2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series Opens at Bow Valley Classic

The 2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series opened at the Bow Valley Classic II show jumping tournament held May 18-22 at Anderson Ranch in Calgary, AB.

It was a one-two finish for Canadian-bred horses in the Five-Year-Old-Division. Eric Martin aboard Expecting Friday emerged victorious. The pair went double clear with a time of 39.07 seconds in the jump-off. Purchased as a weanling by Martin’s wife, Danae, the five-year-old chestnut Canadian Sport Horse gelding is by Expecting Greatness and was bred by Cancade Farms in Saskatchewan.

Finishing a close second was Jordan Wilson on Callista, who also went double clear and stopped the clock in the jump-off less than two seconds behind the winning combination. Callista is a Canadian Warmblood mare by Carthago Sun III and is owned by Pam Yerxa of Calgary, AB.

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Expecting Friday, also known as ‘Freddy,’ was purchased solely because he is a half-brother to Danae’s former top event horse Dynex. The pair was long listed to the 1999 Canadian Eventing Team. Dynex was sold in 2000 after an injury to Danae’s hand, caused by a bite from a foaling mare, left her unable to event.

“Expecting Friday was a sentimental purchase for me, kind of a project that has turned into a really nice horse,” Danae said. “He’s the first horse that’s been mine since Dynex.”

The laid-back gelding was a last minute addition to the Young Horse classes at the Bow Valley Classic.

“Another horse had popped an abscess, so Expecting Friday got to come on the trailer,” explained Danae, who operates Eastridge Farms with Martin in Oakbank, MB. “Up until now he’s really just been playing on the farm, but now that he’s earned his spot on the bus he’ll get to come along more often.”

Danae plans to be the one riding Expecting Friday in the rest of the Young Horse Series. She says, “Eric doesn’t like riding him much actually. He moves fast and thinks fast and has a great sense of humour. Eric just doesn’t find his jokes very funny.”

Another Canadian-bred horse took top spot in the Six-Year-Old Division. Olympic team silver medalist Jill Henselwood aboard Color Guard was the only rider to leave all the rails in place, winning the class with a single time fault. The last competitor on course, Henselwood stopped the clock in 72.71 seconds, just over the time allowed of 72 seconds.

“My plan was to guide Color Guard to a clear jumping round because that would win it, so I gave him a little more time to deal with all of the difficult questions on course,” said Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON. “I had a time fault, so it wasn’t a clear round, but when everyone else already has a rail down, you know you can win by taking your time.”

Color Guard is owned by Northern Legacy Horse Farms’ Katriina Ruotsalo of Whitefish, ON. The six-year-old chestnut Hannoverian stallion by Escudo was purchased at the 2007 RCMP Horse Auction and was the overall Reserve Champion at his 2010 70-Day Stallion Test at Silver Creek Farm in Oklahoma, winning the jumping portion of the test.

Alex Grayton and his Dutch Warmblood gelding, Alban, had a rail down at the first fence on course, but still managed to secure second place with a time of 68.56 seconds, the fastest of the four fault rounds. Bred in the Netherlands and now owned by Grayton Farms Ltd. of Priddis, AB, Alban is by Cavalier and out of a Voltaire mare.

The purpose of the Jump Canada Young Horse Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development. This careful development allows the horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence. The Jump Canada Young Horse Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

The 2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series is truly national in scope with competitions being held from coast to coast. The National Young Horse Finals will take place at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held from September 21-25 in Palgrave, ON.

Bow Valley Classic II – Calgary, AB

Six-Year-Old Division
Horse/Owner/Rider
1. Color Guard* Katriina Ruotsalo Jill Henselwood
2. Alban Grayton Farms Ltd. Alexander Grayton
3. Armus G.S. Bradon Construction Chris Surbey

Five-Year-Old Division
Horse/Owner/Rider
1. Expecting Friday* Danae Martin Danae Martin
2. Callista* Pam Yerxa Jordan Wilson

NOTE – The star * beside a horse’s name denotes that it is Canadian-bred.