Triple Victory for Canada at 2008 Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI 3*

Ottawa, Ontario-It was a banner weekend for Canada during the CDI-W/Y Palm Beach Dressage Derby, held February 29 to March 2, in Loxahatchee, FL, USA which saw Canadian riders complete a hat trick in the Grand Prix division.

Canadian double Olympian Ashley Holzer, a current resident of New York, NY, started the competition off with a bang by winning the Grand Prix class riding Pop Art (Amsterdam x Cabouchon), an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Holzer and Ian Nicoll. Their score was 73.083% in what was arguably the largest CDI Grand Prix field held outside Europe, with a class size of nearly 50 entries.

Holzer finished off the weekend by riding a career best score of 77.450% in the Grand Prix Freestyle.

“I am thrilled with Pop Arts performance this weekend but I am also so happy with the results of my fellow Canadians,” remarked Holzer, who is currently the highest ranked Canadian rider in the FEI’s Dressage Riders’ World Ranking List in 18th position. “Canada stood out this weekend by winning all the Grand Prix classes. Pop Art put in such a great freestyle. It was his best to date.”

Jacqueline Brooks from Mount Albert, ON, and Gran Gesto (Grannox x Goldstern), an 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch, earned a fourth place finish in the very competitive Grand Prix (67.958%) which included many American Olympic hopefuls. Brooks went on to handily win the Grand Prix Special with 69.120%, almost 3 full percentage points over the nearest place horse/rider combination.

The weekend’s results mean that Ashley Holzer and Jacqueline Brooks are the first Canadian riders to have achieved the necessary qualifying scores in order to be in contention for the 2008 Olympic Games Canadian Dressage Team.

Denielle Gallagher of Saint John, NB, and Gallaway’s Abrikos, her 17-year-old Russian-bred stallion, continued to show that they are a new pair to watch by riding to a score of 65.250% in the Grand Prix test.

The Grand Prix division also saw Chris von Martels, of Ridgetown, ON, with Hesperos (Donaumonarch x Heronia), a 14-year-old Trakehner stallion owned by Lori and Steve Raciopo, finished with 64.333% to finish in 13th position in the Grand Prix class. Tina Irwin, of Lakefield, ON, and her long-time partner Amicelli (Amigo x Calypso III), a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding finished in 7th place with 64.840% in the Grand Prix Special.

Canadians could also be found in the Advanced division including Ashley Holzer and Daddy Cool (64.000% in the Prix St. Georges and 64.083% in the Intermediaire I).

The international judging panel included Stephen Clarke (FEI O-GBR), Evi Eisenhardt (FEI O-GER), Natalie Lamping (FEI I-USA) as well as members of the 2008 Olympic judging panel: Gary Rockwell (FEI O-USA), Ghislain Fouarge (FEI O-NED) and Leif Tornblad (FEI O-DEN).

In addition to the great results at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI3*, 2003 Pan Am Gold medalist, Leslie Reid of Langley, BC, and Orion, Patricia Hatch’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood sired by Jazz, took part in the first CDI on the West Coast circuit earning a score of 64.080% in the Grand Prix Special at the 2008 CDI-W/Y Burbank, in Burbank, CA.