Canadian Jill Irving of Moncton, NB and Tina Irwin of Stouffville, ON brought their A-game to the CDI-W/3 * Dressage at Devon, held Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, 2016 in Devon, PA. Despite a weekend filled with rain, nothing could dampen the spirits of the athletes in red and white as they secured wins in both the small and big tour divisions.
The big tour saw Irving set new personal best records. Riding Degas 12 (De Niro x Regazzoni), her 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, she achieved scores of 69.600% in the Grand Prix for Special and an impressive 70.255% in the Special to win both classes
“Winning is the icing on the cake,” said Irving of her successful week. “I want to continue to improve. That’s the part I love, seeing the progression.”
Irving also commented on the tight knit and family atmosphere enjoyed by Canadian dressage competitors, stating, “There is so much excitement when one of us has success. That’s what’s great about our little group. Everyone goes to the ring and watches and supports each other. That’s what makes this a team sport.
Fellow Canadian, Tina Irwin of Stouffville, ON, enjoyed a small tour hat trick aboard Laurencio (Laurentio x Donnerhall), a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with her husband, Jaimey Irwin. Together they completed three winning performances, earning scores that cleared 70% in each class
Irwin’s success began with a score of 71.009% in the Prix St. Georges. Building momentum from her first win, she went on to earn 73.579% in the Intermediate 1, before ending on an extremely high note with 77.175% in the Intermediate 1 Freestyle.
“The highlight of my rides was definitely the harmony and partnership between us,” Irwin explained. “I am thrilled with Laurencio and his performance at Devon. He rose to the occasion and proved to me that he can handle the electric atmosphere. I am truly lucky to own and ride such a super horse. I owe a lot of my success to my husband, Jaimey, who has played a huge role in developing Laurencio with me from a young age.”
Jaimey also enjoyed success in the saddle in Devon, taking third in the Prix St. Georges (68.816%) and the Intermediate 1 (70.289%). His highest score came in the Intermediate 1 Freestyle, where he placed second with a score of 74.925% aboard Donegal V (Johnson x Gribaldi), an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Irwin Supporters Group
Other Canadians earning top 10 results at the CDI-W Dressage at Devon included Canadian Olympian, Jacqueline Brooks of Cedar Valley, ON and her veteran partner, D Niro (D-Day x Napoleon 625), a 17-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Mary Brooks and Brookhaven Dressage Inc. With a score of 70.325%, they finished in fifth place in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Evi Strasser of Sainte-Adele, QC came in just behind Brooks, finishing in sixth place with a score of I), her 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding
Another success story to emerge from Devon is that of Rio 2016 Olympian, Megan Lane of Loretto, ON. Riding San D’Or (Sandro Hit x Cocktail), a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Deer Ridge Equestrian, Lane scored 67.800% in the Grand Prix for Special. The duo then landed a second place finish in the Grand Prix Special with a score of 67.882%.
Lane also took to the ring with her Rio 2016 partner - Caravella, a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare sired by Contango that she co-owns with her mother, Cathy Lane. The veteran duo came out with a third place finish and a personal best score of 71.980% in the Grand Prix for Freestyle and a 73.125% in the Grand Prix Freestyle for a fourth place finish.
Photos © Jennifer MacNeill
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