Ottawa, ON—Canadian eventers, featuring both seasoned national team members and up and coming juniors and young riders, were very successful at international competitions held in Florida, California and Maryland over the weekend of April 16–19, 2009.
In Florida, Leahona Rowland, 26, of Kelowna BC, took top honours in the CCI 1* division at Florida Three Day Event held at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, FL. Riding Lorenzo III, Jessica DiGenova’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Rowland won the dressage, on a score of 44.3, and maintained her lead throughout the competition adding only 1.6 cross country time penalties and one time penalty in show jumping, to finish on a final score of 46.9.
Olympian Kyle Carter, originally of Calgary, AB, and now residing in Sparr, FL, rode Final Watch, a nine-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Billie Sue Jensen, to fourth place. The pair finished on their dressage score of 49.6 penalties with faultless performances in the cross country and show jumping.
Riding her own Vintage, a nine-year-old Canadian Hanoverian mare, young rider Becky Farrell of Redwood Meadows, AB, finished in 13th spot with a score of 67.6. In 16th place was national team member Diana Burnett of Blackstock, ON, riding Wild T’Mater, a nine-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding owned by Burnett and Don Good with a score of 70.7. Just behind Burnett, in 17th place, was Joelle Baskerville, 19, of Calgary, AB, riding her horse Malibu with a score of 71.4. In 21st place were Jacqueline Bradshaw, 19, of Sebringville, ON, and her nine-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding Rainbow Chasing, who finished on a score of 76.5. Rounding out the Canadians in the CCI 1* division were Burnett and Shigatzi in 35th and Katlyn Hewson of Minden, ON, and Without A Trace in 36th place respectively.
In the CCI 2* division, 17-year-old Julie Norman of Kelowna, BC, and Sauvignon, the 18-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding owned by the rider and Angela Norman finished in ninth place. The pair was tied for 17th place following dressage on a score of 63.4 penalties. Posting a clean cross country ride with 6.8 time penalties and adding just four penalties in show jumping, Norman moved up the leaderboard to finish in ninth place on a final score of 74.2.
“I thought the cross country course rode really well,” said Norman. “My horse was amazing.”
Young rider, Pearl Macgregor, of Hunter River, PEI, finished in 15th spot in the CCI 2* division with Shawdowplay, Elizabeth Spangler’s 12-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred cross gelding. Macgregor was tied for 17th place after dressage with Norman. The pair went clear on cross-country, but added 33 penalties in show jumping to finish with a score of 96.4.
The top score of the day in the CCI 2* division went to Ralph Holstein riding Franklin, with a score of 53.3.
In California, young rider Marissa Wolfe of Pitt Meadows, BC, finished in third place in the CCI 2* division at the Twin Rivers Spring Three Day Event in Paso Robles, CA. After dressage, Wolfe and The Maestro, her 13-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding, sat in eighth place on a score of 61.0. They added only 1.2 time penalties from cross-country and four jumping penalties during the show jumping phase to move up to finish with a total score of 66.2.
Kristi Nunnink of the United States, riding R-Star, won the CCI 2* division with a score of 46.6.
In the Twin Rivers CCI 1* division, national team member Chelan Kozak of South Surrey, BC, and Waimea Bay, her 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, finished second with a score of 57.1. The duo added only four faults from stadium jumping to their dressage score of 53.1.
Other Canadians competing in the 1* division were junior riders Liam Kronlund, of Cochrane, AB, riding Goodness Gracious, who finished in seventh place with a score of 75.7, and Bethany Healey of Winfield, BC, who finished in eighth place, with 80.0, riding Wondaree Skite.
American Frances Thieriot won CCI 1* division riding Notelo de Rox with a score of 52.2.
In Elkon, Maryland at the April edition of the Fair Hill International Horse Trials, national team member Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON, finished in 11th place in the CIC 2* division aboard GiGi, the nine-year-old Selle Française mare owned by Roberts and his mother Kelly Plitz. The pair added only eight cross country time penalties to their dressage score of 57.7 to finish on a final score of 65.7.
“I thought that Fair Hill put on a great event,” said Roberts, 20, a member of the 2007 silver medal winning Pan American Games Canadian Eventing Team. “It was GiGi’s first 2* competition and she really rose to the occasion. I am really looking forward to my next event at CCI Bromont in the 3* division and also the 2* division with GiGi.”
Nikki Smith of Ottawa, ON, and Suzie Q, her own 10-year-old Canadian Hanoverian/TB cross mare finished in 19th place with a score of 71.4.
American Kristen Bond and Are You Ready won the CIC 2* division with a score of 46.3.
In the CIC 1* division Sophie Laframboise, 15, of Westmount, QC, and her 12-year-old gelding Way Cool finished in 10th place. The pair was tied for 18th following dressage with a score of 60.0. They added only two cross country time and four show jumping faults to finish with a score of 66.0. Alexandre Cousineau-Denis, 17, of Knowlton, QC, finished in 15th place with Tandem Farm’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, On Target, on a score of 93.9.
The winner of the CIC 1* division was Kurt A. Martin of the United States riding Sir Jearly.
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