Toronto’s own Sean Jobin fulfilled a childhood dream to capture the win in Saturday’s $150,000 Canadian Show Jumping Championship sponsored by Henry Equestrian. Jobin, riding Coquelicot VH Heuvelland Z (Catoki x Cassini II), an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Foxridge Farms Stables, entered the two-round finale in second place after jumping clear in Friday’s speed test and bringing forward just 1.19 faults.
After facing off against a starting field of 10 athlete and horse combinations in the first round, Jobin and ‘Lico’ jumped clear maintaining their score while Friday’s winner Vanessa Mannix and her mare Carmela Z, had a rail and fell to third place going into round two. With another fault free second round against the top six competitors, 31-year-old Jobin and his partner were uncatchable and secured the Canadian Championship title.
Sean Jobin and Coquelicot VH Heuvelland Z
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
“It means a lot to me,” reflected Jobin on his performance. “As a kid growing up I was coming to the Royal, seeing all these amazing riders here and dreaming one day I could be here, so it’s a bit surreal for me right now thinking about how important to me the Royal is when I was growing up – a super cool feeling!”
The new Canadian champion was thrilled with his horse and buzzing from the important win. “It feels awesome, it hasn’t sunk in yet but it’s fantastic,” he said. “I’m so proud of how ‘Lico’ jumped out there, I thought I was riding too slow out there, too choppy, but he kept on trucking and he was such a gamer all week, I’m just so happy on how he jumped.”
Jobin and Lico have been partnered for three years and decided that this year was theirs to take on the Championship. “We’ve been prepping for this for the past three months. We circled the Royal on the calendar, I said I really want him to be in peak performance for the Canadian Championship.”
Sean Jobin and Coquelicot VH Heuvelland Z
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
The duo trained and prepared to be ready for the format by reviewing videos of past Canadian championships. They also used his past experiences and added that to the mix. “I have done a couple of these shows in 2016, 2019 so I’m pretty familiar with it. We had a game plan for day one – be quick enough, be on the time, and try to stay within two faults of the lead. We thought he would really shine on the second day – he’s always good with atmosphere and crowds and big scopey courses, his carefulness is just unbelievable. We felt pretty confident coming into day two.”
David Samuel Pegg and Gin Tonic 158
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
Having come into Saturday’s event on a score of 2.89 and jumping double clear over two rounds, David Samuel Pegg of Cannington, ON, and his own 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding Gin Tonic 158 (Graf Top x Satisfaction FRH) finished as Reserve Canadian Show Jumping Champions while Mannix and Carmela Z completed the top three on a score of 4.
For complete results of the $150,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship, please click here.
Equestrian fans were once again treated to exciting action in the Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge as they watched horse and rider combinations jump a mix cross-country obstacles and traditional fences against the clock. Six-time Olympian Phillip Dutton produced another quick clear round with Quasi Cool, the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quo Vados x Lord) owned by Caroline Moran to take home the victory.
The American pair had raced around the course designed by Captain Mark Phillips into the top spot in Friday’s speed round, then came back and did it again. According to Dutton, he wasn’t sure that’s had it would go. “I have done this kind of stuff before, after last night – he was pretty wild, and I wasn’t quite sure how he would come out today but thankfully he came out the way he did.”
Dutton further explained how Quasi Cool is a good match for the fan favourite indoor challenge. “The hard part for eventing is that for a lot of the jumps we want them to jump a bit lower and we don’t want them to get too high; when you put show jumps and cross country jumps in there, it’s not that easy for the horses to decide to not go too high. – I’m lucky that he’s very good in judging in how high to go and he’s very careful and it’s nice to have.”
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Phillip Dutton and Quasi Cool
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
Kendal Lehari of Uxbridge, ON and Iron Lorde (Habicht x Iron Man), an 11-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by Gwen Lehari, entered Saturday evening in fifth place after going clear in Friday’s speed round on a time of 90.22. The pair rode another precise and speedy second round, finishing on a combined two-night score of 193.03 for second place overall. As the top placed Canadian, they were awarded the Col. Michael Gutowski Award.
Lehari was pleased with and enjoyed their performance. “Amazing, it’s so much fun out there – I love indoor eventing,” she said. “It would be nice to have it as an extra sport. This is my 11th or 12th time, it’s been quite a while now.”
She keeps coming back to the Royal and the indoor challenge because she enjoys the different pace to conventional eventing cross country courses that are spread out. “Things here are so fast, it’s such a rush,” she commented. “You really test your instincts, ride gritty and get it done and have to think so fast – totally not what we don’t normally do.”
Lehari also enjoys having a crowd of loud spectators. “This is the one place you get people to cheer you on,” she humoured. “They don’t get rained on, they can dress up pretty, have drinks, you have all of your support team here and it’s great to catch up with your sponsors and make new connections, it’s a fun atmosphere and opportunity.”
Kendal Lehari and Iron Lorde
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
The 36-year-old Lehari has been involved in the sport since she was a youngster, with a long history of horses in her family. Her mother Gwen competes at the 3* level, and offered Iron Lorde up for the event. Although Lehari has known him for a while she didn’t have a lot of time to prepare before the Royal. “I’ve really only ridden him for the last two weeks – I had to get him ready for this, he’s never seen anything like this – I did take him a couple years ago, but he hasn’t done anything remotely higher level since then.” Looks like the change worked out for both of them!
Kendal Lehari and Iron Lorde
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
Rounding out the top three was Phillip’s daughter Olivia Dutton and Pioneer Archibald, who finished with five penalties and a two-night combined time of 194.28 seconds.
For complete results of the $125,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship and the Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge, please click here.