Gaitpost Magazine - October 2017

OCTOBER 2017 GASTRIC ULCERS · BARN SWALLOWS · MORE NAJYRC

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PAGE 37

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contents FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

11 Sherman Olson Lifetime Achievement Award 14 High Point Equestrian Centre Welcomes Everyone 23 Barn Swallows On The Decline

By Michelle Jackson

28 Canada’s Rising Stars Rack Up 10 Medals at NAJYRC 2017 33 Canadian Eventers Excel At The Young Riders Championships!

40 Saddle Fit And Education

8 TidBits Catastrophic Bits 16 Vet’s View Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

19 Industry News More Than 400

Entries Set to Participate in 2017 KWPNNA Keuring Tour

25 FEI News FEI Secretary General

Elected President Of New Paralympic Association

36 Discipline Reports Swail Sweeps Up A Longines Win At Thunderbird Langley

By Jochen Schleese

49 Kim Vos: From The Netherlands To Alberta By Astrid Hryciuk

IN THIS ISSUE 10 35 51 54 58 60 61 61 61 62

Headline News Equestrian Canada News Sales Catalogue Equestrian Properties Barn & Coaching Classifieds BCHJA News BCLM Pony Club News Competition Calendar Advertisers’ Index Noticeboard

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ON THE COVER: Winner of the CP International, presented by Rolex, at the CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters — Philipp Weishaupt, riding LB Convall.

See page 37.

“I watch the best riders and I steal with my eyes! I know my horse (Cosmo) can do it, and I never doubted from the first day I sat on him that he could beat anybody” — Sonke Rothenberger [See page 47]

Diana Creech Canadian Dressage Team Member

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Volume 17 Issue 10

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CANADA’S GREATEST LITTLE HORSE MAG

Publisher Gaitpost Publications Inc. 258 – 224th Street, Langley, BC V2Z 2V6 Editor Eleanor Klawer · eleanor@gaitpost.com

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Sales Kiersten Humphrey · kiersten@gaitpost.com Photo Ad Sales PhotoAds@gaitpost.com Design & Production Post Publishers Ltd. · production@gaitpost.com Circulation Liam Klawer · circulation@gaitpost.com Accounting Eleanor Klawer · eleanor@gaitpost.com Lori Boughton Contributing Writers Eleanor Klawer · editorial@gaitpost.com Dr. Maia Aspe · Michelle Jackson · T. Holmes-Smith Jochen Schleese · Astrid Hryciuk Editorial Submissions editorial@gaitpost.com Phone: 604-534-9665 Toll-Free: 1-855-534-9665 www.gaitpost.com

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Printed in Canada · Please Recycle!

Publications Agreement #42892033

Disclaimer: Reproduction, printed or electronic, in whole or part of any material contained in this publication, without prior written permission of The Publisher is strictly prohibited. The information and services listed are intended to facilitate accessibility to the professionals, products and services of the horse industry. The GaitPost has been compiled with the greatest of care, however, the Publisher does not assume responsibility for errors, omissions or subsequent changes. Further, the Publisher does not imply endorsement of opinions, images or services, whether solicited or unsolicited. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person as a result of any material in this publication can be accepted by the Publisher, editor or contributors. Submissions: All photographs and submissions will be handled carefully. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. We reserve the right to edit or refuse any material not deemed appropriate. Submission does not guarantee publication.

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by Eleanor Klawer ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

TIDBITS

Catastrophic Bits F

ire, Flood, Hurricanes, Earthquakes…we are seeing them all these days. Are you prepared should a disaster hit your area? Do you have an evacuation plan? Do you have a disaster-preparedness kit? As horse people, we like to stay in our own little world, our comfort zone built around our animals, but reality is really knocking these days. It is uplifting to see so many from around the world come to the aid of those struck by fires in Western Canada and hurricanes in the southern states, but it is perhaps a bit too easy to sit in our relative safety, fire off a donation, and just be thankful it isn’t us. Please make contact with others in your area, and develop a plan for evacuation of yourselves and your animals, and be forward-thinking when it comes time to store feed, bedding, and even your trailer, let alone food and water for your family. Most munici-

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palities have a disaster plan in place, and they are a good start to developing your own plan, with your own particular needs.

CAROLINAS TO THE RESCUE… Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) has announced they will open the facility for equine evacuees in the wake of Hurricane Irma to assist those in need of safe stabling outside of the storm path and predicted impact radius. Four hundred stalls will be available for evacuees at TIEC at a discounted rate and will be offered for reservation on a first come, first serve basis. Johnson Horse Transportation, Inc. is helping to coordinate commercial shipments to the Carolinas region from South Florida. It would be good to know ahead of time who to contact in your own areas for such help.

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IMAGINE THIS… A final update on the Mongolian long distance race! [See page 13] The team on the ground reported that they’ve had “four seasons in a week with the Mongolian weather — day two saw borderline hypothermia; snorkels and x-ray vision were highly recommended. Day five saw blaz-

COURTESY THE GREAT RACE

HELP FOR HARVEY VICTIMS… In the wake of one of the worst tropical natural disasters to hit the United States, the residents and animals of Texas need help. A record 49 inches of rain has fallen in the Houston area, and even more is expected.

There are several equine specific disaster relief funds that you can donate to that will support the efforts of emergency response groups and organizations that are helping horses impacted by the flooding. The United States Equestrian Federation Equine Disaster Relief Fund and the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation Equine Disaster Relief Fund are places to start, if you want to help

Co-winners of the Mongolian race headed straight for a lake on completion.

ing sun; the mercury may not read sky-high, but when you’re kitted out riding for 13 hours with zero shade, it’s scorching.” So these people do this for ’fun’, but would you be prepared to cope with every extreme of weather and nature that could come your way?

As we stated in last month’s Tidbits, please contact the Red Cross or Horse Council of British Columbia to ensure your donations get where they are needed most here in BC. Act locally, think globally, and look after you and yours.

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HEADLINENEWS Bit by Bit CHILEAN HUASOS PLANNED FOR OLYMPIA, THE LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW, 2017 Organizers of Olympia, The London International Horse Show, are delighted to announce that the Chilean Huasos will be making their debut in the Olympia Grand Hall as one of the spectacular display acts lined-up for the UK’s largest indoor show, running from December 12–18, 2017.

After performing for Her Majesty The Queen at the BAFTA award-winning HMQ90 in 2016, the Chilean Huasos will once again be making the journey across the Atlantic, this time to central London, where they are due to captivate Olympia’s expected 90,000 spectators throughout the week. The phenomenal display portrays the harmony between horse and rider, and reflects the historical skills of Chilean cowboys, or ‘Huasos’, and cattle horses.

Director of the Palmas de Peñaflor Equestrian Squad, Alfredo Moreno said, “We are thrilled to have been asked to perform at Olympia, it is a great opportunity for us to be able to showcase the Chilean Huasos.

The team and I are really looking forward to entertaining the crowd at this year’s event.”

Show Director, Simon Brooks-Ward said, “We are delighted to welcome the Chilean Huasos for the first time to Olympia. The Show is a great opportunity for equestrian cultures and traditions from around the world to be showcased and celebrated, and the Huasos will be adding exceptional entertainment this year.”

In addition to a second display act, to be announced, spectators can also expect the return of crowd favourites such as The Osborne Refrigerators Shetland Pony Grand National and The Kennel Club Dog Agility plus the Olympia Christmas Finale mixed with top class sporting action including three FEI World Cup competitions in Show Jumping, Carriage Driving and Dressage.

HUNTER RIDERS SET TO TAKE CENTER STAGE ONCE AGAIN AT 2017 ROLEX CENTRAL PARK HORSE SHOW The 2017 Rolex Central Park Horse Show will feature show hunters for the third consecutive year in one of the most spectacular horse show venues in the world.

Headline News continued on page 12

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COURTESY HTBC

Sherman Olson Lifetime Achievement Award

Nancy Olson-Beaulieu and Carol MacDonald

H

orse Council BC’s Lifetime Achievement Award was established and first presented in 1981 to honor individuals who have made exceptional contributions to BC’s equestrian community. These contributions, whether they have been through education, mentoring or leadership, have made a lasting footprint demonstrating a lifetime of commitment and dedication to the on-going progression of the equine industry.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is considered the premier award of Horse Council BC. 2016 SHERMAN OLSON AWARD RECIPIENT: CAROL MCDONALD Carol McDonald has received this award to recognize her lifetime of dedication to the equestrian community. Carol has been a tireless volunteer in many disciplines. She will never say no, she does anything required willingly and competently. Nothing is too much and she exemplifies the saying, “ask a busy person if you want something done”. All this is accompanied by her trademark laugh. She is especially good with interpersonal skills and everything runs smoothly when Carol is on the job. She was first involved with Campbell Valley Pony Club and she was www.gaitpost.com

part of everything available — Quiz, Rally, PPG, Tetrathalon, etc. She went on to National positions and has had a part in overhauling how things are done. She has also been active with the Driving organization.

Carol has been President of Campbell Valley Equestrian Society for several years and is fully involved with putting on the BC’s largest Horse Trials at Campbell Valley every year, including doing the complex job of registration for 200+ competitors. She is also active at the Dressage & X-country Days and the smaller 2-Phase in September.

She works tirelessly to maintain the equestrian facilities at the Park. She applies for grants to fund this and maintains the excellent relationship with Metro Vancouver Parks. As if keeping all these balls in the air is not enough she can often be found weeding the Horse Garden in CV Park, or packing materials in her truck out to the course when everybody else has gone home.

She has bred WelshCob/TB crosses who have reached the top levels of eventing and there are many more coming up the ranks. There are several of her horses, competing successfully at the FEI level.

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Headline News continued from page 10 Hosted at Wollman Rink in Manhattan’s iconic Central Park from September 20-24, 2017, the Rolex Central Park Horse Show will usher in many of the country’s top Professional, Amateur, Junior, and Pony Hunter riders to compete on Saturday, September 23 at 1:30 p.m.

The classic and timeless English discipline derived from the origins of Fox Hunting will display both elegance and precision, as a day of assorted Hunter classes presented by The Gochman Family and Dr. Betsee Parker will entertain throughout Saturday afternoon.

The inaugural U.S. Open winner at the 2015 Rolex Central Park Horse Show was Jennifer Alfano of Buffalo, NY, aboard Miss Lucy. Although Alfano was unable to repeat her performance in 2016 due to an injury, she spoke fondly of her Central Park experience and strongly urged people to watch and support the Hunter classes that take place at this historic event.

LUHMÜHLEN (GER) TO HOST FEI EUROPEAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019 The German venue of Luhmühlen has been allocat-

ed hosting rights to the FEI European Eventing Championships 2019.

The 2019 fixture will be the sixth time that Luhmühlen has hosted the Europeans, having previously staged the Championships in 1975, 1979, 1987, 1999 and most recently in 2011. It also hosted the world championships in 1982. Luhmühlen was the fourth event in the world to become a four-star when it joined this elite group in 2005.

The 2019 Championships, will be particularly important on the international calendar as they will be a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Dates for the event will be announced shortly.

“Luhmühlen is a really wonderful venue and the organising team, headed by Julia Otto, has so much experience in hosting championships that we know they will provide the best possible facilities for the 2019 Europeans and will be a great follow-on from this week’s championships in Strzegom,” FEI Eventing & Olympic Director Catrin Norinder said.

“It’s an immense honour to host the next FEI European Eventing Championships and Luhmühlen

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team is looking forward to the challenge,” Luhmühlen event director Julia Otto said.

MONGOL DERBY 2017 JOINTLY WON BY AUSSIE, ED FERNON, AND SOUTH AFRICAN, BARRY ARMITAGE The 2017 Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race, has been jointly won by 29-year-old Ed Fernon, an Olympic pentathlete from Sydney, Australia, and 51-year-old Barry Armitage, a former professional sailor turned adventurer, from South Africa, first past the post in 2012 (but thwarted by a vet penalty).

They crossed the finish line together in ‘stinking hot conditions’ and have covered the 1,000 kms in seven days riding 12 hours a day — and in some of the worst conditions the race has ever seen. On arrival at the finish line, both headed straight into the lake to cool off.

In 3rd place, just a few hours behind was 40 yearold Jakkie Mellett, from Lyndon in South Africa who has displayed incredible riding skills throughout, but received a vet penalty at the final urtuu (horse station) meaning a two hour wait before he could give chase to the others. This means the race had an all-male southern hemisphere podium this year!

