In This Edition:

– East meets west in last weekend of Dressage Pan Am Games qualification

– Slezak’s Hot Bobo steps up once again the American Eventing Championships

– ‘One in a Million’ Wabbit in the money at Burghley

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

As Canadian Dressage athletes continued the final push to qualify for the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile later this fall, competition heated up over the weekend in both De Winton, AB and Bromont, QC with droves of athletes vying for the chance to represent the maple leaf on the world stage. A total of 101 Dressage athlete/horse combinations declared for Pan Games in 2023.

Fancy footwork in the Alberta foothills

At the Anderson Ranch just outside Calgary, in Foothills County, AB, Dressage athletes from across western Canada made the final push to qualify for the Pan American Games. Athlete and horse combinations were exceptionally prepared, focused and turned out for the Fall Fling CDI 3* and Provincial Championships held from Sept. 1 – 3.

CDI 1* Prix St-Georges

Langley, British Columbia natives Gloria Schriever and her own Hilton (Totilas x Latino OC), an 11-year-old Portuguese Sport horse finished at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 69.441%.

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Gloria Schriever and Hilton
Photo Credit: Cara Grimshaw

In second place was Shelley Lawder and Balancée (Bordeaux x Weltino), a nine-year-old Westphalian she co-owns with Molly Brewer, finishing with a score of 68.941%.

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Shelley Lawder and Balancée
Photo Credit: Cara Grimshaw

CDI 1* Intermediate I

The Intermediate I on Saturday saw Schriever and Hilton score a 70.824% for first place followed by Erin Silo with Jett a 69.765% for second, Lawder and Balancee a 68.412% for third and Lindsay Seidel-Wassenaar and Gaga with a 68.294% in fourth.

CDI 1* Intermediate I Freestyle to Music

On Sunday in the Freestyle, Seidel-Wassenaar and her own twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Gaga (Contango x Jazz) received a score of 71.910% for their first-place performance followed by Schriever and Hilton with a 69.590%.

 A big congratulations to all the combinations for their hard work and dedication that was so fully on display at the Anderson Ranch.

For full information and results about the Fall Fling, click here

Competition in Quebec

Across the country in rolling hills of Quebec, athlete combinations were trying to post top scores in the Autumn Dressage Classic CDI 1* 2* and 3* at Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in Bromont, QC from Sept. 1 – 3. 

Prix St Georges

Beatrice Boucher of Saint-Dominique, QC and Summerwood’s Limei (Londonderry x Weltmeyer), a 10-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Monica von Glahn lead all pairs with a score of 72.794%. Boucher also won the Intermediate I with a score of 72.059%.

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Beatrice Boucher and Summerwood’s Limei
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

In second place was Canadian Dressage team veteran Shannon Dueck of Langley, BC, who now lives in Loxahatchee, FL, and Angelika MW (Franziskus FRH x Welt Hit II), an eight-year-old Oldenburg mare co-owned by Dueck, Elizabeth Ferber and Kathy Putnam finishing with a score of 71.176%

Rounding out the top five was Lori Bell of Beaverton, ON, and Flirt (70.686%) in third; Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu of Saint-Bruno, QC and Jaccardo (70.637%) in fourth; and Jaimey Irwin of Stouffville, ON, and Flirtfaktor S (68.235%) in fifth.

Grand Prix

Sainte-Adèle, QC, native Tanya Strasser-Shostak and Fidelis Tyme (Fit for Fun x Pentagon’s Peron), a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Evi Strasser, lead nine athlete and horse combinations with a score of 67.304%. 

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Tanya Strasser-Shostak and Fidelis Tyme
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

Grand Prix Special

In the CDI3* Grand Prix Special, Camille Carier Bergeron of Laval, QC, earned the victory aboard Gilles Bergeron’s Sound of Silence 4 (San Amour I x Limes), a 15-year-old Westphalian gelding, with a score of 68.128%.

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Camille Carier Bergeron and Sound of Silence 4
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

Athletes will now wait to see if they will be selected to represent Canada at the upcoming Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile from Oct. 20 – Nov. 5. The Equestrian Canada Dressage committee will base their selection off of the approved selection criteria found here.

For full information and results about the Dressage Classic, please click here

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Karl Slezak, of Caledon East, ON and his partner Hot Bobo made Canada proud finishing fourth at the 2023 Adequan® USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) from Aug. 29 – Sept. 3. The weekend saw the best junior, adult amateur, and professional competitors gather to vie for this year’s national championship titles at every level from Beginner Novice to Advanced.

Slezak and his own 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare Hot Bobo (VDL Arkansas x Taneys Leader) started out the competition on a dressage score of 33.1 for 14th place. They turned up the heat and made work of Canadian Jay Hambly’s cross-country course, moving up to fifth place adding only 0.4 time penalties to their score. The pair then closed out the weekend with just a rail in stadium and finished in the fourth spot in a field of 28 qualified athlete and horse combinations. 

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Karl Slezak and Hot Bobo
Photo Credit: Karl Slezak

Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, and Wabbit, the former racehorse that she co-owns with Jim Phillips just missed the top 10, placing 11th in a field of 58 combinations in the CCI5* 2023 Defender Burghley Horse Trials held from Aug. 31 – Sept. 3 in Burghely, United Kingdom just outside Stamford, UK.

Riding the 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Line of Departure x– Great Gladiator) that Phoenix has been known to call ‘One in a Million’, the pair started the weekend off with a personal best Dressage score of 34.9. “(I was) incredibly pleased with that, it’s his first time in Burghley, his fourth five-star and it’s one of his personal bests – very proud of his performance today,” said Phoenix who’s last appearance at the prestigious venue was in 2011. 

Weekend Highlights September 1 – 3: Canadians in Alberta, Kentucky, Quebec and the United Kingdom

Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit
Photo Credit: Libby Law

The sole Canadian duo at Burghley, Phoenix and Wabbit were clear over the technical cross country course with just 10.8 time penalties, then had a single rail in show jumping with 1.2 time penalties to finish on a score of 50.9, picking up ₤7,000 in prize money.