Ottawa, ON — Francois Lamontagne of St-Eustache, QC, emerged the winner of the Eastern Division while Lindsay Hitchner of High River, AB, claimed the Western Division of the 2008 Jump Canada National Talent Squad Series.

In the Eastern Division Talent Squad competition held at the St. Lazare Spring Show in St. Lazare, QC, Lamontagne guided Anton, his eight-year-old Baden-Wurttemberger gelding, to a first place finish for 15 points.  The duo also won the Talent Squad class at the Beaulieu Summer Classic II Horse Show and placed second at L’International Bromont.  With a total of 44 points, Lamontagne claimed the Eastern Division.

“I am pleased with Anton’s progress,” said Lamontagne, 24.  “We purchased him in the fall of 2007, and we spent the winter competing in the young horse classes in Florida.  The Talent Squad Series is an excellent way to bring a young horse along because the courses are technical yet fair.”

In the opening event of the Western Division held at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon, MB, Hitchner, 26, piloted Billy Autumn, an 11-year-old Anglo-European mare owned by Lead Partners, to a first place finish.  The pair also won the Talent Squad class at the Twin Oaks Derby in Richmond, BC.   She won the Western division with a total of 27 points.

“I am really thrilled to have won the Western Talent Squad Division this year after finishing second last season by only one point,” said Hitchner.  “Billy Autumn led the Series right from the start by winning the first class in Brandon.  This year was another awesome year for the two of us, winning the Western Series of both the Talent Squad.”

 and the Kubota Cup.  Next year, our goal will be to try to gain FEI points and to focus on being competitive internationally.  I really hope that the best is still to come.As the top placed riders in the Eastern and Western Divisions, Lamontagne and Hitchner will be awarded airfare to the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cupâ„¢ Final at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NE, April 15–19, 2009.  In addition, the two Division winners will be nominated to Sport Canada to receive Athlete Developmental Funding Cards.

For complete standings, please visit http://www.jumpcanada.ca/programs/TS_standings.html.

The top 10 riders from both the Eastern and Western Divisions have been invited to go head-to-head in the Jump Canada National Talent Squad Championships, which will take place tonight at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.

The Jump Canada Talent Squad Series is a means of recognizing up-and-coming riders who are preparing to enter the grand prix ranks and gives them a platform to demonstrate their ability to become future members of the Canadian Equestrian Team.  For complete standings, please visit http://www.equinecanada.ca/jumpcanada.

 

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