September 2019 Volume 3, Issue 3 Chair’s Message Quarterly Contributors In this edition of the Equestrian Canada (EC) Editorial Content Provided by: Christilot Dressage Quarterly Report, we want to recognize Boylen, Jessie Christie, Jane Fraser, Susan the fantastic results achieved by our Team at the Fraser, Sue Holtby, Esmee Ingham, Joan Pan American Games. Our team of Tina Irwin, Macartney, Christine Peters, Claire Robinson, Lindsay Kellock, Jill Irving, and Naima Moreira Kathryn Robinson, Sheila Skene, Caroline Soble, Laliberté not only won the gold medal but also Victoria Winter secured a spot for Canada at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo! Photos Provided by: Cali Newspaper 1971, Foto4U, Cealy Tetley, Luc van Moorsel, In the individual event our riders again had super Courtsey of the Robinson Family, Courtsey of results with Tina bringing home the silver medal Robert Dover, www.caragrimshaw.com and Naima and Lindsay finishing sixth and seventh respectively. This team made up of both EC and the Dressage Committee would like to experienced and first-time members wowed us thank dressage-news.com for the generous use of all with top performances in a high pressure their photo which was published under the environment, including several personal bests. scribing article in the previous issue of Dressage Thank you to our riders and the large support Quarterly. We apologise for this oversight in the team behind each and every one of them for their June issue. outstanding performances. It will be exciting to watch our riders as they prepare for the 2020 EC Contacts Olympic Games. Contact details, photos and biographies can be We also want to recognize the exciting results found for all EC staff at the following link: produced by our junior and young riders at the www.equestrian.ca/about/contact. A quick Adequan/FEI North American Youth overview of staff contacts for the dressage and Championships. Highlights included a podium technical portfolios are highlighted below: hat trick by top young rider Vanessa Creech- Terauds, a very close silver medal for the Ontario/Quebec Team of Vanessa Creech- Christine Peters, Senior Manager Dressage Terauds, Sophie Dean-Potter, Julie Barrett and Olympic / Paralympic Program, Jade Morrissette in the Young Riders Team [email protected] Competition and a fifth place finish for the Quebec/Nova Scotia Team of Chloe Vandenplas, Celine Hutchison Majerus, Marilie Roy, and Lily-Rose Lemaire. Program Coordinator – Dressage Congratulations to all of our junior and young [email protected] riders and their support teams. The future looks bright! Officials, Rules We also continue our spotlight on up-and- Coordinator Technical Development coming young riders with interviews with Esmee Lindsey Blakely Ingham, a very successful young rider from [email protected] British Columbia who is now training in The Netherlands, and Claire and Kathryn Robinson, Coaching sisters from Alberta who both participated at the Coaching Coordinator North American Youth Championships. Finally, Helen Richardson we are pleased to include a "Looking Back" [email protected] article by Christilot Boylen describing her experiences at the 1971 Pan American Games in Competitions Colombia. Coordinator, Competition Services Maria-Christina Lepore Submitted by Victoria Winter [email protected] 2 Dressage Quarterly Upcoming Clinics combination, Kellock of Toronto, ON and Floratina (Fidertanz 2 x Rubin Royal OLD), owned by Chloe Gasiorowski. For the second Clinic: EC General & Dressage Stewards Clinic day in a row, Kellock and the 11-year-old Clinician: Linda Miller (EC Senior National Hanoverian mare set a personal best record, Steward, EC Senior Dressage Steward and FEI receiving a score of 73.147% from the Dressage Dressage Steward) Ground Jury, which included FEI 4* Dressage Date: November 9-10, 2019 Judge, Brenda Minor of Acton, ON. Their back- Location: Calgary, AB (additional details to to-back third place finishes in the small tour also come) had them sitting third overall in the individual Registration: Online Registration standings. Levy Performance Symposium Clinician: Robert Dover (Olympic Medalist) “I am thrilled. Today was by far the best feeling Date: October 25, 2019 I’ve ever had in the ring with Floratina, and I Location: Caledon, ON couldn’t be happier – she brought it,” said Registration: Online Registration Kellock, who took over the ride on Floratina less than a year ago, yet has never scored below 70% Talent ID Clinic in a single class entered. “When you go at the Clinician: Robert Dover (Olympic Medalist) beginning, you want to start strong for your Date: October 26-27, 2019 team.” Location: Blackfalds, AB Registration: Online Registration Keep up to date with clinic plans through the EC clinics page: www.equestrian.ca/events- results/clinics. Dressage Team Earns Team Gold and Ticket to Tokyo in Lima After fierce competition for the top of the podium the Canadian Dressage Team took Pan Am gold for the first time in 28 years, and earned Canada’s berth to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games during the Lima 2019 Pan American L to R: Jill Irving, Tina Irwin, Lindsay Kellock, Games in Peru. Naima Moreira Laliberté Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley Team members, Jill Irving of Moncton, NB, Tina Irwin of Stouffville, ON, Lindsay Kellock of Facing that same pressure to help nail down an Toronto, ON, and Naima Moreira Laliberté of early lead was Irwin aboard her long-time Outremont, QC, were neck-and-neck with the partner, Laurencio (Laurentio x Donnerhall), a United States during the first leg of the team 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with competition, finishing a fraction behind. They her husband and fellow elite dressage athlete, returned to the Team Final with laser focus to Jaimey Irwin. It was mission accomplished when achieve their dual goals of gold medals, and a they became Canada’s top-scoring combination spot for Tokyo 2020 as one of the top two teams for the second day in a row after achieving not already qualified. 73.853%. Their score would prove to lead the small tour rankings right up until the final entry, The Team Final consisted of the Intermediate I Sarah Lockman of the US aboard First Apple. for small tour entries and Grand Prix Special for Having finished second in the small tour both the big tour, and also acted as the second days, Irwin and Laurencio also held second on individual qualifier. Kicking off the Canadian Team’s journey to the podium was small tour the individual leaderboard, with Lockman in the “Degas is in great form but he was spicy lead. yesterday, and really spicy today, and it cost me some very expensive mistakes,” said Irving, who “I needed to go for more energy today, so I did also rode Degas 12 for Canada at the 2018 FEI that,” said Irwin, who was attending her second World Equestrian Games in Mill Spring, NC. Pan American Games, previously earning team “But, my teammates made up for it. I’m really silver during the 2011 edition in Guadalajara, proud of our team. I think it’s great to be coming MEX. “No risk, no gain – so I had a little bobble in the second day a little bit behind – you don’t in my half-pass, which was a coefficient, but I have to ride defensively, you just put on your ‘A’ don’t regret it because I think you have to go big game, and that’s what they did. It’s been an or go home. You’ve got to go for it, and you’ve amazing Games. The venue is world class, the got to push, so I’m happy I did that today.” footing is great, the stabling is great, and the food is amazing. Honestly, it’s been epic.” Speaking to the feeling of winning team gold, Irwin continued, “It’s a huge accomplishment. Canada’s gold medal was earned on a team total There was a lot of pressure on our team (to score of 440.111. The US took silver with qualify Canada for Tokyo), but we gave it our all 437.791, while the bronze went to Brazil today. We brought our ‘A’ game and we’re very, (408.696). Lima represents the third team gold very proud.” for the Canadian Dressage Team, having also topped the Pan Am Games podium in Havana, Following the first two flights of riders, Canada CUB in 1991 and Cali, COL in 1971. had overtaken the US, and after Moreira Laliberté - just 22 years of age and making her “Coming here, right from the start, there was no major games debut - stayed cool under pressure question that we were here to win gold. That was to earn 71.787%, the gold medal became a the goal and they made it happen.” said Canadian mathematical certainty for Canada. Riding Dressage Team Chef d’Équipe, Christine Peters. Statesman, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding “They rode their heart out for Canada and I’m sired by Sandro Hit and owned by KML S.à.r.l., very proud. What impressed me the most about Moreira Laliberté won both the Grand Prix and this group is how they came together as a team the Grand Prix Special as an individual to sit and supported each other; the four of them have fourth on the overall leaderboard. been like sisters. To have them bring home team gold for Canada for the first time in so many years is incredible.” “The goal today was a really steady and clean ride for the team, and we achieved the plan, so I’m really happy about that,” said Moreira TINA IRWIN RETURNS TO Laliberté, who is the daughter of Cirque du Soleil founder, Guy Laliberté.