Ashley Keary, 14, from Brockville, Ontario returned home a bronze medalist from the 2012 FEI International Children’s Jumping Competition in Hong Kong.
Ashley qualified for the horse jumping final, held Jan. 10-15, 2012 by posting strong results in competition last summer. She was the only competitor from Canada invited to compete.
The event was held at the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Beas River Country Club. The 20 competitors, all aged between 12 and 14 years, represented 15 National Federations Brazil, Hong Kong, South Africa, France, Germany, Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela, China, Syria, New Zealand, Guatemala, Russia, Mexico and Canada.
They rode horses belonging to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, many of which are leased to individuals who permitted their mounts to take part in this important challenge.
Competitions for children riding horses began with the first Intercontinental Youth Championships held in Cali, Colombia in 1988. The Children’s International Jumping Championship was introduced in 1995 and is held in different parts of the world each year.
1. How many years has the Intercontinental Youth Championships been held?
2. How many years has the Children’s International Jumping Championship been held?
The course designer was Iran’s Hossein Shafiee, and the action got underway with a warm-up class during which riders got the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their mounts.
The next day, the first competition was won by South Africa’s Cameron Dawson riding Golden Goblet who recorded the quickest time around the track, beating Syria’s Fares Al Khouli and Call Me Handsome by a margin of almost two seconds. Impressively, 12 of the 20 starters jumped clear in their opening effort.
3. What fraction of riders rode clear rounds? What fraction did not?
The second competition decided the team medals. It was close with the top three teams all finishing with a four-fault total. Russia’s Nikita Pomogalova on Noble Boss, Venezuela’s Victoria Karam riding Magical Lot, Hong Kong’s Michelle Li on Phoenix Fortune and Brazil’s Sarah Vasconcellos riding Cornwall Chief clinched gold with the fastest combined time.
4. Six teams compete, one team per continent, with a maximum of 5 riders per team. Assuming each team has the maximum number of riders, how many riders compete in the competition?
For the Individual Championship, the fences were raised to 1.10m and so was the pressure. Sarah Vasconcellos produced one of just two first-round clears that morning, the other coming from Hong Kong’s Arianna Ladd. As a result, these two went into a 10 rider jump-off to decide the fate of the Individual gold medal.
It seemed Taryn Rault of South Africa riding Gagnant might be in line for the main honours, but although Rault had the quickest time at 47.60 seconds he knocked down two rails while Cameron Dawson of South Africa on Golden Goblet picked up four faults in the time of 47.89 seconds.
5. How many faults did Taryn Rault have at the end of his ride? (In show jumping, a rider receives 4 faults for each rail down).
6. How much faster was Rault’s time than Dawson’s?
Arianna Ladd thrilled her local supporters while guiding Mountain Treasure through a clear round, but her time of 53.11 seconds was cautious. Next, it was Vasconcellos and Cornwall Chief, they finished in 48.47 seconds also with a clear round.
7. How much faster did Vasconcellos ride the course than Ladd?
A penalty in show jumping is called a fault, caused if a horse refuses to jump, knocks down a jump, or does not complete the course in the given amount of time.
The finishing order in show jumping is decided by the rider’s total number of faults. In the case of riders having the same number of faults, the rider with the fastest time is placed ahead.
Following is a list of the penalty points:
– 4 faults for each refusal
– 4 faults for each rail down
– 1 fault for every four seconds or portion of a second exceeding the time allowed
8. You be the judge and place Taryn Rault, Cameron Dawson, Arianna Ladd and Sarah Vasconcellos in their order of finish.
1. How many years has the Intercontinental Youth Championships been held?
Answer: 2012 – 1988 = 24. The Championships have been held for 24 years.
2. How many years has the Children’s International Jumping Championship been held?
Answer: 2012 – 1995 = 17. The Children’s International Jumping Championship has been held for 17 years.
3. What fraction of riders rode clear rounds? What fraction did not?
Answer: 3/5 of the riders rode clear rounds. 2/5 of the riders did not.
4. Six teams compete, one team per continent, with a maximum of 5 riders per team. Assuming each team has the maximum number of riders, how many riders compete in the competition?
Answer: 6 x 5 = 30. 30 riders compete in the competition.
5. How many faults did Taryn Rault have at the end of his ride? (In show jumping, a rider receives 4 faults for each rail down).
Answer: 2 x 4 = 8. Rault had 8 faults.
6. How much faster was Rault’s time than Dawson’s?
Answer: 47.89 – 47.60 = 29 seconds. Rault finished 29 seconds faster than of Dawson.
7. How much faster did Vasconcellos ride the course than Ladd?
Answer: 53.11 – 48.47 = 4.64. Vasconcellos finished 4.64 seconds faster than Ladd.
8. You be the judge and place Taryn Rault, Cameron Dawson, Arianna Ladd and Sarah Vasconcellos in their order of finish.
Answer: 1st – Vasconcellos with 0 faults and the fastest time.
2nd – Ladd with 0 faults
3rd – Dawson with 4 faults
4th – Rault with 8 faults
Photos:
‘Fishbone – Sunday 27 November 2005 – Show Jumping‘ by andreavallejos
‘Spier’s Malawi Girl‘ by andreavallejos
‘Herschel Girls School‘ by andreavallejos