FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

Photo Credit: Lynne Owen/VaultingPhotos.com

FEI WORLD VAULTING CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR JUNIORS Ermelo, The Netherlands

August 5-9, 2015

The following athletes will represent the U.S. at the FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors:

U.S. vaulters for the FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

Photo Credit: Jerry Yang

Individual Female

Tessa Divita

Born: September 23, 1997 Residence: Portola Valley, Calif.

Pino del Rio – 2004 Westphalian gelding owned and lunged by Julie Divita Tessa Divita began vaulting at a young age. The Saint Francis High School senior competes as an individual as well as on a squad. She was a member of the squads that represented the U.S. at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship and the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). In addition to being a member of the squad, the 2015 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors marks

Michelle Guo

the first time she will compete as an individual at a world championship.

Divita has found much success at the national level as an individual. She has been the USEF/AVA National Champion at the Copper level in 2008, Bronze level in 2009, and Silver level in 2011. Her mother, Julie Divita, is her coach and often lunger.

Divita began 2014 in a big way, by winning the Individual Female division at CVI2* Adelaide. At Vault into Spring competition, she collected a third-place finish in the Individual Female division. Prior to the WEG, Divita and the U.S. squad were fourth in the CVIO3* Aachen.

Divita started off 2015 with wins at the Pacific Cup CVIJ2*, finishing atop the leaderboard in Individual Female and Squad divisions.

ing Championships for Juniors. In her first year competing in Pas de Deux, Guo qualified to represent the U.S. She

Born: November 4, 1998 Residence: Palo Alto, Calif.

began competing at the Gold Individual Female level in

Jarl – 1998 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Lasse Kristensen and Emma Seely and lunged by Kristensen

CVI Chilliwack’s CVI3* Squad division.

Michelle Guo, a student at Henry M. Gunn High School,

2013.

In 2014, Guo was a member of a squad that claimed top honors at the Pacific Cup CVI3*. They scored another win in She began 2015 by collecting second-place finishes in the Pacific Cup CVIJ2* in the Individual Female, Pas de Deux, and Squad divisions. At the USEF/AVA Vaulting National

will be competing overseas for the first time as an individual

Championships, Guo was third in the Gold Individual Female

and in the Pas de Deux division at the 2015 FEI World Vault-

division and second in the Open Pas de Deux division.

4 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

Individual Female

Siddartha Kreaden

Born: June 22, 1998 Residence: Sunnyvale, Calif.

Klintholms Ramstein – 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Julie Fog-Møller and lunged by Lasse Kristensen Siddartha Kreaden is an experienced competitor, having traveled internationally for vaulting for the past six years.

She was a member of the squads that represented the U.S. at the 2012 FEI World Vaulting Championship and the 2014

Carlee Heger

Reserve Born: April 27, 2000 Residence: Fort Collins, Colo.

Carlee Heger has earned several top placings during her vaulting career. She began 2014 with a Bronze Individual Female win at the USEF/AVA Region IV Mayfest. In her first FEI competition she was second in the CVIJ1* Individual Female division at CVI Chilliwack. At the USEF/AVA Vault-

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). In addition to being a member of the squad, the Saint Francis High School student will be competing as an individual for the first time at a world championship.

In 2014, Kreaden began the year with a win in the CVI1* Individual Female division at the Pacific Cup. She scored top honors once again in the CVI2* Individual Female division at CVI Chilliwack. Prior to the WEG, Kreaden and the U.S. squad were fourth in the CVIO3* Aachen.

She started off 2015 at the Pacific Cup, winning the CVIJ2* Squad division and coming in fifth in the Individual Female division.

Championships, Guo was third in the Gold Individual Female division and second in the Open Pas de Deux division.

Champion title in the Bronze Individual Female division. She closed out the year with a win at the USEF/AVA Region IV Octoberfest in the Bronze Individual Female division.

