Strong Start for Canadian Para Dressage Team in Rio

Roberta Sheffield of Lincolnshire, GBR and Ashley Gowanlock of Surrey, BC provided the Canadian Para-Dressage Team with a strong start on Sept. 11 at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, BRA.

The opening day of para-dressage competition at the Olympic Equestrian Centre featured the Grade III and Grade 1b Team Test classes. The Grade IV and Grade 1a classes will follow on Sept. 12, with Grade II closing out the Team Test classes on Sept. 13. The top three scores for each country in the Team Test and Individual Test, to follow later in the week, will be added together to determine the final team results.

Canada is currently sitting in fourth place heading into the second day of Team competition on a score of 134.726 after two of four riders. Denmark has the provisional lead with 211.970, France is in second with 204.256 and the United States is in third on 135.335.

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The first to head into the stadium for Canada was Sheffield, 35, who took on the Grade III Team Test. Riding her long-time partner, Double Agent, a nine-year-old Anglo European mare sired by Donnersohn, Sheffield officially made her Paralympic debut. After receiving marks of seven and higher for individual movements, including medium walk, centreline work and working canter, Sheffield earned a final score of 67.526% for 10th place individually in the class.

“It’s pretty incredible to have made my Paralympic debut for Canada,” said Sheffield, who also represented Canada at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games, where she earned a fourth place finish in the Freestyle. “Ive spent the last six months seeing it on the horizon – just seeing all these steps in the road and in the way that I had to go through. So it’s incredible to have actually finally got here and down the centreline. I have a score on the board and I am a Paralympian for Canada – which couldn’t be better.”

In addition to being thrilled with the experience, Sheffield was also pleased with Double Agent, fondly known as ‘Darcy.’ “It was a really good ride. It felt amazing. It was like being on one of those floor conveyors at the airport, she just swept me along. It was so fluidly-going; it was faster than my brain usually has to compute with her. It was a really good thing though – it was lovely.”

Out of the 16 entries in the class, Cathrin Ann Lubbe of Norway was the winner aboard Donatello after receiving a score of 72.237%. Second went to Sanne Voets of The Netherlands and Demantur (70.316%), and Susanne Sunesen of Denmark rode Que Faire to a score of 70.158% for third.

Later in the day, it was time for Gowanlock to make her third Paralympic appearance in the Grade 1b division. Riding Di Scansano (De Niro x Rubenstein), a 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Canadian grand prix dressage rider, Wendy Christoff, Gowanlock scored 67.200% to finish in seventh place.

“Disco did everything I asked him to and kept his head about him, so I am a happy camper,’ said Gowanlock, 29, who has only been riding Di Scansano for a few months. The Paralympics represent just the fourth time the duo has competed together. “He was so sweet, he was paying attention to me and he was also enjoying everything that was happening around him. It’s nice to ride a happy horse in the ring because then you can relax a little bit and just ride.”

She continued to praise her new partner, commenting, “I’ve got a pretty stacked Grade. Of course, I would have loved eight more months to be even more gelled and clicked, but we are where we are and the time is now, so we’re doing it. The relationship has had to progress really, really rapidly. But, he’s probably the most willing, earnest horse I’ve ever ridden. Today, he just knew what his job was and he did it well.”

Gowanlock also thanked owner, Christoff, for providing her with such a solid partner. “Wendy Christoff is an angel in disguise. She heard through the grapevine at the beginning of May that I needed a horse – that I’d qualified to make the team to Rio, but didn’t have a horse – and she said, ‘Take Disco.’ I know her kindness will come back to her a million-fold.”

Lee Pearson from Great Britain emerged as the winner of the Grade 1b Team Test with 75.280% aboard Zion, and Pepo Puch of Austria and Fontainenoir scored 75.280% for second. Third place went to Alina Rosenberg of Germany and Nea’s Daboun (73.160).

The second day of para-dressage competition on Sept. 12 will see Robyn Andrews, 33, from St. John’s, NF make her Paralympic debut aboard Fancianna in the Grade 1a Team Test. Three-time Paralympian and 2015 Canadian Disability Hall of Fame inductee, Lauren Barwick will enjoy her 39th birthday on Sept. 12, before getting underway with the Grade II Team Test on Sept. 13, partnered with Onyx.

The Individual tests for para-dressage will begin Sept. 13 and run until Sept. 15, with medals up for grabs in all four grades. The Team medals will be awarded following the the completion of the Individual tests on Sept. 15. Para-dressage competition in Rio will culminate with the fan-favourite Freestyle Test for medals on Sept. 16.

For more information on para-dressage at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, including the full schedule of equestrian competition and live results, please visit www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/equestrian. Further information on the Canadian Equestrian Team can be found at www.equestrian.ca.