Tiffany Foster did not get to be the number one ranked female rider in the world by resting on her laurels. But even by equestrian standards, her work ethic borders on super-human.
The three-time Canadian Olympian arrived in Langley on Wednesday evening for the Summer Fort Welcome, straight from the Paris Games where she represented Canada with Figor. Less than 48 hours later, she was leading the victory gallop in the CSI3* Heavy Metal Equipment & Rentals 1.50m Qualifier with Northern Light.
“I’m a little jet-lagged,” confessed Foster. “I asked Chris [Pack], why do all these classes have to be at night?!”
While most Olympic athletes are taking a beat to recuperate from the intense demands of qualifying for and then competing in the Paris Games, Foster’s homecoming plan was always an immediate return to the ring at tbird.
“Thunderbird means a lot to me. My good friend and client, Wendy Valdes, [and I] are building a farm here and really trying to relocate here. Thunderbird is a huge part of why that’s possible, so I’ve kind of pledged to be here for any international show that they do—even if it means landing off the plane and coming straight here.”
As of Friday evening, the Canadian team veteran has already made the trip worthwhile. Riding Northern Light and Electrique, Foster bookended the podium in the Grand Prix qualifier. USA’s Kyle King and SIG Chirai took second.
Twenty-nine starters came forward for Peter Holmes’ 1.50m track, with seven finding a clear path to advance to the jump off. Foster set the time to beat with Electrique in 42.04 seconds only to have King and SIG Chiari knock more than a second off in 40.86.
“Electrique is a super fast horse. I didn’t go full throttle knowing that she has the Grand Prix coming up on Sunday, but Kyle shaved like two seconds off [my time], which I didn’t totally appreciate!” smiled Foster.
She had a second shot with Northern Light and despite not having ridden the mare in two months—stable rider Megan Southam kept “Nora” fit while Foster was competing at Spruce Meadows and in Paris this summer—the pair wasted no time finding their rhythm to reclaim the lead in a time of 40.7.
“The cool thing about Nora is she’s experienced. She’s 13 years old. I’ve had her for five years now, so we know each other really well, and I know that you can come on a really blind angle with her. So I was pretty sharp [to fence] two, sharp into the double. I made a good turn to the green [oxer]…And then I could take a pretty good shot to the last.”
In 2023, Northern Light helped Foster capture her first 5* Grand Prix win, a milestone victory achieved at tbird. She’s shown the mare lightly this season and dropped her down a division with the intention that the mare will fill the shoes of recently retired speed specialist Brighton.
“She’s been an incredible horse for me. She’s jumped a lot of clear rounds and five star Grand Prix. She kind of tells me sometimes that she would rather jump a little smaller,” said Foster.
“We have some younger horses moving up, so we’ve made a decision with her owners, Andy and Carlene Ziegler, to slot her more in this 1.50m role because it’s very easy for her. She’s a super fast horse, she’s super competitive.
“When you bring Nora into a class like this, you’re bringing a gun to a knife fight.”
Foster will aim to make it a double winning weekend in Sunday’s CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors 1.50m Grand Prix. Just don’t expect her to take a vacation anytime soon.
CSI3* Heavy Metal & Equipment Qualifier 1.50m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Northern Light / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/0 40.7
2. SIG Chiari / Kyle King / USA / The Chi Group / 0/0 40.86
3. Electrique / Tiffany Foster / CAN / 5 Roosters / 0/0 42.04
4. Cera Caruso / Katie Laurie / AUS / Carissa McCall / 0/4 38.87
5. Daido Van’t Ruytershof Z / James Chawke / IRL / James Chawke / 0/4 41.34
Ayla Martinoff and Calloway. (tbird/Kim Gaudry)
Martinoff and Calloway Victorious in CSI3* JustWorld Int’l Winning Round
When Ayla Martinoff drove her trailer out of Thunderbird Show Park in July, she was riding a high—and a three-class win streak with Calloway. This week, they’re back at tbird and picked up right where they left off.
