Toronto native Sean Jobin was crowned the new Canadian Show Jumping Champion on Saturday night, November 4, in front of a full house at the Royal Horse Show, held as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.
The $150,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship was held over two phases on Friday and Saturday nights. Following Friday’s speed test, riders returned to the Coca-Cola Coliseum on Saturday evening in reverse order of standing to tackle the two-round finale, where the top six from the opening round advanced to the all-deciding second round.
Saturday’s opening round shook up the leaderboard after Jay Hayes of Orangeville, ON, delivered a clear round with the eight-year-old Hope VA to maintain his score while David Samuel Pegg of Cannington, ON, dazzled the crowd with the second clear of the evening aboard Gin Tonic 158, his 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Graf Top x Satisfaction FRH). As the penultimate combination to contest the first round, Jobin piloted Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z to a fault-free effort. Anticipation mounted as Friday’s winner, Vanessa Mannix of Calgary, AB, entered the Coca-Cola Coliseum as the final challenger on a score of zero riding Carmela Z, her 12-year-old Zangersheide mare (Candillo 3 x Nissan Caretano Z). To the crowd’s dismay, the third element of the triple combination fell, putting Mannix on a score of four penalties.
At the end of round one, Jobin led the way followed by Pegg. Mannix sat in third while Hayes rocketed up the standings into fourth.
Round two turned up the heat as Hayes, Mannix, and Pegg all delivered clear rounds over the course set by Kelvin Bywater of Great Britain to put the pressure on Jobin. With no faults to spare, Jobin needed to be foot-perfect to claim his first Canadian Show Jumping Championship title and he did exactly that. Pegg finished as the Reserve Canadian Show Jumping Champion while Mannix completed the top three.
“It means a lot to me,” said the 31-year-old of claiming his first Canadian Show Jumping Championship title. “As a kid growing up, I remember coming to The Royal and seeing all these amazing riders here and always dreamt that one day I could be here, so it’s a bit surreal for me right now thinking about back then and how important The Royal was to me growing up. It’s just a super cool feeling.”
Jobin got the ride on “Licot” three years ago after his groom, Eszter Horvath, discovered the talented grey on Instagram. After looking at photos and videos, Sarah Nichols and Kathy Dixon of Foxridge Farms purchased the horse for Jobin to ride.
“We’ve been preparing for this for the past three months,” explained Jobin, who is originally from Toronto, ON, and is now based in Ocala, Florida. “We circled The Royal on the calendar and wanted Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z in peak performance for the Canadian Championships. Part of that was going through the video of past Canadian Championships. I’ve done a couple in 2016 and 2019, so I’m familiar with the format. We had a game plan. Day one was to be quick enough and stay within two faults of the lead. He’s always really good with the atmosphere and crowds and big scopey courses. His carefulness is unbelievable, so we felt pretty confident coming into day two.
“Honestly, when you’re riding a horse this great, I didn’t feel any pressure,” continued Jobin of the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Catoki x Cassini II). “He was phenomenal every day. I am just so impressed with him. He tried his heart out, and I’m really thankful to him.”
The packed house was treated to a night of top show jumping sport, courtesy of presenting sponsor, Henry Equestrian.
“Congratulations to Sean Jobin and Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z as the newly crowned winners of the Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championships!” said Meghan Mackenzie Bell, Senior Manager of Operations at Henry Equestrian, powered by NFP. “Their dedication to the sport and determined spirit are inspiring. Henry Equestrian and NFP are proud to sponsor this special event at the Royal Horse Show.”
While Jobin, Mannix, and Nicole Walker were pre-qualified based on their standings in the Longines World Rider Rankings, Pegg and Hayes have now earned an invitation into the Royal Horse Show’s CSI4*-W international division with their top placings in the Canadian Show Jumping Championships. The star-studded international line-up begins competition on Wednesday, November 8, and culminates in the prestigious Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto on Saturday evening, November 11.
The Royal offers numerous hospitality experiences including the Royal Terrace for VIP and corporate hosting and the Coliseum’s Sky Suites which offer stables and groups their own private suites. The Tanbark Club will continue to welcome Gold and Platinum VIP ticket holders. Contact groups@royalfair.org or HSvip@royalfair.org for full details.
For more information on the Royal Horse Show, including daily schedules and to purchase tickets, visit www.royalfair.org/royalhorseshow. Also download the new Royal Agricultural Winter Fair app for more news and information at your fingertips!
$150,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship – Final Standings
Saturday, November 4
Rider / Hometown / Horse / Total
1. Sean Jobin / Toronto, ON / Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z / 1.19
2. David Samuel Pegg / Cannington, ON / Gin Tonic 158 / 2.89
3. Vanessa Mannix / Calgary, AB / Carmela Z / 4.00
4. Jay Hayes / Orangeville, ON / Hope VA / 4.50
5. Nicole Walker / Aurora, ON / Atout des Trambles / 5.29
6. Rachel Schnurr / New Hamburg, ON / Copain de Picobello Z / 8.72
7. Sarah Johnstone / Collingwood, ON / Katorose HV / 23.05
8. Sarah Long / Newmarket , ON / Retroflex / 29.84
9. Yann Candele / Orangeville, ON / Killala / 33.58
10. François Lamontagne / St. Eustache, QC / Thunderbird vh Scheefkasteel Z / 36.06
Results here.
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