Tanya Strasser-Shostak of Ste-Adele, QC has been awarded with the inaugural Orion Cup. Presented to a promising dressage athlete in the process of transitioning from the Young Rider level to the Grand Prix level, the Orion Cup was created in the memory of Pia Fortmuller's international Grand Prix horse.
“I am truly honoured to receive the Orion Cup in its inaugural year,” said Strasser-Shostak, who was presented with a cash prize of $1,000 to be used toward her competitive goals in dressage, as well as a commemorative jacket and cooler. “To win this award with Action Tyme is simply unreal as he really is my 'everything' horse. He means so much to me and to be able to share this with him is simply a blessing.”
Strasser-Shostak continued, “I am simply so grateful that this cup was established as it gives all of us young riders an extra drive to keep striving to reach our goals. I also want to thank Pia and Dagmar Fortmuller for creating this cup alongside Equestrian Canada. Their support, not only through this cup but throughout the years, has meant so much to me and I cannot thank them enough. Orion and Pia were a huge inspiration to me so I feel truly blessed to receive this award.”
Orion was Canadian dressage rider Pia Fortmuller’s grand prix partner. The Dutch Warmblood gelding was an Olympic Team horse for Canada and was trained to the advanced level by Fortmuller’s former coach, Leslie Reid, who rode Orion at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In 2009, Fortmuller took over the ride on this incredibly talented horse. The pair would go on to compete at the Grand Prix level, culminating with their selection as the reserve combination for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Sadly, Orion died at the start of 2014. His passing was a devastating loss to Fortmuller and her family, as well as the Canadian Dressage Team.
The Orion Cup was established to pay tribute to this very special gelding. Just as Orion was instrumental to the start of Fortmuller’s grand prix career, this award will provide other talented Canadian dressage athletes with a leg-up in the sport.
Open to Canadian dressage riders aged 16 to 25, the award is presented to the rider with the highest average of three scores from the Under 25 Grand Prix level. Scores obtained at CDI-level competitions receive a 1% bonus. The program encourages young athletes to focus on training and planning at an elite level, with tangible goals and confidence.
“It’s so exciting that we can support our rising talents with this award, especially because the step from young riders to Grand Prix is a big one,” explained Pia Fortmuller. “When I wrote Tanya to congratulate her on her win, she wrote a very touching message of what a special horse her mount Action Tyme is to her. This really brought tears to my eyes to hear how Action Tyme is that rock to Tanya’s Grand Prix career, just like Orion was my rock. This is exactly the reason why we created the Orion Cup and it is so exciting that this program is achieving its goal.”
Strasser-Shostak earned the coveted title for 2016 after achieving a total qualifying average of 66.908% with Action Tyme (Aktuell x Aleksander), a 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by her mother, Canadian dressage senior team member, Evi Strasser.
The pair earned the first of their three qualifying scores in March at the CDI-W Palm Beach in Wellington, FL, where they scored 66.357% to finish fourth. Their second place finish in September at the Autumn Classic in Bromont, QC, represented their next qualifying score (66.163%). Capping off a stellar season, the pair earned their final qualifying score in October at Dressage at Devon in Pennsylvania. Their score of 66.419% for second place marked their highest of the season at the U25 Grand Prix level.
“I have been very fortunate to have a wonderful horse in Action Tyme, who has allowed me to make the transition from Young Rider into the U25 Grand Prix division a smooth one,” said Strasser-Shostak. “He is simply the perfect schoolmaster and has given me the opportunity to grow and learn so much as a rider. There is no doubt that it is definitely a big step up from the young rider level, however it was a huge confidence builder to be partnered with such a willing and knowledgeable horse. His main goal is simply to please and he always tries his best.”
Strasser-Shostak plans to continue focusing on the U25 Grand Prix with Action Tyme before making a successful transition into the Open Grand Prix division. She will also be campaigning another mount, Super Tyme, at the U25 Grand Prix level in 2017. She has ambitious goals, with her aim set on competing at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2018 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Photos © Astrid Appels
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