Ottawa, ON, July 25 2025 – The Canadian Show Jumping Team finished third in the B&D Builders $75,000 CSIO3* Nations Cup of Williamsburg (Traverse City) Michigan, held Thursday, July 24, at Flintfields Horse Park. This was the first ever Nations Cup held at Flintfields, the site of the upcoming FEI North American Youth Championships for jumping and dressage, July 29 – August 3.
Teams from Canada, Ireland, Mexico and the United States began the first round Thursday afternoon, with all returning for the immediate second round.
The all-female Canadian team was comprised of Vanessa Mannix of Calgary, AB, with her own Carmela Z; Susan Horn of Bolton, ON, with Kingsfield Farm’s Balintore; Nicole Walker of Aurora, ON, with her own Leicester and Erynn Ballard, of Tottenham, ON, with Ilan Ferder’s Fave D’Authuit. The team was supported by Chef d’Équipe Ian Millar.
Photo: Vanessa Mannix and Carmela Z. Photo by Giana Terranova
Canada’s first round included clean rounds from Nicole Walker and Erynn Ballard, and four-fault rounds from Vanessa Mannix and Susan Horn, each faulting at the final oxer, fence 12. With one drop score, Canada went into the second round in third place, behind Team USA (on zero) and Team Ireland (also on four faults, but with a faster combined time.)
Canada’s second round produced important clear efforts from Walker and Ballard, and four-fault rounds again from Mannix and Horn. After dropping one score, Canada finished in third on a very respectable final tally of eight-faults overall.
Photo: Susan Horn and Balintore. Photo by Giana Terranova
In a rare but not unheard of turn, the teams from Ireland and the United States were tied at four faults after two rounds, forcing a jump-off with one rider from each team. Mimi Gochman (USA) and Celina went up against Simon McCarthy (IRL) and Gotcha. The young American bested McCarthy in a blazing time of 38.85 seconds, to give Team USA the win on four faults overall, with Ireland taking second (also on four). Mexico finished in fourth on an overall score of 24 faults.
Photo: Nicole Walker and Leicester. Photo by Giana Terranova
Chef d’Équipe Ian Millar was quick to comment: “Our Canadian Team did great here in Traverse City, finishing with a bronze performance and a total of eight faults. I’m very proud of this team yet again – we are developing a whole new level of top riders which is exactly what the three-star level of competition is all about.”
Team Canada will be well represented next week in Williamsburg, MI, for the FEI North American Youth Championships in Show Jumping and Dressage, running July 29 through August 3.
Photo: Erynn Ballard and Fave D’Authuit. Photo by Giana Terranova
Ears UP!! Photo Giana Terranova