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High Point Equestrian Centre Welcomes Everyone H

igh Point Equestrian Centre in South Langley is becoming an important part of the horse world in the Lower Mainland. With its emphasis on education, and with an eye to becoming a centre of excellence in multiple disciplines, High Point is set to be central to our equestrian community.

The facility is second to none, with soaring ceilings in the barns and the arena, leaving one with a cathedral-like impression. It has a beautiful lounge with a view into the arena through tall windows as well as on televisions, and upstairs is a full-facility gym to contribute to equestrian excellence, as we all know it isn’t just the horses that have to be fit!

The lounge/meeting area and the gym are accessible to the community, and High Point is encouraging everyone to see what they have to offer. High Point is a completely separate entity

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from the real estate development down the road, and their mandate is to keep the fabulous facility available to all. The farm was purchased 2 ½ years ago and is now privately owned by people with a dedication to quality and excellence in sport.

In one of the two 20-stall barns, High Point offers top-quality boarding with a full service to reduce the worries of owning a horse in a busy world, like a custom concierge service, if desired.

As simply a home for your horse, with access to the Campbell Valley and High Point trails, the fabulous indoor and outdoor rings, and the excellent footing, it doesn’t get much better than this! The second barn is being kept open for use as clinic and show stabling, overnighting for travellers, and even quarantine facility for the jet setting horses.

Please visit High Point’s website to see what

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PHOTOS COURTESY HIGH POINT EQUESTRIAN CENTRE

they have to offer — www.highpointec.ca.

They are definitely in the 21st century with their scheduling and communications with members. From reasonably-priced enhanced memberships which offer unlimited haul-ins with access to a paddock, and use of the gym and membership in the riding club included, to rental of the wellappointed facilities for weddings and meetings, High Point opens its doors to all. With plans to support groups such as Young Riders, Pony Club, and education in the equestrian world, High Point’s management has made a very conscious decision to be accessible to their community, and enhance excellence in sport. Their show season has just ended with nothing but praise for their organization, facility, prizes and wel-

coming staff.

Also in the plans are high-performance clinics, available to the public for auditing. Juan Manuel Diaz of Spain is the next clinic being held at High Point November 3–5, and as a piaffe/passage expert, this trainer should be an eye-opening clinician as well as a demonstration of the high quality of horses and riders we have in British Columbia. Go to highpointec.ca for more information

UPCOMING EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO WITH

• September 24, 2017 Campbell Valley Wine Run (start/finish line) • October 14 – 15, 2017 Brittany Fraser – Beaulieu Clinic • November 3 – 5, 2017 Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz Fall Symposium

WWW.HIGHPOINTEC.CA admin@highpointec.ca | 604.530.1919 | 658 200th St. Langley, BC V2Z 1V9 5 Minutes from US Border | 30 Minutes to Thunderbird Show Park

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VET’SVIEW

by Dr. Maia Aspe dvm

PHOTOS COURTESY PM VET SERVICES

EQUINE GASTRIC ULCER SYNDROME Although any horse may develop equine gastric ulcer syndrome, sport horses are at a greater risk for developing ulcers due to their husbandry and high stress lifestyle.

I

n the past few years equine gastric ulcer syndrome has gained greater recognition as an important condition affecting both our performance and recreational equine partners. In this condition, the mucosa of the lower esophagus, stomach and upper duodenum (small intestine) become eroded or ulcerated. There are two types of mucosa in the stomach, a squamous portion and a glandular portion. These regions of the stomach are divided by a junction called the margo plicatus. The most common area for gastric ulcers to develop is on the squamous portion 16

OCTOBER 2017

of the stomach, near the margo plicatus. In the affected horse, the acidity of the stomach overrides the protective mechanisms of the mucosa and the epithelium becomes eroded and eventually ulcerated.

The risk factors for development of equine gastric ulcer syndrome continues to be investigated by researchers. One of the largest risk factors for our horses is athletic performance and even recreational use. One study revealed that up to 90% of racehorses were affected by gastric ulcers. Another study found that up to 60% of

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horses used for sport or pleasure use were affected. Other identified risk factors include high concentrate and low forage diets, and interrupted feeding schedules leading to periods of fasting. In a nutshell, these risk factors increase the exposure of the mucosa to gastric acids and/or reduce the protective mechanisms, such as the acid buffering capacity, of the stomach.

A common misconception is that overzealous administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs, ex. phenylbutazone) is the most common cause of gastric ulcers. Although NSAIDs can contribute to the development of gastric ulcers, the first and most common adverse effect from NSAID use is actually right dorsal colitis, an inflammatory condition affecting the colon. These adverse effects are because NSAIDs inhibit the endogenous secretion of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins play an important role in protecting the mucosa from gastric acids by promoting mucus and bicarbonate secretions and altering mucosal blood flow.

Prostaglandin secretion can also be inhibited by stress, and this is a key contributor to the development of gastric ulcers in performance horses.

Stressful events for your horse such as showing, travelling or illness will increase your horse’s susceptibility to develop ulcers and is why we often target treatment at those times.

So how would you know if your horse is affected by equine gastric ulcer syndrome? The clinical signs of this syndrome are notoriously vague and often this condition is diagnosed when other diagnostics yielded no results. Even low grade ulcers can cause your horse pain and discomfort. How this discomfort manifests in horses varies greatly depending on the severity of the lesions and the individual character of the horse. Changes in behaviour or a history of misbehaviour are commonly cited. Sensitivity to palpation of the girth area or “girthiness”, irritability under saddle, and resistance to perform can also be observed. A reduced appetite, teeth grinding, and poor body condition are also common clinical signs. Gastric ulcers can also be a cause of intermittent, low grade colic. Affected www.gaitpost.com

Gastric ulcers are most commonly found on the squamous portion of the stomach near the margo plicatus, the junction between the squamous and glandular portions of the stomach. A horse with grade 1 ulcers may have areas of reddening and inflammation, and several areas of eroded or mildly ulcerated mucosa. This image was collected during a gastroscopy.

A horse with grade 3 gastric ulcers has extensive areas of deeply ulcerated mucosa. This image shows deep ulcers in the squamous portion of the stomach visualized via gastroscopy.

horses often present with a history of frequent bouts of colic that respond to medical management on the farm or in the hospital.

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome can be definitively diagnosed through gastroscopy, or endoscopic examination of the stomach. In this procedure, the horse undergoes standing sedation, and an endoscopic camera is passed down the horse’s esophagus into the stomach. The horse is held off of feed and water to ensure that the stomach is as empty as possible. The camera can then be maneuvered around the stomach and esophagus to examine the mucosa and identify any erosions or ulcerations. The severity of the lesions can be graded and their chronicity can be determined. In severe cases, a follow-up gastroscopy may be warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment before it is discontinued.

The mainstay of treatment for equine gastric ulcer syndrome is an oral medication omepraVet’s View continued on page 18

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Vet’s View continued from page 17 zole, which is only available in Canada as the labelled product “Gastrogard”. This medication is a proton pump inhibitor, which in effect reduces the production of acid by the stomach, thereby making it less acidic. This reduces the incidence of new ulcers developing and promotes healing of those already present. The typical recommendation is a 28 day course of treatment with daily administration of Gastrogard. Ideally the horse is re-evaluated near the end of this period to assess their response to treatment. Once the ulcers have resolved, some horses may be managed well with husbandry changes alone. Other horses, especially those with rigorous training or showing schedules, may require targeted treatment during stressful events to prevent the recurrence of gastric ulcers. Other medications, such as sucralfate, may also be employed in the treatment of gastric ulcers. Sucralfate is an oral medication that is designed to coat damaged mucosa in the esophagus and stomach, and may help speed the healing of ulcers that are present.

By understanding the risk factors for developing gastric ulcers, we can alter the management of our horses in an effort to reduce their incidence. Feeding diets that are primarily forage based with as few concentrates as possible is optimal. In addition, mimicking the horse’s grazing feeding pattern by either offering grass turn out, slow feeder hay nets, or more frequent feedings, can all help reduce your horse’s risk for developing ulcers. If you feel your horse may be affected by equine gastric ulcer syndrome contact your veterinarian for more information about diagnostic and treatment options.

Maia Aspe is originally from Langley, BC and works at Paton & Martin Veterinary Services in Aldergrove, BC. She graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and prior to that, she majored in Applied Animal Biology at the University of British Columbia. Maia discovered her passion for equine medicine while competing on the hunter jumper circuit. She appreciates all aspects of the equine veterinary field, but is particularly interested in sports medicine. In her free time, she enjoys riding her horse and spending time in the great outdoors.

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INDUSTRYNEWS Business Matters

COURTESY IRON SPRING FARM

Outstanding young horses, such as Intriguing ISF, can be seen on the annual KWPN-NA keuring tour.

MORE THAN 400 ENTRIES SET TO PARTICIPATE IN 2017 KWPN-NA KEURING TOUR “It’s the biggest keuring we’ve ever hosted!”

F

resh off a trip to the USEF Dressage National Championships where three of her KWPN horses competed successfully in the Young Rider and Young Horse divisions, KC Dunn is now busy preparing her Timbach Farm in Depauw, Indiana to welcome more than twenty entries from across the Midwest as part of the 2017 KWPN-NA keuring tour. A respected jury of international Royal Dutch Sport Horse experts including Bart Henstra, Harrie Derks and Arie Hamoen of the Netherlands will officiate for a whirlwind tour of 16 different sites from Connecticut to California and across Canada throughout the month of September, and if entry numbers and enthusiasm are any indication, this year’s tour could be one of the best ever. www.gaitpost.com

“We have quite a few more horses scheduled to participate this year than we’ve had before, and when we first heard the entry numbers we were scrambling a little bit to make sure we could accommodate everyone,” said Dunn, who has bred KWPN horses for ten years and served as a keuring host since 2015. “But that’s a great problem to have. I’m so excited to see the growth and welcome everyone to the event.”

The annual KWPN-NA keuring tour is a cornerstone event for breeders to celebrate their dedication to the Royal Dutch Sport Horse and proudly showcase the results of their breeding programs, many of which have developed excep-

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

Industry News continued on page 20 OCTOBER 2017

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Industry News continued from page 19 tional equine athletes for generations.

But the tour also has an important role for the studbook itself, serving as a sort of ‘quality improvement’ for the breed as well as providing an educational opportunity for breeders, owners, competitors, and the public. In addition to approvals of individual horses, a multitude of awards and cash prizes will be available as part of the KWPN-NA keuring tour to reward excellence in breeding stock and to highlight the development of Dutch sport horses for careers in sport in each of the KWPN’s five breeding directions, including Dressage, Jumpers, Hunters, Harness, and Gelders.

Kelley Stachon, Office Manager for the KWPN-NA headquarters in Lexington, Ky., reported that as of the August 16th final closing date for nominations more than 400 keuring entries had been received with an estimated average increase of five to 10 more entries per site than last year.

Overall, dressage-type horses led the way as far as participation numbers, with the perennially-

popular keuring sites of Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville, Pa. and DG Bar Ranch in Hanford, Cal. having more than 50 entries each for riding horses. But interestingly, the individual keuring with the highest total number of entries received (54) was for harness horses, being held September 1-2 in Goshen, Indiana.

Spectators are welcome and admission is free! For more information about the 2017 KWPN-NA keuring tour and to find an upcoming inspection at a location near you, visit the KWPN-NA website at www.kwpn-na.org.

NOEL ASMAR ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SONOMA HORSE PARK Award-winning equestrian lifestyle brand, Noel Asmar, is proud to announce their recent partnership with Sonoma Horse Park. Coming on board as the 2017 official apparel partner, every division champion will be award apparel from Noel Asmar Equestrian.

In addition, the $25,000 Noel Asmar Equestrian Grand Prix will take place on Saturday Sep-

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tember 23rd at SHP Season Finale. Stop by the VIP for complimentary local wine and a personalized trunk show debuting the latest styles from Noel Asmar Equestrian.

“We look forward to being a part of the Sonoma Horse Park experience,” says brand Founder and CEO Noel Asmar. “We pride ourselves on our shared values and believe in empowering riders and enriching the equestrian experience.”

Located in the heart of California wine country, the Sonoma Horse Park is a world-class horse show facility that boasts seventeen arenas and proudly hosts top competitors from throughout the Western USA, Canada & Mexico.

