Following the first two days of international FEI competition at CPEDI 3* Moorsele, BEL, being held April 25-27, the Canadian Para-Equestrian Team finished in third place as a nation out of 10 countries in the team competition and have posted seven top three results over the past two days.
Roberta Sheffield, Lauren Barwick, Ashley Gowanlock and Robyn Andrews represented Canada in the Nations’ Cup Team competition where the placings are calculated using the combined scores from the Team Test, held April 25, and the Individual Test, on April 26. The team from Belgium finished in first and second was awarded to Italy.
Barwick of Aldergrove, BC rode Equine Canada’s 13-year-old Oldenburg mare, Off to Paris, and her own mare Ferdonia 2, a 15-year-old Oldenburg in Grade II. With Off to Paris, Barwick finished in first place in both of her tests, earning 70.882% in the Team Test and 73.086% in the Individual Championship Test. Riding her second horse, Ferdonia 2, Barwick was second in both tests as well. She earned 70.118% in the Team Test and 72.029% in the Individual Championship Test.
“Both of my horses are fabulous partners and I am humbled by their willingness to go in the ring over and over again and try their hardest,” said Barwick, who is a three-time Paralympian. “I also want to give a big thank you to my team, grooms and Laura Dixon for travelling down from England last minute to assist us during the competition.”
Sheffield of Lincolnshire, UK competed with Miss Evelyn Little’s eight-year-old gelding Dutch Warmblood, Bindro T, and her seven-year-old Anglo-European Studbook mare, Double Agent in Grade III. With Bindro T, Sheffield tied for third in the Team Test scoring 67.263%, and secured third place in the Individual Championship Test with 68.707%. Riding Double Agent, Sheffield was fifth in the Team Test with 66.605% and scored 67.463%, for seventh, in the Individual Championship Test.
Competing in Grade Ib, two-time Paralympian Ashley Gowanlock of Surrey, BC and Collegiate Sweet Leilani, M. Kendalyne Overway’s 13-year-old Morgan mare, were third with 68.240% in the Team Test, and fourth in the Individual Championship Test, scoring 66.931%.
“I am feeling extremely grateful at this point in time. Grateful that I have grooms that are willing to take months of their lives and devote them to helping me pursue my dreams. I am also grateful to Kendalyne Overway for loaning me her amazing horse so that I can take her to Europe,” said Gowanlock.
“I am grateful to the team coaches for helping me put the pieces of the puzzle together on the fly with such a new horse and rider partnership, and I am grateful to the behind the scenes people at Equine Canada for organizing such a monumental European tour,” she added.
Riding her mare Fancianna, a 13-year-old Friesian Andalusian cross in Grade Ia, Andrews of St. Johns, NL, was eighth in her Team Test with 65.739 % and eighth with 64.261% in the Individual Championship test.
“The competition at Moorsele has been a wonderful experience. Being included in the team and placing third only proves that Para-Dressage in Canada is moving in the right direction,” said Andrews. “Thanks go to my coach Sue McTavish, Mary Longden, Andrea Taylor, Amie O’Shaughnessy, Elizabeth Quigg and all our fabulous grooms without whom we would never be prepared to compete.”
Also in the Grade Ia was Jody Schloss of Toronto, ON, with her 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Inspector Rebus. The pair placed ninth in the Team Test with 65.261% and ninth in the Individual Championship Test with a score of 64.087%.
Andrews, Barwick, Sheffield and Gowanlock have qualified to ride in the always popular musical freestyle test when the competition continues on April 27.
“Today marked a high point in our three international competition tour. Winning bronze in the team competition against some of the top European teams has given the Canadian riders a big boost of confidence,” commented Elizabeth Quigg, Chef d’équipe. “Led by Lauren Barwick, who won both her team and individual classes, it is great to have all four team members qualify for the Freestyle competition. With three major competitions in four weeks and travelling with seven horses, five riders, coaches and support personnel, it’s a real test for everyone, and I am proud to say everyone is working together to create the best possible performance outcomes.”
Leading the team on the European tour are Amie O’Shaughnessy, Director of Para-Equestrian; Mary Longden, team coach; Andrea Taylor, team coach, and Elizabeth Quigg, Chef d’équipe. A large support team is also accompanying the athletes, including Sue McTavish, Diana Andrews, Patty Merrill, Skye Hanlon, Laura Dixon, Grace Catts Tucker and Lauren Massey.
Complete results for CPEDI3* Moorsele may be found here.
CPEDI 3* Moorsele is the second stop for the Canadian riders on the European tour. Complete Canada results are available for the first international stop, CPEDI3* Deauville, FRA, which was held April 4-6, on the Equine Canada website. The final stop on the tour will be the CPEDI3* Mannheim, GER, from May 3-7.
The Canadian riders’ participation in these competitions has been 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.
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