Katie and Maddie Lichten are twin sisters from South Hamilton, Mass., who traveled over 2,500 miles to Kalispell, Mont., to compete in the Adequan® FEI North American Youth Championships presented by Gotham North, or NAYC or Young Riders for short. The NAYC is taking place this week and weekend at The Event at Rebecca Farm. The championships are a big draw for rising stars in the equestrian discipline of eventing. It is a stepping stone that has often helped launch aspiring athletes to the Olympics, giving them the first taste of riding on a team and representing their country.
Katie competed in the NAYC twice previously (in 2015 in Lexington, Ky., and 2016 in Parker, Colo.), while Maddie made her first appearance in 2016. The sisters won team gold in 2016 for Area I, which encompasses the New England states. They are riding their 2016 mounts this year and hope to find success while they are in Kalispell.
“It’s amazing to comeback and compete again. My past two times at Young Riders were the best weeks of my life,” Katie said. “So far, it has been amazing; the team is amazing. The grooms are so awesome, have been so helpful, and good team players. It is just really fun. I have never been to Rebecca [Farm], but it is just beautiful here. The courses look really nice and I’m super excited.”
Maddie was equally impressed, saying, “It is amazing, and everyone is so nice here. [NAYC] is the best week of the summer.”
The Lichtens started riding horses together and have advanced up the competition levels alongside each other. They have competed mostly along the East Coast but made it one of their top goals to get to the NAYC this year. The competition will be tough, and there is also an additional dynamic – competing against each other.
“Personally I think it is awesome,” Maddie said of riding in competitions with her sister. “We can bounce ideas off of each other. She is always there to help me if I need it. If we are warming up for show jumping and I need help setting jumps or something, she is always there. I think it is great.”
Katie saw no disadvantages in riding against her sister. “My sister is my best friend. People always ask if we are competitive, and we are completely not. We both want each other to do well, and if one doesn’t have a good day and the other does, it is great that the other one had a great day. We get to talk about the courses and the [dressage] test and everything. We always ask advice of each other. It is great, I love having her here, I wouldn’t want to be here without her.”
After the dressage phase of the CICOY2* division of the NAYC, Katie sits in fourth and seventh place with her two horses, RF Luminati and Sapphire Blue B, respectively, and Maddie is in 10th place with her horse Yarrow. The sisters are in solid place on the leaderboard with two more phases, cross-country and show jumping, still to come. With each other’s support, they are winners no matter what.
Check out the live stream of the NAYC on USEF Network through Sunday, July 22.
View more information about The Event at Rebecca Farm and the NAYC times and results.
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