Known for working alongside top North American show facilities including Spruce Meadows and Thunderbird Show Park, Noel Asmar Equestrian looks forward to building their partnership with Sonoma Horse Park.

FOUR NEW CDI AND NATIONAL SHOW SERIES KICKS OFF 2018 WITH UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES Four new Western U.S. CDI and national

dressage competitions will kick off the 2018 show season, complementing the burgeoning FEI dressage calendar in the United States.

The Adequan West Coast Dressage Festival show circuit will run from January 3 through February 17 with a Concours de Dressage International (CDI) competition at each of the four shows ranked by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) as the following: CDI-W, CDI1*, CDIJ, CDIY, CDIU25, CDICh, CDIAm, and CDIYH. Each competition also will include a threestar national show with recognition by U.S. Equestrian Federation, U.S. Dressage Federation, and the California Dressage Society. Website launch is slated for September 15, 2017, at www.westcoastdressagefestival.com The schedule is as follows: • AWCDF I, Temecula, California, Galway Downs, January 3-7 • AWCDF II, Del Mar, California, Del Mar Fairgrounds, January 18-21 Industry News continued on page 22

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Industry News continued from page 21 •

AWCDF III, Del Mar, California, Del Mar Fairgrounds, February 1-4 • AWCDF IV, Del Mar, California, Del Mar Fairgrounds, February 14-17 Following the first competition at Galway Downs, competitors are less than one hour’s drive from the Del Mar Fairgrounds where they can then move in for a six-week stay. Stabling opens January 7, 2018.

“Competitors never have to leave for the duration of the six weeks,” exclaims Festival Director Scott Hayes who confirms that the shows expect to offer substantial prize money. “We have such a unique opportunity for the Western North America dressage community. For the first time in many years, the Del Mar Fairgrounds is available for an extended period of time. We will have all-inclusive stabling packages that feature access to all arenas for schooling and training during the down days between the competitions.

The race track will be open for hacking during specific hours each day. We will have 24-hour

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security, secure office-style tack rooms, and even apartments for grooms for rent.”

Sponsors of the new dressage circuit include Adequan as title sponsor. In memory of the Westfalian dressage mount Weltino’s Magic, competed by Shannon Peters, Bruce and Jen Hlavacek will sponsor the CDI1* through the duration of the Festival in his name. Arroyo Del Mar, home to Steffen and Shannon Peters training, and Akiko Yamazaki’s Four Winds Farm join the sponsorship roster, as well as Mary’s Tack and Feed, Leverage Legal Group and Reiten Right Equestrian Footing and more. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

TICKET SALES FOR THE 2018 KENTUCKY THREE-DAY EVENT OPEN EARLY Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI) is opening ticket sales early to unveil a new ticket-ordering system for the 2018 Kentucky Three-Day Event. Ticket sales will open September 27, 2017, at 9:00 a.m.

Eastern U.S. time. Known as the “Best Weekend All Year,” the Kentucky Three-Day Event will return to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, April 26-29.

“We have been building a new ticket system.

It’s ready, and we are eager to unveil it,” said Stewart Perry, President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), organizer of the Kentucky Three-Day Event, of the earlier date.

“Our new system has really simplified the process of buying tickets to our event,” said Lee Carter, EEI Executive Director. “Even those purchases that traditionally folks called in, like group tickets, can easily be done online now.”

Tickets and tailgating spots go fast once sales open, so fans will get the best tickets at the best prices if they order early.

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A ROCHA

Barn Swallows on the Decline

By Michelle Jackson, Conservation Biologist, A Rocha Canada

B

arn Swallows are migratory birds whose populations have been declining in Canada since the mid-1980s. Identified by their metallic blue-black back, rust-coloured throat and forehead, and deeply forked tail, they are commonly seen foraging over open fields and pastures. Unlike many species, Barn Swallows actually benefit from human-modified rural landscapes. Before human settlement, they nested primarily in caves and cliff ledges. Today, most Barn Swallow nest colonies can be found in barns, sheds, and under the eaves of houses. Barn owners are likely familiar with the swallows’ cup-shaped nests, constructed of mud globules and often lined with hay and horse hair. Some may find the presence of swallow nests to be a nuisance if constructed on light fixtures or over areas where droppings piles are unwanted. However, there are ways to attract swallows, or even move nests, to more

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suitable areas. For example, many farm owners have had success with building small wooden platforms to encourage nests away from light fixtures. And many enjoy seeing the birds’ acrobatic manoeuvres as they catch insects mid-flight and fly in and out of barns to feed nestling chicks.

Despite being the most widespread swallow species in the world, Barn Swallows declined in Canada by 76% between 1970 and 2012. Their current downward population trends are cause for conservation concern, and the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) officially listed Barn Swallows as threatened in 2011. Although the cause of their decline is not fully understood, it is likely that loss of agricultural habitat (open fields for foraging and nesting structures) is a primary threat.

Pasture fields and farmland are becoming rap-

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A ROCHA Barn swallow chicks

Barn Swallows continued from page 23 idly developed for industry and housing in Canada, resulting in the loss of optimal Barn Swallow foraging habitat. Other significant threats include mass declines in insect populations due to increased pesticide use, climate change, and competition with non-native species (e.g., House Sparrows and European Starlings).

A Rocha Canada started a long-term Barn Swallow monitoring programme in 2014 within the Little Campbell River watershed, an area encompassing portions of the City of Surrey and the Township of Langley in southern BC. Despite being in a region of rapid human population growth and development, much of this area is still primarily characterized by small, private horse farms containing barns and sheds ideal for Barn Swallow nesting and foraging. This summer, 28 active Barn Swallow nests were monitored within 25 buildings across the Little Campbell watershed. A Rocha also conducted swallow foraging surveys over 31 open fields near nest sites. Nest monitoring involved peering into nests using an extendable pole with an attached mirror or camera and counting numbers of eggs or chicks each week until fledging. This provides estimates of nest success which, over time, can lead to insight as to the status of Barn Swallow populations in a local area.

Results so far combined with studies from 24

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other areas suggest that Barn Swallow nest success tends to be higher in sites surrounded by pastureland, and that buildings are more likely to contain active nests when there are livestock present in close proximity. Barn Swallows typically forage close to nest sites (within 400 m or less), and horses or cattle attract insects and stir them up when they move through grass. The closer nest sites are to insect prey, the faster and more often hungry chicks will be fed by parent birds. Preliminary results from foraging surveys also suggest that Barn Swallows prefer to forage in smaller pastures containing livestock and surrounded by barns and sheds (potential nesting sites).

The Little Campbell River watershed constitutes only a small portion of BC’s lower mainland, but its barns and fields provide a haven for Barn Swallows and other birds that thrive in rural landscapes. This study has spawned some wonderful partnerships and friendships with farm and stable owners who are open to learning more about protecting Barn Swallows in British Columbia. Barn Swallows thrive in and around horse farms, and the support of horse owners could play a crucial role in their conservation. If you live near south Surrey or Langley and have noticed Barn Swallows nesting on your property, and would be willing to participate in A Rocha’s on-going nest monitoring programme, please feel free to contact us at michelle.jackson@ arocha.ca.

A Rocha (www.arocha.ca) is an international Christian organization which engages in community-based conservation projects, environmental education, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity research. A Rocha Canada’s vision is the transformation of people and places into healthy communities. Whether it is by restoring salmon habitat, inspiring school children, making healthy food accessible to low-income families, or selling fresh vegetables across Metro Vancouver, A Rocha is transforming people and places through its programs and services. A Rocha Canada’s flagship project is the Brooksdale Environmental Centre in South Surrey, British Columbia.

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FEINEWS FEI

Sabrina Ibáñez (SUI), Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), was elected as President of the newly-founded Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) in Abu Dhabi.

FEI SECRETARY GENERAL ELECTED PRESIDENT OF NEW PARALYMPIC ASSOCIATION

S

abrina Ibáñez (SUI), Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), has been elected as President of the newly-founded Association of Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO). The vote took place at the founding General Assembly of the Association in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

The FEI Secretary General was standing for election alongside Maureen Orchard (CAN), former President and now Secretary General of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF), with four votes in favour of Mrs. Orchard and 12 votes for Mrs. Ibáñez.

Mrs. Orchard, who has chaired the working group that was formed following the decision to dissolve the IPC Sports Council at the 2015 IPC General Assembly in Mexico City in order to establish the independent body, was elected to the APSO Board of Directors. Also elected as Board Members were Henk Van Aller, Secretary www.gaitpost.com

General of the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA), Tom Dielen, Secretary General of World Archery, and Colin Grahamslaw, Secretary General of the World Curling Federation (WCF).

“I am truly honoured to have been elected as President of the new Association of Para Sports Organisations, which has such an important role to play,” the newly-elected APSO President Sabrina Ibáñez said. “It is our function as governing bodies to safeguard the rights of our Para-athletes and I am fully committed to guaranteeing a sound governance framework that will protect these athletes and encourage the future growth of Paralympic sport worldwide.”

“I am also delighted with the election of my Board members and am particularly thrilled to have another woman on the board in Maureen Orchard, who has such a wealth of experience and whose role as chair of the working group

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FEI News continued on page 26 OCTOBER 2017

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FEI News continued from page 25 has led to the creation today of this important organization.”

A total of 17 International Federations and other sports organizations which govern Para sport independently, not through the International Paralympic Committee, are now members of APSO: Sabrina Ibáñez has served as the FEI Secretary General since December 2014. She has been with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the global governing body of equestrian sport, since 1991 and has held previously the position of FEI Director Governance and Executive Affairs.

LONGINES SIGNS LONG-TERM TITLE PARTNERSHIP; EXTENDS GLOBAL AGREEMENT AS FEI TOP PARTNER Longines will become title partner of the FEI Nations Cup Jumping series as part of a longterm agreement with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), with the new partnership being celebrated at next month’s Final in Barcelona. Longines, which became the FEI’s first

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FEI/CLAES JAKOBSSON

Top Partner in 2013, has also extended its global partnership with the FEI in a historic agreement signed in Gothenburg (SWE).

The landmark agreement, which was brokered by FEI President Ingmar De Vos and Longines Vice President and Head of International Marketing Juan-Carlos Capelli, is the most significant in the history of the FEI. The initial long-term partnership between the global governing body of equestrian sport and the Swiss watch brand has another five years to run, but under the terms of the new agreement, the global partnership has now been extended.

In the year of the brand’s 185th birthday, Longines will also be title partner of the 2017 FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona (ESP), the iconic venue for the Olympic equestrian events at the Barcelona Games 25 years ago.

Next month’s Final will be renamed the Longines FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final and the series, starting from 2018, will be known as the Longines FEI Nations Cup Jumping.

Longines has signed as long-term title partner of FEI Nations Cup Jumping and extended its global agreement as FEI Top Partner.

Also included in the extended global agreement are Longines’ continued role as FEI Top Partner, and title partnership of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League. Longines also remains Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the FEI and Official Timekeeper of the FEI World Equestrian Games.

Additionally, Longines will continue to invest in the development of cutting-edge timekeeping and data-handling services and related technology, together with the FEI, specifically for equestrian sport.

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CEALY TETLEY

Canada’s Rising Stars Rack Up 10 Medals at NAJYRC 2017

L to R: Jennifer Mattell, Alexanne Thibault, Veronica Bot, Julia Madigan

The Gaitpost apologizes sincerely for the gremlin attack in last month’s issue that lead to a 2016 article of the same name being printed, rather than the 2017 results. We salute all the Young Riders, and wish them much success in the future, and the Gaitpost will always support our future stars to the best of its ability.

T

he 2017 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC), presented by Gotham North, proved to be one of the most successful in history for Canada’s talented young athletes, who brought home an impressive 10 medals.

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A total of 33 athletes from three disciplines rode for the maple leaf at NAJYRC, which took place July 18-23, 2017, with Dressage and Jumping being featured at HITS Saugerties in New York, and eventing being hosted by Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, MT.

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Anya Bereznicki & Diazella

Together, the Canadians finished on a team total of nine faults to claim the Silver Medal. US Zone 10 won Gold on eight faults, and Mexico earned the Bronze Medal on 20 faults.

Bereznicki, 13, was one of only three athletes to lay down back-to-back clear performances in the Team Competition, and one of just two athletes to stay on a perfect score of zero after two days and three rounds of competition with Diazella (Diamant de Semilly x Candillo), her nine-yearold Holsteiner mare.