Making their first ever international 1.45m appearance, Martinoff and the 10-year-old grey topped a 10-horse jump off to win the CSI3* JustWorld International Winning Round. Kendall Bourgeois (USA) and Flinton M took second and Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster and Kadans, third.
The international win was a career first for both Calloway and Martinoff.
“I’m so happy. Another best day of my life!” enthused the Langley-based rider.
In the Winning Round format, the top 10 pairs return for the second round, in reverse order of their score, and the slate is wiped clean. Martinoff qualified both her mounts for the second half. She posted a speedy four fault performance on A Crown Royale in 40.18 seconds, then returned, second to last, with Calloway to shave almost a full second off, stopping the clock at 39.25.
Her winning strategy: “Go really fast, but not lose my cool and leave out an extra step. Sometimes I can get a little ahead of myself,” confessed Martinoff. “So just keeping that in check—go for the gallops, but then have a moment.”
Owned, ridden and bred by Martinoff, Calloway and A Crown Royale are full siblings by Capone 1 (x Lloyds) out of A Little Bit 5. While the greys share genetics, they couldn’t be more different to ride.
“A Crown Royal is very brave, but a little dull,” said Martinoff. “And [Calloway] is so electric and a little careful.”
All bets are off with the gelding back in the stable, however.
“He is the sweetest boy,” she smiled. “Our lesson kids call him ‘snuggly horse.’ He’s in the first stall in the barn and he’s just so kind. We feed him unlimited treats.”
It’s a safe bet Martinoff did as well after Saturday’s victory.
$10,000 USD CSI3* JustWorld International Winning Round 1.45m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Calloway / Ayla Martinoff / CAN / Ayla Martinoff / 0/0 39.25
2. Flinton M / Kendall Bourgeois / USA / Cameron Brown / 0/0 39.43
3. Kadans / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/0 40.45
4. Epsilon De Brenil / Andrew Lopez / USA / Andrew Lopez / 4/0 41.26
5. Pretty Women / Katie Laurie / AUS / Highland Farms LLC / 4/4 38.83
Stephenson and Chaccalanda Take MarBill Hill U25 Grand Prix
Olivia Stephenson (CAN) has been knocking at the door of a MarBill Hill U25 win all week at tbird’s Summer Fort Welcome.
Olivia Stephenson and Chaccalanda. (tbird/Kim Gaudry)
She was third in Wednesday’s MarBill Hill U25 1.35m on Deister Z and again in Thursday’s 1.40m Speed on Chaccalanda. On Saturday, she cracked the code for the win. As the final pair to return for the short course in the MarBill Hill U25 1.40m Grand Prix, presented by Solaris Equestrian, she jumped to the top of the podium with Chaccalanda.
Seven pairs found a clear path around Peter Holmes’ 1.40m track. Chasing the 52.03 second time to beat set by pathfinders Cashelle Levasseur (CAN) and Laviata, Stephenson and Chaccalanda rubbed the first two fences, but left all the poles in place to stop the clock or a second and a half faster at 50.7.
Levasseur was relegated to second and Sierra Geisler (USA) and Hatari took third as the only other double clear.
“One thing we’ve been working on, especially with Chacca, is [riding] my track, rather than just straight out galloping,” said Stephenson. “I tried to shave off as much time in the corners where I could.”
The other thing she’s working on: taking risks while keeping a level head.
Stephenson, 17, trains with Calgary’s Bretton Chad and Charlie Jones of Stone Ridge Sport Horses. As she rode into the ring, Chad could be seen giving her last minute advice.
“She said to ‘ride what you feel. Give it your best shot. But stick to the plan and don’t try anything crazy out of the bag,’” shared Stephenson, adding, “because that sometimes is what happens.”
Currently under lease, Chaccalanda is a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare that has been in Stephenson’s string for about a year and a horse that comes with both ample international experience up to the 1.50m level and a share sire with one of the Calgary-based rider’s previous mounts. Chaccalanda is a half sister to Stephenson’s children’s jumper Chaccana, a horse she rode to team bronze and individual silver medals at the North American Youth Championships in 2019.
