Traverse City, Michigan, USA – August 13, 2023 – The Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships, presented by USHJA, came to an exciting close Sunday with the Individual Final for both the Junior and Young Rider categories. Ultimately standing atop the podiums in the respective categories, Baylee McKeever (USA) took the Young Rider title and Carlee McCutcheon (USA) claimed gold for the juniors.

In the Junior category, McCutcheon had a lead to protect coming into the final round, with not a single rail dropped through all of competition to that point. With two additional clear rounds aboard Coco Mercedes on Sunday, she solidified her victory and earned the gold medal.

“This is my first Young Riders experience,” McCutcheon, also a team gold medalist for Zone 7, remarked. “Last year I qualified to ride on the Zone 7 team but I had a bit of a spill on the first day in the warm-up, so I was not able to compete. To come back here and have the opportunity to show and be part of the team means so much to me. I was really just looking forward to it all week, and it went better than I ever could have imagined.”

The win couldn’t have come without the help of Coco Mercedes, a mount she acquired from McLain Ward (USA.

“She’s so brave,” McCutcheon, 17, said of her ride for NAYC. “I never have to worry about it. If I don’t see the perfect distance I know she’ll take care of me. I think having a horse with so much confidence has given me a confidence boost and has improved my riding all year.”

With advice coming from several trainers – including Max Amaya and TJ O’Mara of Stonehenge Stables, as well as Ward himself – McCutcheon felt prepared to take on the final round of jumping, where she pulled out a fifth clear over the course of three days.

“Max and McLain both told me just to stay calm,” she explained. “This is the first of hopefully many situations I’ll be in like this, and it’s just icing on the cake at this point. It’s been a great week so I was happy with any outcome because she’s been incredible all week.”

Stephanie Garrett (USA) took home the silver medal in her second NAYC appearance, aboard Darius de Kezeg Z. She executed four consecutive clear rounds to move up the leaderboard.

“This has been a pretty big goal of mine,” Garrett shared. “I came in last year and was also able to compete on the Zone 2 team, which was a phenomenal experience.

The outcome might not have been what we were hoping for, but coming back this year I knew more about what to look for and how to prepare. Building up to this week we’ve been preparing, and we had some nice rounds before here so it’s a great feeling to leave this show with a medal.”

Taking home the bronze was Elise Stephens aboard O’Mega H & DB, a pair that rode to only one rail down over both the Team Final and the Individual Final.

This is my first time at the North American Youth Championships,” remarked Stephens. “Coming into today I had two good rounds on Friday, but on Thursday my round wasn’t quite what I wanted.”

“So I really just wanted smooth and hopefully clear rounds. The first course had a lot of tests in it. The water to the vertical – a lot of people were having issues with that and I’m really glad my horse is a good water jumper.”

Final Results – Gotham North FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships – $10,000 Junior Jumper Individual Final 

Place / Rider Country v Horse / Round 1 / Jump-off / Penalty-Points

1) Carlee McCutcheon (USA) & Coco Mercedes – 0 / 0 – 3.49

2) Stephanie Garrett (USA) & Darius de Kezeg Z – 0 / 0 – 5.13

3) Elise Stephens (USA) & O’Mega H & DB – 0 / 0 – 10..57

Source: Press Release from Traverse City Horse Shows

Photos: © Traverse City Horse Shows / Andrew Ryback Photography / Megan Giese Photography

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