The jumping athletes also had the opportunity to make their mark individually on the final day of competition on July 23. Following three rounds of individual competition over two days (with the Team Competition acting as the Second Individual Qualifier), the top 25 athletes in the Young Rider and Junior divisions, and top 60% in the Children’s division were invited forward to a two-round showdown in the Individual Final.

Incredibly, Canadians swept the Young Rider individual podium, with Madigan claiming Gold, Thibault earning Silver and Bot taking Bronze.

After completing the first three rounds of individual qualifiers, Madigan and Farfelu du Printemps carried a cumulative score of 8.66 into the Final. They put in a fault-free performance in round one, and then returned to lower just one rail for four faults in the second round, bringing their final score to 12.66 for the Gold Medal.

Thibault started strong individually, win-

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CEALY TETLEY

LANDMARK YEAR FOR CANADIAN JUMPING ATHLETES The Canadian jumping athletes had their most successful NAJYRC appearance on record, jumping to a total of seven medals throughout the week — including an incredible sweep of the individual Young Rider podium.

Their first medals came in the Team Competition, held July 21. The Team Competition for all jumping divisions followed the FEI Nations’ Cup format, with teams completing two rounds over an identical course. Teams of four had the ability to drop one team member’s score from each round, and the final placings were determined by the lowest number of combined faults.

In the Young Rider Team Competition, Veronica Bot of Burlington, ON, Julia Madigan of Vancouver, BC, Jennifer Mattell of Milton, ON and Alexanne Thibault of Boucherville, QC earned the Silver Medal on a total score of 24 faults. The combined US Zone 2, 5 & 7 Team took Gold on 12 faults, and US Zone 10 was Bronze with 84 faults.

The team was led by Madigan, 21, who lowered just one rail for four faults in the first round, then returned to achieve a clear second round aboard Farfelu du Printemps (Action Breaker x Darco), a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by John Madigan.

“It’s my first year at NAJYRC and my last year as a Young Rider, so I’m just really happy that we medalled today,” said Madigan. “I’ve had my horse for almost two-and-half years, and he’s a really great partner to me. He came off the Spruce Meadows Summer Series super fit and came here really fresh so I actually had a little bit of a good time in the second round and was able to relax a little more and produce a better result.”

For the first time in NAJYRC history, a Children’s jumper division was added for 2017. Canada was well represented, with Anya Bereznicki of Calgary, AB, Kieley McQuaker of Schomberg, ON, and Kyara Semrau and Carly Stevens of Foothills, AB proving to be some of the first athletes to take to the podium in the Team Jumping competition on July 21.

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CEALY TETLEY Anya Bereznicki & Kyara Semrau

NAJYRC continued from page 29 ning the First Individual Qualifier on July 20 with Chacco Prime (Chacco Blue x Le Primeur), her nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding. She carried 12 faults forward from the second qualifier, but lowered just one rail over the final two rounds to finish on a score of 16.00.

“As my first year, I didn’t really have any expectations,” explained Thibault. “I have never done a team event or any big classes with that amount of pressure, but I think I was certainly able to pull that off. It felt awesome to hear the national anthem on the podium and be able to represent our country and have such a great week with all the girls.”

Bot and Cool Down 3 (Chacco Blue x Lysander), a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by AEI Corp., came into the Final on a score of 12.10.

Like her teammates, she incurred just four faults to take the podium on a final total of 16.10.

The majority of the podium was also filled with Canadians in the Children’s Jumping Individual Final, with Bereznicki taking Silver and Semrau earning Bronze. Gold was won by Dylan Laiken of USA Zone 10, who finished on zero faults with Callao.

Bereznicki had a remarkable week at NAJYRC with Diazella. Her sole rail across five rounds of competition came down during the first portion of the two-round Final. After returning to round two to finish on another clear, Bereznicki earned her Individual Silver Medal on a total score of 4.00 faults.

Semrau headed into the Individual Final on 30

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L to R: Eva Marquis, Tosca Holmes-Smith, Chloe Duffy, Ella Marquis.

a score of five faults from the first three rounds of competition aboard Wings Sublieme (Oklund x Voltaire), a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Stone Ridge Farms LLC. This proved to be her final score after she became one of only three horse-rider combinations to lay down backto-back clear rounds in the Individual Final.

GOLD FOR TOSCA HOLMES-SMITH, DOUBLE BRONZE FOR CANADA IN EVENTING Canada was represented by two full teams of four athletes in the Junior and Young Rider divisions in the eventing portion of NAJYRC, with both teams riding their way onto the podium.

Tosca Holmes-Smith, 17, of Chase, BC led the Canadian Junior Team to a Bronze Medal and claimed the Individual Gold Medal in the CHJ 1* division on July 23.

Riding Fiat (Cats at Home x With Approval), a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by her mother, Ali Holmes-Smith, she completed the Cross-Country and Show Jumping phases faultlessly, enabling her to finish on her Dressage score of 47.2 penalties and land at the top of the podium. Silver went to Alexandra Baugh of US Area VIII and Ballingowan Pizazz (47.7), while US

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

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CANADIAN DRESSAGE ATHLETES DANCE THEIR WAY ONTO LEADERBOARD In the Dressage arena, Canada was represented by two complete teams and three individuals, for a total of 11 competitors.

The highlight of the team competition came on July 19 when the Ontario/Alberta Young Rider Dressage Team, comprised of Alexandra Meghji of Toronto, ON, Rakeya Moussa of Edwww.gaitpost.com

CEALY TETLEY

Area VI rider, Mallory Hogan took bronze with a score of 51.0 aboard Clarissa Purisima.

“I have been riding Fiat for one year, and we competed in Training here at Rebecca Farm last year,” explained Holmes-Smith, who comes by her talent for eventing honestly as the daughter of high performance eventing athletes, Ali and Nick Holmes-Smith. “He is a bold horse and was a bit strong at the beginning of the course, but was super throughout the course.”

Commenting on her Show Jumping round, Holmes-Smith continued, “Going into the ring, I was pretty nervous. Fiat is a good jumper, but can take a rail, and I knew we had to jump clear to secure Canada’s medal – but he tried his heart out.”

Along with teammates, Chloe Duffy, 16, of Sombra, ON, and twin sisters, Ella and Eva Marquis, 14, of Caledon, ON, Holmes-Smith returned to the podium to accept the Team Bronze Medal. As a team, the Canadians were in fourth place after Dressage, but moved up to second following an impressive Cross-Country showing, where three of the four team members put in foot-perfect performances. Following the Show Jumping round, the team claimed their final Bronze position on a total score of 165.2.

US Area VI won Gold with 161.6, and US Area II earned Silver on 164.1.

The Individual Gold Medalist in the Young Rider division was William Zuschlag of US Area III, who scored 46.2 with RF Southern Command.

Incredibly, US Area I/IV rider, Cornelia Dorr took home both the Silver and Bronze medals, riding Louis M and Sir Patico MH on scores of 49.0 and 50.7, respectively. [More on page 33]

Alexandra Meghji & Rigo

monton, AB, Sophie Dean-Potter of Caledon, ON and Yanina Woywitka of Merrickville, ON, achieved a team score of 193.869 for fourth place overall. The gold medal went to US Region 3 on a score of 209.684. US Region 2 took silver with 201.973, while US Region 1 earned bronze (198.184).

Leading the Ontario/Alberta Team was Meghji, 19, aboard Rigo (Rotspon x Weltmeyer), a 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Diana Belevsky. The duo scored 67.132% to hold an early lead in the individual standings and ultimately place fifth.

“Rigo was a really good boy today; he was really attentive, energetic and willing,” said Meghji, who also competed at NAJYRC in 2016, bringing home a Team Silver Medal in the Young Rider division, and finishing fourth individually. “I’m so pleased. He is an amazing teacher and my best friend. I owe him everything and I love him so much. It was wonderful to share that experience with a horse that means so much to me.”

Woywitka, 17, who was a Junior Team Gold Medalist at NAJYRC 2015, was next on the lead-

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CEALY TETLEY L to R: Rakeya Moussa and Davidoff V.H. Trichelhof, Yanina Woywitka and R’Myattack, Sophie Dean-Potter and Wendy Dice, Ellen RumballDvorak (Chef d’Équipe), Sydney Sacre and Valhalla, Alexandra Meghji and Rigo.

NAJYRC continued from page 31 erboard for Canada. She placed 14th on a score of 64.132% with R’Myattack (Rheirattack x Wanderbursh II), a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned

by Susanne Dutt-Roth.

Teammates, Moussa and Dean-Potter finished 18th and 21st, respectively in the individual standings. Moussa, 20, was originally slated to compete as an individual at NAJYRC, but stepped up to join the team after Camille Carier-Bergeron unfortunately withdrew after her horse, Expression sustained an injury a few days out from the competition. Paired with Davidoff V.H. Trichelhof (Lord

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OCTOBER 2017

Leatherdale x Wall Street), a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by her parents, Susan and Mohammed, Moussa scored 62.605%. DeanPotter, 19, rode Wendy Dice (Redford x Welt Hit II), a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Helena Dean, to a score of 62.327%.

The Junior Team Competition followed on July 20, with Devlin Abergel-Preston of Ottawa, ON, Catherine Andrews of Niagara Falls, ON, Ava MacCoubrey of Cobourg, ON and Allison Youngdale of Osgood, ON taking seventh place on a combined score of 189.689. US Region 7 won the Gold Medal with 206.027. Silver went to US Region 1 with 201.081, and US Region 4 took Bronze (197.621).

The Canadian highlights in individual NAJYRC Dressage competition included Woywitka wrapping up the Young Rider Dressage division on July 22 with a ninth place finish in the Freestyle aboard R’Myattack. Together, they earned a score of 67.050% from the judges. Teammate, Meghji, wasn’t far behind, having scored 66.975% for 10th place riding Rigo. The Freestyle was won

by Chase Shipka of USA Region 1 aboard Zigal on a score of 74.650%.

In the Junior division, MacCoubrey was Canada’s highest-placed individual, riding Pablo to eighth place in both the Junior Individual (67.474%) on July 21 and Junior Freestyle (69.050%) on July 23. Youngdale rounded out the top 10 in the Freestyle after scoring 68.625% with Ramiro.

The Junior Individual was won by Aleyna Dunn of US Region 7, who scored 71.237% with Bivera, while Tillie Jones of US Region 4 and Apachi won the Freestyle with 73.950%.

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Canadian Eventers Excel at the Young Riders Championships!

Submitted by the Holmes-Smith Family

KEELY GIBB

Tosca Holmes-Smith and Fiat

Eventing is a family affair for the Holmes-Smith family, with everyone on the road supporting Tosca and Carmen in their quest for excellence. They very kindly agreed to give the Gaitpost a show report of the Championships, and it is very charmingly non self-promotional – these girls did amazingly well, as did all the team members, and we take our hats off to you, ladies!

T

he Eventing portion of the 2017 North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, hosted by Rebecca Farms, proved to be a massive success for Canada’s up-and-coming event riders. Canada was able to field full teams for both the CH-J* and CICY2* by combining riders from Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. www.gaitpost.com

Representing Canada on the CIC2* team from Ontario were April Simmonds riding Impressively Done, Annick Niemuller riding FE Black Jack, and Emily Thompson riding Paddington. Anne-Sophie Levesque of Alberta completed the team aboard Eskapade. Canada’s 2* team started the competition with

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JJ SILLMAN JESSICA KERSCHBAUMER

Emily Thompson aboard Paddington.

Anne-Sophie Levesque on Eskapade.

Canadian Eventers continued from page 33 a bang, leading the pack going into CrossCountry. Anne-Sophie was first on course and managed a perfect double clear run around Ian Stark’s tough track. April and Emily also managed to jump clear on their horses; however, added 11.2 and 6.4 time penalties, respectively, to their scores. Annick rode beautifully, but she and her young horse were caught out by a tricky line early on in the course and added 20 jump penalties to their score, as well 34

OCTOBER 2017

as 12.8 time penalties. With Annick’s score dropped the team was able to hold on to their lead after Cross-Country. On Sunday morning however, Emily was forced to withdraw Paddy before Show Jumping due to a stone bruise he had suffered on Cross-Country. In Stadium, Anne-Sophie jumped clear up until the final fence when she pulled an unfortunate rail, but still finished fifth overall in a competitive field. April added 12 penalties to her score and Annick added 17. The team managed to bring home bronze for Canada.

