Canadian athletes battled both extreme heat and stiff competition at the Bromont International Combined Driving Event, held June 29-July 1, 2018, in Bromont, QC.
The competition acted as a qualifier for both the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), set for Sept. 11-23, 2018 in North Carolina and the World Driving Championships for Single Horses, coming up Aug. 28 – Sept. 2, 2018 in the Netherlands.
In his first year competing at the FEI level in the four-in-hand division, Gerben Steenbeek of St. Marys, ON captured second place in the CAI 2*-H4 division. He drove a striking team of homebred Friesian geldings, comprised of six-year-old Marlow Stonecreek (Doaitsen 420 x Sape 381); seven-year-old Liam Stonecreek (Doaitsen 420 x Sape 381); eight-year-old Grant Stonecreek (Onne 376 x Jurjen 303); 12-year-old Vincent Stonecreek (Nanning 374 x Wander 352); and 13-year-old Remko Stonecreek (Brandus 345 x Gerlof 294).
On June 29, Steenbeek started his journey towards WEG 2018 with a qualifying dressage score of 59.16 penalties. The following day in the Marathon, he carefully navigated seven challenging obstacles spread over 8.3km for a score of 147.52 penalties. Steenbeek completed the three-day event on July 1 with 20.97 penalties in the cones phase. His completion on 227.65 penalties not only clinched second place, but also earned a WEG qualifying score.
“The horses did great,” said Steenbeek. “I’m really happy with second place, and also with the qualification points we got for WEG.”
Following Steenbeek on the leaderboard was Darryl Billing of Elmira, ON, in third place. He started the competition on a dressage score of 61.63 penalties with his Dutch Warmblood geldings: 10-year-old Sonny (Winand x Janie’s Lancer), 11-year-old Prince (Zildjiam x Eager Seelster), 12-year-old King (Teo x Strong Status), 16-year-old Victor (Nando x Wouter), and 16-year-old Villeroy (Roy M x Harald). Billing added 166.90 penalties in the marathon phase and 45.35 in the cones to end on a total score of 273.88 penalties.
Two Canadian athletes earned qualifying scores for the 2018 FEI World Driving Championships for Singles in the CAI 2* single horse division: Catherine Levasseur of Sainte-Sophie, QC scored 161.25 penalties for fifth place with her eight-year-old American Dutch Harness Horse, Fizz Forever, sired by Whiskei S-1486), and Pierre Guillemette of Becancour, QC scored 179.38 penalties for sixth with Stormy Ridge King (Albert S-1401 x Turpijn), his eight-year-old Dutch Harness Horse.
Competing in the CAI 1* competition for horse pairs, Jérôme Drolet of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, QC took first place on a final score of 100.85 penalties with his seven-year-old Canadian Warmblood mare, Mademoiselle (sired by Cabardino), and Azzaro, a six-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding owned by Sarah Gagnon-Therrien.
Full results from the Bromont International Combined Driving Event can be found here.
Bromont International Combined Driving Event – Top 10 Canadian Results
FEI CAI 2* Horse Four
Placing / Athlete / Horses / Owner / Final Score
2nd / Gerben Steenbeek / Remko Stonecreek & Liam Stonecreek & Vincent Stonecreek & Grant Stonecreek & Marlow Stonecreek / Gerben Steenbeek / 227.65
3rd / Darryl Billing / Victor & Villeroy & Sonny & King & Prince / Darryl Billing / 273.88
FEI CAI 2* Horse Single
Placing / Athlete / Horses / Owner / Final Score
5th / Catherine Levasseur / Fizz Forever / Catherine Levasseur / 161.25
6th / Pierre Guillemette / Stormy Ridge King / Pierre Guillemette / 179.38
FEI CAI 1* Horse Pair
Placing / Athlete / Horses / Owner / Final Score
1st / Jérôme Drolet / Mademoiselle & Agaro / Jérôme Drolet & Sarah Gagnon-Therrien / 100.85
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