Equestrian Canada: CET on the Go - Daily Rio Rundown for August 11, 2016

Source: News Release/Jessie Christie

CET on the Go: Daily Rio Rundown for August 11, 2016

One of the most heart-melting stories to come out of the Games so far is that of 25-year-old Canadian dressage athlete, Megan Lane, and her horse, Caravella.

Over an eight-year period, the pair has grown up together, and gone from the Junior division all the way to the Olympics.

Caravella (Contango x Riverman) was bred by Canadian grand prix dressage rider, Jill Irving, of Moncton, NB. She was later sold and trained as a hunter. Lane first came across Caravella while tagging along to a sales barn with a friend who was horse shopping. She describes the experience of meeting Caravella as “love at first sight” and says that from the minute she sat on Caravella, she knew the mare would be a top dressage horse, despite the odds against her, being just 16hh and still fairly green in dressage at the age of eight.

Lane’s intuition proved to be bang on. Since they first met eight years ago, Caravella, a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare she co-owns with her mother, Cathy and sister, Kelsey, has taken her through the junior and young rider ranks to the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2015 Pan Am Games, where they helped Canada secure the team silver medal. And now, Lane and Caravella have yet another title to add to their repertoire: Canadian Olympians.

After making her impressive debut at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Aug. 11, where she scored 71.286%, putting her into 11^th place provisionally after day one of dressage competition, Lane spoke to the media about her unique partnership with Caravella.

“When I first saw Caravella, I wasn’t looking for a horse. I didn’t have any plans to buy a horse, I just knew that I loved her and it turned out that we really clicked, and the rest is history.

“Caravella was in a sales barn in Uxbridge, ON, to be sold as a hunter. I’ve had her for eight years now. So, we’ve grown up together. She is feisty. She’s got that fire in her and we get along really well…she doesn’t like everybody. She tries that extra bit I think more than she’s capable of, so that’s what I find really special about her.

“She is a horse that I brought up from the juniors and then young riders, and then the young rider grand prix, then the world equestrian games and Pan American Games, and now the Olympics. So it’s been an absolutely incredible journey with this horse.

“We know each other inside and out and it’s amazing to go through all of these new experiences with someone you trust so much. You don’t really feel alone when you are in these big competitions and high stress situations. It’s a great partnership.

“This is my first Olympic Games. Today, I couldn’t ask for a better atmosphere, better weather, so it’s a recipe for perfection. We’ve done a lot of preparing. I’m really grateful for everyone who has helped me along the journey. I’m really excited to be here.”

Megan Lane’s road to success with Caravella has included a team silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto with teammates, Chris von Martels, Brittany Fraser and Belinda Trussell.