Canada’s CCI1* team was made up of three riders from Ontario; Chloe Duffy riding Oro Veradero, Ella Marquis riding Meadowbrook’s Pollyanna, and Eva Marquis riding Hollywood.

The fourth team member was Tosca HolmesSmith of British Columbia with Fiat. Four solid Dressage tests had the team placed fourth after Dressage. On Saturday, Tosca, Chloe, and Ella all put in double clear Cross-Country rounds; however, Eva and Lurch suffered a fall on course, disqualifying them from the competition. The team was in silver position going into Show Jumping and although only adding three rails total to their score, the competition was tight and twelve penalties was enough to drop down to bronze. Tosca, who was sitting in third place going into the final phase, put in a double clear round aboard Fiat, and was able to edge out the two riders ahead of her, and take home individual gold for Canada. Chloe and Oro also jumped double clear and moved up from ninth place after Cross-Country to finish fifth.

Rebecca Farms proved to be an amazing venue for this prestigious competition, which was run smoothly and efficiently. The Broussards never cease to amaze the eventing community with their generosity and leadership.

It’s exciting to see so many truly talented and hard working Canadian young riders moving up the levels in eventing. With so many upand-coming riders working towards NAJYRC as a goal, we are certain to only grow more competitive in the years to come!

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NEWSLETTER | OCTOBER 2017 www.equestrian.ca them to equestrian sport. It is the product of many dedicated volunteers, EC and Provincial/Territorial Sport Organization (PTSO) staff and working groups.

“It is my hope that this document will serve as a touchstone upon which we can develop and deliver programmes at every stage of athlete development that are athlete-centred, coachdriven, and supported by an integrated sport system,” said Anne Welch, Chair of the LTED Working Group, EC Senior Steward, FEI 1* Jumping Steward and FEI 2* Dressage Steward.

LTED 2.0: VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR ALL EQUESTRIANS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED Whether you are a parent wondering where your child fits in the equestrian sport pathway, an athlete looking for guidance on progression, or a coach looking to implement an athlete support plan that fits with the Canadian competition system, Equestrian Canada’s LTED 2.0 is for you!

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LTED 2.0 takes the proven concepts of the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, created by Sport for Life, and applies www.gaitpost.com

Welch continued, “Our programmes being built now will be more robust and inclusive of those on both sides of recreation and sport with clear interactive pathways. What I love most of all about this model – there is a place for each and every one of us at every stage of our life within this wonderful sport.”

Download LTED 2.0 today at www.equestrian. ca/programs-services/lted Questions?

For questions regarding LTED 2.0, please contact: Rachel Huebert Manager, Technical Development Equestrian Canada rhuebert@equestrian.ca Toll Free: 1-866-282-8395 x 115

EC Media Contact Jessie Christie Manager, Communications & Media Relations jchristie@equestrian.ca 1-866-282-8395 x 133

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OCTOBER 2017

35

DISCIPLINEREPORTS What’s Happening in all the Disciplines

FEI/REBECCA BERRY

Ireland’s Conor Swail and Flower take the honours at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Langley (CAN) Sunday, August 27.

SWAIL SWEEPS UP A LONGINES WIN AT THUNDERBIRD LANGLEY

I

reland’s Conor Swail and Flower did nothing but win at the Thunderbird Show Park, as the pair completed the sweep by topping the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Langley, kicking off the west coast sub league of the series.

Although declared for the east coast sub league, Swail arrived on the west coast, hungry for valuable ranking points, and the Irish rider came away with the lion’s share of those by proving fastest in a seven-horse jump-off designed by fellow Irishman Alan Wade. Christopher Surbey (CAN) and new mount Daylight VDL finished second, and Jamie Barge (USA) and Luebbo were third. Earlier in the week, Swail and his 12-yearold Belgian Warmblood mare also won the Maui Jim Welcome Stake and the Steel-Craft Door 36

OCTOBER 2017

Products Cup. “I just continued with the same process that we came here with,” Swail said. “It was working very well, so there was no need to try to change too much. My mare was absolutely outstanding, and it was really good to finish it off with the win.”

Last to go in the jump-off, Swail had only Surbey to catch, and a loose gallop up the first three fences left him with room to spare down the final line. Swail and Flower ended up comfortable winners; they were nearly four seconds faster that the runners up.

“I knew the time was easily attainable,” Swail explained. “[Flower] is very good at running and jumping, so I let her run and jump the first few

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WEISHAUPT WINS $3,000,000 CP INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY ROLEX AT SPRUCE MEADOWS Philipp Weishaupt (GER) and LB Convall (Colman x Cascavelle) topped Sunday’s $3,000,000 CP International presented by Rolex, a part of the Rolex Grand Slam-series, when producing the only double clear of the Grand Prix. It was the pair’s second Rolex Grand Slam win; they also went to the top in the 2016 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen last summer.

The CP International presented by Rolex was a 1.70m Grand Prix asking some real questions of the 42 riders and horses competing. Course designer Leopoldo Palacios made sure the riders stayed focused from beginning to end with his massive fences in the huge grass ring.

In the first round it was the last line that caused most problems, putting an end to the dream of a second round for several of the riders being clear up until then. Scott Brash (GBR), Steve Guerdat (SUI), Kent Farrington (USA), Christian Ahlmann (GER) and Gregory Wathelet (BEL) were among the victims of this line, that consisted of a huge triple bar followed by five strides to a triple combination with an oxerwww.gaitpost.com

ROLEX/ASHLEY NEUHOF

jumps. I didn’t take any major risks and just knew that, with the way she was jumping, she would leave the jumps up as long as I didn’t make any mistakes.”

Conor Swail and Flower, who have been partnered for less than a year, have won four FEI classes over the course of the last two weeks. Jenn Serek leads the west coast sub league with 29 points. She finished as the runner-up with Wicked when the North American League kicked off at Bromont (CAN) on August 6th. Swail and Isabelle Lapierre, Bromont’s winner, are tied at the top of the east coast standings with 20 points.

At 24 years old, Leah de Martini was the youngest rider in the jump-off, finishing seventh in her World Cup qualifier debut with Abunola. This is just the fourth competition as a pair for Chris Surbey and Daylight VDL. The 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding was formerly ridden Elizabeth Gingras (CAN).

Winner Of The CP ‘International’, Presented By Rolex At The CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, Philipp Weishaupt Riding LB Convall.

vertical-oxer with one short stride between the aand b-element and two longer strides to the c-element before it was five strides to the last vertical.

The best 12 riders qualified for the second round with three riders on four faults, one with two time faults, one with one time fault and seven on clean sheets. The second round consisted of 11 fences and 14 jumps with one short combination and one short triple combination causing some issues for the riders.

Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Fine Lady 5 (Forsyth x Drosselklang II) kicked off the massive second round, and improved their score from the first round by ending with one single time fault – leaving them on a total of five faults to eventually end fifth.

For others, round two did not come easy. Sergio Alvarez Moya’s (ESP) G&C Arrayan (Baloubet du Rouet x Grannus) went off a bit, and added 12 faults to his previous four. Cian O’Connor (IRL) decided to retire after having 16 faults with Good Luck (Canturo x Furioso II) while French rider Julien Gonin with Soleil de Cornu CH (Qredo de Paulstra x Le Tot de Semilly), who did a great first round with only two time faults, didn’t find the rhythm in the second round and had to add 19 faults to his total score. Marco Kutscher (GER) and Clenur (Carinue x Fernando) got an unlucky pole on the a-element of the Liverpool combination at no.

5, and had to add another time fault which left them with six faults in total.

Eric Lamaze was still in the lead with his five

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

Discipline Reports continued on page 38 OCTOBER 2017

37

ROLEX/ASHLEY NEUHOF Eric Lamaze and Fine Lady 5

Discipline Reports continued from page 37 faults when Emilio Bicocchi (ITA) entered the ring riding Sassicaia Ares (Ephebe For Ever x Rebel Z). After a beautiful clear the first time around, Bicocchi now got a fault on the c-element of the triple combination — taking over the lead with four faults. Sameh El Dahan (EGY) on the other hand fell down the ranks during the second round, after having 13 faults on Sumas Zorro (Ard VDL Douglas x Unknown).

Philipp Weishaupt was supposed to enter the ring next, but LB Convall lost a shoe on the sec-

ond last jump during the warm-up and the German rider was pushed down on the list to get the shoe back on his horse — perhaps not the ideal start to the second round. Instead, McLain Ward (USA) with HH Azur (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Sir Lui) entered the ring after an easy clear in the first round. In the second round however, Ward got some problems with the short combinations on his big striding mare and the back pole on the b-element of the triple combination at no. 8 fell to the ground. With four faults and a faster time than Bicocchi, McLain could still take over the lead though.

Lauren Hough (USA) and Ohlala (Orlando x Cardento) had to see two fences fall to the ground — no. 6 placed on three strides after the combination, as well as the a-element of the triple combination. Maikel van der Vleuten did an impressive first round with his big jumping VDL Groep Verdi TN (Quidam de Revel x Landgraf I), and it looked like he was well underway sorting out the diffcult combinations but then the delicate bicycle fence at no. 10 — the second last jump — fell and

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to that the Dutch rider also had to add a time fault. With his result, Van der Vleuten squeezed in just between Lamaze and Kutscher on the result list.

By now, LB Convall had his shoe back on and entered the arena as second last to go. Weishaupt and LB Convall made the crowds gasp for air going slow in to the triple combination, but with some amazing jumping they cleared the course once more crossing the finish line double clear.

Last to go was Luciana Diniz (POR) and the fantastic Fit For Fun 13 (For Pleasure x Fabriano), and now it was all in her hands. With a clear round it would be a jump-off against Weishaupt, and with any faults Weishaupt would be the winner of the class. The little mare jumped amazing, and it looked like it would be a jump-off all the way to the very last fence. After Diniz tried to leave out one stride however, they ended in the middle of the huge oxer leaving them on four faults and in second place ahead of McLain Ward in third.

“It is impossible to describe the feeling of

winning here in words! My sincere thanks go to my horse LB Convall, without him I certainly wouldn’t be standing here as the winner. He simply has incredible quality,” stated Philipp Weishaupt after his win.

Philipp Weishaupt will now once again take on the challenge of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping: The rider who succeeds in winning three equestrian Majors directly in succession, goes down in history as the Rolex Grand Slam Champion and receives a bonus of one million Euros. So, should Philipp Weishaupt manage a further Major victory in December at the CHI Geneva 2017, he will be riding to take the Grand Slam title in March 2018 at The Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

“What Scott Brash pulled off two years ago, namely three Major victories in a row, was sensational and probably no one will be able to repeat this feat in a hurry. But I will certainly concentrate all my energy on trying to do so,” promised Philipp Weishaupt with a view to the next legs of Discipline Reports continued on page 42

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39

PHOTOS COURTESY SADDLEFIT4LIFE

Jochen Schleese lecturing during a Certified Saddle Ergonomist (CSE) Bi-annual re-certification course.

Saddle Fit and Education

By Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CSE

E

ducation has become a buzzword, but it is nonetheless a significant concept; in our industry, which is still largely unregulated and is so inherently dangerous, this situation boggles the mind. Through public awareness in the last years, the demand has been raised by the consumer (i.e. riders) that their trainers have a certain accreditation; they know their farriers have been trained and certified, and they expect a certain base level of knowledge from their saddle fitters. However, people can still pretty much call themselves whatever they want; add the word ‘master’ whatever to their titles, and for the most part, people are still reluctant to question the credentials. It seems like there is still a certain fear in requiring standardized professional development and testing – especially from the people who have been working in a certain part of the industry for years and don’t want to be exposed. We have tried for years to establish a recognized and registered program in the trade of saddlery itself, and were successful at least in the province of Ontario, where it was added to the roster of official apprenticeships 40

OCTOBER 2017

in 1990. However, even though we suggested a certain leniency of ‘grandfathering’ long time practitioners into the trade, the resistance lobby was too strong.

Through Saddlefit 4 Life (S4L) we have now established training and certification programs in two brand new career paths – that of Equine Ergonomist and Saddle Ergonomist. The former involves a 7 day training course (which is offered several times a year in Europe, North America, and now South Africa) which allows the successful candidate to work with a saddle fitter in analysing, diagnosing and measuring saddle fit.

