Wellington, Florida – For the second year in a row, the Canadian Show Jumping Team emerged victorious in the $75,000 Nations’ Cup, Presented by CN, at the CSIO5* CN Wellington Open in Wellington, Florida.
Mario Deslauriers of Bromont, QC, Erynn Ballard of Hillsburgh, ON, Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, and Ian Millar of Perth, ON, came together to win the Nations’ Cup, the only annual team competition held on American soil.
A total of six countries, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States, contested the $75,000 Nations’ Cup, Presented by CN. At the end of the first round, counting the best three scores from each team, Canada was in the early lead with a perfect score of zero while Ireland and the United States were tied for second position with four faults apiece. Argentina was in fourth position with nine faults and Belgium was counting 17. Great Britain withdrew from the competition when the first rider of its three-man team was eliminated.
Coming back in the second round, Canada maintained its lead when Deslauriers was clear riding Paradigm, his 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, and Ballard posted her second clear round of the night riding Robin van Roosendael, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Looking Back Farm.
When Lamaze also jumped a second clear round, picking up only one time fault in the process, the Canadian victory was sealed. Eight-time Olympian Ian Millar, riding in the anchor position, did not need to come back for the second round with In Style, Susan Grange’s 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, as their first round clear had contributed to Canada’s victory. Since the Nations’ Cup was first held in Wellington, FL, in 2002, Canada has won on three occasions – 2004, 2006 and now 2007.
“In this company, I did not expect it to go as smoothly as it did,” said Millar, who was making his 108 Nations’ Cup appearance. “The course designer was conservative and there were more clears than normal in a Nations’ Cup, but when we got hold of that lead, we weren’t going to let it go!”
Terrance ‘Torchy’ Millar, chef d’equipe of the Canadian Team, was pleased with the results, saying, “Certainly it’s a big confidence booster to win here against the U.S., they are the gold standard. It is an excellent sign for us because they are such a strong team. I am particularly proud of Erynn. She rode a double clear round in only her second Nations’ Cup appearance, and we’ve won both Nations’ Cups that she’s ridden on.”
Ballard, 26, made her Nations’ Cup debut last September at the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament in Calgary, AB, when Canada won the $350,000 BMO Financial Group Nations’ Cup. The Nations’ Cup events in Wellington, FL, and Calgary, AB, are the only two held in North America.
“I’ve geared his whole winter around this,” said Ballard of her horse’s training schedule. “He proved to us again tonight that every time he goes into the ring, he can step up to the plate.”
Ireland, the victors in 2005, finished second with a final score of four faults while the Americans, who were reduced to three team members in the second round following the withdrawal of Lauren Hough, placed third with a total of 12 faults. Argentina placed fourth with 25 faults. Belgium withdrew following the first round of competition, while Great Britain withdrew after Jackson Reed Stephenson was eliminated when his horse refused to jump the open water obstacle.
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