Lexington, Ky. – The deadline for application submissions to compete at 2026 FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC), to be held in Traverse City, Mich., July 27 – August 2, is quickly approaching. Youth athletes competing in the disciplines of dressage and jumping are invited to submit their applications before the end of this year’s qualification period to be eligible to compete at the 2026 championship.

Dressage

For athletes who plan to compete in the 2026 FEI North American Youth Dressage Championships presented by USDF, the deadline to apply is May 4, 2026. The qualifying period began on July 22, 2025, and will conclude on June 22, 2026.  
  
Application due dates are as follows:   

• Children, Junior, and Young Rider: Applications close May 4, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET. The application for Children, Junior, and Young Rider is found on the USDF website here. For more information on the results and standings for these divisions, please visit the USDF website.

• U25: Applications close May 4, 2026, at 11:59 pm ET. The U25 application is found through your USEF Athlete Dashboard. For more information on the qualifying requirements, please see below in Additional Resources here. 

Jumping

The FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship for Children, Pre-Junior, Junior, and Young Rider categories provides an exciting opportunity for athletes in these age categories to compete against their peers in a Championship format like that of international senior Championships like the Olympic Games. Competition in each age category is held over the course of multiple days and features both a Team Competition, with Teams fielded by Zone, and an Individual Competition.   

The categories are as follows: 

• Children's Championship (NAChC): athletes FEI ages 12 - 14, fences up to 1.25m 

• Pre-Junior Championship (NAPJC): athletes FEI ages 14-16, fences up to 1.30m 

• Junior Championship (NAJC): athletes FEI ages, 14 - 18, fences up to 1.40m 

• Young Rider Championship (NAYRC): athletes FEI ages 16 - 21, fences up to 1.50m 

For athletes who plan to compete in the Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championship presented by USHJA, the deadline to apply is June 1, 2026. The qualifying period began September 1, 2025, and concludes May 31, 2026. The last day to submit Certificates of Capability will be June 8, 2026.  The application can be found through your USEF Athlete Dashboard.  

Accommodation and Flight Information  
Traverse City, Mich., is a popular summer destination, and NAYC competitors are strongly encouraged to book accommodations as early as possible. The Organizing Committee has partnered with several hotels in the Traverse City area to offer special room rates during the dates of the competition. Click here for NAYC partner hotel information.  

Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for the athletes and families traveling to Traverse City. You may call Conferences and Events® at 1.800.328.1111* Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (EST) and refer to Meeting Event Code NY4JR to reserve your flights into Traverse City, MI (TVC) or Grand Rapids, MI (GRR). 

Stay Connected   
Keep up with USA Dressage on Facebook and Instagram, USA Jumping on Facebook and Instagram, and US Equestrian on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.  
  
The USEF International High Performance Programs and the USEF High Performance Pathway Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, the philanthropic partner to USEF. High Performance Program support is also provided by the USOPC and USEF sponsors and members.