Canada Victorious in U25 Nations’ Cup at AGDF

For the second year in a row, Canadian dressage athletes Camille Carier Bergeron of Laval, QC, and Vanessa Creech-Terauds of Caistor Centre, ON, partnered to win the Under 25 Nations’ Cup team competition held on March 17, during week 10 of the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL.

Held in a format that sees three riders compete per country with the lowest score dropped, Canada was at a disadvantage with only two riders competing in the division for athletes aged 16 to 25. That proved not to be a factor in the outcome, however, as Bergeron posted a score of 67.559% while Creech-Terauds followed that up with 65.764% for a total of 133.323 points. Despite being able to drop the score of 58.353% posted by Kaylee Christensen, the United States settled for second place with a total of 129.500 points after Quinn Iverson scored 65.824% and Nicole Scarpino posted 63.676%.

Carier Bergeron and Creech-Terauds had also been on the winning CDIO-U25 team last year alongside Beatrice Boucher who will represent Canada in the senior Nations’ Cup competition on March 18. As a result of being close in age – Carier Bergeron is 21 while Creech-Terauds is 22 – the two young athletes have grown up competing against each other and were thrilled to once again find themselves on the winning team. It marked the second time that Canada has won the U25 Nations’ Cup since the event was first hosted in Wellington, FL, in 2017.

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“It’s very exciting to have won for the second year in a row with Camille,” said Creech-Terauds. “I’ve been competing against and with Camille for a long time, in juniors and young riders, and it’s so nice that in the U25 we’re able to be on the same team, because in juniors and young riders we always had to compete against each other. It’s really fun to compete together, and we support each other, and naturally it’s always a great experience going in the ring and representing Canada and getting more experience for both of our futures. I know we both have goals to represent Canada more often.”

Carier Bergeron echoed Creech-Terauds sentiments, saying, “it’s really nice to be on the team with Vanessa again this year. Like the Nations’ Cup last year, we’ve been competing together for such a long time, and it’s always so easy. And we have an awesome chef d’equipe, Denielle (Gallagher-Legriffon). She was also our chef d’equipe last year, so we are surrounded by great people and it’s a fun atmosphere.”

One difference from last year’s competition was Carier Bergeron’s mount. She rode Acoeur in 2021 and, this year, moved Sound of Silence 4, a 14-year-old Westphalian gelding (San Amour I x Limes), up from the Young Rider to the Under 25 level with the Nations’ Cup marking the horse’s second competitive appearance in the Under 25 division.

“I’m very happy with our test considering the weather is extremely hot,” noted Carier Bergeron. “It’s not easy for the horses, and I think they tried the best they could. Overall, I’m just really proud of my horse, and I couldn’t have asked him for more considering the weather. He really tried his best. You always have to adapt to all kinds of atmosphere, environment, and temperature, so today we did a short warm-up. We tried to preserve his energy and I think it worked quite well, so I’m very excited.”

Creech-Terauds also has a long partnership with her horse, Fleur de Lis L. Creech-Terauds has been riding the 13-year-old Hanoverian mare (First Dance x De Niro) in Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) sanctioned competition since 2016 when they contested the Junior division for riders aged 14 to 18.

Camille Carier Bergeron rode Sound of Silence 4; (right) Vanessa Creech-Terauds was aboard Fleur de Lys L. (Cealy Tetley photos)

“I was so proud of her today,” said Creech-Terauds of the mare that was bred by Leatherdale Farm and is owned by Louise Leatherdale in partnership with Creech-Terauds’ mother and fellow dressage competitor, Diane Creech. “She’s such a consistent mare. I think she’s an awesome team horse because she goes out there every time and tries her best. She’s a homebred from Louise Leatherdale; I know every time Louise sees her go out in the ring, she’s so proud. Overall, I’m very, very happy.”

Nations’ Cup dressage competition continues on March 18, when Canada, defending champions Germany, and the United States will field teams in the CDIO3* Nations’ Cup. Canada will be represented by Boucher of St. Dominique, QC; Pia Fortmuller of Foothills, AB; Megan Lane of Loretto, ON; and Evi Strasser of Ste. Adele, QC.

For more information on the CDIO3* Nations’ Cup competition, held during week 10 of the AGDF, visit gdf.coth.com.