The Canadian Show Jumping Team finished second in the $150,000 Nations’ Cup, presented by Premier Equestrian, held on Saturday, March 5, during the CSIO4* Winter Equestrian Festival Week 8 in Wellington, FL.
Competing under the guidance of 2008 Olympic champion Eric Lamaze in his new role as chef d’equipe, Erynn Ballard, Tiffany Foster, Amy Millar, and Beth Underhill took on 10 other nations in a battle for team honour.
At the end of the first round, Canada, with the advantage of drawing last in the order, sat at the top of the leaderboard after Canadian Olympians Foster, Underhill, and Millar all delivered clear rounds. Ireland was the only other country with a score of zero, followed by Great Britain, Australia, and Mexico with four faults apiece. Belgium and the United States had eight faults while Argentina was on 10 faults. As only the top eight teams moved on to the second round, Israel, Brazil, and Venezuela failed to advance.
The tension heated up as the sun went down and the second round was held under the lights in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. As the lead-off rider for Canada, Foster, 37, of Langley, BC, delivered another clear riding Figor, a 12-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding (Querly-Elvis x Indoctro) owned by Foster in partnership with Artisan Farms LLC. It would prove to be one of only five double clear rounds produced over the track set by Nick Granat and 2008 Olympic co-course designer Steve Stephens, both of the United States.
Underhill, 59, of Mulmer, ON, was next in the ring for Canada riding Lamaze’s former mount, Chacco Kid, a 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Chacco Blue x Come On) owned by the Chacco Kid Group. Having been foot-perfect the first time out, the pair dropped a rail at the ‘c’ element of the triple combination before also incurring four faults at the final fence, a liverpool oxer set in the far corner away from the ingate.
(L-r) Tiffany Foster and Figor, Beth Underhill and Chacco Kid, Amy Millar and Truman, Erynn Ballard and Gakhir. (Starting Gate Communications photo)
Millar, 45, of Perth, ON, kept all the rails up until the very end riding Truman, a 13-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago x Kolibri) owned by Millar Brooke Farm Ltd. and Overlund. With a rail down at the final fence for four faults and adding in Underhill’s score of eight, Canada suddenly had 12 faults on the score board. As the anchor rider, Ballard, 40, of Tottenham, ON, was unable to pull it back for Canada, incurring 15 faults to provide the drop score riding Gakhir, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Spartacus x Indorado) owned by Ilan Ferder and Esperanza Imports LLC.
Despite a shock elimination from team anchor Cian O’Connor, Ireland won with a total of five faults. With Canada and the United States both finishing on a final score of 12 faults, the tie was broken by combining the times of the top three riders from each team to place Canada second. Great Britain finished fourth with 16 faults while Mexico was fifth with 20 faults.
“I was very happy with our team, but I feel like we let it slip away,” said Lamaze, 53, whose impressive resume includes Olympic, World Championship and Pan American Games medals. “We had determined riders but in the second round we lacked energy. Tiffany was amazing and Amy was unlucky. I’ll give everyone feedback on what went right and what didn’t, and we’ll build on the experience and get better.”
The first Nations’ Cup team event was held at the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2002, making this year’s event the 21st edition. As the event has continued to grow in popularity with more and more countries participating, competition organizers elected to hold the first round in the daylight with teams returning for the second round at night under the lights following a one-hour break.
“Having one round in the daylight and one round at night is already very difficult for the horses, and then there was a one-hour break between the two,” said Lamaze of the format used this year. “The lighting is different and that’s not what the horses are expecting when they go back in for the second round; it’s not fair for the horses. I think they should either have both rounds during the day or both during the night under the lights, and the second round should start right away without an hour-long delay.
“Getting past that, what I loved the most about the experience was the team spirit surrounding me tonight; Canadian riders young and old were there supporting and watching,” continued Lamaze of his debut in the chef d’equipe role. “It was the most atmosphere I’ve ever seen the Canadian team assemble together to support each other. I was so happy to see all the Canadian riders taking part as if they were in it, and it shows me that we have a bright, bright future in front of us.
“It’s all about the power of the team and the spirit of the riders,” Lamaze concluded. “I want to form a team where they all help each other, and they all work together. In the short time I’ve been in the position, I’m already feeling this. It’s very remarkable. There’s some buzz. We are on to something good!”
Competition in the CSIO4* Winter Equestrian Festival Week 8 concludes on Sunday, March 6, with the $216,000 JTWG Inc. Grand Prix beginning at 1 p.m. For more information, including full results, visit https://pbiec.coth.com/.
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