Equine Canada: Weekend Review - April 24-28, 2013

Source: News Release

Equine Canada: Weekend Review - April 24-28, 2013

Dressage

REEM ACRA FEI WORLD CUP DRESSAGE FINAL

Jacqueline Brooks of Cedar Valley, ON and Jaimey Irwin of Stouffville, ON rode for Canada against the world's best at the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final, held April 24-28 in Gothenburg, SWE.

Paired with her 2012 Olympic mount D Niro, a 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding sired by D-Day and owned by Brookhaven Dressage Inc., Brooks received a score of 67.356% in the Grand Prix, which was the opening competition for the Final on April 25. This put her in 13^th place overall at the end of day one.

Irwin wasn't far behind, placing 17^th on a score of 61.474% aboard Lindor's Finest, a 16-year-old Canadian Warmblood stallion co-owned by Sylvia Carlton and Ute Busse (who is the horse's previous rider, as well as Irwin's mother-in-law). This was not only Irwin's first time competing at the FEI World Cup Final, but also his first time competing in Europe.

Having achieved a score above the minimum qualifier of 58% in the Grand Prix, both Canadian riders were invited to move on to the Grand Prix Freestyle on April 27.

Brooks put in a solid Freestyle performance, scoring 68.661% to finish in 14^th place overall.

"D Niro and I have had an amazing time here at the World Cup. It is by far the most electric arena he has ever experienced; he was a true and honest partner," said Brooks, who also represented Canada at the 2007 World Cup Final with her recently retired mount Gran Gesto. "The Grand Prix was probably the best feeling test of my career."

Irwin also ended his first high caliber competition on a high note, taking 16^th place overall after a Freestyle score of 66.643%.

For complete results visit http://results.scgvisual.com/2013/goteborg/index.html.

CDI 3*/Y/J/U25 DEL MAR NATIONAL HORSE SHOW

Karen Pavicic of Surrey, BC, and Mackenzie Thiessen-Ryall of Winnipeg, MB achieved multiple top-three results at the CDI 3*/Y/J/U25 Del Mar National Dressage Horse Show, held April 25-28 in California, USA.

Pavicic contested the Grand Prix division aboard Don Daiquiri, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with Jayne Essig. The duo scored 67.36% in the FEI Grand Prix class for third place. They also took third in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle on a score of 71.03%.

"I am so proud of Don Daiquiri. He performed like a seasoned Grand Prix horse all weekend," commented Pavicic. "It was a very competitive show held in an electric atmosphere, I couldn't be happier with our results."

Thiessen-Ryall also brought home impressive results. She competed in the FEI Junior division, paired with her 15-year-old German-bred pony Danao. Together they placed second in the Team class, scoring an even 60%, as well as a second place finish in the Individual class with 61.18%.

Full results can be found here.

Eventing

CCI 4* ROLEX KENTUCKY THREE-DAY-EVENT

North America's only CCI 4* event took place April 25-28 at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event in Lexington, KY, USA. Canada's Hawley Bennett-Awad put in a remarkable performance, cracking the top 10 with a seventh place finish aboard her 2012 Olympic mount Gin & Juice (13-year-old American Thoroughbred mare she co-owns with Linda Paine.)

After receiving a dressage score of 59.8 penalties, they were sitting in 29^th position heading into cross-country. A smooth performance over the 28 challenging obstacles spread over a 4.02 mile course added zero jumping faults and just 0.4 time faults moved them all the way up to 11^th place. In the final jumping phase, Bennett-Awad and Gin & Juice were one of only four pairs to put in a faultless performance, making their final score 60.02.

"I wanted a top 10 finish," said Bennett-Awad of her goal heading into Rolex.

"I just wanted to prove she is one of the best horses in the world. Considering what happened in London, I wanted the world to see her and I at our best," she explained, referring to her unfortunate fall during the cross-country phase at the 2012 London Olympics that resulted in hospitalization for a concussion and a sacral fracture.

