Haley Stradling of Aldergrove, B.C., won the Jump Canada Medal Final on November 11, 2014, during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.
Following the completion of the four Jump Canada Medal Regional Finals, the top finishers from across Canada were invited to contest the Jump Canada Medal Final Championship at the Royal Horse Show.
The Jump Canada Medal Final Championship course, set at a height of 3’6″, rode forward while incorporating three broken lines, two tight rollback options and two two-stride combinations. Stradling, 17, navigated the challenging 11 obstacle course effortlessly riding Ceylon, Toni Hickox’s eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding.
Out of the 22 entries, nine riders were invited back for the flat phase where they were required to show a sitting trot; the three gaits of walk, trot and canter in both directions; counter canter; a turn on the haunches and a lengthening of stride at the trot and canter.
For the final test to determine the overall placings, the top four riders returned to the ring for a ride-off over a shortened course, which included a canter fence to start, an inside turn and a final fence at the hand-gallop followed by a halt. Stradling, who was second last to go, demonstrated all the elements perfectly to be selected as the judges’ top pick.
“This is amazing,” said Stradling, who had only ridden Ceylon three times prior to competing in the Final. “It is a big honour to win the Jump Canada Medal.”
“My trainers found Ceylon for me, we tried him once and he is the one we ended up using for the class. I was really lucky to have been able to ride him in the Final. He was perfect,” added Stradling, who won the CET Medal Final on October 30, 2014 at the Royal West Tournament in Calgary, AB and is coached by Laura and Brent Balisky and Laura Jane Tidball.
Finishing in second position was Anna Bremermann of Oakville, Ont., with Eric Bremermann’s 13-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, Pretentious K.
Lexi Ray, also of Oakville, Ont., earned third place riding her own horse, Big City, while Paige Mawson of Toronto, Ont., and Major Tom, owned by Mawson Sport Horses, rounded out the top four.
Jump Canada Medal Championships
Placing / Rider/ Hometown
1 / Haley Stradling / Aldergrove, B.C.
2 / Anna Bremermann / Oakville, Ont.
3 / Lexi Ray / Oakville, Ont.
4 / Paige Mawson / Toronto, Ont.
5 / Dannie Murphy / Charlottetown, P.E.I.
6 / Kathryn Dafoe / King City, Ont.
7 / Lexy Paynter / Richmond, P.E.I.
8 / Annelyse Tycholis / Calgary, Alta.
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