Canadian Show Jumping Team Competes at CSI05* Gijon

The Canadian Show Jumping Team comprised of Eric Lamaze, Ian Millar, Jenna Thompson and Keean White is competing at CSIO5* Gijon, ESP, running August 31–September 5. The feature event is the €60,000 Nations’ Cup team competition on Friday, September 3, 2010.

Olympic champion Eric Lamaze, 42, of Schomberg, ON, will ride three horses on the Spanish tour including Sidoline Van De Centaur, an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Artisan Farms LLC; Atlete Van T Heike, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Stephex Stables; and Coriana Van Klapscheut, an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Artisan Farms LLC.

Nine-time Olympian Ian Millar, 63, of Perth, ON, has replaced Chris Pratt of Belfountain, ON, who had originally been named to the team with Union. Millar will ride Star Power, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Works.

Jenna Thompson, 22, of Calgary, AB, made her Canadian Show Jumping Team debut last year at CSIO4* Barcelona, helping Canada to a second place finish. Thompson will again be riding Zeke, her 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding.

Keean White, 26, of Rockwood, ON, is the fourth member of the Canadian Team. He will ride two horses, Celena Z, a nine-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by the Ashland Group and Angelstone Farms, and Bethsabee, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Elm Rock LLC and Angelstone Farms. White was also a member of Canadian Show Jumping Team that competed in Spain last year.

Following CSIO5* Gijon, the same Canadian Show Jumping Team members will contest the Promotional League Nations’ Cup Final at CSIO5* Barcelona, ESP, from September 14-19.

The Spanish tour is made possible through the Own the Podium program, a national sport technical initiative designed to help Canada’s summer and winter athletes achieve podium success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A Nations’ Cup is the only competition in show jumping where riders, in teams of four, compete as a country. The top three scores from each team are counted towards the final result of the two-round competition.

There are only two Nations’ Cup events held annually in North America – the $75,000 FEI Nations’ Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, and the $350,000 BMO Nations’ Cup at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in September. Canada’s victory in the $75,000 FEI Nations’ Cup in Wellington, FL, on March 5, 2010, qualified Canada for the Promotional League Final in CSIO5* Barcelona.

Complete details about the two competitions may be found for CSIO5* Gijon at www.gijon.es/Contenido.aspx?id=13009&leng=en and http://www.csiobarcelona.com/ for CSIO5* Barcelona.