John Pearce and Jill Henselwood to Represent Canada at 2007 FEI Jumping World Cup Final

Ottawa, Ontario — John Pearce and Jill Henselwood earned the top two spots in the Canadian League World Cup standings, and will represent Canada at the 2007 FEI Jumping World Cup Final to be held April 18-22 in Las Vegas, USA.

Pearce, a resident of Stouffville, ON, was previously sitting in second position in the Canadian League standings but overtook the lead with a winning performance in the final qualifier, the $50,000 Orange County Register Grand Prix at the CSI-W Oaks Blenheim Spring Tournament in San Juan Capistrano, California.  Riding Forestview Farm’s 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Urioso, Pearce’s win earned him an additional 20 World Cup points to give him a final total of 80 points.

Pearce, who will be competing in his third World Cup Final, having competed for Canada in 1992 in Del Mar, California, and in 1999 in Göteborg, Sweden, will head to Las Vegas with Urioso as well as Archie Bunker, a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding also owned by Forestview Farm.

Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, was the previous leader following the final week of the HITS Desert Circuit VI held March 6-11 in Thermal, California, where she earned her final 12 World Cup qualifying points aboard Juniper Farms’ 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Special Ed, in the $150,000 World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix.  Added to her previous 51 points earned throughout the Canadian League competitions, as well as earlier success during the six-week California circuit, Henselwood finished the season with a total of 63 World Cup points.

Henselwood will be representing Canada at the World Cup Final for the fourth time in her illustrious career.  Both Callisto, the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Equine Canada, and Black Ice, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Stacie Ryan, will make the trip to Las Vegas.

Traditionally, the final event in the Canadian World Cup League was held at Toronto’s Royal Horse Show each November.  However, the current Canadian League was extended into the 2007 season, concluding with the final World Cup Qualifying events in the United States.  The extension of the Canadian League allowed horse-rider combinations competing in Florida and California to gain valuable points in the hopes of representing Canada at the World Cup Final.

Canada has claimed the annual World Cup Final on three occasions, setting records in the process.  Mario Deslauriers of Bromont, QC, remains the youngest rider to ever win the World Cup Final, claiming victory at the age of 19 in 1984.  Ian Millar of Perth, ON, and his famous mount, Big Ben, became the first horse-rider combination to win back-to-back World Cup Finals in 1988 and 1989.

For complete Canadian League World Cup standings, please visit http://www.jumpcanada.ca/programs/WC_standings.html.  For more info on the 2007 FEI Jumping World Cup Final, please visit www.worldcuplasvegas.com.

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