Source:  News Release/Julie Cull

Quebec’s François Lamontagne Wins 2011 Jump Canada Cup

Ottawa, ON — Francois Lamontagne of St-Eustache, QC, won the 2011 Jump Canada Cup riding Unik Circa, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Sarah Lemieux.

In its inaugural season, the Jump Canada Cup was well received with almost 140 horse and rider combinations collecting points in 31 classes held across Canada.  Designed to assist in the development of Canada’s up-and-coming Grand Prix stars, riders participating in the Jump Canada Cup competed over courses of up to 1.45m in height.  Once all the points were tallied, three of the sport’s future stars topped the standings.

Kicking-off the season in St. Lazare, QC, Lamontagne, 27, earned fourth place in the $10,000 Grand Prix at the Pépinière Horse Show and won the $25,000 Grand Prix at the St-Lazare Horse Show the following week with Unik Circa.  At the Concours Hippiques du Parc—Printemps, the pair finished second in the $10,000 Tepq Qpet Grand Prix.  During the Jumping Internationale de Blainville—Week 1, Lamontagne and Unik Circa were second in the $40,000 Grand Prix.  The pair won the $15,000 Jump Canada Cup class during the second week of competition at the Jumping Internationale de Blainville.  A 12th place finish in the last class of the season, the $60,000 Grand Prix of Rockwood at the Angelstone International Show Jumping Tournament, kept Lamontagne in the top spot to become the overall winner of the 2011 Jump Canada Cup with a total of 17,290 points.

“If you look at the number of horses and riders who competed in the series, to win is quite an honour,” said Lamontagne, who rode Unik Circa in the Jump Canada Cup classes this season for owner Sarah Lemieux.  “For a catch-ride, it was certainly nice to win the Jump Canada Cup with Unik Circa.”

In a presentation held on Saturday, November 5, during the Royal Horse Show’s evening performance in Toronto, ON, Lamontagne received a $6,000 cash award from Jump Canada.

Brian Morton, 25, of Langley, BC, earned 14,850 points to finish second the 2011 Jump Canada Cup riding Spitfire, a 14-year-old French-bred gelding owned by Linda Opdycke.  As a result, Morton was awarded $4,000 by Jump Canada.

Rounding out the top three in the Jump Canada Cup was Samantha Buirs, 24, of Langley, BC.  Riding her 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Total Touch, Buirs earned 14,510 points throughout the season and was awarded $1,000 by Jump Canada.

For complete standings and criteria for the Jump Canada Cup, please visit www.equinecanada.ca/jumpcanada.

About Jump Canada

Jump Canada is the committee of Equine Canada responsible for all hunter, equitation and jumper activities in Canada from the grass roots to the international level.  Jump Canada is governed by a board, the majority of whose members are elected by the stakeholders in the sport.  For more information regarding Jump Canada programs and activities, visit www.equinecanada.ca/jumpcanada.

About Equine Canada

Equine Canada is Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism.  A member-driven, charitable institution, it is the executive branch of the Canadian Equestrian Team, and the national authority for equestrian competition; the national voice for recreational riders; and the national association for equine welfare, breeding, and industry.  Equine Canada is recognised by the Government of Canada, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national organisation representing equestrian sport and equine interests. For more information about Equine Canada, please visit www.equinecanada.ca.