Victoria Winter wins Grand Prix Special at Cornerstone Farms CDI3*

Ottawa, ON — Toronto native Victoria Winter and Proton won the Grand Prix Special held at Cornerstone Farm’s CDI3* Spring Into Dressage held this past weekend in Palgrave, ON, June 4-6, 2010.

The Cornerstone Farms’ Spring into Dressage Show is one of the largest Gold shows in Canada. This year, in order to meet the needs of Grand Prix riders vying for a spot on the World Equestrian Games Team, organizers John Taylor and Barbara Mitchell combined it with a CDI3*. Ten FEI judges officiated, five at the 5* level. Grand Prix riders were able to show in front of a different set of judges for each of the three tests, something that is not often seen in Canada. The Caledon Equestrian Park, site of the equestrian venue for the 2015 Pan American Games, and host to all three of Cornerstone’s dressage competitions, offers no fewer than seven dressage rings with accompanying warm up areas. It easily accommodated the 255 entries, 63 of which participated in the CDI3*.

A long-time student of Neil and Cindy Ishoy, Winter picked up the ride on Cindy Ishoy’s 16-year-old Baden-Wurttemburger gelding, sired by Patriarch, last fall, and competed him very successfully in Florida this past winter. The duo earned a combined score of 68.750% from the five officiating FEI judges. Winter was selected to participate in Dressage Canada’s European Tour, having earned her four qualifying scores prior to this CDI; however, she opted to stay at home with her family and busy law practice.

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Canadian Olympian Jacqueline Brooks of Mount Albert, ON, and Gran Gesto (Grannox x Goldstern) were second behind Winter in the Grand Prix Special with a score of 66.667%. Brooks has been competing the 15-year old Hanoverian gelding, owned by Brinc Ltd and Anne Welch, since he was a five-year-old, and has shown him at Pan American Games and the FEI World Cup, in addition to the 2008 Athens Olympics.

Winter and Proton placed second in Friday’s Grand Prix test, earning an average score of 65.872%. Sue Blinks, one of four American Grand Prix riders who made the trip north, won the test with Robin Hood. Jaimey Irwin, of Stouffville, ON, finished in third, scoring 65.660% riding Dover, his 13–year-old Oldenburg gelding (Deniro x Castro). Brooks and Gran Gesto were fourth with 65.277%. Both Irwin and Brooks chose to don safety helmets instead of the usual top hat, a growing trend since the head injury of US Grand Prix rider Courtney King in March.

“I was so pleased with my rides on Proton this past weekend. It is our first season together and I now really feel us coming together as a team,” said Winter. “I was especially proud of our personal best score in the Grand Prix Special which included two judges’ scores of over 70%.”

“A big thank you must go to Barb Mitchell and John Taylor for organizing the CDI3* Cornerstone Spring into Dressage. It is a huge undertaking but one that benefits not only the competing riders but also the local dressage community,” added Winter.

In the Advanced Division, Nancy MacLachan, a Pan American Medalist and World Cup representative, won the Prix St. Georges with Deniros Tyme, a 12–year-old Oldenburg gelding (x Deniro) owned by Julia Fogel, earning a score of 68.053%. The gelding has only shown three times this year, and is consistently earning top scores.

“Deniros was relaxed and obedient in the Prix St. George and allowed me to ride a pleasing and supple test,” said MacLachan. “There is much more horse available to me as he gains confidence and I am really looking forward to showing that off.”

Tom Dvorak of Orangeville, ON, a 2007 Pan American Team Silver Medalist, placed second earning 67.789% with Corrigan, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Karen Thompson-Harry. Close behind in third, with 67.579%, was Whitney Harris of Burlington, ON aboard Klouseau, her Trakehner gelding. Dvorak earned 65.316% for fourth with Freixenet, a Westphalian gelding owned by Marilyn Dietrich.

The placings were similar in the Intermediaire I class, but it was Harris who came out on top with Klouseau, scoring 66.158% for the win. Dvorak and Corrigan came in second with 65.482%.

The FEI Young Horse division allows riders to showcase their young horses in a slightly different format than standard tests. Scores are based on an overall presentation versus the individual movement marks in the other levels.

In the FEI Five Year Old division, Olympian Gina Smith of Brockville, ON and Royal Flush (a Hanoverian owned by Michele Levesque) won both classes, scoring 78.00% in the Preliminary test, and 80.400% in the Final test. Lynne Joly of Sherbrooke, QC and Sotheby’s Dream, an Oldenburg owned by Fondation Equestre Rainville, were second in the Preliminary test with 76.600% and third in the Final test with 73.000%. Louise Palmer of Vankleek Hill, ON and Savanna, a Hanoverian owned by South Lane Farm, were third in the Preliminary with 75.000% and second in the Final with a score of 73.400%. Fourth place in the Final was awarded to Maya Markowski of St. Clements, ON and Diego, a Hanoverian owned by Peter Trainor, with 66.200%. Harper MacKenzie of Millgrove, ON and Ludwig, a Hanoverian gelding owned by Ruth Roy, were fourth in the Preliminary test with a score of 68.200%, and Markowski and Diego in fifth with 68.000%.

