Canada’s Para-Equestrian Team from the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) was reunited for the first time since WEG at the CPEDI 2* Mulhouse, held June 19-21 in France, where they achieved remarkable results, including a hat trick in the Freestyle classes.
For Canada’s Roberta Sheffield of Lincolnshire, UK, topping the Freestyle resulted in her own personal hat trick, having won all three of the Grade III classes. Riding her eight-year-old Anglo-European Studbook (AES) mare, Double Agent, sired by Donnersohn, Sheffield’s first win came on June 19 in the Grade III Team class, where she reached the top of the leaderboard on a score of 69.947%. She followed up with a score of 70.805% in the following day’s Grade III Individual class, before earning her highest score of the competition (70.850%) in the Grade III Freestyle.
“It has been a great team experience,” said Sheffield, who is no stranger to success in France, having represented Canada at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy. “My little horse’s performance has completely astounded me so far on the tour. We had more power (in the Freestyle) than I could have dreamed of. Now we have to channel that into ‘perfect.'”
Sheffield’s WEG 2014 teammates, Lauren Barwick of Aldergrove, BC, Ashley Gowanlock of Surrey, BC, and Robyn Andrews of St. Johns, NL, also achieved impressive results over the weekend.
Barwick rode Equine Canada’s 14-year-old Oldenburg mare, Off to Paris (Welthit 01 x Uniform) to a second place finish in the Grade II Team test on June 19 on a score of 70.412%. The duo racked up another second place (70.200%) in the Grade II Individual on June 20, before capping off the weekend with a win in the Grade II Freestyle on June 21, after scoring 73.900%.
“The Canadian team warms up like a diesel engine and comes together with excellence as individuals and as a team,” said Barwick, a three-time Paralympian for Canada.
Competing in the Grade 1b division was Gowanlock, paired with Barwick’s 16-year-old Oldenburg mare, Ferdonia II (Don Gregory x Castro). Together, they earned fourth place both the Grade 1b Team (67.840%) and Individual (66.585%) classes, before racking up Canada’s third Freestyle win with a score of 71.150% in the Grade 1b Freestyle on the final day of competition.
“I am extremely grateful to Lauren for allowing me to use Ferdonia at the last minute, and join the European tour,” commented Gowanlock, a two-time Paralympian. “I am also grateful to Equine Canada and Mary Longden for assisting me in putting the pieces together in such a short time frame in order to be successful. It is an honour to be part of a world-class team. Onward and upward for the rest of the European tour.”
Andrews and her 14-year-old Friesian / Andalusian cross more, Fancianna, contested the Grade 1a division, taking seventh place in both the Team and Freestyle classes, as well as eighth in the Individual class.
“Mulhouse has been a great experience and I would like to thank Mary Longden, Dirk Stroda, Elizabeth Quigg, Kerry-Anne Bourne, and all the team for their help and support,” commented Andrews.
Overall, the Canadian Para-Equestrian Team finished a close third behind France, with Belgium taking the win.
“To take top honours in three out of five FEI freestyles was truly amazing,” said Elizabeth Quigg, Chef d’Équipe for Team Canada. “Since we have four mares ridden by four ladies, we can say the girls rocked today. And, as always, we have dedicated and hard-working support personnel who give their all to ensure the athletes are fully prepared – and the athletes rewarded us with great performances. Thank you to the organizers for putting this fantastic competition together.”
Team coach, Mary Longden added, “It’s fun to be a cog in a successful wheel. It was so great to hear the Canadian anthem three times during the prize-giving ceremonies. It was a good start to our summer tour.”
The team will continue their tour overseas with two more CPEDI 3* level competitions in Germany and the United Kingdom. The travelling team consists of Mary Longden and Andrea Taylor (Team Coaches), Elizabeth Quigg (Chef d’Équipe), Dirk Stroda (Mental Coach), Amie O’Shaughnessy (Equine Canada High Performance Director), Anna Johnson (Equine Canada Para-Equestrian Manager), Dr. Jennifer Miller (Team Veterinarian), Caroline Archambault (Team Massage Therapist), and Hannah Goodwin, Katie Quinn, Tori Murray-Elley, and Kerry-Anne Bourne (Grooms).
For complete information and full results from the CPEDI 3* Mulhouse, click here.
Top Canadian Results – CPEDI 3* Mulhouse, France
Grade III Team
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
1st / Roberta Sheffield / Double Agent / 69.947%
Grade III Individual
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
1st / Roberta Sheffield / Double Agent / 70.805%
Grade III Freestyle
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
1st / Roberta Sheffield / Double Agent / 70.850%
Grade II Team
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
2nd / Lauren Barwick / Off to Paris / 70.412%
Grade II Individual
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
2nd / Lauren Barwick / Off to Paris / 70.200%
Grade II Freestyle
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
1st / Lauren Barwick / Off to Paris / 73.900%
Grade 1a Team
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
7th / Robyn Andrews / Fancianna / 64.478%
Grade 1a Individual
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
8th / Robyn Andrews / Fancianna / 64.174%
Grade 1a Freestyle
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
7th / Robyn Andrews / Fancianna / 62.150%
Grade 1b Team
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
4th / Ashley Gowanlock / Ferdonia II / 67.840%
Grade 1b Individual
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
4th / Ashley Gowanlock / Ferdonia II / 66.585%
Grade 1b Freestyle
Placing / Rider / Horse / Score
1st / Ashley Gowanlock / Ferdonia II / 71.150%
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