The relationship is coincidental, she said, but it’s played to her favor.
“I think because I knew how to ride Chaccana, it really helps with Chaccalanda. They definitely go differently, but their mentality [is similar]—they’re both so careful and they both try so hard every time.”
It’s a quality that has allowed Stephenson to grow in confidence—and results.
“She has a heart of gold. She’s been there, done that. She knows her job and because I’m a junior, it’s good to have a horse that knows what they’re doing,” she continued.
“I’ve always struggled with being competitive and trying to step outside my comfort zone. So I think that because I have horses that I can trust now to try something different, I can try a different turn, try and be better, instead of just going around perfecting a certain distance. Charlie and Bretton have helped me a lot with that as well.”
$15,000 MarBill Hill U25 Grand Prix
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Chaccalanda / Olivia Stephenson / CAN / Olivia Stephenson / 0/0 50.7
2. Laviata / Cashelle Levasseur / CAN / Gerard Developments / 0/0 52.03
3. Hatari / Sierra Geisler / USA / Sierra Geisler / 0/0 56.73
4. Jus De Seminka / Reagan Tomb / USA / Greg Tomb / 0/04 49.65
5. Gryffindor De Hay / Dylan Munro / CAN / Attache Stables / 0/4 49.88
James Chawke (IRL) and Daido van’t Ruytershof Z. (tbird/Kim Gaudry)
Chawke Wins CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Grand Prix
James Chawke (IRL) is still learning about his 10-year-old Zangersheide mare, Daido van’t Ruytershof Z. After winning Wednesday’s CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m, Chawke shared that he thought the quick-footed bay would make a useful ranking horse.
But she might have even more in the tank.
Chawke and his horse added a second international victory to their week’s tally Sunday at tbird, besting a six-horse jump-off in the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Grand Prix 1.50m.
The winning time was 36.84 seconds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) finished second with Electrique (38.66s), followed by Sarah Lottis (CAN) and Rhapsody (41.55s).
“She did that easily enough,” Chawke said of Daido van’t Ruytershof Z. “We bought her with the idea that she would at least do [ranking classes]. She jumped her first four-star here in May, and she had a couple down, but nothing [major]. I feel like she can do that for sure.”
Lottis was the first to replicate a clear effort over Peter Holmes’ (CAN) jump-off track, and she put enough pressure on her competitors. Chawke, however, was well aware of who followed him in the order and knew he’d need to create a bit of a margin to give himself a chance at victory. Utilizing his mount’s footspeed, he set off with purpose, ultimately crediting his victory to his ride between the first two fences and his gallop to the final obstacle. Only Foster, fresh off an appearance at the Paris Olympic Games, could get within even two seconds of the winners.
“[My strategy was to] just to go as fast as I could. I knew just having those couple [riders] behind me, like Tiffany [Foster] and Katie [Laurie], that they were going to be very fast,” Chawke said.
“I was quite fast from [jumps] one to two, and then obviously the gallop home. But no matter what, she’s just naturally so quick,” he added.
Chawke is making up for lost time after a quieter summer, when an injury sidelined him for eight weeks. The Summer Fort Welcome marked his return to ring riding, with little rust to shake off. While healthier, having fresh horses is a strategy that he is is happy to employ again.
“I’ll show both [Diado van’t Ruytershof Z and Nacara van Berkenbroek Z, who finished ninth] again next week,” he said, “and then maybe we’ll have a break again and maybe come back here in September.”
$75,000 USD CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Grand Prix
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Daido van’t Ruytershof Z / James Chawke / IRL / James Chawke / 0/0 36.84
2. Electrique / Tiffany Foster / CAN / 5 Roosters / 0/0 38.66
3. Rhapsody / Sarah Lottis / CAN / Kevin Lottis / 0/0 41.55
4. Cadillac / Brian Morton / CAN / Spruce Meadows Ltd / 0/0 41.58
5. Django II / Katie Laurie / AUS / Katie Laurie / 0/4 39
Full results here.
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