The Equine Ergonomist is not trained to actually make the adjustments, which is where the Saddle Ergonomist training then comes in. We feel the level of education for the Saddle Ergonomist goes above the Saddle Fitter training, as we focus more on equine and human anatomy and biomechanics and how these relate to saddle fit issues in both static and dynamic phases. In recent years there seems to have been a proliferation of agencies and societies offering saddle fit courses and certifications, but none are as intense or

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Determining the saddle support area (SSA) at the trapezius where there should be absolutely no pressure on the horse.

An Equine Ergonomist in training: determining the rider’s leg length to ensure ordering a saddle with the proper flap length and correct length of stirrup leathers.

require constant recertification such as the S4L courses do.

A recent article in the Journal of Veterinary Science concerning the repeatability of 20 Society of Master Saddlers (SMS) Qualified Saddle Fitters observations of static saddle fit outlines the lack of cohesiveness in the methodology of assessing saddle fit. The SMS has committed to overhauling their entire saddle fitting curriculum within the next year or two — recognizing the fact that a) saddle making does not equal the criteria of what is saddle fit and how should saddle fitting and b) their saddle fitting training saddles be fitted. is somewhat remedial in its ramifications. FurGaitpost-Oct2017-halfpage-Anne Gribbon-3rdRevised-20170902OL.pdf 1 9/02/17 11:51:13 ther work is definitely necessary to standardize ©Saddlefit 4 Life®2017. All Rights Reserved

Fit is Everything.

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41

STARTING GATE COMMUNICTIONS

STARTING GATE COMMUNICTIONS Ben Asselin and Chalacorada, owned by Margaret Southern and Spruce Meadows Ltd. Ian Millar and Dixson, owned by Susan and Ariel Grange.

Discipline Reports continued from page 39 the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.

CANADIAN SHOW JUMPING TEAM TAKES FOURTH IN $400,000 BMO NATIONS’ CUP The Canadian Show Jumping Team comprised of Ben Asselin, Mario Deslauriers, Eric Lamaze, and Ian Millar placed fourth in the $400,000 BMO Nations’ Cup held Saturday, September 9, as part of the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ tournament in Calgary, AB. A total of eight countries battled for supremacy in the 41st annual BMO Nations’ Cup over a testing track set by two-time Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela.

As Canada’s lead-off rider, 1984 World Cup Champion Deslauriers, 52, was making his return to the Canadian Show Jumping Team following a nine-year absence representing the United States. Based in New York, NY, Deslau-

riers was riding Westbrook, a nine-year-old grey Swedish Warmblood gelding (Jaguar Mail x Cardento) that was purchased in March by owners Luja LLC and Wishing Well Farm LLC. With a single mistake at fence number four, a skinny vertical that came down throughout the competition, Deslauriers posted an opening round score of four faults.

Local favourite Asselin, 23, of Calgary, AB, was called up to the Canadian Team on Thursday following the withdrawal of Keean White of Rockwood, ON, and For Freedom Z. With only two day’s notice, combined with riding a new mount, Asselin ran into trouble down a line that snaked through the center of the International Ring, having fence four, the open water, and the Canada planks at fence six before also knocking down the ‘b’ element of the triple combination at fence eight for a first-round total of 16 faults.

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2008 Olympic Champion Lamaze, 49, who is based in Wellington, FL, brought it back for Team Canada by delivering a clear round with Coco Bongo, a 12-year-old bay Rheinlander gelding (Caretino x Calido) owned by Andy and Carlene Ziegler’s Artisan Farms LLC and Lamaze’s Torrey Pines Stable.

Ten-time Canadian Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, rode Dixson in the anchor position.

With only one rail down at the ‘b’ element of the triple combination, Millar’s four faults allowed Canada to drop Asselin’s score, as only the best three scores are counted towards the team total.

At the end of the first round, Brazil sat at the top of the leaderboard with a perfect score of zero, despite losing its lead-off rider, Eduardo Menezes, who took a hard tumble off his mount, Quintol, at fence six and did not return for round two. Team Germany was close behind with a single time fault, while the United States and Canada sat tied on eight faults apiece for third position. Belgium and France were tied for fifth place with 13 faults apiece, while the defending champion, Switzerland, and Italy failed to make the cut for the second round with scores of 18 and 21 respectively.

Deslauriers opened the second round with a clear round for Canada, cheered on by the 86,222 spectators in attendance.

“It was just like the old days!” said Deslauriers, who last competed for Canada in the BMO Nations’ Cup at Spruce Meadows in 2006, when it scored its first victory. “I was a little nervous in the first round but the second round felt better and more relaxed; I was right back at home. It was exciting making my return at Spruce Meadows, and all the crowd made it so special.”

Next up for Canada was Asselin, who last rode in the BMO Nations’ Cup at the ‘Masters’ tournament in 2014 when Canada hoisted the trophy for only the second time in the event’s 41-year history. He and Chalacorada, a 15-yearold dark bay Holsteiner mare (Chalan x Corrado I) owned by his grandmother, Margaret Southern, and Spruce Meadows Ltd., kept it to eight faults the second time out, but again their score would www.gaitpost.com

be dropped in the final tally.

Lamaze and his 2015 Pan American team gold medal mount left all the rails in place, but touched the tape on the open water to pick up four faults. At the age of 70, Millar then put his five decades of international show jumping experience to good use, guiding Dixson, a 14-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood gelding (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Olisco) owned by Susan and Ariel Grange, to a clear round.

Counting only four faults in the second round, Canada had a two-round total of 12 faults to finish in fourth place. A jump-off was necessary to determine a winner between the United States and Brazil, who were tied on eight faults apiece. Cool under pressure, Beezie Madden, who had already jumped one of only two double clear rounds on the day, delivered yet another clear in a time of 39.21 seconds with Darry Lou to put the pressure on Brazil. Pedro Junqueira Muylaert looked fast as he left all the rails in place riding Prince Royal Z MFS, but his Discipline Reports continued on page 44

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43

FEI/JON STROUD

EVENTING REPORT

The victorious British team at the FEI European Eventing Championships at Strzegom in Poland: Nicola Wilson (also individual bronze), Kristina Cook, Oliver Townend and Ros Canter.

Discipline Reports continued from page 43 time of 39.75 seconds left Brazil in the runner-up position, giving the United States its ninth BMO Nations’ Cup title.

Germany took third with a total of nine faults, while Canada finished just off the podium in fourth. Belgium took fifth with a total of 18 faults while France finished sixth with 30 faults.

“We were so close today, but that’s the way it is sometimes with show jumping; the result can hinge on a rail that stays in the cups here, or a foot in the water there,” said Canadian Show Jumping Team chef d’equipe Mark Laskin of Langley, BC. “If Mario, Eric, or Ian had had four faults less, we would have been jumping off for the win.”

SHOW JUMPING RESULTS LONGINES FEI WORLD CUP JUMPING LANGLEY RESULT: 1. Flower, Conor Swail (IRL) 0/0 41.86; 2. Daylight VDL, Christopher Surbey (CAN) 0/0 45.48; 3. Luebbo, Jamie Barge (USA) 0/0 46.44; 4. Dolinn, Sayre Happy (USA) 0/0 47.67; 5. Wicked, Jenn Serek (CAN) 0/4 45.77; 6. Armani Sl Z, Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) 0/8 43.33; 7. Abunola, Leah de Martini (USA) 0/8 46.98.

EVENTING GOLD FOR GREAT BRITAIN AND GERMANY’S INGRID KLIMKE AT STRZEGOM A jubilant British team was celebrating after jumping three superb clear rounds in the final phase to hold onto their overnight lead and clinch the longed-for team title at the FEI European Eventing Championships in Strzegom (POL).

Ingrid Klimke, who has been such a key member of the German team for 17 years, also delivered a jumping perfect round under pressure on Horseware Hale Bob to win her first individual title and lead Germany to team silver.

Triple European champion Michael Jung’s winning run finally ended and the German sportingly settled for individual silver with a clear round on fischerRocana.

“You just have to keep going and after 20 years it will happen! I always want to be a team player, but this was my dream,” said Ingrid Klimke, new European champion Sweden held onto team bronze, but Sara Algotsson Ostholt had a less than happy jumping round on Reality 39 and dropped from third to ninth.

Britain’s Nicola Wilson went clear on Bulana to take bronze, her first individual medal, while Cook and Canter lined up behind her in fourth and fifth. Oliver Townend, who was the discard score, did not present Cooley SRS at the final horse inspection.

Ten teams and 56 riders completed the competition, although there was disappointment

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OLIVER TOWNEND (GBR) TAKES HIS SECOND BURGHLEY TITLE WITH BALLAGHMOR CLASS Oliver Townend (GBR) kept his head in a tense final jumping round at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, last leg of the FEI Classics, to score his first CCI4* victory for eight years and head a British sweep of the top four places.

He overcame a nerve-racking moment when the 10-year-old Irish Sports Horse Ballaghmor Class crashed through the upright gate but, fortunately for him, the previous pair in the arena, Gemma Tattersall (GBR) and Arctic Soul had given him breathing space when they had a fence down.

“This is very, very special. Such a lot can go wrong with a young horse — and he’s only just learned to do flying changes — but he’s in a different class to anything else I’ve ridden recently.”

Oliver Townend (GBR), Burghley winner Tattersall finished third, slipping one place behind Piggy French (GBR), who jumped clear on the mare Vanir Kamira to move up from fifth after cross country to the runner-up slot. It was a particularly triumphant return for French, who has taken a year off from the sport to have a baby.

Tom McEwen (GBR) riding Toledo de Kerser rose three places to fourth, a career best, with a beautifully judged clear round and Kristina Cook (GBR), one of the British gold medal team at last month’s FEI European Championships in Strzegom, moved up from 10th to seventh on Star Witness.

Richard Jeffry’s track produced seven clear rounds from the 40 finishers, two of which were with time faults.

New Zealander Tim Price was the highestplaced non-British rider, in fifth on Ringwood Sky Boy. America’s Lynn Symansky was sixth on Donner and Andrew Nicholson (NZL) and the gallant 17-year-old Nereo were eighth with two rails down. www.gaitpost.com

FEI

when host nation Poland’s best rider, Pawel Spisak, was denied a fairy-tale finish after Banderas did not pass the final horse inspection.

Oliver Townend (GBR) takes his second Burghley title with Ballaghmor Class.

Although Michael Jung had retired across country after a rare mistake with La Biosthetique Sam, the German still secured the top prize in the FEI Classics following a win at Kentucky and second places at Pau and Badminton.

French rider Maxime Livio, who was not competing at Burghley, remained in second place, counting a win at Pau and a second at Kentucky, and Nicola Wilson (GBR) remained in third with a fourth place at Pau and a second at Lühmuhlen.

THE 2017 ISLAND 22 EVENT A GREAT SUCCESS Island 22 was celebrating 30 years of operations this year. The Island 22 Horse Park Committee have accomplished incredible changes in that time. It takes so much commitment and hard work to build and maintain this facility which is open for riders to school most of the year and the events are well attended and enjoyed. HTBC is very grateful for all their efforts.

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

Discipline Reports continued on page 46

OCTOBER 2017

45

M. KRAMER

KCR NATURAL WONDERS PHOTOGRAPHY

Martine Kramer & Malibu at Campbell Valley.

enough to make riding comfortable for the riders and spectators. With everyone’s cooperation the days went smoothly and safely. Thanks to all the capable crews and cheerful officials. It was very enjoyable to see the deserving Carol MacDonald receive the HCBC Sherman Olson Award.

Riders from all over BC appreciate the opportunity to ride at such a beautiful site.

Darcie Kerkhoven & Vivi at Island 22.

EVENTING RESULTS

Discipline Reports continued from page 45 The 2017 event was well run and well organized. Camping was hot but everyone managed – the horses performed well with interesting changes in the placings over three phases. Thank you to all the volunteers who give so much of their time and energy to this site.

CAMPBELL VALLEY HORSE TRIALS 2017 The 2017 Campbell Valley event was another sunny success. The weather cooled down just

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OCTOBER 2017

FEI EUROPEAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN STRZEGOM RESULTS: Final team results 1 Great Britain 113.9; 2 Germany 123.0; 3 Sweden 128.5. Final individual results 1 Ingrid Klimke/Horseware Hale Bob (GER); 2 Michael Jung/fischerRocana FST (GER); 3 Nicola Wilson/Bulana (GBR). LAND ROVER BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS RESULTS 1. BALLAGHMOR CLASS/Oliver Townend; 2. VANIR KAMIRA/Piggy French; 3. ARCTIC SOUL/Gemma Tattersall. ISLAND 22 HORSE TRIALS – SEPT.5/6 Preliminary: 1. Marlies Kerkhoven/Noval Approach; 2. Kerry Bose/Supernova; 3. Sabrina Glaser/Dolce. Training: 1. Darcie Kerkhoven/Vive; 2. Sara Sellmer/Hungarian Villian; 3. Angela Geisbrecht/Westferra. Pre-Training Jr.: 1. Kyla Mason/Simply Irresistle; 2.

