Successful Spring Season for Canadian Eventers at International Competitions

The success of the Canadian Eventing High Performance program continues into the 2011 spring season with Canadian riders recording top finishes as riders and horses prepare to compete at CCI 4*s Badminton Horse Trials April 21–25 in Great Brittan and the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in Lexington, KY, April 28–May 1, 2011.

At CIC 3* The Fork Horse Trials held in Norwood, North Carolina April 7–10th, 2011, WEG Team Silver medallist Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch and Port Authority, a 13-year-old Canadian-bred Selle Français/Thoroughbred gelding owned by the rider and her mother Patricia Bosch, completed fault-free cross country and jumping rounds to finish in second place on their dressage score of 49.9. Jessica Phoenix, a fellow WEG team member enjoyed two top ten finishes. Phoenix rode Exploring, her own 14-year-old gelding to a seven place finish on a score of 53.8 and placed 10th riding her 2010 WEG partner Exponential, the 13-year-old bay Canadian Thoroughbred gelding scoring 56.8.

2008 Olympian and WEG team member Selena O’Hanlon of Elgin, ON, and Colombo, Elaine and Michael Davies 16-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, had an 11th place finish adding only four jumping faults to their dressage score of 53.4. Peter Barry of Dunham, QC, and Kilrodan Abbott, 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the rider and his wife, Susan Barry, were 21st with a score of 68.1.

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Other Canadians competing in the CIC 3* The Fork included Jessica Hampf, who currently resides in Franklin, TN, and High Society III, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by the rider and Carl Hampf, who finished 33rd place. Right behind Hampf, in 34th place, was Danica Moore of Salmon Arm, BC, with Dunlavins Token, the rider’s 11-year-old Argentine Warmblood gelding. Diana Burnett of Blackstock, ON, and Shigatzi, an eight-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding that the rider co-owns with Valerie Eden, finished in 41st place.

At the CIC 3* Galway Downs held in Temecula, CA, on April 1–3, two-time Olympian and 2010 WEG team silver medalist Hawley Bennett–Awad rode her WEG partner Gin & Juice, the 11-year-old bay Thoroughbred mare owned by the rider and Linda Paine, to a faultless performance on both cross country and in jumping to finish the competition on their dressage score of 48.2 for second place overall. Bennet-Awad also topped the leaderboard in the CIC 2* with Five O’clock Somewhere, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred co-owned by Bennett–Awad, Susan Church and Kimberly Barron finishing on their dressage score of 47.4.

“I could not be happier with Gin & Juice and Five O’Clock Somewhere. They both were amazing on cross country and show jumping,” said Bennett-Awad. “It was a perfect prep for Gin & Juice before we compete at Badminton. Robert Kellerhouse runs one of the best events in the country.”

Bennett–Awad, O’Hanlon and Rhodes-Bosch will compete in the CCI 4* Badminton Horse Trials, GBR April 21-25. The Canadian Eventing High Performance Committee provided travel assistance grants to the riders competing at Badminton which were made possible through the Own the Podium funding support program. Barry, Burnett, Hampf, Phoenix plus Rebecca Howard are headed for the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event the following week.

To follow our Canadian riders at Badminton, please visit http://www.badminton-horse.co.uk/.

To follow our Canadian riders at Rolex, please visit http://www.rk3de.org/.

The first of the 2011 North American CCI competitions were held the weekend of April 14–17 at the Ocala Horse Park in Ocala Florida. In the CCI 2* division Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, rode Rolex, Christian Bennett’s 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, to fourth place completing the competition on their dressage score of 50.7. In 12th place was Kim Crawford of Arva, ON, riding her own 12-year-old Selle Français/Thoroughbred gelding, Chocco de Pomme with final score of 66.4.

Riding Nazrulla, Erin Hinchliffe’s 11-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding, Rebecca Lee of Bon Accord, AB, placed 16th with a score of 80. Maya Studenmund, who currently resides in Southern Pines, NC, rode Red Rock, Cherry Knoll Farm Inc’s nine-year-old Argentine-bred gelding to 18th place, while Katelyn Ziegler of Beiseker, AB, rode her own nine-year-old Irish Warmblood, Peninsula Lion, to 19th spot.

Sable Giesler aboard Evil Munchkin was the top-placed Canadian in the CCI 1* division at Ocala. A native of Powassan, ON, Giesler and her eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding finished on their dressage score of 53.7 for third place overall. Katlyn Hewson of Minden, ON, finished in 14th place with Jack’s Irish Z, her own seven-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. In 16th place was Siamese Kat, a nine-year-old Anglo-Arabian owned and ridden by Mélissa Boutin of Sherbrooke, QC. April Simmonds of Uxbridge, ON, rounded out the Canadian entries by finishing in 21st place riding Sunday Best, an eight-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding.