Canadian Eventing Team members Selena O’Hanlon and Jessica Phoenix were the highest placed Canadian riders at the CIC Red Hills International Horse Trials in Tallahassee, FL on March 11–13, 2011.
Riding Colombo, Elaine and Michael Davies’ 16-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, her team silver medal partner from the 2010 World Equestrian Games, O’Hanlon was the top Canadian in the CIC 3* division finishing in fourth place. O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON, and Colombo started with a dressage score of 50.2, which had the pair sitting in ninth place. They added 16 cross country time penalties to their score to complete the competition with a three day total of 66.2.
Placing eighth in the CIC 3* division was Kendal Lehari, 23, of Uxbridge, ON, and Daily Edition, Gwen Lehari’s 13-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding. Sitting in 25th place after dressage on a score of 67.8 the pair breezed up the standings to eighth place following cross county adding only six time faults. Despite a rail down in show jumping the pair held onto eighth place on a score of score of 77.8.
Rounding out the Canadian entries in the CIC 3* division was Peter Barry of Dunham, QC, and Kilrodan Abbott, a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the rider and Susan Barry. They recorded a 12th place finish with a score of 85.6.
In the CIC 2* division, Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, rode Don Good’s Pavarotti, a nine-year-old Westphalian gelding, to second place completing the competition on their dressage score. Nicole Parkin of Orangeville, ON, also had perfect cross county and jumping rounds to finish fourth on her dressage score of 55.2 with Lexus, Gail Hendrie’s 11-year-old Hanoverian mare.
Riding Diamond Cut III, her own eight-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding, Diana Burnett of Blackstock, ON, added just 4.8 cross country time penalties to her dressage score of 53 to finish with 57.8 for eighth place. Burnett was also ninth with her second horse Shigatzi, an eight-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding she co-owns with Valerie Eden, again adding only 2.8 cross country time penalties to their dressage score to finish with 60.2. O’Hanlon and her second horse, A First Romance, a nine-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding co-owned by the rider, Morag O’Hanlon and Sean Denis, earned 12th place, finishing on their dressage score of 62.8. Phoenix and her horse Exotic, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, were 23rd with a score of 83.6. Maya Studenmund, currently based in Southern Pines, NC, was 25th with 83.6 penalties riding Red Rock, Cherry Knoll Farm Inc.’s nine-year-old Argentine Warmblood gelding.
With her third horse, Foxwood High, John Rumble’s eight-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding, O’Hanlon was one of only two riders to complete the CIC 1*division without adding any jumping or time penalties. The pair were in sixth after dressage with a score of 56.1 and moved up the leaderboard to finish in second place overall.
“Colombo show jumped with a heart of gold. His dressage was obedient and in his cross country he was a bit strong,” said O’Hanlon of her long-time partner. “Foxwood High was distracted by the atmosphere for dressage, but didn’t let it faze him in the cross country one bit. His show jumping is getting better. A First Romance was a little naughty in the dressage. He was a cross country machine with an easy 17 seconds under the time.”
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