Youth Programs

The FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) is the premiere equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders. Young equestrians vie for team and individual medals in the FEI disciplines of dressage, eventing and jumping.

NAYC 2025

The 2025 NAYC for dressage and jumping will be held at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, at Flintfield’s Horse Park, in Traverse City, Michigan from July29-August 3, 2025.

2025 NAYC Equestrian Canada Selection Criteria & Procedures – Jumping

2025 FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) Dressage Selection Criteria

Equestrian Canada (EC) facilitates the following programs for up-and-coming young dressage athletes to support development and talent identification.

Dressage Competition Development Pathway

Are you wondering about the inner workings of the sport of dressage and where you and your horse currently fit in the competition development pathway? Check out this guide created through the Long Term Equestrian Development framework, for dressage athletes, coaches and parents to find all the answers.

Competition Development Pathways

Dressage Youth High Performance

Dressage Youth High Performance in Canada has been created to educate the dressage youth community and provide the means to achieve international medal performances. The following four youth high performance divisions exist in Canada:

FEI Pony

Open to youth, from the beginning of the calendar year they reach the age of 12 until the end of the calendar year they reach 16. FEI Pony competitors may compete in FEI Children or Young Rider divisions without losing their status as an FEI Pony competitor. Ponies are classified as 149 cm or less in height at the withers with shoes, or 148 cm without shoes.

FEI Children

Open to youth, from the beginning of the calendar year they reach the age of 12 until the end of the calendar year they reach 14.

FEI Junior

Open to youth, from the beginning of the calendar year they reach the age of 14 until the end of the year they reach 18.

FEI Young Rider

Open to youth, from the beginning of the calendar year they reach the age of 16 until the end of the calendar year they reach 21.

Rising Stars Youth Dressage

EC recognizes the Rising Stars Youth Dressage (RSD) program as a national youth development program. Full information on RSD, including the RSD handbook, can be found at https://risingstarsdressage.com.

JC Hunter Medal
The JC Hunter Medal is a hunter equitation series open to riders until the end of the year in which they turn 18. The class features both a jumping and a flat phase. The jumping phase is worth 60% of the final score, and the flat phase is worth 40%.

Classes are held at EC sanctioned Gold competitions in four regions: British Columbia, Prairie (AB, SK, MB), Ontario and Atlantic (QC, PEI, NB, NS, NF). Riders who meet the qualifying criteria are invited to attend the National Final.

For criteria and rules for the JC Hunter Medal, see the EC Rulebooks, Section G, Chapter 11.

Canadian Equestrian Team (CET) Medal
The CET Medal series was founded by Jumping Hall of Fame inductee and long-time supporter of jumping sport in Canada, Barbara Anderson. Designed as an equitation competition where riders are judged on their position and riding style, the series provides a skill-building foundation for the next generation of CET athletes.

The CET Medal series is open to riders until the end of the year they turn 21. Classes are held at EC sanctioned Gold competitions in four regions: British Columbia, Prairie (AB, SK, MB), Ontario and Atlantic (QC, PEI, NB, NS, NF). Each region hosts an annual Regional Final. The top four riders from each Regional Final are then invited forward to a National Final.

Please Note: In order to participate in the CET Medal series, riders must register. CET Medal registration can be done through My-EC.

For full criteria and rules for the CET Medal, see the EC Rulebooks, Section G, Chapter 11.

The Under 25 Series
The Under 25 (U25) Series was created as part of the Talent ID Program and is open to athletes competing at a height equal to or greater than 1.40m from the beginning of the year they reach the age of 16 until the end of the year in which they turn 25.

In order to participate, declarations are required for horse-rider combinations.

• The annual deadline to declare is June 30
• Riders may declare more than one horse
• Declarations can be submitted through the online U25 Declaration Portal

Declared athletes must submit their U25 results online within a week of completing U25 classes in order to collect ranking points.