Brown Holds Her Lead In NAJYRC CCI**

Devon Brown from Area III and Dynamic Image jumped a double-clear CCI** cross-country round at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. They will head into show jumping in first place.

July 30, Lexington, Ky.

After the CCI** cross-country at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, Devon Brown and Dynamic Image stayed in the lead with a double-clear trip. They will show jump on 50.5 penalties. Brown, Alpharetta, Ga., was riding for Area III, currently second in the team competition. “The course was pretty challenging,” said Brown, 19. “The course was hard. Each combination kept at it, and they didn’t stop. After one you were on to the next and already thinking about how you would ride it.”

Malibu and Joelle Baskerville, 20 and riding for Team Canada, stayed in second after adding just 2.0 time penalties to their dressage score. Kendyl Tracy and Ever So Lucky jumped a double-clear round to move up from fourth to third on 54.5 penalties. Tracy is a member of the first-placed team from Areas V and IX.

Out of 20 starters in the CCI**, there were eight double-clear rounds. Benita Strini came off Carlingford Merlot at the first element of the first water but jumped up immediately, and four other riders had single stops at different points on the course.

Riders pointed out the double corners at fence 17 ABC and the large drop to a skinny at fences 12 and 13 as the most difficult combinations. “I thought David [O’Connor] did a great job with the course,” said Tracy, 19. “I thought it all rode to plan. It let you get in a good rhythm early. The ditch and wall and first water were intimidating early on the course, but it made me get her in front of my leg early. I was mostly worried about the drop to chevron, but she was great there.”