Source:  News Release

Brilliant Results for Canadians on Home Soil at
British Columbia's Inaugural CDI3* International Dressage Show

Ottawa, Ont. - Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, B.C. will go down in history as the host of the first-ever CDI3* level dressage competition to take place in British Columbia.

 

The CDI3* International Dressage Show took place April 10-12, and as a Toronto 2015 Pan American Games qualifier, gave west coast riders the opportunity to obtain qualifying scores in their own backyard.

 

Wendy Christoff from Delta, BC was Canada's top rider in the Big Tour, earning a score of 69.700% for second place in the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle after an elegant performance aboard her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Treffer (Niagara x Haarlem).

 

"It was our first time performing this freestyle and I am very happy with Treffer's performance," said Christoff, a long-time international competitor for Canada who fell in love with dressage after seeing a demonstration by Canadian Olympian Inez Propfe-Credo at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, B.C. in 1979. "The atmosphere was quite electric and he handled it without too much trouble. I love the music and choreography from Karen Robinson. It is a beautiful dance and very emotional."

 

Christoff was also successful in the Small Tour, along with fellow British Columbia natives Leslie Reid and Sandra Verda, both of Langley.

 

All three had a strong start in the CDI1* Prix St. Georges (PSG), with Reid capturing the win on a score of 71% aboard Fine and Smart (Fuerst Piccolo x Worldman), Juliet Sears Ledorze's 11-year-old Westphalian gelding. Christoff followed in second place (68.789%), this time paired with Di Scansano (De Niro x Rubenstein), her 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Verda and Wilhelm (Nanning x Olympic Ferro), her 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood-cross gelding scored 68.526% for third place.

 

The top of the leaderboard in the CDI1* FEI Intermediate I mirrored the PSG, with Reid and Fine and Smart once again taking first place (71.921%), Christoff and Di Scansano earning 69.474% for second place, and Verda and Wilhelm picking up another third place on a score of 68.211%. Alysha Sauve of Port Coquitlam, B.C. also earned an impressive score, receiving 68.132% for fourth place aboard Reid's 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Special Effect (Patjin x Wouter).

 

The CDI1* Intermediate I Freestyle closed out the Small Tour, with Verda claiming her spot in the winner's circle after riding Wilhelm to a score of 71.750%. Sauve and Special Effect took second (69.675%), while Sydney Holme of North Saanich, B.C. broke into the top three, scoring 68.175% with her 13-year-old Rheinlander gelding, Day Dreamer (Dream of Heidelberg x Gabor).

 

Canada's west coast riders were proud to participate in British Columbia's inaugural CDI3* event, which was managed by Dressage Canada's Volunteer of the Month for March, Ali Buchanan of Langley, B.C.

 

"The CDI3* Thunderbird was so well organized, and the Freestyle Gala evening was a huge success," commented Christoff.

 

More information on the CDI3* Thunderbird can be found at www.tbird.ca. For complete results, click here.

 

 

Top Canadian Results - CDI3* Thunderbird

 

CDI3* Grand Prix

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

2nd / Wendy Christoff / Treffer / 66.420%

3rd / Roanne Tyson / Isleno XXXVII / 61.840%

4th / Marcie Doyle / Ariadne / 61.120%

 

CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

2nd / Wendy Christoff / Treffer / 69.700%

3rd / Roanne Tyson / Isleno XXXVII / 63.825%

4th / Marcie Doyle / Ariadne / 62.750%

 

CDI1* Prix St. Georges

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

1st / Leslie Reid / Fine and Smart / 71.000%

2nd / Wendy Christoff / Di Scansano / 68.789%

3rd / Sandra Verda / Wilhelm / 68.526%

4th / Courtenay Fraser / Birkegardens Lukas / 67.316%

5th / Alysha Sauve / Special Effect / 65.632%

6th / Roanne Tyson / Seiltanz / 65.211%

7th / Lynley Cook / Encore / 64.553%

9th / Rebecca Garrard / Con Brio / 64.395%

10th / Gloria Schriever / Minicooper S / 64.158%

 

CDI1* Intermediate I

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

1st / Leslie Reid / Fine and Smart / 71.921%

2nd / Wendy Christoff / Di Scansano / 69.474%

3rd / Sandra Verda / Wilhelm / 68.211%

4th / Alysha Sauve / Special Effect / 68.132%

5th / Courtenay Fraser / Birkegardens Lukas / 67.921%

6th / Sydney Holme / Day Dreamer / 66.632%

7th / Lynley Cook / Encore / 66.026%

8th / Ashley Moore / Woodstock / 64.921%

10th / Rebecca Garrard / Con Brio / 64.263%

 

CDI1* Intermediate I Freestyle

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

1st / Sandra Verda / Wilhelm / 71.750%

2nd / Alysha Sauve / Special Effect / 69.657%

3rd / Sydney Holme / Day Dreamer / 68.175%

4th / Lynley Cook / Encore / 67.875%

5th / Elizabeth Trenchard / Donatello / 66.425%

6th / Dagmar Fortmuller / Mardigras / 66.150%

7th / Gloria Schriever / Minicooper S / 66.100%

8th / Sheri Cameron / Sovereign Hit / 66.050%

9th / Roanne Tyson / Seiltanz / 65.075%

10th / Rebecca Garrard / Con Brio / 65.750%

 

CDI/J Junior Individual

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

1 / Emma Heusser / Lyra / 63.368%

 

CDI/J Junior Team Test

Placing / Rider / Horse / Score

 

 

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