Belinda Trussell and Anton Top Canadian Combination at CDI 4* Wiesbaden

Ottawa, ON – Canadian Olympian Belinda Trussell of Newmarket, ON, was the top placed Canadian on the first stop of the Dressage Canada European Tour at CDI 4* Wiesbaden in Wiesbaden, GER, held May 21 – 24, 2010.

Trussell and Anton (Antaeus x Melit), a 10-year-old German-bred gelding owned by Robyn Eames, scored 67.660% to finish eighth out of 18 entries in the Grand Prix for Special test. The duo then improved upon this score in the Grand Prix Special, earning 69.167% for ninth place.

Canadian Olympian Bonny Bonnello of Calgary, AB, riding Pikardi (Point Maker x Daimont), placed in 12th in the Grand Prix for Special with 66.383%. Pikardi is a 13-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding co-owned by Bonnello and Jean Bell.

Canadian Shannon Dueck of Loxachatchee, FL, scored 66.213% for 13th in the Grand Prix for Special and 65.208% for 12th place in the Grand Prix Special riding Ayscha, her nine-year-old Oldenburg mare by Welt Hit II.

“I was extremely proud of our Canadian riders and horses. They showed great class and huge potential to be in the hunt for the medals at the World Equestrian Games once they have a few more European classes under their belts. In particular, I need to say that every major trainer agreed with my opinion that Belinda Trussell and Anton could easily been scored much higher,” said Robert Dover, Dressage Canada’s Technical/Coach Advisor. “Our other combinations also proved they have what it takes to be great.”

“I am very glad that we now have the time here in Europe to grow both the confidence of the judges in our riders’ and horses’ abilities and, from this, their scores. I have absolutely no doubt that we have a great squad from which to build a top team,” Dover added.

The international judging panel for the CDI 4* included Gotthilf Riexinger (FEI O—GER), Dr. Evi Eisenhardt (FEI O—GER), Ghislain Fouarge (FEI O—GER), Peter Holler (FEI I—GER), Katrina Weust (FEI O—GER), and Dr. Vincenzo Truppa (FEI I—ITA).

Several WEG declared riders not competing in Europe made the trek south to Wayne, Illinois for the CDI 3* Wayne, May Dressage at Lamplight, also held the weekend of May 20–23, at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. Toronto native Victoria Winter and Proton, a 16-year-old Baden-Wurttemberg gelding (Patriarch x Rosenkavalier) owned by Neil and Cindy Ishoy, was second in the Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 68.100%. Olympian Jacqueline Brooks of Cedar Valley, ON, earned 67.300% for third place aboard her 2008 Olympic mount Gran Gesto, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Grannox x Goldstern) owned by Brinc Ltd and Anne Welch. Gary Vander Ploeg of King City, ON and Cezanne, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding (x Alabaster) owned by Jeannie Vander Ploeg, placed second in the Grand Prix test, and third in the Grand Prix Special test.

The judging panel at CDI 3* Wayne consisted of Stephen Clarke (FEI O—GBR), Wim Ernes (FEI O— NED) Gary Rockwell (FEI O—USA), Gabriel Armando (FEI O—ARG) and Jeanne McDonald (FEI O—USA).

The European Tour 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. Three tour stops remain: CDI4* Lingen, GER, June 4 – 6; CDIO Rotterdam, NED, June 16 – 20; and CDIO Aachen, GER, July 13 – 18, 2010.

World Equestrian Games declared riders remaining in North America may attend Cornerstone Farms’ Spring into Dressage CDI3*, June 4 – 6, 2010 in Palgrave, ON; Dressage at Blainville CDI 3*, June 18 – 20, 2010, in Blainville, QC; or Edmonton Gold Rush CDI3*, July 15 – 19, 2010, in Edmonton, AB, in order to earn WEG qualifying scores.