Jack Whitaker Scores Team Silver At The Youth Olympics
Jack Whitaker and his team mates have scored a silver medal, for Team Europe, at the 2018 Youth Olympics, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With the Games officially underway, 30 riders from 30 different nations went head to head, in medal contention. On the first day of the team showjumping competition, Team Europe were sitting in pole position alongside America and Australia. All three nations had a zero penalty score.
The Youth Olympics differs slightly from the the senior Olympics Games, with five members on a team and the top two scores being those that represent the nation. Additionally, horses are borrowed for the event, riders only having a few day to get to know the ins and outs of their ride.
Whitaker helped to clinch the silver medal, riding his borrowed horse, LV Lucky Chance. He rode alongside the rest of Team Europe; Giacomo Casadei from Italy, Hungary’s Vince Jarmy, Rowan van de Mheen from the Netherlands, and Simon Jan Morssinkhof of Belgium.
The showjumping team representing Europe have managed the first medal of the Games for the nation, hoping for more medals later on in the competition.
Whitaker, who was also celebrating his 17th birthday on the medal winning occasion, said;
It’s a fantastic feeling to win a silver medal at the Youth Olympics. I would really like to thank the owners of my horse LV Chance Luck for giving me the opportunity to ride him. He has been fantastic and we have formed a good relationship in the short period of time we have had together. The experience here has been tremendous and I am now looking forward to the Individuals.”
North America grasped team gold, whilst Africa climbed into bronze position after Australia fell away from medal contention, after claiming penalties.
Attention will now been drawn to the individual showjumping event, medals be decided in competition on 13th October 2018.
