Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, claimed the $100,000 Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship on Saturday night, November 7, at the Royal Horse Show®, held as part of the The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in downtown Toronto, ON.
Riding Farfelu du Printemps, Henselwood entered the second and final phase of competition in the $100,000 Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship on Saturday evening with a perfect score of zero, having won Friday night’s opening round. The pair stayed consistent, jumping another clear round before facing off against the top six in a final jump-off. Despite having a rail down early on course, Henselwood held on the lead to win the 2015 Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship title.
“As soon as we started to jump and he could sense from me that it was serious he gave good efforts,” said Henselwood of the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Action Breaker x Volume vd Gasthoeve) owned by John Madigan. “For this horse to get this title really means something in his resume, and starts to identify him as a top horse for Canada.”
Farfelu’s rail fell at the third fence in the final round, leaving on room for further error.
“I thought we were going to jump it, but made a mistake,” Henselwood said of her downed rail. “After that, I think Farfelu jumped everything else with a margin of another foot. I could feel the effort that he made; he didn’t want to make another mistake. He’s that kind of horse.”
Henselwood’s victory marked her second Greenhawk Canadian Championship title at the Royal Horse Show®, having also won in 2005 aboard Black Ice.
British course designer Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, Dorset, set difficult tracks in all three rounds comprising the Canadian Championships, which saw Canadian Equestrian Team veterans rise to the challenge. With two beautifully executed rounds on Saturday night, Canadian Olympian Mac Cone, 63, of King City, ON, moved into the Reserve Champion position with a final score of 4.79 riding Gasper van den Doorn for owner Chadburn Holdings, Inc.
Another Canadian Olympian, Lisa Carlsen, 50, of Okotoks, AB, produced strong performances to finish third with 5.66 penalties aboard Worlds Judgement for owners WJ Partners. Susan Horn of Bolton, ON, and Kingsland Farm’s Lillyfee placed fourth on 6.15 penalties, while Erynn Ballard of Tottenham, ON, and Bart C posted 6.93 penalties to placed fifth for owner Jaybird Farm. Keean White of Rockwood, ON, rounded out the top six aboard For Freedom Z, owned by Angelstone Partners, with 14.11 penalties.
Based on their results in the Canadian Championships, Henselwood and Cone secured the final two positions available in The Royal’s international show jumping division, which begins on Tuesday, November 10. They will join pre-qualified riders Carlsen, Ballard, Ian Millar of Perth, ON, Vanessa Mannix of Calgary, AB, Jonathon Millar of Perth, ON, and Chris Sorensen of Caledon East, ON, in representing the Canadian flag.
For more information on the Royal Horse Show, visit www.royalfair.org/horse-show. To purchase Royal Horse Show tickets, please visit Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca/venueartist/131553/986584.
$100,000 Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship – Round Two
Saturday, November 7
1. Jill Henselwood, Farfelu du Printemps 4
2. Mac Cone, Gasper van den Doorn 4.79
3. Lisa Carlsen, Worlds Judgement 5.66
4. Susan Horn, Lillyfee 6.15
5. Erynn Ballard, Bart C 6.93
6. Keean White, For Freedom Z 14.11
7. Vanessa Mannix, Carolien VH Scheefkasteel 9.64
8. Neil Badcock, Corrido 9.92
9. Jordan Macpherson, Aanwinst 10.32
10. Jonathon Millar, Baranus 12.08
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