North American Junior & Young Rider Championship Yields Gold for Paint Youth
Press Release
Riding American Paint Horses, two Youth showcased their top-notch reining skills to help Team USA South Central capture gold in Young Rider competition at the 2012 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North on July 19. The team collected 642 total points to earn the gold medals, besting Team USA Southeast by 18.5 points in the stiff competition.
A member of the American Junior Paint Horse Association, 20-year-old Kayla Rae Hatfield rode Dun It Gotta Gal, a 6-year-old bay overo mare, in the Young Rider competition for Team USA South Central, earning a 200.5. By Dun Gotta Gun (QH) and out of Fatal Attrashion, the mare is owned by Ray Hatfield of Whitesboro, Texas.
A Genuine Diamond shone in the team competition with his rider, 19-year-old Jake Letner of Harris, Missouri. The pair had a strong ride, earning a score of 214 and tying for the second-highest in the competition. The 13-year-old sorrel overo gelding by Like A Diamond and out of Genuine Desire (QH) is owned by Larry Letner, D.V.M., of Harris.
Team USA South Central also included an APHA member. Chyna Tinney, a 21-year-old from Whitesboro, rode Smarter Than Chics (QH) to a 213.5 score.
Another strong performance for Team USA South Central came from 20-year-old Reed Kyle of Whitesboro, who rode A Ruf Gal (QH) to a 214.5. Reed’s father, APHA member and trainer Pete Kyle, served as the team’s chef d’equipe.
Despite earning gold medals in the SmarkPak-sponsored Team Championships, Team USA South Central riders had to stay focused as they advanced to the Young Riders’ Individual Competition on July 21.
The individual finals were no less thrilling: Reed Kyle earned the gold medal, and Jake Letner and A Genuine Diamond were the bronze medalists.
The NAJYRC is a premier event for talented young equestrians ages 14–21. Riders compete in reining, dressage, vaulting, endurance, eventing and jumping at the event, which was July 17–22 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.
About the American Paint Horse Association
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA), the international breed registry for the American Paint Horse headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012. In fulfillment of its mission to collect, record and preserve pedigrees of the breed, APHA recognizes and supports 111 regional and international clubs, produces championship shows, sponsors trail rides and creates and maintains programs that increase the value of American Paint Horses and enriches members’ experiences with their horses. APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded, and now serves over 64,000 active youth and adult members around the world.