Canada also had four other riders complete the iconic CCI 4* with the following results:

16- Shandiss McDonald / Rockfield Grant Juan / 73.7

17- Peter Barry / Kilrodan Abbott / 74.0

19- Kendal Lehari / Daily Edition / 75.2

29- Micheline Jordan / Irish Diamonds / 118.6

For additional information and complete results, visit www.rk3de.com.

Jumping

CSI 4*/CSI 2* ANTWERPEN

Renowned Canadian Olympian Eric Lamaze, who is from Schomberg, ON, but currently based in Belgium, earned a big win at the CSI 4*/CSI 2* Antwerpen, held in Belgium, April 25-28. Riding one of his up-and-coming mounts, the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Wang Chung M2S, owned by Lamaze's Torrey Pine Stable and Morningside Stud, he came out on top of the CSI 4* Prijs Taittinger 1.45m.

Lamaze's student, Tiffany Foster, who is originally from Vancouver, BC, but currently residing in Schomberg, ON, also earned impressive results. Paired with La Toya 44, an 11-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Artisan Farms, she took third place in the CSI 4* Prijs Cleaning Masters 1.45m, as well as fifth in the CSI 4* Prijs Sporting A 1.45m. Foster also earned 15^th place in the CSI 4* Prijs Ghelamco 1.50m aboard her seasoned partner Victor, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Torrey Pines Stable and Artisan Farms.

Courtney Vince, a Burlington, ON native living and training with Ashford Farm in Belgium, was also in the ribbons. Partnered with Ashford Farm's 11-year-old Scottish Sport Horse gelding, Valetto JX, Vince finished eighth in the CSI 2* Prijs ALD Automotive 1.45m.

Go to www.jumpingantwerpen.com for full results.

CSI 3*/CSIYH 1* MAGNA RACINO SPRING TOUR

Nicole Walker of Aurora, ON put in impressive performances at the CSI 3*/CSIYH 1* Magna Racino Spring Tour, held April 24-28 in Ebreichsdorf, AUT.

Walker, who was part of Canada's Silver Medalist Young Riders Nations Cup Team at the CSIO 4* FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, USA back in March, achieved multiple placings aboard two mounts, and even won a 1.40m class in the CSI 3* portion of this European competition.

Joseph Rothstein, a Canadian currently living in The Netherlands, competed in the CSIYH 1* Young Horse portion of the competition with a variety of up-and-coming mounts.

Walker and Rothstein's results were as follows:

VIP Tour Large 1.40m

1- Nicole Walker / Blue Loyd 12

9- Nicole Walker / High Yummy

VIP Tour Large 1.40m

18- Nicole Walker / Blue Loyd 12

VIP Tour Large Final 1.40m

2- Nicole Walker / High Yummy

5- Nicole Walker / Blue Loyd 12

CSIYH 1* Six-Year-Old Horses 1.20m

13- Joseph Rothstein / Codette

CSIYH1* Six-Year-Old Horses 1.20m

20- Joseph Rothstein / Codette

CSIYH1* Five-Year-Old Horses 1.10m

10- Joseph Rothstein / Damon

For more information and full results, go to www.magnaracino.at.

Reining

CRI 3* KENTUCKY REINING CUP

Canadian Reining riders took part in the $100,000 CRI 3* Kentucky Reining Cup, held April 26-27 in conjunction with the CCI 4* Rolex Kentucky Thee-Day Event in Lexington, KY, USA.

Sean McBurney, a Canadian currently living in Arlington, WA, USA, took sixth place individually on a score of 217 with Chics Loaded Gun, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion owned by Gaylene Sawchuck. This result also helped McBurney earn second place in the Team standings, along with Tim McQuay and Mandy McCutcheon of the USA.

Lisa Coulter of Vernon, BC scored 206 to place 22^nd individually, riding No Wimpy Cowboys, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Coulter is an experienced Reining competitor who has represented Canada at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and the 2011 FEI World Reining Final.

Coulter and McBurney were also awarded outside of the Reining ring, winning Best-Dressed Female and Best-Dressed Male, respectively, during the FEI horse inspection on April 25.

For additional information, and to view full results, visit www.kentuckyreining.com.

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