With more than 250 entries, 800+ tests ridden, and six rings operating simultaneously, Angelstone Equestrian Park west of Toronto was the place to be for Canadian dressage fans this weekend as Caledon Dressage hosted another record-breaking competition. Spectators were treated to an impressive lineup of top riders competing in the small and big tour in hopes of earning a spot on Canada’s Pan American Games team, as well as getting a glimpse of the sport’s future with some up-and-coming talent making a splash.
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu, who competed for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics, earned small tour wins aboard Jaccardo (Desperados x Jazz) with scores of 73.039 in the PSG and 74.559 in the I1, edging out Shannon Dueck and Angelika MW (69.951 and 71.862) in both classes. Beatrice Boucher and Summerwoods’s LiMei finished third in the PSG with 68.872, while Abbey Simbrow and Estor rounded out the top three in the I1 with 70.735.
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu and Jaccardo.
The 9-year-old gelding Jaccardo is one of three exciting young horses owned by former Canadian team member Jill Irving who were piloted by Fraser-Beaulieu this weekend.
“Jaccardo was just purchased in May so we have a new partnership, but his rideability in the ring was super and he was completely focused on me,” Brittany said. “I feel so lucky to get to ride a horse like Jacc; Jill and I are very excited about his future.”
Brittany impressed the judging panel in the FEI 7-year-old classes with Irving’s gelding Leeghwater (Franklin x Tango), scoring 75 and 76 in the technical tests and earning 8s and 9s for his powerful canter. She also earned scores over 74% at Fourth Level in the national show with 8-year-old Knight (Blue Hors Zack x Crack C), who is usually campaigned by Irving.
Not in action this weekend was Jill Irving’s Medoc, a 6-year-old gelding by Vivaldi. A few weeks ago at the CDI in Palgrave, Ontario, Brittany competed him in the 6-year-old classes with scores up to 88%.
“I want to thank Jill for giving me this wonderful opportunity to ride her talented string of horses,” she said. “The future looks very bright for Canada!”
In the CDI1* I1 freestyle, Lori Bell and Flirt earned their third small tour victory of the summer. The toe-tapping “In the Mood” themed performance scored 72.79 for a decisive win over Simone Williams and Heirdero Santana (70.817) and Nancy Maclachlan with Dreo (70.642).
In the big tour classes, Evi Strasser and Deja Vu Tyme finished on top in the CDI3* Grand Prix with 67.935, followed by Mathilde Tetrault and Fedor (67.63) and Tom Dvorak with Cyrus (66.41).
In the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, Mathilde Tetrault and Fedor scored 68.735 for their third big tour win of the summer. Camille Carrier Bergeron was close behind in second with Sound of Silence 4 on a score of 68.149, while Evi Strasser and Deja Vu Tyme placed third with 66.936.
In the CDI3*GP Freestyle Rakeya Moussa and Davidoff V. H. Trichelhoff’s “Beauty and the Beast” themed routine scored 69.885 for the win, followed by Evi Strasser and her Disney-themed performance with Disney Tyme for 69.8. Jacqueline Brooks and Te Amo QOS rounded out the top three with 67.275.
“Davidoff was my Young Rider horse and this is both of our first year competing Grand Prix so I’m very happy with the results of our first freestyle,” said Rakeya. “I’ve been training in the USA with Katherine Bateson Chandler for almost 10 years, but this summer I’ve been based in Canada, doing a combination of in-person lessons with Belinda Trussell and online with Katherine. Belinda and her team have created a wonderful, supportive training environment. I’ve enjoyed attending both Caledon Dressage CDIs with Belinda’s team. I especially like how well organized and welcoming the show organizers, officials and competitions have been!”
“We are thrilled that this competition has broken our previous record for entries, making it Canada’s largest dressage show,” said Caledon Dressage president Andrew Woodley. “It takes an enormous amount of work for our volunteer-run association to organize four huge shows in the span of four months – two of them CDIs – but it’s worth it to give Canadians the chance to compete at world-class venues in front of a panel of top international judges. I want to thank our army of volunteers, all the staff at Angelstone, our judges and officials, our sponsors, and of course all the competitors for making this show such a success.”
The international judging panel in Rockwood included Brenda Minor (Canada), Magnus Ringmark (Sweden), Cesar Torrente (Colombia), Cara Whitham (Canada) and Omar Zayrik (Mexico). Only three opportunities remain for Canadian riders to earn qualifying scores for the 2023 PanAm Games in Santiago, Chile, with CDIs scheduled in Vancouver, Calgary, and Bromont, Quebec.
Full scores for the weekend’s national and CDI classes are available at competeeasy.com and on the Compete Easy app. Next up on the schedule are a pair of national shows at Caledon Equestrian Park, August 11-13 and September 8-10. For more information visit caledondressage.ca.
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