KeeanWhite_CelenaZ_copy.jpgOttawa, Ontario—Keean White of Cambridge, ON, continues to lead the Canadian League World Cup standings with a total of 56 points.

White’s World Cup season began with an 11th place finish, for 11 points, in the $60,000 World Cup Qualifier at the Classic Internationale de Blainville in Blainville, QC, riding Celena Z, a nine-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by Lindsay Schiassi.  A fourth place finish at the L’International Bromont World Cup earned the pair an additional 15 points.  White’s top World Cup finish so far this season came at the CSI-W Summer Festival in Palgrave, ON, where he and Celena Z finished second in the $100,000 Marquest World Cup Grand Prix to earn 17 points.  White also travelled south of the border and earned 13 points with a sixth place finish in the $60,000 Holiday and Horses World Cup Qualifier in Wellington, FL.

“It has been an exciting World Cup season,” remarked White, 25.  “I am really looking forward to potentially competing at the Final in Vegas.”

Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, holds second place in the standings with 52 points.  Riding Susan Grange & Lothlorien Farm’s Pitareusa, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Candele earned 20 points for their second place finish at the Classic Internationale de Blainville.  He added nine points for his sixth place in the $100,000 Marquest World Cup Grand Prix with Mustique, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare also owned by Grange.  At the CSI-W Tournament of Champions, Candele and Mustique were awarded 12 points for their fifth place finish in the $100,000 Canada Cup World Cup Qualifier.  Sixth place in the $100,000 CN World Cup Qualifier at Toronto’s Royal Horse Show netted Candele, riding Mustique, an additional 11 points.

In third place with a total of 49 points is 2008 Olympic Team Silver Medalist, Ian Millar of Perth, ON.  Riding Redefin, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Grange and Lothlorien Farm, Millar started his World Cup season by earning eight points for his 11th place finish at L’International Bromont.  With his Olympic mount In Style, a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding also owned by Grange and Lothlorien Farm, Millar earned an additional 20 points by winning the $100,000 Canada Cup World Cup Qualifier at the Tournament of Champions.  Millar added another 13 points to his total following his fourth place finish with Redefin in the $100,000 Budweiser World Cup Qualifier in Syracuse, NY.  In January, Millar earned six additional points with Redefin by finishing 11th in the $100,000 Green Cove Springs World Cup Qualifier in Jacksonville, FL.

Currently in fourth place in the Canadian League standings with 45 points is Jenn Serek of Dewinton, AB.  After gaining 20 points for her second place finish at L’International Bromont, Serek finished ninth in the $100,000 Marquest World Cup Grand Prix to earn an additional eight points with Bottom Line, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Brad Prather.  Serek and Bottom Line also earned an additional 17 points for their second place finish in the $100,000 Canada Cup World Cup Qualifier at the Tournament of Champions.

Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Lamaze, of Schomberg, ON, is sitting in fifth place in the standings with a total of 43 points.  Lamaze won the $100,000 CN World Cup Qualifier at Royal Horse Show riding his Olympic mount, Hickstead, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Torrey Pines Stables and Ashland Stables.  Lamaze then claimed victory in the €175,000 Rolex World Cup Grand Prix in Geneva, Switzerland, and received an additional 20 points.  Lamaze and Take Off, Artisan Farm’s nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, earned an additional three points at the $100,000 Green Cove Springs World Cup Qualifier.

The Canadian World Cup League will close with the final World Cup qualifying events in the U.S. at CSI-W San Juan Capistrano, California, and CSI-W Tampa, Florida, both on March 29, 2009.  The top two Canadian riders in the standings will be invited to contest the 2009 FEI World Cup Final in Las Vegas, NV, from April 15 -19, 2009.

For complete standings, please visit http://www.equinecanada.ca/jumpcanada/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=3.