USEF/USHJA ZONE 12

Zone 12's Champions Program (also known as the Young Riders Program) encourages Alaska riders to represent Zone 12 in the North American Young Riders Championships, Prix des States, Junior Jumper, and Pony Jumper National Championships. These national or international championships are all team competitions that allow each zone to send a team of up to four riders.

To support the possibility of a Zone 12 team, Zone 12 holds a yearly benefit training clinic by one of the country's top riders or trainers. Information on our 2008 clinic will be available soon, but previous clinicians have included Grand Prix riders Greg Best, Hap Hansen, Rob Gage, Norman Dello Joio, and Ray Texel. Our 2007 clinic was taught by Bernie Traurig:

Bernie Traurig is a show jumper rider and trainer who also won 15 Grand Prix in dressage! Bernie (shown at right on It's Cruising) is currently George Morris' Associate Chef D'Equipe for the U.S. Equestrian Team. As a junior equitation rider, he won both the AHSA Medal Finals and the ASPCA Maclay Finals. Bernie is the only person ever to have competed for the U.S. Equestrian Team in all three Olympic disciplines: show jumping, dressage, and eventing. He is the horseman who found the famous jumper Idle Dice--before Idle Dice became famous. Bernie rode many horses to National Working Hunter Championships. Bernie has coached Olympic medal winners--and also novice riders.

Participation in any of the Championships is a big step for a young Alaskan competitor, but it is not out of reach. Twice Zone 12 has sent riders to the North American Young Riders Championships. And in both 2005 and 2006, a junior rider represented Zone 12 in the Pony Jumper National Championships in Kentucky. Our 2006 representative, Alicia Hall, placed ninth individually with her pony Luigi at the Championships.

The dream of participating in international-level competition is sure to raise standards and inspire young riders to work harder toward their goals. The place to begin is as a member of Zone 12's Young Riders program--and all juniors showing at Level 1 and above are automatically members. You can find out more here. Qualifying to represent Zone 12 in the yearly Championships is a separate, bigger step; you can find out more information on the criteria here (these are for the 2008 championships but next year's criteria are expected to be similar). Zone 12 can provide a partial stipend for riders who qualify for the team.