Canadian Show Jumping Teams Ties for Second in Nations’ Cup at CSI05* Gijon

The Canadian Show Jumping Team comprised of Eric Lamaze, Ian Millar, Jenna Thompson and Keean White tied for second place in the €60,000 Nations’ Cup competition at CSIO5* Gijon, ESP, on Friday, September 3, 2010.

From 11 starting nations, Canada, France, and Great Britain finished the two round competition with a total of 16 faults each to share second place overall. Team anchor Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, riding Atlete Van T Heike, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Stephex Stables, contributed two clear rounds to secure second for Canada.

As Canada’s lead-off rider, Millar of Perth, ON, and Star Power, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Works, was clear in the first round and incurred four faults in the second.

In only her second Nations’ Cup competition, Thompson of Calgary, AB, rode Zeke, her 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, to a four fault first round and had eight faults in the second. White, of Rockwood, ON, and Celena Z, a nine-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by the Ashland Group and Angelstone Farms, had 12 faults in the first round and eight faults in the second round.

“We had a great mix of veteran leadership and youthful enthusiasm in Gijon,” said Mark Laskin, chef d’équipe of the Canadian Show Jumping Team. “It was a very difficult competition, and we were just one rail away from jumping-off for first place against Belgium.”

Belgium won the Nations’ Cup with a two-round total of 12 faults. Canada, France and Great Britain each had 16 faults to finish tied for second. Ireland and Saudi Arabia each had team totals of 20 faults to share fifth place.

In the €125,000 Grand Prix of Gijon, held Sunday, September 5, Millar and Star Power finished third in the two-round competition with only one time fault. The Grand Prix was won by Khaled Al Eid of Saudi Arabia, who had the fastest double clean ride aboard the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, Presley Boy. Also double clear to finish second was reigning European Champion Kevin Staut of France and Silvana De Hus, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare.

The next stop on the Spanish tour for the Canadian Show Jumping Team will be the Promotional League Nations’ Cup Final at CSIO5* Barcelona, ESP, from September 14-19.

The Spanish tour is 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 about the two competitions may be found for CSIO5* Gijon at http://www.gijon.es/Contenido.aspx?id=62769&area=104&leng=es and http://www.csiobarcelona.com/ for CSIO5* Barcelona.