BelindaTrussell_Anton.jpgOttawa, ON – Belinda Trussell of Newmarket, ON, earned a personal best score last weekend at the CDI-W/Y Palm Beach Dressage Derby, held in Palm Beach, FL March 5-7, 2010. Riding Anton, a 10-year old German-bred gelding (Antaeous x Saxony) owned by Robyn Eames, Trussell scored 70.708% for second place in the Grand Prix Special on Saturday, March 6.

“When I came out of the ring and saw 70.7 on the Jumbotron I was so excited. Cracking the 70 per cent mark has been our goal this season,” said Trussell. “Anton is spectacular, he continues to grow and show more and more brilliance in the ring. We have reached our qualifying criteria for WEG and now I want to continue to strive for more scores in the 70s to have a strong team in WEG. I want to thank Robert Dover for all his help, as well as Christilot Boylen and Udo Lange.”

Canada was well represented in the Grand Prix division, as riders vie for a spot on the team at this fall’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. In the Grand Prix for Special class held on Friday, Trussell and Anton placed third earning 68.638%. Bonny Bonnello of Calgary, AB earned 66.809% for seventh with Pikardi (Point Maker x Daimont), a 13-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding co-owned by Bonnello and Frances Bell. Tied for eighth with 66.213% was Florida-based Shannon Dueck and Ayscha, her nine-year-old Oldenburg mare by Welt Hit II. Gary Vander Ploeg of King City, ON followed in 10th earning 65.745% with Cezanne, a 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding sired by Alabaster owned by Jeannie Vander Ploeg and Jack Leitch. Toronto’s Victoria Winter placed 11th earning 65.191% with Proton, Cindy Ishoy’s 16-year-old Baden-Wurtemburger gelding by Patriarch.

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