Traverse City, Mich. – The 2025 Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championship, presented by USHJA, got underway at Traverse City Horse Shows on Wednesday with Agatha Lignelli and Ellington Vasan currently leading the way after day one victories in children’s and pre-junior individual qualifiers.
Agatha Lignelli (New York, N.Y.) topped the pre-junior category riding Xo Kiara for owner Alexa Elle Lignelli. Lignelli, representing Zone 2, piloted her own 2012 Anglo European mare (Billy Mexico x Billy Congo) to a time of 68.75 seconds for the win. Canada’s Mathilde Candele rode Corner Pocket Z to second after stopping the clock at 69 seconds flat. Mexico rounded out the top three with Ximena Arroyo Garcin taking third aboard Good Mood Semilly.
Zone 10 led off in the children’s category as 13-year-old Ellington Vasan (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) rode Bling vd Duvelshoeve Z to win by nearly four seconds. She stopped the clock at 71.14 aboard the 2013 Zangersheide mare (Bamako de Muze x Cicero Z), owned by Rooster Run Foundation. Valentina Da Silva Giusti (CAN) took second for Canada aboard Ginacolada in a time of 74.84 seconds. Bookending the top three, Zone 10’s Slate Mellencamp Arroyave (Encino, Calif.) finished third in the irons of Clase Azul, a 2013 Holstiener gelding (Clairmo x Blixa), owned by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave.
In the pre-junior team standings after day one, Lignelli’s win has Zone 2 sitting in the lead with Zone 10 and Zone 4 in second and third, respectively. In the children’s category, Zone 4 is the only team to sit on zero penalties with Canada and a combined Zone 9/10 team on four penalties heading into Thursday's team finals.
Also highlighting Thursday’s schedule, the junior and young rider categories will ride in their first individual qualifiers.
Complete results from the FEI North American Youth Championships can be found here.
2025 FEI North American Youth Championships Livestream
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About Traverse City Horse Shows
Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) offers 13 weeks of top equestrian competition each summer at Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan—just 15 minutes from downtown Traverse City. The venue blends world-class sport with the natural beauty of Northern Michigan and features 12 weeks of FEI-ranked events, including three five-stars and an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3*.