Ottawa, Ontario — The CDI3* Blainville Dressage International, held June 28 – July 1 in Blainville, QC, drew in a large field of the country’s top young riders and horses.
Continuing their winning streak from the Ottawa CDI3* Dressage Classic, Lee Tubman of Smithville, ON rode Tygo B to a first place finish in both the Young Horse Six-Year-Old Preliminary and Final. The Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Sunrise Greenhouses Ltd. scored 79.000% in the Preliminary before dominating the final with a score of 80.800%.
Young Rider Julie Watchorn of Schomberg, ON finished second in the Preliminary, riding Michael and Judie Zajac’s Dutch Warmblood gelding Tocchio. Third place was awarded to veteran rider Tom Dvorak, who rode Karen Thompson-Harry’s Westphalian gelding Corrigan to a score of 66.000%.
Watchorn and Tocchio put in another impressive performance in the Final, scoring 73.400% to finish second. Although Dvorak and Corrigan also had a solid Final, fellow Canadian Equestrian Team short listed rider and multiple Canadian League World Cup finalist Jonathon Costin squeezed into the third place position after scoring 70.600% with the Trakehner gelding Key West, owned by Claudia and Ruth Demandt.
After receiving identical scores of 80.00% in Five-Year-Old Preliminary, first place was shared between Whitney Harris of Burlington, ON and her Trakehner gelding Klouseau, and Caroline Pepin of St-Hilaire, QC, with her Oldenburg gelding HG San Classic. Dvorak came in behind the leading ladies in third place, scoring 76.200% with renowned Canadian breeder Augustin Walch’s Hanoverian stallion Viva’s Salieri.
Pepin and HG San Classic had the red ribbon all to themselves in the Final, after their performance earned a score of 82.800%. Harris and Klouseau received second, scoring 79.600%, while Dvorak and Viva’s Salieri repeated their third place finish after scoring 79.000%.
In the Young Riders classes, Cecile von Martels of Ridgetown, ON took the top spot, scoring 64.815% aboard her 10-year-old Westphalian gelding, Downtown. Tara Dougans, of Vancouver, BC secured both second and third position, scoring 61.704% with her 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Nashua, and 60.889% with Louise Tomik’s 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Jacardo. Dougans was recently selected as part of the Canada West team heading to the 2006 North American Young Rider Championships in Lexington, Virginia this August.
The Young Rider Individual saw just one difference in the line up. von Martels and Downtown were once again the winners, scoring 63.333% and Dougans again took second and third place, but this time it was Jacardo in second place with a score of 62.583% and Nashua earning third, scoring 62.167%.
Dougans took over the lead in the Young Rider Kur, earning a score of 68.167% with Nashua and bumping von Martels and Downtown into second place with a score of 66.250%. A new face showed up in the top three after Briannon Johnson of Orleans, ON rode her 19-year-old veteran Hanoverian gelding La Valse to a score of 62.083%.
“Overall I was really pleased and I was especially happy with the freestyle,” stated Dougans. “Nashua got over the wind and loud music and really came through for me.”
It was a battle between Jessica Rhinelander of St. John’s NF and Amy Jager of Breslau, ON in the FEI Junior division. Rhinelander had a strong start with the Team class, earning first with a score of 65.917% aboard Leah Wilson’s 12-year-old gelding Dostoevsky, and second, scoring 65.417% with Andrea Rhinelander’s 11-year-old gelding Allende. Jager finished third after scoring 64.250% with her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Jive.
The tables were turned in the Individual, with Jager and Jive winning with a score of 65.417%, and Rhinelander coming in second after scoring 63.417% with Dostoevsky. It came down to the final class, the Kur, in which Jager and Jive again came out ahead with a score of 71.667%. Rhinelander and Allende took second after scoring 64.500%.
Both riders will be representing Canada in the Junior division at the 2006 North American Junior Rider Championships.
“Blainville was a good final preparation for the NAJYRC’s. It was super well run and had great judges,” commented Dougans. “I look forward to going again.”
The CDI3* Blainville Dressage International also featured a host of FEI and National classes. For more info, please go to http://www.classiqueblainville.com.
About Dressage Canada
Dressage Canada, as a committee of Equine Canada, is the National governing body for Dressage in Canada. Dressage Canada’s objective is to foster the growth of Dressage and the pursuit of excellence in the sport at the local, national and international levels. Dressage Canada provides support and guidance to both amateur and professional through the following programs: coaching education and programs, officials’ education and programs, rules & qualifying criteria, sport development, publications & awards. For more information about Dressage Canada email [email protected] or visit us online at www.dressagecanada.org
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