure is very important to advance.”
Broussard is familiar with the FEI event. As a former junior champion herself, Broussard recalls winning on such a large stage, feeling “special knowing everyone there was already a champion.” Now hosting FEI for the second year, and plans for a third, Broussard looks forward to creating the same palpable sense of arrival for these young riders.
“Young Rider was huge in my career. It was my first time on an international stage. There is a sense of responsibility not only to yourself but to the rest of your team. It’s humbling to now have the opportunity to host the same event that was so important in my growth, both as a person and as a competitor”.”
With the continuation of the event in 2018 and 2019, more participants and spectators are anticipated to come to the Flathead Valley. The Event welcomed more than 600 competitors and 10,000 spectators in 2017.
For more information, visit www.rebeccafarm.org.