2007 Pan American Silver Medalist Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON, won both FEI Six year old tests with Hallmark, a Hanoverian gelding owned by her sponsor Douglas Leatherdale. The pair earned 85.600% in the Preliminary test and 78.000% in the Final. Her Pan Am teammate Andrea Bresee of Uxbridge, ON was second in the Preliminary test with Pericles, earning 78.000%. She then earned 75.000% for third place in the Final with the Hanoverian gelding owned by Loretta Flynn. Armand Valkenborg of Sainte-Marthe, QC and Hidalgo, a Hanoverian owned by Barbara Blackwell, followed Bresee in the Preliminary test, earning 74.600%. Bresee and Valkenborg swapped places in the Final, with Valkenborg coming out in second place with 77.600%. Fourth in both classes with 70.200% and 71.200% respectively was Karen Davis of Devlin, ON, and Morris, a Friesian gelding owned by Angela Hellema. Meridith Risk of Toronto, ON was fifth in the Preliminary test, earning 66.800% with Liran, Lorna Minz’s six-year-old Hanoverian gelding sired by Lemon Park.

The Young Rider and Junior division is hotly contested each spring, as riders compete for a spot on the Canadian teams at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, held each summer. Jaimie Holland of Caledon, ON and her long-time partner Fleurina, a 12-year-old Westphalian mare by Florestan, won Friday’s Young Rider Team test with 67.895%. They followed it with a second place in the Individual test 67.526%, which was the same score earned by Amy Jager of Waterloo, ON, Holland’s teammate at the NAJYRC for the past three years. Jager’s ride on Key West, Ruth Demandt’s 10-year-old Trakehner gelding sired by Charly Chaplin, had higher artistic marks to earn them the win. Third place in the Individual test was awarded to Megan Lane of Collingwood, ON with 66.000%. This is Lane’s first year at Young Riders with her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Caravella (x Contango). Lane and Caravella were triple medalists in the Junior division at the 2009 NAJYRC.

Sarah Pfaff of Harrow, ON earned first place in the FEI Junior Team test with Pamaika, a Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Jill Pfaff. Kerry Houlahan of Smith Falls, ON was second with Fresco, Maple Lane Equestrian Trailers’ 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding. The Individual test saw a different set of riders in the first two placings: Sarah Loewen of Winnipeg, MB and Ricardo, her 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, were first, and Kristin Sutton of Drumbo, ON and Robic, her 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, placed second.

All CDI freestyles were held following a fundraising luncheon held Sunday afternoon. Patrons Dutch Masters Construction Services, Tom & Ellen Dvorak, Sonja Ucci and John Welch of Toron Investments enjoyed a buffet lunch with a ringside view. Ute Busse of Breslau, ON won the Grand Prix Freestyle with Lindor’s Finest, earning 68.550%, and was the crowd favourite. Busse co-owns the 13-year-old Dutch-bred gelding (x Eastern Ruler) with Sylvia Carlton. Irwin and Dover were close behind in second with 68.350%.

Tom Dvorak and Corrigan earned a score of 72.250% for the win in the Intermediaire 1 Freestyle. Harris and Klouseau were second with 70.750%, while Alan Young of Terra Cotta, ON and Stella, a 13-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare owned by Nancy MacLachlan, were third with 67.500%.

The Young Rider Freestyle saw many spectators in the pavilion as well as the outdoor stands. Holland and Fleurina were victorious with 70.200%. Lane placed second with Caravella earning 68.400%. Kerry Houlahan of Smiths Falls, ON won the FEI Junior Freestyle earning 67.417% aboard Fresco. Pfaff scored 66.417% for second with Pamaika.

Sponsors of the CDI included Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd, AE Breeding, Brookhaven Dressage, Tom and Ellen Dvorak, Franklands Farm, Henry Equestrian Plan, David Marcus Dressage, Ridgemount Saddlery and Sonja Ucci.

The judging panel for Cornerstone included the following FEI O judges: Stephen Clarke (GBR); Elizabeth McMullen (CAN); Anne Gribbons (USA); Maribel Alonso De Quinzanos (MEX); and Axel Steiner (USA). The FEI I judges attending were Gabriel Armando (ARG); Jayne Ayers (USA); Marian Cunningham (PER); Lorraine MacDonald (CAN); and Lorraine Stubbs (CAN).

World Equestrian Games

The next CDI in Canada is the CDI3* Dressage at Blainville, June 18-20, 2010, where WEG-declared riders have yet another chance to earn their qualifying scores.

The riders currently qualified for the World Equestrian Games are outlined below:

Rider – Horse – Score Average

Ashley Holzer – Pop Art – 72.329%

Belinda Trussell – Anton – 69.596%

Victoria Winter – Proton – 66.543%

Cheryl Meisner – Paganini – 66.500%

Shannon Dueck – Ayscha – 66.447%

Wendy Christoff – Pfalstaff – 66.377%

Jacqueline Brooks – Balmoral – 65.681%