Wellington, Fla. – March 15, 2018 – The chilly weather had some horses wound up on the opening day of the Florida International Youth Championships but proved to not be a challenge for Natalie Pai and her mount Unlimited, a 17-year-old KWPN gelding (Jazz – Clairudith, Winckenburgh) owned by her mother, Melanie Pai. The pair rode gracefully through the cold to earn a score of 67.235 percent and claim the blue ribbon in the FEI Intermediate II.
As part of the Youth Championships, riders in the Under-25 division compete in the FEI Intermediate II, the FEI 16-25 Grand Prix and the FEI 16-25 Grand Prix Freestyle over the course of the weekend.
Pai and Unlimited are currently ranked 43rd in the world on the FEI Youth World U-25 Ranking List U-25. Throughout his competition career, the chestnut gelding has been shown by the Netherlands’ Madeleine Witte-Vrees and Stephanie Beek-Peters, as well as PJ Rizvi, Ashley Holzer, and Hannah Beaulieu.
The pair has had a successful career in both the U-25 division and the senior Grand Prix division since competing for the first time together in Feb. 2017 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. In 2017, they earned reserve champion at the USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championships in Gladstone, New Jersey.
Coming in second place was Canada’s Tanya Strasser-Shostak, riding her mother, Evi Strasser’s Renaissance Tyme, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Royal Diamond – Valencia, Dream of Hiedelberg I). Strasser-Shostak and the grey gelding earned a score of 67.029 percent. This pair has been competing in the CDI-U25 division previously in Wellington this season.
Claiming the yellow ribbon was Molly Paris and her 16-year-old Danish Warmblood mare, Countess (Don – Compeed, Solos Carex). Paris and the mare earned a score of 66.559 for third place. The pair has numerous wins in the CDI U-25 division from earlier in 2018 as well as 2017, taking third place at the USEF Young Adult Brentina Cup Dressage National Championship that year.
On the second day of the competition in the FEI 16-25 Grand Prix, Spain’s Rodrigo Encinas Fuentes aboard Van the Man, a 16-year-old KWPN gelding (Obelisk – Lady, Fruhling/Landjonker) claimed first place with a score of 68.376 percent. Pai and Unlimited took second place with a score of 66.068 percent. Rounding out the winner’s circle was Codi Harrison riding Katholt’s Bossco, an 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Blue Hors Don Schufro – Katholts Farceur, Michellino) who claimed third place with a score of 65.94 percent.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Natalie Pai – First Place in U25 Intermediate II
On Her Ride:
“I was really happy with him today. We were able to nail all of our changes, which I’ve been struggling with for a while. So I was happy we nailed both the twos and the ones today, and I was really happy with how willing he was to go forward today.”
On the Florida International Youth Championships:
“This is my third year competing in the championships – in the previous years I did the young riders and then moved into the U-25 division last year.”
On The Rest of the Weekend:
“Overall, I’m definitely going to work on the passage and the piaffe – I think that could still be better, and hopefully I continue to nail my changes!”
Results: U-25 Intermediate II
Place / Rider / Country / Horse / Total Score
1. Natalie Pai / USA / Unlimited / 67.235
2. Tanya Strasser-Shostak / CAN / Renaissance Tyme / 67.029
3. Molly Paris / USA / Countess / 66.559
4. Rodrigo Encinas Fuentes / ESP / Van the Man / 66.147
5. Codi Harrison / USA / Katholt’s Bossco / 65.941
6. Claire Manhard / USA / Wilfonia / 65.118
7. Kerrigan Gluch / USA / HGF Brio / 64.118
8. Genay Vaughn / USA / Donarweiss GGF / 62.794
9. Rosie Julian-Simoes / USA / Rankrado / 62.176
10. Laurence Blais Tetreault / CAN / Utah / 58.824
Results: Grand Prix 16-25
Place / Rider / Country / Horse / Total Score
1. Rodrigo Encinas Fuentes / ESP / Van the Man / 69.376
2. Natalie Pai / USA / Unlimited / 66.068
3. Codi Harrison / USA / Katholt’s Bossco / 65.940
4. Molly Paris / USA / Countess / 65.427
5. Kerrigan Gluch / HGF Brio / 65.256
6. Claire Manhard / USA / Wilfonia / 64.103
7. Genay Vaughn / USA / Donarweiss GGF / 64.060
8. Tanya Strasser-Shostak / CAN / Renaissance Tyme / 63.675
9. Rosie Julian-Simoes / USA / Rankrado / 61.966
10. Laurence Blais Tetreault / CAN / Utah / 60.897