In 2015, Heger began the season with a third-place finish in the Pacific Cup CVIJ2* Individual Female division and won the CVIJ1* Pas de Deux division with partner Haley Smith.

She then won the CVIJ2* Individual Female division at the USEF/AVA Region IV Mayfest. At CVI Chilliwack, Heger won both the CVIJ2* Individual Female division and CVIJ2* Pas de Deux division with Smith. Heger claimed top honors in the Silver Individual Female and Open Pas de Deux divisions at the USEF/AVA Vaulting National Championships.

ing National Championships, Heger collected the Reserve

FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

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Individual Male

Luke Overton

Born: March 15, 1999 Residence: Stanwood, Wash.

Kalle 76 – 2003 Oldenburg gelding owned by RVC Gilching e.V. and lunged by Carolyn Bland Luke Overton began vaulting at the age of seven with the Warm Beach Vaulters in 2006. He attended his first USEF/AVA National Championships two years, winning the Preliminary Trot class.

Championships, he was the Silver Individual Male Reserve National Champion. He finished the year as the AVA Silver High Point Champion.

Overton began the current season with a third-place finish in the CVIJ2* Individual Male division at the Pacific Cup. He then improved to second in the CVIJ2* Individual Male division at CVI Chilliwack. At the USEF/AVA National Championships, Overton won the Silver Individual Male title.

In addition to his vaulting, Overton is a CHA Level 2 western rider and he frequently volunteers in the Warm Beach Horsemanship Program.

In 2014, Overton won at nearly every turn, highlighted by wins in CVIJ1* Individual Male divisions at the Pacific Cup and CVI Chilliwack. At the USEF/AVA Vaulting National

Colton Palmer

Born: June 11, 1998 Residence: Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Zygo – 2004 KWPN gelding owned by Jill and Kevin Palmer and lunged by Maurits de Vries Colton Palmer has been vaulting most of his life at his family’s club, Half Moon Bay Vaulters. The Half Moon Bay High School student began competing at the Gold level in 2012, finishing third in the USEF/AVA Gold Individual Male National Championship that year.

6 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

Palmer started 2014 with a second-place finish in the CVI2* Individual Male division at the Pacific Cup. He claimed top honors at the USEF/AVA Region IV Championship.

Palmer then headed to Europe to compete there for the first time, finishing third in the Individual Male division at CVI3* Saumur and competing in the prestigious CVIO3* Aachen.

His 2015 season is off to a strong start with a secondplace finish in the CVIJ2* Individual Male division at the Pacific Cup. Heading to Europe, Palmer was second in the Individual Male division at CVIJ2* Pezinok.

Palmer stays busy as a level 10 gymnast and competes in motocross, training on his motorcycle and working on the ranch in his spare time.

Individual Male

Kaleb Patterson Born: June 16, 1998 Residence: Stanwood, Wash.

Amontillado 9 - 2008 Holsteiner gelding owned

by RVC Gilching e.V. lunged by Bettina Gross Kaleb Patterson began vaulting with the Warm Beach Vaulters in 2006 at the age of seven. Patterson was a member of the Friendship Team that performed exhibitions at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Over the years, he has won numerous national titles, including the USEF/AVA Silver Individual Male National Championship title in 2013. The junior at Stanwood High School will be representing the U.S. for the first time on the world champi-

onship stage at the 2015 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors.

In 2014, Patterson moved up to the Gold level with strong placings, highlighted by top honors at the USEF/AVA Region III Championship. In FEI competition, he was third in the Pacific Cup CVI2* Individual Male division and in the CVI Chilliwack CVI3* Individual Male division.

Patterson is in fine form in 2015, beginning the year with a first-place finish in the CVIJ2* Individual Male division at the Pacific Cup. He scored another win in the CVIJ2* Individual Male at CVI Chilliwack.

Aside from vaulting, he is involved in his school, as the Associated Student Body President going into his junior year at Stanwood High School. Patterson also spends time outdoors hunting, hiking, and backpacking.

FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

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Pas de Deux

Sarah Dunn

Born: January 20, 1997 Residence: Palo Alto, Calif.

Janie Salisbury Born: May 10, 1999 Residence: Atherton, Calif.

Ghost Alfarvad Z – 2000 Zangersheide gelding owned by Voltigeklubben Thommysminde and lunged by Lasse Kristensen Sarah Dunn and Janie Salisbury have been vaulting together for ten years and doing Pas de Deux together for two years.

Dunn graduated from Castilleja School this year, and will be attending Harvard University in the fall. Salisbury is going to be entering her junior year at Sacred Heart Preparatory. Though they have won a number of National titles this will be both of their first time competing at a world championship.

In 2014, Dunn and Salisbury had a great debut as a Pas de Deux combination, winning the CVIJ1* division at the Pacific Cup and the CVIJ2* division at CVI Chilliwack. This year, the pair won at the Pacific Cup once again, this time in the CVIJ2* division.

Michelle Guo

Born: November 4, 1998 Residence: Palo Alto, Calif.

Bodhi Hall

Born: March 1, 2000 Residence: San Jose, Calif.

Jarl – 1998 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Lasse Kristensen and Emma Seely and lunged by Kristensen Michelle Guo and Bodhi Hall are talented vaulters who competed as both individuals and as members of a squad before taking on the Pas de Deux divisions. The pair made their debut at this year’s Pacific Cup, coming in second in the CVIJ2* division. They were second once again in the Open Pas de Deux division at the USEF/AVA Vaulting National Championships as their final preparation for their world championship debut.

8 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

Squad

Woodside Vaulters

Squad Members Tessa Divita/17/Portola Valley, Calif.

Sarah Dunn/18/Palo Alto, Calif.

Audrey Kiernan/12/San Mateo, Calif.

Siddartha Kreaden/17/Sunnyvale, Calif.

Rachel Polati/18/Emerald Hills, Calif.

Miki Yang/10/Los Altos Hills, Calif.

Reserve, Janie Salisbury/16/Atherton, Calif.

Ghost Alfarvad Z – 2000 Zangersheide gelding owned by Voltigeklubben Thommysminde and lunged by Lasse Kristensen Founded in 1990, the Woodside Vaulters are some of the

fourth-place finish, before going on to the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Competing against squads much older and more experienced than them, the squad finished in seventh place overall. In 2015, the squad

most successful in the U.S. Based in Woodside, Cailf., they

began the year, collecting top honors at the Pacific Cup in

have won National Championship titles in Individual and

the CVIJ2* division. They have been coached by Erica Meitz

Team competition at every level and international cham-

and Mari Inouye Smith over the course of the season.

pionships in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. The Woodside Vaulters also have represented the U.S. at every FEI World Equestrian Games since 1998.

The squad, made of Tessa Divita, Sarah Dunn, Audrey Kiernan, Siddhartha Kreaden, Rachel Polati, and Miki Yang, are a talented group of vaulters with experience ranging from five to 12 years in the sport. In 2014, this squad (except Dunn) represented the U.S. at CVIO3* Aachen, earning a

FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors

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Chef d’Equipe

Photo Credit: Lynne Owen/VaultingPhotos.com

Mary McCormick Chef d’Equipe Born: January 7, 1983 Residence: Woodside, Calif.

Mary McCormick has competed at numerous top international competitions and championships, including fourth- and fifth-place finishes in the Individual Female division at the 2010 and 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. She is currently a member of Pacific Coast Vaulting Club and competes at the Gold level. McCormick’s contribution to the sport goes way beyond her own career. Quiet by nature, McCormick is a professional, respected teammate and competitor, as well as a valued coach. She considers the horse to be the most important member of her team and continues to expand her education, never forgetting the principles of good horsemanship. As a technician for her own vaulting, McCormick brings a world of experience to developing the right mechanics.

10 FEI World Vaulting Championships for Juniors