Ottawa, ON – Canadian Olympians Ashley Holzer of Toronto, ON, and Belinda Trussell of Stouffville, ON, will represent Canada at the at the $145,000 Exquis World Dressage Masters, to be held February 4–6, 2010 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, in Wellington, FL, USA.

Holzer and Trussell were selected to represent Canada based on the average of their last three CDI Grand Prix scores from 2009–2010. Holzer will ride her Olympic partner Pop Art (Amsterdam x Cabochon), a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rusty Holzer and Moreen Nicoll. The duo earned 71.830% at the CDI3* Toronto at The Royal Horse Show; 73.191% at CDI 5* Exquis World Masters (Dressage at Hickstead); and 72.510% in the Grand Prix test at the 2009 World Cup Final in Las Vegas for an average score of 72.510%. Trussell will ride Anton (Antaeus x Melit), a 10-year-old German-bred gelding owned by Robyn Eames. The pair received a 67.064% at CDI3* Weikersdorf, 65.830% at the CDI3* Kaposvar and 66.681% at CDI3* Saugerties for an average Grand Prix score of 66.525%.

Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON, and Jacqueline Brooks of Cedar Valley, ON have been named as reserve riders. If selected, Creech would partner with Devon L (De Niro x Wolkenstein II), Douglas Leatherdale’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, and Brooks would be aboard Balmoral (Belcanto x Consul), a 10-year-old Canadian-bred Hanoverian owned by John & Anne Welch and Brinc Ltd.

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