Canadian dressage riders rose to the occasion in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations’ Cup CDIO3* during the final week of the prestigious Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., March 24-28.
Putting in a tremendous effort over the two days of Nations’ Cup competition, which started March 25, both Canadian teams did the maple leaf proud, with Team Canada 1 bringing home the silver medal, and Team Canada 2 the bronze.
In Nations’ Cup competition, each team is represented by a maximum of four rider/horse combinations, with a mix of Big and Small Tour competitors included. The final standings are determined by the results of the CDIO3* FEI Prix St. Georges and CDIO3* FEI Grand Prix on day one, and the CDIO3* FEI Intermediate I and CDIO3* FEI Grand Prix Special on day two. The top three scores from each day of competition make up the teams’ final tally, with an additional 0.5% added to each Big Tour competitor’s score.
Team Canada 1, comprised of Megan Lane of Loretto, Ont., Belinda Trussell of Stouffville, Ont., Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, Ont., and Chris von Martels, based in Wellington, Fla., finished with a team score of 438.966.
Leading off for Canada 1 was Creech riding Robbie W, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding sired by Rubin Royal and owned by Doug Leatherdale. The pair, competing in the Small Tour, earned a score of 71.868% in the Prix St. Georges on day one, and 72.474% in the Intermediate I on day two. Von Martels with Zilverstar, his 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sired by Rousseau, posted scores of 73.316% and 74.895% in the same classes.
In the Big Tour, Trussell and Anton (Antaeus x Melit), a 15-year-old Sachsen gelding owned by Robyn Eames, earned a 69.980% in the Grand Prix on the first day of competition and 73.433% in the Grand Prix Special on day two. Riding anchor position for Canada 1, was Lane and Caravella (Contango x Riverman), a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare she owns with Cathy Lane, posting scores of 69.940% and 71.588%, respectively.
Team Canada 2, comprised of Jill Irving of Moncton, N.B., Christilot Boylen now residing in North America, Shannon Dueck of Loxahatchee, Fla. and Tina Irwin of Stouffville, Ont., finished with a team score of 424.774.
In the small tour Dueck, aboard Cantaris (Compliment x Eiger I), a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Elizabeth Ferber, led off for Canada 2 with scores of 69.921% in the Prix St. Georges and 71.00% in the Intermediate I. Following her into the ring was Boylen, riding Donatella (De Niro x Canaster I), a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by teammate Jill Irving and Windhaven Farm, and earning scores of 71.132% in the Prix St. Georges and 73.579% in the Intermediate I. Irwin was aboard Fancy That (Donnerschweg x Freiherr), a nine-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Christine Faux with scores of 68.211% and 70.368%.
Rounding out the scores for Canada 2 was Irving, and her horse Degas 12, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding, achieving scores of 66.60% in the Grand Prix and 69.431% in the Grand Prix Special.
“It’s been such an exciting competition,” said Dressage Canada’s Chef-in-Training Alison Martin. “Dr. Volker Moritz, the teams’ technical advisor, and I stopped counting the number of personal best scores. Everyone put in amazing performances. I couldn’t be happier with both teams’ results.”
Riders will now advance to the Intermediate I Freestyle and Grand Prix Freestyle to compete for individual medals.
For more information on the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, including full results from the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations’ Cup CDIO3*, visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.
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