Savannah Matthews of Athens, Ontario captured the coveted Jump Canada National Medal Final Tuesday at the Royal Horse Show, the first of two equitation championships held in Toronto this week.
Riding her own Silavsco Keizersberg Z, Matthews, 16, bested a field of qualified athletes from the around the country. She excelled through three competitive rounds, including a jumping test, a flat test of the top 10 riders, and a ride-off of the top four to earn the Leslie and Elsie Usherwood Memorial Trophy. Shenae Johnston finished second, with Ava Campbell third.
“This means everything,” Matthews said. “The whole first round, I held my breath. I really wanted to win. I wanted to go in [the ring] and do what I knew I could do.”
Matthews acquired the Zangersheide gelding, affectionately called “Disco” in the stable, as a 5-year-old, and she did much of the work producing the young horse herself, under the guidance of coaches—and family members—Michelle Matthews and Shane Wooley.
“He’s my best friend,” Matthews said of Disco. “It just rewards me for all the work I’ve done over the past two years of starting this horse, from not being able to trot down a long side [of the arena] to winning this today.”
Results here.
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