Starting Gate Communications for Equestrian Canada
Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Show Jumping Team finished third in the $150,000 FEI Nations’ Cup, presented by Florida Coast Equipment, on Saturday evening, February 28, during the CSIO4* Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.
The four-member team saw Erynn Ballard, Chris Pratt, Kyle Timm, and Nicole Walker take on seven other countries in the annual battle of nations. At the end of the first round, Canada was sitting third on a score of four faults behind Ireland and the United States, who were tied on zero faults. The all-deciding second round saw no change to the top three with the United States claiming a home side victory with a clear scoresheet followed by Ireland in second with four faults and Canada in third with nine faults.
Erynn Ballard and Her Game Ball BG, owned by Mary Francis Looke.
Photo by Starting Gate Communications
Ballard, who made her Olympic debut last year in Paris, was the lead-off rider for the Canadian team riding Her Game Ball BG for owner Mary Francis Looke. She opened with a clear round and used her considerable talent in the saddle to follow up with a single rail in the second, plus one time fault for exceeding the time allowed set by co-course designers Nick Granat and Steve Stephens.
Walker was next in the International Arena for Canada riding Panter JVH, her 11-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood stallion (Le Blue Diamond Van’t Ruyters x Toulon). The pair incurred eight faults in both rounds which would eventually be dropped when the best three scores were counted.
Nicole Walker and her own Panter JVH.
Photo by Starting Gate Communications
Pratt was next in the rotation for Canada riding Ideaal ES for owner Take The High Road, LLC. The pair produced the only double clear performance for Canada, helping to secure a podium finish.
“I’m really happy with Ideaal’s performance tonight,” said Pratt of the13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ukato x Conway). “I thought he jumped even better in the second round than he did in the first round. He was a little looser and more relaxed in the second round. He felt confident and certainly made my job easier. I’m equally as happy for Karen Long-Dwight and Glen Fleischer, the owners of Ideaal. They are great supporters, really love the horses, and do it for the right reasons. They were ecstatic.”
Chris Pratt and Ideaal ES, owned by Take The High Road LLC.
Photo by Starting Gate Communications
Timm, originally from Calgary, AB, rode in the anchor position with Glamour du Chanu, a 10-year-old bay Selle Français gelding (l’Arc de Triomphe x Papillon Rouge) owned by Haras des Fourches and Rein Family LLC. The pair had the ‘b’ element of the triple combination down in both rounds to incur four faults.
“It was a podium finish for our team tonight and I’m very, very proud of them,” said 10-time Olympian Ian Millar, who stepped into the role of Canadian Show Jumping Team chef équipe in 2023. “I’m working backwards from the Olympic Games in 2028. That seems like a long-term goal but that’s what I’m doing because we have the Pan American Games in 2027 and, this year, we have the World Championships in Aachen, Germany. Everything we do with our teams through the next three years has a purpose and there is a plan. Tonight was about giving several horse-rider combinations a shot. They have to get in there and do it and we’ve got to see what they’re made of. They stepped up to the plate very well tonight. I’m very proud of this team.”
Kyle Timm and Glamour du Chanu, owned by Haras des Fourches and Rein Family LLC.
Photo by Starting Gate Communications
Pratt was undoubtedly the star of the night for the Canadian side. It was exactly 20 years ago that he last enjoyed a double-clear performance in the WEF Nations’ Cup, leading Canada to victory on that occasion riding Mustique. Later that year, he was part of the Canadian team at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, with Rivendell. Two decades later, he is proving that he is back in a big way.
“It’s been seven or eight years since I last rode on the Canadian Team,” said the 56-year-old. “I had been to a lot of big competitions in my life and was comfortable with what I had done as a rider and was okay with now being a coach or trainer. But this opportunity with Take The High Road has given me a renewed life on riding and reminded me of how much I love it and how passionate I am about it. I’m in a situation now with a few good horses and can really give it one hundred percent of my focus. It feels good and I’m having so much fun doing it.”
The Canadian Show Jumping Team placed third in the $150,000 FEI Nations’ Cup at the CSIO4* Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. From left to right: Chris Pratt, Erynn Ballard, chef d’équipe Ian Millar, Kyle Timm and Nicole Walker.
Photos by Starting Gate Communications.
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