Ashley Holzer's Breaking Dawn Edges Out Pop Art on Canadian Olympic Ranking after 2012 CDI Allentown

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2012 CDI Allentown

After this weekend's great performances in Allentown, New Jersey, Ashley Holzer's tough decision as to which horse she should ride at the Olympics may have been made for her. The Dutch warmblood gelding Breaking Dawn (by Akribori x Ronald) inched ahead of her consistent performer Pop Art (by Amsterdam), taking the lead in the Canadian Team standings leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

When asked about her latest performance at the 2012 CDI Allentown, the New York based Holzer said she was extremely proud of both horses. "The ring conditions were not exactly stellar due to the excessive amount of rain that fell, but both horses just put on their A game and simply didn't care," Holzer explained. "They were terrific in the Grand Prix placing first and second. Unfortunately Pop Art was bitten by one of the large horse flies brought out by the rain, right as he was going into his pirouette and one time changes in his freestyle. That made for some pretty impressive squirming and cavorting but once it was gone he carried on like the trouper he is and won the class! He is simply a perfect horse and I am so lucky to have him. Breaking Dawn, (Edward as he is known in the stable), is truly coming into his own. His winning ride in the Special felt incredible. His piaffe, passage and transitions were simply effortless. It was so much fun to ride!"

When Sjef Janssen sent Holzer to Germany to try "this great horse" at Patrik Kittel's over a year and a half ago, she had no idea he would be so great. "I knew he had been very successful with Patrik Van de Meer in the Small Tour but I had no idea he would truly shine at the Grand Prix level," she said. "I debuted him at the Grand Prix level in Toronto at the Royal Winter Fair CDI in November 2011 which he won!! Throughout Florida he consistently scored in the 70's and now he's doing even better. I feel very fortunate to be able to ride such an athlete."

Pj Rizvi, the owner of Edward has been incredibly supportive of Holzer's road to the Olympics. "PJ rode him very successfully in the small tour, winning many Prix St George classes the first year she bought him before handing the reins over to me in August 2011. I know she has turned down many lucrative offers for Edward and I am incredibly appreciative of her support. I know it takes an army to get to the Olympics and I am truly grateful to all of the people who support me from PJ, to my family and friends, my loyal sponsors, my coaches, vets, blacksmiths and Edward's biggest fan and friend Lindsay Kellock!!"

While Holzer is aware that anything can happen weeks before the Games she feels awfully fortunate to have qualified two incredible horses for Team Canada! "The Olympics in London are also very special for me as both my parents were born in Scotland and I spent a lot of time as a child in Edinburgh," she said. "It will be the first time my "Scottish" family and friends will be seeing me ride at an Olympics!"