THE ISLAND 22 EQUESTRIAN PARK

Canadian Equestrian Team Sitting in Third Place Overall Following Cross-Country at 2010 WEG 

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October 2, 2010 — The Canadian Eventing Team is currently in third position overall, and Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch is the top Canadian following cross-country, the second of three phases in the Eventing Championships, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) heldin Lexington, KY.

Leading Canadian competitor following dressage, Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch, 22, of Summerland, BC and Port Authority, a 12-year-old Canadian-bred Selle Français/Thoroughbred gelding that she co-owns with her mother, Patricia Bosch, effortlessly handled Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross country course and finished penalty free, moving the up the leaderboard 11 spots to sixth place overall, still on her dressage score of 44.2.

“The course today was a lot bigger than at Rolex in April, but my horse was very, very good all the way around the course. I could not be happier with him, and yesterday in the dressage test was the same thing.He just went exactly the way I wanted both days,” Rhodes-Bosch. “For him to go double-clean today was just perfect.”

  Canada’s lead-off rider for the team, Olympian Selena O’Hanlon of Elgin,ON rode Elaine and Michael Davies 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, Colombo, and set the pace for the rest of her team mates by completing the cross country course fault free and within the time.

“Colombo was just fantastic. I rode him as fast as I could safely and hewas up on the clock, so I took the long route to the angled hedges nearthe end of the course because I was worried about his left drift. He finished up nice and I am really glad that he was fit,” said O’Hanlon, who is currently in 18th place on her dressage score of 50.8.

Second to go for Canada, and competing as an individual in their first four-star event, Jessica Phoenix of Uxbridge, ON and her horse Exponential, the 12-year-old bay Canadian Thoroughbred gelding, finishedwithout jumping penalties and just 1.6 time faults.

“Exponential was amazing and I am so lucky to have this horse. He is an incredible jumper and he handled the course perfectly. He jumped a bit exuberantly through the water but it worked out really well. He just hadconfidence beyond his years today,” said Phoenix, who sits in 31st place after cross country on a score of 61.8.

Team member Hawley Bennett-Awad of Langley, BC riding Gin & Juice, the 10-year-old bay American Thoroughbred mare owned by Bennett-Awad andLinda Paine, also rode a faultless course and finished the day on her dressage score of 52.5.

“Today could not have been any better. This makes two-times that we havebeen double clean here, which is not bad for a young horse,” said Bennett-Awad, who moved up to 22nd place overall. “I am thrilled. She really could not have been any better.”

Adding only 1.2 time penalties to their dressage score, Rebecca Howard of Salmon Arm, BC, successfully navigated Riddle Master over his first four-star course. The pair, who are also competing as individuals for Canada, is currently 28th with a score of 57.2.

“It was my first four-star with Riddle Master and he could not have beenbetter out there. He galloped strongly all the way to the end of the course. He just felt super confident—like he grew up another notch today,” remarked Howard about Caroline Bazley’s Canadian-bred nine-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding.

 Completing the sixth Canadian round and fourth for the team without jumping faults,  Kyle Carter of Calgary, AB is currently in 35th place with a score of 67.9 riding Madison Park, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Carter and Jennifer Carter. Carter added 4.4 time penalties to his dressage score.

“It is a privilege to ride him. I was really hoping for a contributing score because he had been working so well, so I was disappointed with our dressage yesterday, but out on cross-country he is always brilliant,” said Cater. “We lost a stud and he slipped in some turns, which cost me a little on the time. He put all his effort in to it today.”

Counting the best three scores from the four team members, Canada is currently ranked third overall among the 14 nations competing in the team competition with a two-day total of 147.50 penalty points.

Chef d’équipe Graeme Thom was thrilled with his team following cross country. “Everyone performed to the best of all expectations, and it just shows what the program has done, what the riders have done, what the horses are, and hopefully everyone will get through tomorrow morning. We could not have asked for a better outcome today.”

Heading into Sunday’s third and final phase of show jumping, Great Britain currently leads the standings with a total of 139.40 penalties but, less than one show jumping rail behind, is the United States with 143.30 penalties.  New Zealand is currently ranked fourth with 150.80.

Eventing is comprised of three phases of competition held consecutively —dressage, cross country and show jumping.  At the 2010 World EquestrianGames, 80 horses representing 18 nations are competing in eventing.  Show jumping will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 3, at the Main Stadium. Team and Individual Medals will be awarded following the conclusion of Monday’s competition.

For more information, including live results, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.

2010 World Equestrian Games – Provisional Individual Eventing Standings Following Cross-Country    Rider             

  Country

  Horse

  Score 

1.

M. Jung   Germany   La Biosthetique-Sam FBW

  33 2.

W. Fox-Pitt   Great Britian 

  Cool Mountain

  42

3.

R. Holder   United States

  Courageous Comet

  42.50 4.

I. Klimke   Germany 

  FRH Butts Abraxxas

  42.90 5.

A. Nicholson   New Zealand

  Nereo

  43.50 6.

Stephanie Rhodes-Bosch   Summerland, BC

  Port Authority

  44.2 18.

Selena O’Hanlon   Elgin, ON

  Colombo

  50.80 22.

Hawley Bennett-Awad   Langley, BC

  Gin & Juice

  52.5 28.

Rebecca Howard    Salmon Arm, BC

  Riddle Master

  57.20 31.

Jessica Phoenix   Uxbridge ON 

  Calgary, AB

  61.80 35

Kyle Carter   Calgary, AB

  Madison Park 

  67.90  

About Canadian Eventing

Canadian Eventing is a committee of Equine Canada responsible for the sport of eventing in Canada from the grassroots to the international level. The Canadian Eventing Committee is comprised of 12 members, including two rider representatives elected by the Elite Riders Association. Directed by the strategic plan for eventing, all eventing activities are administered by this committee via six sub-committees with the support of eventing manager based at the Equine Canada office in Ottawa. The national team athletes and program, led by International Technical Advisor David O’Connor, are monitored by the High Performance Committee. For more information about Canadian Eventing, visit www.equinecanada.ca—Sport—Eventing.

About Equine Canada

Equine Canada is Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism.  A member-driven, charitable institution, it is the executive branch of theCanadian Equestrian Team, and the national authority for equestrian competition; the national voice for recreational riders; and the national association for equine welfare, breeding, and industry.  EquineCanada is recognized by the Government of Canada, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national organization representing equestrian sport and equine interests. For more information about Equine Canada, please visit www.equinecanada.ca.

Novartis Animal Health Canada Inc. is the official supplier of joint therapy to the 2010 Canadian Equestrian Team at the World Equestrian Games.

About Novartis Animal Health Canada Inc.

With offices in Mississauga, Ontario and manufacturing, research and development sites in Prince Edward Island, Novartis Animal Health CanadaInc. researches, develops and commercializes leading animal treatments that meet the needs of pet owners, farmers, veterinarians and the aqua culture industry. Part of the Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis Animal Health global organization, the Canadian business offers the full range of the animal health products and is a major contributor to the global Aqua Health operations of Novartis Animal Health.  For more information about Novartis Animal Health Canada Inc., please consult http://www.ah.novartis.ca.