Calgary, Alberta – Canadian Olympian John Anderson and Foxdale Farm’s Terrific won the Canadian Championship title awarded at the CSI5* Spruce Meadows “National” Tournament in Calgary, AB, on June 14, 2009.
Competing against the biggest names in show jumping during the five-day international competition, Anderson of Calgary, AB, and Terrific enjoyed numerous top placings to take the title. The pair placed sixth in Wednesday’s $25,000 ATB Financial Cup, ninth in Thursday’s $35,000 Spectra Energy Cup and 12th in Saturday’s $200,000 CN Reliability Grand Prix before a fifth place finish in Sunday’s $175,000 NEXEN Cup Derby clinched the Canadian Championship title.
“I was pleasantly surprised with Terrific; it was the first time that I did the 1.60m with him so I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Anderson, who represented Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1986 World Championships. “We simply went day by day and after earning ribbons the first two days, I decided to jump the Grand Prix on Saturday. He only had the bicycle jump down, and that was a jump he had never seen before. When I found out we were in contention for the Canadian Championship title, I decided to give the Derby a try. He just kept rising to the challenge and we ended up fifth, which was enough to put me ahead of Beezie for the championship title.”
Anderson and Terrific beat out two-time American Olympic Team Gold Medalist, Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY, riding Crème Brule and Canadian Olympic Team Silver Medalist, Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, and Black Ice for the prestigious title, as well as an additional $15,000 in prize money and a one-year lease on a Chrysler vehicle.
The Spruce Meadows “National” Tournament marked the first time that Terrific competed at the 1.60m level. Only nine years of age, Terrific is a bay Dutch Warmblood gelding by Marlon out of a Lux mare. Craig and Jan Maxwell of Foxdale Farm purchased Terrific as a five-year-old for Anderson to ride.
Claiming the Canadian Championship title was the latest success in a long line of wins for Anderson and Terrific. At last year’s Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament, the pair won the Leading Canadian Mercedes-Benz Car Award, which rewards consistency throughout four Spruce Meadows tournaments. Earlier this year, they won both the $25,000 TD Grand Prix and the $10,000 Voice Barrage during the Spruce Meadows “Spring Welcome” Tournament and placed second in the $25,000 Bow Valley Classic Grand Prix.
“I think our success can be attributed to the fact that I have been riding him since he was a five-year-old, and I have had the chance to build a solid relationship with him,” noted Anderson, who also rides the Hannoverian mare, Gesine 36, for the Maxwell’s.
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