This past Thursday, March 25th, Stable View Equestrian held their annual Spring FEI CCI-S 1,2,3, and 4* in Aiken, South Carolina. Stable View was the kick-off event for the new Adequan FEI/USEF Youth Team Challenge that took the place of the North American Youth Championships. Area 1 had a full roster for the CCI-S 2* team with riders, Elizabeth Gill, Libby Scruton, Jack Curtis, and Ayden Schain.
Area 1’s weekend began Thursday morning with Elizabeth Gill and her 9-year-old Thoroughbred, Opportunity Knoxx. Elizabeth did a wonderful job and rode a very tactful test which left them on a score of 40.60 going into show jumping the following day. Later that morning, Libby Scruton and her 12-year old Sport Horse, One and Only had a beautiful test and started their weekend on a 33.30 putting them in the middle of the pack.
The second day kicked off on Friday morning with Ayden Schain and her 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Fernhill Hole Shot. Ayden and had a lovely test giving them a score of 30.90. Jack Curtis followed shortly after aboard his 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Luska Candy Clover. The two had a very consistent test, going into the weekend on a 30.20. After adding up the scores from dressage, Area 1 took the lead for the CCI2*-S. But the day was not over yet! Although the day was cut short, due to thunderstorms, the weather held off long enough for Elizabeth Gill to pilot Opportunity Knoxx around Chris Barnard’s show jump course adding 0.40 for time to their dressage score.
With the remainder of show jumping being held on Saturday, the day was filled with excitement! Libby and Ayden both made light work of the show jumping, staying on their dressage score going into cross country. Jack, who was last up to show jump, kept the streak with zero jump faults and only added a small amount of time to his score from the day prior.
The day wrapped up with fantastic riding around Mogie Bearden-Muller’s 2* track. Elizabeth was first out the start box with Opportunity Knoxx and came through the finish flags with a double clear. Libby Scruton wasn’t far behind, having no jump faults and only adding a small amount of time to their score. Ayden and Jack wrapped up the weekend both coming through the finish flags with a double clear.
The weekend had come to a close, the numbers were added up, and Area 1 was announced as the winners of the first leg of the Adequan FEI/USEF Youth Team Challenge. As for individual results for the team challenge, Ayden Schain and Fernhill Hole Shot took the win in the CCI2*-S, closely followed by Jack Curtis and Luska Candy Clover in 2nd, Libby Scruton and One and Only in 3rd, and Elizabeth Gill and Opportunity Knoxx in 6th.
We are all incredibly proud of our hard-working riders and their horses. The next Youth Team Challenge will be held July 2-4, at The Mayland International Horse Trials in Adamstown, MD. A special thank you to our Young Rider Coordinator Melanie Loschiavo, Area I Chairman, Suzanne Adams, and to USEF Eventing for providing photos and videos over the weekend.
