Equestrian Canada (EC) and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s equestrian team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.
The Team Canada equestrian team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is:
The 12 athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performance results during each individual discipline’s qualification period.
Dressage athlete Camille Carier Bergeron is one of five rookies making their Pan Am Games debuts at Santiago 2023. Winner of the Orion Cup for 2022, recognizing the most promising Canadian dressage athlete transitioning to the Grand Prix level, Carier Bergeron had a very successful 2023 season with five top-five finishes in FEI competition, resulting in her team nomination.
“This will be my first Pan American Games and I feel very excited and proud to have been selected to represent Canada in Santiago, Chile, especially with such great teammates,” said Carier Bergeron. “We have all worked very hard with the goal of being named to the team, and I know we are heading to the Games confident and ready to get Canada a spot for Paris 2024! To everyone who has supported us in any way possible, I want to say, thank you!”
The Santiago 2023 team includes six Olympians, including Mario Deslauriers who returned to the Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020 after having competed at Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988.
Team Canada’s first appearance in equestrian at the Pan American Games was at Chicago 1959. Since then, Team Canada has won a total of 55 medals — 22 in dressage, 14 in eventing and 19 in jumping. Three of those medals came from the last Pan American Games, including Canada’s first dressage team gold in 28 years as well as a bronze in team eventing.
The primary objective of the disciplines competing at this year’s Games will be to qualify for Paris 2024. In both dressage and eventing, the top two countries in the team event who are not already qualified will earn an Olympic team berth for three athletes and horses. For the jumping discipline, the top three countries in the team event who are not yet qualified will earn an Olympic team berth for three athletes and horses.
“The discipline teams have worked extremely hard as individuals and together to get to the Pan American Games. As our last opportunity to qualify teams for Paris, these Games are very important to our program. Even with this level of pressure, we are incredibly confident that our athlete combinations will rise to the occasion,” said James Hood, Director of High Performance at EC. “Canada has a strong history at the Pan Am Games and we have no doubt the performances in Santiago will be no different. We have incredible support teams on the ground at the Games to ensure both humans and horses are given the best opportunities to perform. As part of the team around the team, the owners and supporters will also be in place at Games and at home to cheer on Team Canada! Without the daily support teams, our athletes (human and horse) would not be able to compete and thrive, so thank you to the coaches, owners, grooms/staff and families that make this possible.”
Dressage will take place on October 22, 23 and 25 (Days 2, 3 and 5) followed by eventing on October 27-29 (Days 7 to 9) and finishing with jumping on October 31, November 1 and November 3 (Days 11, 12 and 14), at the Escuela de Equitación Regimiento Granaderos in Quillota, Chile. A total of 150 athletes are scheduled to compete in the three equestrian disciplines, each with an individual and team event.
“Team Canada’s equestrian stars – I’m so excited to welcome you to the team! I just love horses and your sport is the embodiment of grace, partnership and pure elegance,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “In the arena of the Pan Am Games, may your horses be swift, your hearts be steady, and your journeys be marked by the beauty of unity between human and horse.”
Team Canada’s team alternate athletes and support staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:
Alternate Athletes:
Erynn Ballard, Gakhir (Tottenham, Ont.) – Jumping Reserve
Dana Cooke, Quatro (Merritt, B.C.) – Eventing Second Reserve
Shannon Dueck, Angelika MW (Langley, B.C.) – Dressage Reserve
Jessica Phoenix, Freedom GS (Cannington, Ont.) – Eventing First Reserve
Tanya Strasser-Shostak, Fidelis Tyme (Sainte-Adèle, Que.) – Dressage Reserve
Support Staff
Eduardo Felix (Brussels, Belgium) – Veterinarian, Jumping
Emily Gilbert (Toronto, Ont.) Team Manager, Eventing
Karen Hendry-Ouelette (Kemptville, Ont.) – Team Manager, Jumping
James Hood (Edmonton, Alta.) – Team Leader
Rebecca Howard (Marlborough, U.K.) – Chef D’équipe, Eventing
Antonio Inghilleri (Palermo, Italy) – Equine Physiotherapist, Eventing
Alan Manning (Orton, Ont.) – Veterinarian, Dressage & Eventing
Melanie McLearon (Severn, Ont.) – Media Attaché
Ian Millar (Perth, Ont.) – Chef D’équipe, Jumping
Christine Peters (Nepean, Ont.) – Team Manager and Chef D’équipe, Dressage
Kathryn Surasky (Winnipeg, Man.) – Veterinarian, Eventing
Andy Vergut (Chelmsford, Ont.) – Farrier, Eventing
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.
The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.
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