Willy Arts of DG Bar Ranch drove Jasper/Stephanie Hamar and Melvina/Caitlin Masiel to Wadsworth Ill., where they joined Dani Judy/Antaeus and Christina Beal/Ray Ace for California’s Region 7 team.

Members of the California Dressage Society called in to the young riders all weekend to check on their progress and report their results at the CDS Junior Championships, which were taking place the same weekend. “They’re going to announce that we got the gold medal [at the CDS Championships],” said Hamar. “We’ve gotten a lot of support from back home.”

Masiel had a special cheering section, as the horse’s owner, 92-year-old, Melvin Sousa, was there to watch–as he always is. “He just loves horses, and this is his dream to watch her compete,” said Masiel, 19, of Danville, Calif. Sousa bred the 10-year-old, Dutch Warmblood mare, Malveena (Earthquake–Wanroij), and she was named after him.

The riders knew each other well from showing together, but, with three of the team members competing at the NAYRC for the first time, they hadn’t expected to come away with the win. “You always hope for the best, but anything can happen in the ring,” said Hamar.

“It was kind of a surprise; we were hoping!” said Masiel. “We all just gave really clean tests, and everyone did their hardest.”

Judy hadn’t even expected to make the team this year with Antaeus, who just started third level last year. “It’s been a crush getting ready for the championships,” she said. “He just learned his pirouettes and changes the last six months, and his changes have just been getting solid the last few months.” But she finished second in the Team test and finished fifth overall.

“I was doing way better than expected; I am so excited,” said Judy, who trains with Debbie Robison. “I came into the competition without expectations. I never would have dreamed to have placed second yesterday. He’s come so far in the last six months.”

Beal, who was making her third NAYRC appearance, also had more modest expectations than she deserved, as she took the individual gold medal on Ray Ace. “My ultimate goal was to improve on last year, which I’ve done and to ride the best I can do and be happy with my performance,” she said. The 19-year-old won all three tests, including the freestyle, which she performed to U2 music.

To learn more about the Region 7 horses and riders–including head judge Gary Rockwell’s assessment of why Beal won–and to find out about individual medallists, read the August 27 issue of The Chronicle.