Camryn Sexsmit/Controlled Chaos; 3. Ariel Carver/Palakiko. Pre-Training Sr: 1.Chelan Kozak/Guiness; 2. Leahona Rowland/Caspian; 3. Laura Leitch/Lamartine Z. Entry Jr.: 1. Angelie Holscher/Stuart Little; 2. Keaira Atkinson/Ora; 3. Kassandra Hawes/Lord Of The Hunt. Entry Sr: 1. Macartney Greenfield/Denali; 2. Megan Robins/Tuxedo; 3. Merrilyn Mason/Viking. Pre-Entry Jr.: 1. Emma May/Major; 2. Carmen Tompkins/Show Your Colours; 3. Rhian Braun/Danny. Pre-Entry Sr: 1. Robert Williams/Denis; 2. Jodi Daburger/Bentley; 3. Rupert May/BC Serendipity. Starter: 1. Sofia Stilwell/Red Alert; 2. Ella-Grayce Appelby/Once Upon A Time; 3. Kaitlin Tottenham/Sundance. CAMPBELL VALLEY HORSE TRIALS Preliminary: 1. Martine Kramer/Malibu; 2. Elizabeth Kleider/Garrow’s Law; 3. Madeleine Scott/Crosby’s Gold. Training A: 1. Sara Sellmer/ Freesala; 2. Kelly Bose/Wellington; 3. Nikki Vaughan /Dashwood. Training B: 1.

Sara Sellmer/Hungarian Villian; 2. Grace Redd/Buckle Up Bodie; 3. Darcie Kerkhoven/ Vive. Pre-Training Jr.: 1. Abby Wittenberg/Goldenboy; 2. Kennedy Bucklan/Eclipse; 3. Kendall Smith/Riddle Me This. Pre-Training Sr: 1. Laura Leitch/Lamartine Z; 2.

Leahona Rowland/Caspian; 3. Chelan Kozak/Guiness. Entry Jr: 1. Kassandra Hawes/ Lord Of The Hunt; 2. Angelie Holscher/Stuart Little; 3. Jillian Hendricks/Kassara J. Entry Sr: 1. Merrilyn Mason/Viking; 2. Megan Robins/Tuxedo; 3. Lisa Hennebery/ Mister Mike. Pre-Entry Jr: 1. Genevieve Fame/Limoges; 2. Kelsey Robson/Evergreen Gyco Rhapsody; 3. Carmen Tompkins/Show Your Colours. Pre-Entry Sr: 1. Holly Slakov/Dreammaker; 2. Nikki Ayers/Wayanna K; 3. Jacqueline Miller/Gabriel. Starter: 1.

Terena Agle/Clairvoyant; 2. Emily Shaver/Blackjack; 3. Terasa Halladay/Bridget.

DRESSAGE REPORT DOUBLE-GOLD FOR WERTH AND WEIHEGOLD AS THEY WIN THE DRESSAGE GRAND PRIX SPECIAL Germany’s Isabell Werth (45) and her lovely Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

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FEI/RICHARD JUILLIART

mare Weihegold waltzed their way to gold in the Grand Prix Special at the Longines FEI European Championships 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden today. But the doyenne of world Dressage was chased to the line by compatriot, Sonke Rothenberger (22), who joined her on the top step of the team podium on Wednesday, while Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour (25) produced a brilliant performance to claim bronze.

This was Werth’s third FEI European Championships Grand Prix Special title, her first claimed with Gigolo when the Special was introduced at Donaueschingen (GER) in 1991 and the next three years later in Lipica (SLO). Team-mate Rothenberger joked afterwards that his age combined with Dufour’s matched Werth’s, but youth had to wait for its day once again today as the most medalled athlete in the history of international equestrian sport reigned supreme once more.

“Weihe is in the best form ever! It was a clear test without mistakes and with a lot of precision, so I’m completely happy! For me the challenge was to take enough risk but not too much because I knew the rest behind me want to make me angry!!” declared Isabell Werth.

Weihe translates from German as “ordains”, and so far this week that is exactly what the super mare and her extraordinary rider have done, dictating the destination of team gold with the only over-80% score two days ago and putting the biggest mark of 82.613 on the board this evening.

But Rothenberger took silver with 82.479 and looks a serious future threat. “I watch the best riders and I steal with my eyes!” he said earlier in the week. It looks like it won’t be long before he’ll be stealing their limelight too. He’s confident and ambitious, and rightly so.

“I know my horse (Cosmo) can do it, and I never doubted from the first day I sat on him that he could beat anybody if things work out the way I would want, but it’s always a different story to bring it on the day, which is what Isabell is so good at….doing it on the day, on the spot when you need it and that’s what we try to work on, and that’s what we train for every day. We are getting closer and closer, but we are not quite there

Germany’s Sonke Rothenberger (silver) and Isabell Werth (gold), along with Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour (bronze) on the podium for the Dressage Grand Prix Special at the FEI European Championships 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

yet!” said Sonke Rothenberger.

Dufour meanwhile is also in sparkling form with the 14-year-old Atterupgaards Cassidy who has been with her through “a journey from Juniors seven years ago”. Posting 79.762 she pinned Sweden’s Therese Nilshagen (34) into fourth with the stallion Dante Weltino, who like Rothenberger’s Cosmo is an exceptional talent at just 10 years old, and who earned a mark of 78.585 for an exquisitely elegant test.

Sonke Rothenberger GER (silver): “We can’t think of a life without horses! I always thought when you have a jumping horse and you jump a 1.60m obstacle you get goosebumps and the feeling of being on a roller-coaster that you can’t have that on a dressage horse — until I sat on Cosmo, and then I realised he gives me that feeling as well!”

WERTH WINS FEROCIOUS BATTLE FOR DRESSAGE FREESTYLE GOLD Isabell Werth (45) secured her third Dressage gold medal of the week when topping the individual Freestyle at the Longines FEI European Championships 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

But she had to pull out all the stops to pin German team-mate Sonke Rothenberger (22) into silver medal position while, mirroring the result of the previous day’s Grand Prix Special, Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour (25) took bronze.

Multi-medalled Werth was under no illusions about the quality of the performance she

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FEI/RICHARD JUILLIART

because Weihe was as good as she could be, it was her best test so I was happy and hoping it would be enough — and it was!” she said, having edged ahead by just 0.368 marks. In fact all three medallists produced personal-best Freestyle scores.

DRIVING REPORT Dutchman IJsbrand Chardon drives Team Netherlands to gold after a captivating final day of competition in Gothenburg (SWE) at the Longines FEI European Championships 2017.

Discipline Reports continued from page 47 needed to produce.

“We all pushed each other today. When I went in, both Weihe and me knew there was no little mini-mistake allowed, and that made it very exciting!” said Werth.

That’s because Rothenberger is on the rise, producing stunning rides from his 10-year-old gelding Cosmo all week, joining Werth to take team gold on Wednesday, and then chasing her home in yesterday’s Grand Prix Special to finish just over a mark behind. Sweden’s Therese Nilshagen, fourth yesterday, produced the first over-80% score of today’s competition with the stunning stallion Dante Weltino before Britain’s Carl Hester and Nip Tuck fractionally improved on that to change the lead. But when Dufour, third-last to go, posted 84.560 with Atterupgaards Cassidy, the real battle commenced.

Rothenberger is a young man on a mission, oozing confidence and pzazz. Mastering the most difficult movements with the greatest of ease, he marched down the final centreline to throw down a massive score of 90.614 which really put it up to his compatriot.

But Werth thrives under pressure, and she had her game face on as her Freestyle music began. Weihegold listened to her all the way, producing a flawless performance that the crowd really enjoyed. But the tension on the German rider’s face as she waited for her mark to light up the scoreboard said it all. She knew it was going to be dangerously close.

“I was really hoping it would be good enough 48

OCTOBER 2017

DUTCH CLAIM DOUBLE GOLD ON FINAL DAY OF EXTRAORDINARY CHAMPIONSHIPS In one of the closest finishes in recent history, the Netherlands narrowly held off a resurgent German trio and a fighting Belgian challenge to claim their fourth successive European team gold after a captivating final day of competition on the final day of the Longines FEI European Championships in Gothenburg (SWE).

Driven on by their irrepressible individual gold medallist IJsbrand Chardon, the Dutch just about maintained their air of invincibility, but they certainly had to work for it.

Spurred on by consultant trainer and world number one Boyd Exell (AUS), the Germans came hard at the men in orange through the cones test, but with both individual bronze medallist Christoph Sandmann and Georg von Stein picking up late time penalties, they fell just short.

With all three Dutch drivers finishing inside the top six individual positions, the Netherlands took team honours with a total of 299.73 to the Germans’ 308.94.

The Belgians showed their emerging strength, claiming team bronze after holding off a spirited last-day challenge from the French team, for whom Anthony Horde went double clear, one of six individual drivers to achieve the feat.

“Team Belgium is ready to challenge now, individual silver medallist Edouard Simonet said after finishing less than two points behind Chardon’s winning score of 150.37. “We will work on our dressage to get even better with Glenn (Geerts) and Dries (Degrieck) and with the marathon we need to get a more consistent performance and then we will be really close to the Dutch and the Germans.”

Geerts, who at 28 years old is the elder states-

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COURTESY KIM VOS

Kim Vos: From The Netherlands To Alberta An Interview with Kim Vos in Cochrane, Alberta

By Astrid Hryciuk

K

im Vos has moved from Holland to Canada recently and is now located in Cochrane, Alberta. She is a licenced EC Medium level Dressage Judge and Dressage coach.

Recently, Kim sat down for an interview and answered some questions: When did you begin riding?

I started at the age of 10. After nagging my parents for months, they allowed me to do a try-out of 12 lessons at the local riding school.

I spent a lot of time there, and rode a different horse/pony every week. I ended up riding there for almost 20 years and I think riding all these different horses taught me to adjust to your mount and be creative in solving technical problems.

Did you have any mentors?

The owner and instructor of the riding school taught me a lot, not only during my own lessons but also during lessons that I watched.

She introduced me to teaching, gave me the opportunity to teach under her guidance and later by myself. Later, I had the privilege to work with several Grand Prix riders and trainers. Those www.gaitpost.com

training sessions are very valuable to me!

Did you have a special horse in your past?

Yes! I owned a beautiful mare, Aviva Savanne, a Dutch Warmblood sired by Tango. After a very tragic period in my life, in a period of three weeks I lost my father, grandmother and horse, and then she came into my life. She kept me going and pulled me out of an emotionally very rough time. Together with her I grew in my riding and confidence, we climbed up in the levels, and she gave me the requirements to become a judge and trainer/coach. She also gave me a beautiful foal, now two years old.

Were you involved in any equestrian organizations in The Netherlands?

Yes, I was a board member of a pony and horse club in my hometown. I also was member of a show committee that organized 2two big shows per year. This meant planning about 200-300 starts per day, both jumping and Dressage in two Jumper arenas and up to 12 Dressage rings. By organizing shows, I gave young riders a chance to show in front of a judge, and in that

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COURTESY KIM VOS

Kim Vos continued from page 49 way, help them improve and grow!

As a judge, what do you like to see when a horse and rider come down centre line?

First of all, it’s nice to see a confident rider that is proud to be in the show ring, proud of his/her horse and wants to show off their qualities. And then, of course, the directives that come with it: nice and straight, good tempo, clear transitions, etc.

What goes through your mind when you give a 10 in a Dressage test?

It is not very often that you can reward an exercise with an “excellent” score. If I can give those scores, it brings a smile to my face. Usually the rest of that test is just as good and I end up writing down superlatives on the test sheet!

What do you feel is the greatest reward you get from your work as a trainer/teacher and judge?

As a trainer, I like to set goals. Not too high, not too low, but all within the capability of the horse and rider. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing those goals reached. To me, it doesn’t matter if that goal is for a beginner rider to gain the ability to post a trot for more than 10 minutes, or a beautiful half pass in canter with a more advanced horse.

