On the last day of the Canadian Equestrian Championships, Nikki Meyer from Nova Scotia won the 1.10 m test, followed by Michelle Smith from Prince Edward Island in second and Evan Phinney from Nova Scotia in third place.
For this last day of competition, Sven Loewe opted for a very technical course design. “Today is D-day”, he said. “I anticipate three riders in the jump-off”. The course comprised of 12 obstacles and 15 efforts, in a time allowed for completion of 85 seconds. Nova Scotian Matthew Cormier’s ride was this close to perfect, but he lowered a rail. Alexandre Gonzalez was first to the challenge for the Quebec delegation, signing off with one rail falt and four penalty points. Olivia D’Errico and Tamara Ducatel can do no better, while a fall takes Emmanuelle Bolduc out of contention. Aboard her horse Above & Beyond, Nikki Meyer from Nova Scotia is the first to perform a flawless ride. Evan Phinney (Nova Scotia) almost declared a jump-off, but her faultless run was spoiled by a time fault. Her teammate Michelle Smith ups the stakes with a flawless performance.
Nikki Meyer is the first to tackle the jump-off. She garners four penalty points due to a fallen rail. For her part, Michelle Smith is aiming to secure a 1st position, but a refusal from her horse hinders her concentration for the rest of the run, putting that goal out of reach. She cumulates 17 penalty points to finish in 2nd place.
Pursuant to this last test, results were compiled in view of the Individual medals in both the Junior and Senior categories. In the Junior category, Nova Scotia stands two medals proud, with a Bronze for Evan Phinney and a Silver for Mathieu Cormier. In this same category, the Gold went to Olivia D’Errico from Team Quebec. In the Senior category, Saskatchewan took the Bronze thanks to Heather Brodsky. The Gold and Silver medals were awarded to Tamara Ducatel and Alexandre Gonzalez from Team Quebec.
“It was a rocky beginning for me”, confided Nikki Meyer. My horse was coming off a slight mishap on the course, and he was a little insecure. Over the course of the three days, things got better. I’m very happy to have won the last test! » For teammate Matthew Cormier, it was the complete opposite. “My horse was consistent throughout, and with a 6th place on the first test, a 5th in the second and 4th position in the last, I’m very happy with the improvement I saw over the week-end”. The proud Nova Scotia representatives were quite pleased with what turned out to be their first experience as a team. “It’s nice to have the support of your teammates. You want to do well for yourself, but also for the team as a unit. The facilities are great here, and we hope to participate again these Championships”.
Organisers and representatives of the different provinces unanimously agree that this first edition of the Canadian Equestrian Championships is a great success. All hope for a great continuance in 2012.
Last Test – Results
1st Nikki Meyer / Above and Beyond (NE) 0-4, 34.95
2nd Michelle Smith / Lovesachanceutake (IPE) 0-17,
3rd Evan Phinney / Duke of Earl (NE) 1 point
4th Matthew Cormier / Genuine (NE) 4 points
5th Olivia D’Errico / She’s the One (Qc) 4 points
6th Alexandre Gonzalez / Signature (QC) 4 points
7th Jessica MacKinnon / MiniMuffin (SK) 4 points
8th Caity Bell / Ebon’s Freedance (SK) 4 points
9th Tamara Ducatel / Aviva (QC) 4 points
10th Heather Brodsky / Qui est-ce (NE) 4 points
Medals – Individual Junior
Gold : Olivia D’Errico (QC)
Silver : Matthew Cormier (NS)
Bronze : Evan Phinney (NS)
Medals – Individual Senior
Gold : Alexandre Gonzalez (QC)
Silver: Tamara Ducatel (QC)
Bronze : Heather Brodsky (SK)
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