Canada Third in FEI Nations’ Cup Promotional League Final

The Canadian Show Jumping Team of Yann Candele, Ian Millar, Jenna Thompson and Keean White finished third in the €90,000 FEI Nations’ Cup Promotional League Final at CSIO5* Barcelona, ESP, on Sunday, September 19, 2010.

From a starting field of eight nations, Canada finished the two-round competition with a total of 16 faults as did Spain, but Spain’s faster time gave them the runner-up position. Demark won the Nations’ Cup with a two-round total of 12 faults. Italy incurred 20 faults for fourth place while Norway had 24 faults to finish fifth.

As Canada’s lead-off rider, Thompson of Calgary, AB, rode Zeke, her 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, to a clear first round and had eight faults in the second.

Candele of Caledon, ON, riding as a last-minute substitute for Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze who has a broken foot, incurred four faults in the first round and was clear in the second with Atlete Van T Heike, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Stephex Stables.

White, of Rockwood, ON, and Celena Z, a nine-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by the Ashland Group and Angelstone Farms, had eight faults in the first round and four faults in the second round.

Anchoring the team was nine-time Olympian Millar of Perth, ON, and Star Power, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Works. The pair incurred four faults in each round.

“I am very pleased with the way our riders represented Canada with a third place finish in the Promotional League Final in Barcelona,” said Mark Laskin, co-chef d’équipe of the Canadian Show Jumping Team. “That, combined with our second place finish in the Nations’ Cup in Gijon two weeks earlier, capped off a highly successful European Tour. Thanks to Eric, Ian, Jenna, Keean and Yann for their contributions to our successful Spanish Tour.”

Candele also enjoyed success earlier in the week riding Lamaze’s mounts. Candele won the €9,000 Copa DKV Seguros Médicos class riding Coriana Van Klapscheut, an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, and placed third in the €10,000 Copa Diputació de Barcelona Trofeo CocaCola speed class riding Sidoline Van De Centaur, an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. Both horses are owned by Artisan Farms, LLC. Millar and Star Power finished seventh in the €120,000 Barcelona Grand Prix.

The Spanish tour was 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.

A Nations’ Cup is the only competition in show jumping where riders, in teams of four, compete as a country. The top three scores from each team are counted towards the final result of the two-round competition.

There are only two Nations’ Cup events held annually in North America – the $75,000 FEI Nations’ Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, and the $350,000 BMO Nations’ Cup at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in September. Canada’s victory in the $75,000 FEI Nations’ Cup in Wellington, FL, on March 5, 2010, qualified Canada for the Promotional League Final in CSIO5* Barcelona.

Complete details and results for the CSIO5* Barcelona may be found at http://www.csiobarcelona.com/.