Colby Winther Konig Crowned 2023 CET Medal Champion
Following two days and three rounds of competition, Colby Winther Konig, 15, of Prince George, BC, finished strong to capture the 2023 CET Medal National Final title, presented by Running Fox Equestrian Products on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 9. The two-part final competition kept everyone guessing as the field of 16 combinations took to the ring at the 101st anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Riding Big Ticket (Kupido K x Cabardino), an 11-year-old Canadian warmblood gelding owned by her mother and coach Sorine Winther of Ridge Country Farm in Prince George, BC, the JC Medal winner from just two days before, Winther Konig bested a field of up-and-coming athletes who qualified for the CET Final from four regions across Canada (Atlantic, Ontario, Prairies and British Columbia).
Colby Winther Konig and Big Ticket
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
“It’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to do both the JC and the CET medals, but I never imagined that it would actually happen in the same year!” Wither Konig expressed after the award presentations. The win has her following in the footsteps of her sister, Taylor Winther Blair who was the CET medal winner in 2021.
“I felt pretty good going in,” she said when asked how things went for the day. “I was going in second today, and so I just really wanted to lay down a good trip, be near the top going into the jump off, and I was third in the jumping phase. Then, going into overall I was leading, and I was able to hold it, it was so exciting, amazing, just amazing.”
Colby Winther Konig and Big Ticket
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
“It’s a bit surreal,” said her mom, Sorine Winther, who is also her coach as well as breeder and owner of Big Ticket aka Snickers. “The goal was to come and be competitive and I said to someone that we’ll just be hoping to get a good piece of the JC. We’re going hard after the CET as we’ve had it once, we’d like it twice that’s family tradition and then she blew our socks off!”
“Her preparation for this week has been extensive,” she continued. “The preparation that she did was really what paid off. She found out who the course designers were, researched all the courses with help from friends and did all the courses. Nothing we saw this week was a surprise.”
Her mom gave the young rider the credit for what she has done to get here. “I never have to say to her, it’s a no stirrups lesson. She does that on her own. She and her sister, they take care of their own horses, they work for our farm at home. They handle the babies, they learned how to drive. I’m very proud of them.”
Colby Winther Konig hugging her sister Taylor Winther Blair next to her mom, Sorine Winther, with Big Ticket
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
The CET medal class has been part of developing young athletes on their way to represent Canada in international competition. Several notable past winners include Canadian Team members Tiffany Foster, Erynn Ballard, and Sam Walker. We’ll be looking forward to seeing more from the Winther family in the future of jumping in Canada!
Rounding out the final after their individually exceptional performances were Sloane Betker and her own Crack from Kelowna, BC, in second place and Catherine Lauzon and Oliver, owned by Audra McKnight from Lévis, QC. The class is generously sponsored by Running Fox a Canadian-owned retailer of prestigious English riding apparel and equestrian products.
For full results of the CET Medal, click here.
Ilan Ferder Named EC Jumping Committee ‘Owner of the Year’ for 2023
Ilan Ferder has been named the 2023 “Owner of the Year” by Equestrian Canada’s (EC) Jumping Committee, the national body overseeing Canadian hunter/jumper sport from the grassroots to the Olympic level.
This award recognizes Ilan’s exceptional dedication, commitment, and generosity to the Canadian Show Jumping Team. Ilan has supported many Canadian jumping athletes with horse partnerships, however for 2023, Mr. Ferder is being awarded for his exceptional support of Canadian Team athlete Erynn Ballard.
Karen Hendry-Ouellette, Dave Ballard and Karen Sparks
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
From when Erynn went to the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon with Darkos Promise to the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru in 2019 with Fellini S, to supporting her with Gakhir at the 2022 World Championships in Herning, Denmark followed by five nations cups and the Pan American Games in Santiago this fall, Ilan Ferder has been an unwavering and valued supporter of her and the Canadian Team.
Ilan, who resides in Wellington, Florida, was unable to join the award granting ceremony at the Royal Horse Show, therefore Erynn’s father Dave Ballard was on hand to receive the award on his behalf. Congratulations to Ilan Ferder as the Owner of the Year.
First introduced in 1995, the EC Jumping Committee “Owner of the Year” Award was created to recognize the exceptional level of dedication, commitment, and generosity that owners demonstrate when supporting Canadian Show Jumping Team athletes. Given their longstanding support of Canadian show jumping sport, Ferder and Ilan Ferder Stables Inc., is a deserving recipient of the Jumping Committee “Owner of the Year” Award for 2023.
William Martin wins $12,500 Alfred Rogers U25 National Championship – Phase 1
On Thursday at the 101st Royal Agricultural Fair, it was 17-year-old William Martin of Vineland, ON, who won the $12,500 Alfred Rogers U25 National Championship – Phase 1.
Riding Ricore Courcelle (Quaprice Bois Margot x Alme), an 18-year-old Selle Français gelding owned by Lesley Martin, the 2022 Individual NAYC gold medallist and 2023 team NAYC gold medallist was one of three athlete and horse combinations to jump clear and finish with the fastest time of 53.40.
William Martin and Ricore Courcelle
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Mikayla Sancho of Kirkland, QC and Marcus (Indoctro x Clinton), an 11-year-old Belgian warmblood owned by Trelawny Farm, LLC., finished in second place with a time of 56.91. To round out the top three was Beatrice Daviault and her own Levaro Z (Levisto Z x Calvaro Z), an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding. The Saint-Damase, QC, native and her mount finished with a time of 58.67.
Athlete and horse combinations will now look ahead to the final two phases of the competition on Saturday, with Phase 2 set to begin at 2:05 and the Final Phase at 2:45. For full results of today’s action, click here.