As a judge, it is very nice to see riders being happy with their results and the comments I have given them, even if it wasn’t their best test.

What makes a top judge?

To me it is very important to be consistent in the way you score a test. If something is good, give a high score. If not, go low. Most important is to provide all the not-so-good scores with sufficient remarks so the rider knows what went wrong. Finish your judgement with some general remarks that can help the rider move forward!

Of your past career successes, which were highlights for you?

Since my career in Canada has just started, I 50

OCTOBER 2017

don’t have that many highlights yet. There is one accomplishment that can be highlighted. I have a former jumper horse in training and last year I took him to a Dressage show. His first show as a Dressage horse, my first show in Canada, with only 2 months of training we managed to win the Reserve Open Championship.

In the Netherlands, I worked with a talented 14-year-old girl who, under my guidance, progressed from Training level to Third Level in less than a year. I still get updates from her and her mother with very nice results and now they even stepped up to Fourth level. I’m very proud of that!

What are some of the qualities of European riders that Canadian riders can learn from?

Make sure you start with proper basics. Be patient. Don’t rush yourself or your horse into a higher level if those basics are not correctly installed. The better the basics, the easier it will be to get in the higher levels! Find yourself a good trainer/coach and take your time to grow as a combination.

What advice can you give to riders who want to gain more confidence?

Find yourself that good trainer, one that recognizes your problems and knows how to deal with them. Build a trusting relationship with him or her and start working towards a goal.

Don’t set your goals too high - the disappointment will only be bigger if you can’t reach it.

Take it slow, one step at a time, don’t overdo it.

And then, once you’re there, be proud!

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Discipline Reports continued from page 48 man of the team, stressed the “huge boost” a first Championship medal will give to the sport in Belgium, after they finished on 320.04, just over 13 penalties clear of the French.

Ultimately, however, no-one could quite steal the limelight from Chardon. Fresh from revelling in the “rock concert crowd” of marathon day, the 55-year-old thrived in front of a full house at the Heden Arena.

Indeed the Dutchman was clear enough of the rest of the field to let out a yelp of delight and start his celebrations at the last obstacle, even though he knocked off a ball.

“I was too happy, I’m sorry!” he laughed.

As a contented crowd poured out of the Heden Arena, it was left to Exell, the biggest name in the sport, to deliver a final verdict on an extraordinary Longines FEI European Championships.

“Yesterday was a stonking crowd, it was like a rock concert out there and a full house today,” said the Australian. “The nice thing was that driving looked like the most popular of all the equestrian disciplines.”

PARA REPORT GREAT BRITAIN AND DYNAMIC DANES SHARE HONOURS AS PARA DRESSAGE DRAWS TO A CLOSE For the second day running Denmark went head-to-head with Para-Equestrian Dressage powerhouse Great Britain as the two nations dominated a compelling final day of Freestyle to Music action in Gothenburg’s Heden Arena at the Longines FEI European Championships 2017.

Once again Great Britain edged ahead of the Scandinavians at the finish, a bold ride from serial winner Sophie Wells (GBR) on C Fatal Attraction giving them a third Freestyle gold of the day, one clear of Denmark’s haul.

It has been another glorious Championships for the Brits who, despite fielding three debutants, take home six of the 11 gold medals on offer. But Denmark will be proud of how far they Discipline Reports continued on page 60 www.gaitpost.com

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FEI/LIZ GREGG Tange Kaastrupd with Horsebo Smarties.

Discipline Reports continued from page 57 pushed their illustrious rivals on day two and three, with their dynamic mixture of teenage talent and seasoned know-how promising much for the future.

The first of Great Britain’s triple Championship gold medal-winning newcomers, Suzanna Hext, kicked proceedings off riding Abira in the Grade III finale. The individual and team

Newsletter of the BC Hunter Jumper Association

BCHJA News

The BCHJA Fall Finale is September 20–24,2017 at Thunderbird Show Park.

The executive wishes the best of luck to all competitors!

Spectators! Make plans to attend any or all of the days. There are special events and activities planned daily.

Competitors, check your points and report concerns or discrepancies to points on the website: BCHJA.com.

Check the BCHJA website for membership details, show calendar and more: www.bchja.com

www.bchja.com | 25232 - 80th Avenue, Langley, BC V1M 3M9 | Fax: 604-882-0154 60

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champion responded to the imposing marker of 76.173% set by Germany’s Steffen Zeibig and Feel Good with a confident ride to edge another gold, this time by 0.233%.

Teenager Tobias Joergensen (DEN) on Bruunhiolms Caribian opened up Denmark’s account for the day with bronze behind Zeibig. The 17-yearold hails from a fine line of Para Dressage athletes, as his mother Line Joergensen (DEN) competed at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Inevitably, Great Britain’s Julie Payne was not going to let a day go past at these Championships without producing a huge score and grabbing another gold in Grade I. The 55-year- old and her incomparable mare Athene Lindebjerg showed the virtues of doing the simple things to perfection as they strutted to 80.393%, comfortably the highest mark of the week.

Three rides, three gold medals and the three highest scores of the Championship.

“I’ve certainly had more than my 15 minutes of fame,” said the ever-modest Payne, who, in case anyone should forget, was making her Championship bow.

Rihards Snikus (LAT) on King of the Dance and Elke Philipp (GER) on Regaliz swapped places from Monday’s individual test, taking silver and bronze in the Freestyle respectively.

In the fourth category of the day, Denmark hit back once again with Susanne Sunesen levelling the tally at two gold medals each. The Dane broke the home crowd’s hearts on the way by snatching gold from Louise Jakobsson and Zernard with the final ride of Grade IV. Sunesen has a wonderfully symbiotic relationship with her horse CSK’s Que Faire.

And then it was the moment for two-time Paralympic gold medallist Sophie Wells (GBR) to shine in the final test of the Para Dressage Championships. She and C Fatal Attraction knew what they had to beat: Frank Hosmar (NED) and Alphaville N.O.P.’s impressive 76.955%.

The duo stormed to a Championship closing gold with 78.350%. Switzerland’s Nicole Geiger picked up her second bronze of the week with Phal de Lafayette.

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

COMPETITIONCALENDAR More details on Gaitpost.com!

April’s Tack Boutique........... 43 HiPro Feeds........................... 2 Ashby, Karen & Christina...... 55 Integrated Bio Systems.......... 6 Bates Tack Shop.................. 12 Lawder, Shelley.................... 57

BRITISH COLUMBIA Sep 29 - Oct 2

Bay Realty............................ 57 Maple Leaf Meadows........... 38

Oct 7 - 8

Biomedica........................... 64 McGill, Lesley....................... 27

Oct 1

Cloverdale Pharmasave........ 22 McIntyre, Sidonia................. 45 Country Mfg......................... 44 Otter Co-op............................ 7 Dewson, Cheryl.................... 56 Ravine Ranch Sport Horses.. 21

Oct 8 Oct 14

Dexter Associates...........55, 56 Rocky Mtn Dist. Learning..... 18 The Dog & Pony Shop........... 20 Schleese.............................. 41 Elevate Equestrian............... 46 Southlands Riding Club.......... 9 Equine Essentials................. 39 Strathcona.....................10, 13 Footnote Farm..................... 26 Ulterra Equestrian................ 20 Foxcroft Farm....................... 63 Vetoquinol............................. 5 Greenhawk............................. 3 Woodguard Canada.............. 42 High Point Equestrian Ctr..... 15 Wrayton Transport................ 26

Oct 21

Pacific Regional Dressage Championships, Thunderbird Show Park. Ali: alibuchanan1@gmail.com, (778) 928-5300 MREC “Mary Swanson” Horse Trials Jack: (604) 467-5616, mrec.ca Old Friends Champagne Fall Finale Dressage Schooling Show, Lake Country (Winfield), BC Mary: (250) 442-2686, relkov@gmail.com Windsor Stables Trophy Show, Aldergrove, BC Sarah: (604) 512-1405, sadws@shaw.ca www.windsorstables.net Langley Riders Show, Langley, BC Becky: (778) 989-4624, chicklet1976@live.com www.langleyriders.com Langley Riders Games Day, Langley, BC Ngaire: (778) 277-0015, ngaire.smart@gmail.com www.langleyriders.com

ALBERTA Sep 30 - Oct 6 Equine Massage Therapy Course, Edmonton, AB Sidonia: (519) 562-9992, equinerehab@xplornet.com www.equinerehab.ca Please confirm with event organizers before attending any events. Some events are changed or cancelled without our knowledge. Submit calendar events at www.gaitpost.com/calendar. Calendar events must be submitted by the print deadline, in order to be considered for inclusion in the next issue. The Gaitpost Calendar is a free service.

BCLM Pony Club News for October 2017 canadianponyclub.org | bclm.ponyclub.ca Pony Club Update July was an exciting month for BC Lower Mainland pony clubbers, as it was time once again for our annual Pony Club Rally Event!

Held at Maple Ridge Equi-Sport Centre July 20-23, this annual event is an introduction to the world of 3 Phase Eventing, an intense discipline in the riding world which combines Dressage, Cross Country jumping, and Stadium jumping.

Teams of grooms and riders, led by team captains, compete and participate in the three phases of eventing, but unique to pony club, these only form part of the competition. Grooms and captains also compete in stable management, receiving cumulative scores based on their set up and maintenance of tack stalls, horse stalls, and knowledge of horse care. It takes a team to be successful in event competitions, and our Rally event highlights that with all participants coming together to support each other through each phase.

Final standings are based on the scores achieved throughout each day of competition, and at the conclusion of the event, awards are presented not only for teams but also individual riders, grooms and captains.

The excitement of the competition is balanced with fun social events as well, with swimming in the creek, BBQs, and the nightly tradition of mug-up, a dose of hot chocolate and treats at the end of a long day of competition – standard dress code is PJs. Rally is easily one of the most popular of our Pony Club events held throughout the year, and the friendships forged through the long days of working together as teammates often last a lifetime.

September marks the beginning of our Pony Club year and branches throughout the BC Lower Mainland will be taking registrations and beginning their lesson programs – be sure to be a part of it!

For information, contact Tracy Carver | 778-999-7400 | bclmponyclub@gmail.com www.gaitpost.com

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Next Deadline: October 6, 2017 for the November 2017 Issue

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Phone: 604-820-3418 / 1-800-934-3418 Fax: 604-820-6557 · Cell: 604-761-8345 E-Mail: foreverinpeace@wcteltech.net 62

OCTOBER 2017

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HERMEN GEERTSEMA VETERINARY SERVICES “Striving for excellence in veterinary care” Regular Annual Health Care Packages for your high performance horse or back yard companion.

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604-857-5432 Toll Free: 1-888-858-5432

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Dressage Clinic!

Riders and horses fro Training level m & are all welcom up e!

FOXCROFT FARM AND THE GAITPOST ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT ELLEN BONTJE Returning October 12 – 15, 2017 Ellen Bontje, the Olympic Silver medallist and former Dutch dressage team member, is returning to the Lower Mainland in October! Ellen is a familiar figure here in BC, visiting multiple times a year for many years. The advantage of having someone of this calibre committed to returning frequently and maintaining a high level of training is priceless. Ellen’s teaching style and experience makes her a wonderful coach for all combinations of horses and riders, young or old, green or experienced.

Praise for Ellen Bontje: “I enjoy the fact that first and foremost Ellen is an advocate for the horse. She always considers what is in the best interest of the horse and in that way she is successful in getting the best from the horse. She is very enthusiastic, she really wants you to “get it” — Kiersten Humphrey

“Ellen has many exercises to help all levels and is not one for drilling...if it doesn’t work let’s try something else. Ellen also has a very sympathetic and respectful way of coaching professional trainers and all riders.

She doesn’t try to change your way with your horse, but help you with improving what you’ve already trained.” — Rebecca Garrard

If you would like to participate in this or future clinics, please contact Eleanor at 604-866-5601 or foxcroft@telus.net.

Ride times will be available at HIgh Point Equestrian Centre, Hazelmere Equestrian Centre, and Foxcroft Farm.

This is a great opportunity to learn from one of the best in a low pressure, positive environment.

www.gaitpost.com

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

OCTOBER 2017

63

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A healthy horse is a happy horse 64

OCTOBER 2017

Canada’s Greatest Little Horse Mag

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