It was a showdown of epic proportions, as some of Canada’s top riders went head-to-head during the CDI Cedar Valley in effort to secure their spot in Rio. Held 17 - 19 June 2016, the competition at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy in Cedar Valley, ON, marked the last chance in North America for riders to earn qualifying scores for possible selection for Rio.
In the Big Tour, Megan Lane of Loretto, ON, beat out fellow Olympic hopefuls Chris Von Martels and Diane Creech in the FEI Grand Prix. She rode Caravella, a 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, sired by Contango, to a final score of 71.060%. Lane co-owns Caravella with her mother Cathy Lane. Von Martels, who hails from Ridgetown, ON, was less than one percentage point behind, scoring 70.200%. He and Divertimento (Di Versace x Ferragamo), a 14-year-old Westphalian gelding, co-owned by Lövsta Stuteri AB, and previously ridden by Swedish Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén, have been enjoying a tremendous season. The pair has been earning high marks since beginning their partnership in the winter season in Florida. Creech, from Caistor Centre, ON, rode Chrevi’s Christo (Chrevi’s Cavallo x Matador) to third. Putting in an impressive performance, with the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding she co-owns with Louise Leatherdale earned a score of 68.840%.
Continuing to battle it out over the course of the competition, it was also a one-two finish for Lane and Von Martels in the FEI Grand Prix Special. But this time, Von Martels and Divertimento landed in first with their score of 71.784%. Lane and Caravella were right on their hooves, earning an incredibly close mark of 71.098% to bring home second. Creech once again finished third with a 69.725% aboard Chrevi’s Christo.
Partnered with another of her top mounts, Lane rode to victory in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle with San D’Or (Sandro Hit x Cocktail), a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Deer Ridge Equestrian. The pair earned high praise from the judges and a score of 74.125%. Hometown favourite Jacqueline Brooks of Cedar Valley, ON, finished second on her total of 71.95% with D Niro (D-Day x Napoleon 625), a 17-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Brookhaven Dressage.
“I am extremely please with my ride,” said Megan Lane about her Grand Prix ride on Caravella, “She has proven time and time again to be top competitor, especially under pressure. We were powerful, steady and focussed. These are exactly the qualities what we want to see in this final phase of competition leading up to Olympic Games.”
Megan Lane’s coach Christilot Boylen is also the coach of Belinda Trussle who is currently ranked first in the Dressage Canada qualification rankings. “We are a really close group. Going to the Olympics together would be more then convenient, I think having a closes relationship with your teammates both and out of competition is really the key to a strong team," said Lane.
Lane's scores in Cedar Valley have prompted fellow Canadian Olympic contender Karen Pavicic to ship her horse Don Daiquiri per direct to Europe to compete at the 2016 CDI Fritzens in Austria on 1 - 3 July 2016 as a final attempt to improve her score average and claim a Canadian Olympic individual spot.
Irwin On Top in Cedar Valley Small Tour
Scoring her second hat trick in the Small Tour this season was Tina Irwin of Stouffville, ON. She and Laurencio (Laurentio x Donnerhall), a nine-year-old bay Oldenburg gelding she owns with her husband, rode to the win in the Prix St. Georges, Intermediaire I, and Intermediaire I Freestyle, with marks of 71.974%, 74.605% and 79.208%, respectively. She had previously earned three consecutive victories in the same classes during the CDI Ottawa International Dressage Festival.
“I’m ecstatic about our results at the CDI Cedar Valley,” said Irwin. “Receiving 80% from one of the international judges is a true honour!”
Finishing behind her in all three classes was her husband, Jaimey. Riding Donegal V (Johnson x Gribaldi), an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Irwin Supporters Group, he scored 70.921%, 72.018% and 73.833%. Creech and her veteran partner, Robbie W, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding sired by Rubin Royal that she also co-owns with Leatherdale, landed in third in the Prix St. Georges with 70.746%. The pair also finished third in the FEI Intermediate I with 69.430%.
While not competing for an Olympic berth, Canada’s brightest junior and young riders also put on a spectacular show, with several earning bragging rights for their high marks. Ava MacCoubrey of Coburg, ON, was the top-ranked Canadian Junior rider. She and Pablo, a 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Cordial Medoc x Voltaire), owned by Lori Bell, won the FEI Junior Freestyle, scoring 68.208%.
In the Young Rider Team test, Emily Ferguson of Winnipeg, MB, waltzed to the win riding Wrazzmatazz (Jazz x Darwin). She and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Sara Hellner, scored 68.337%. Earning a mark of 67.456%, Liza Wilson of Collingwood, ON, finished second with her mount Cashmere (Contucci x Davignon), a 17-year-old chestnut mare owned by Linda Crank.
Ferguson also earned top marks in the Young Rider Freestyle. She and Wrazzmatazz cracked into the seventies with a score of 71.00%. Tanya Strasser Shostak of St. Adele, QC, landed in second with Super Tyme , a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by her mother and Canadian grand prix veteran Evi Strasser. They scored 68.875%. Wilson and Cashmere finished third with 68.833%.
Photo © Kelsey Lane
Related Links
Scores 2016 CDI Cedar Valley
