Beth Underhill and Cavendish Claim Five-Year-Old Championship

Cavendish, ridden by Beth Underhill, claimed the Five-Year-Old National Championship title in the Jump Canada Young Horse Series at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held September 22 to 26 in Palgrave, ON.

Canadian-bred horses dominated the standings in the Five-Year-Old National Final with seven of the top 10 being bred in Canada. However, it was the Dutch-bred entry of Cavendish, owned by Teri Erickson and Underhill, who claimed the Five-Year-Old National Championship title.

With a fourth and second place finish coming into the final phase, Underhill and Cavendish were sitting second in the standings behind Kelly Soleau and Itty Bitty. When Underhill and Cavendish produced a double clear performance over course designer Christa Hiebach’s track to place second in Saturday’s $10,000 Five-Year-Old National Final, it was enough to over take over top spot on the leader board.

“Having the competition build throughout the week with the final leg in the grand prix ring created a great atmosphere,” said Underhill. “The course for the final phase was very fair, making great use of colour and perspective for the jumps without over facing the young horses. The jump-off had so many options that you could make a plan that best suited your horse at this stage of its development. The course designer did a great job of getting it right.”

The Canadian Equestrian Team veteran spotted Cavendish, a Dutch Warmblood gelding by Cantos out of an Ulster dam while at Paul and Emile Hendrix’s stable in the Netherlands over Christmas of 2009. She immediately called Erickson, who had expressed an interest in investing in a young horse while Underhill was conducting a clinic at her Maplebook Farm in Duncan, BC, last fall.

“I loved the horse so much that I picked up the phone and called Teri,” said Underhill. “He has wonderful instincts, he is very careful, and he is a fantastic contender in the ring. It has been a great journey for us.”

Underhill, who has been a long-time participant in the Jump Canada Young Horse Series, noted, “I think the Young Horse Series is a great way to develop the horses, and it is great for the owners to follow. It promotes good sport and good industry for the show jumpers of the future.”

Taking the Five-Year-Old Reserve Championship title was Itty Bitty, owned and ridden by Kelly Soleau. The pair placed third in the opening phase before winning the second phase of competition. Itty Bitty, a Canadian Sport Horse mare by Mr. Itt out of a thoroughbred dam, Take The Mickey, was also recognized as the top Canadian-bred horse in the Five-Year-Old Division.

“I thought that the championship format was fantastic,” said Soleau, a native of Marlborough, CT, who trains with Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, ON. “By the end of three days, you really get to see the horses’ true potential. The course for the final phase was nice and friendly, very inviting for the young horses when they stepping into the grand prix ring. My horse had never shown in that ring before, and she was fantastic.”

Itty Bitty is a product of the breeding program run in partnership with Ann Matthews and Millar Brooke Farm. They currently have approximately 20 homebred horses ranging in age from weanlings to six-year-olds. With her success in the Jump Canada Young Horse Series, Itty Bitty is now the poster horse for the breeding program.

“She is one of the bravest horses I have ever ridden, but super careful and very smart,” said Soleau. “Being half thoroughbred makes her so brave, and her heart is bigger than she is. She’s a sweetheart.”

Soleau and Itty Bitty won two events in the Jump Canada Young Horse Series this season, including the season opener at the Caledon National in Palgrave, ON, and at the National Capital Show Jumping Tournament in Ottawa, ON.

“To finish Reserve Champion in the Young Horse Series, and to be the best Canadian-bred horse throughout the national finals, is a great way to end the year,” noted Soleau. “I think the Young Horse Series is a great way to develop the young horses and bring them along. It is an imperative division in Canada in order to develop world-class horses.”

For more information on the Jump Canada Young Horse Series, please visit http://www.equinecanada.ca/jumpcanada/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=88&Itemid=3.

Five-Year-Old National Finals – Final Standings

Horse/Owner/Rider
Champion Cavendish Teri Erickson and Beth Underhill Beth Underhill
Reserve Itty Bitty* Kelly Soleau Kelly Soleau
3. Stevie Wonder* Mill Creek Stables Frankie Chesler-Ortiz
4. Jetsetter 3E* KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran
5. Marlboro* Mill Creek Stables Robert Donaldson
6. ADC Chef Z Bob Suriwka Miguel Elicagaray
7. EWSZ’s Jerevel* European Warmblood Stallion Zentrum Miro Frei
8. Purple Rain* Juniper Farms Chris Surbey
9. Morrison Burmonds and Wetmore Erynn Ballard
10. Just For Fun 3E* KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran

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