After the two year hiatus due to the pandemic, everyone seemed thrilled to be back to an in-person experience. ‘A Century of Champions’ celebrates its’ 100 years of inception, offering even more fun for everyone. There was a joyful energy buzzing throughout the building with all the sights and smells attendees are accustomed to with the event.
Equestrian Canada (EC) staff were at the EC Booth throughout the day, engaging with fans and athletes selling EC merchandise with proceeds going to support the Canadian Equestrian Team. Children and adults alike were challenged to Canadian corn hole for their chance to win some EC swag. Toques, vests, shirts, polos, and guidebooks will continue to be sold throughout the fair.
Teaming up at this year’s booth are two of EC’s partners – John Deere and Henry Insurance – that bring great benefits to our members. All sport licence holders (including coaches and stewards) are encouraged to stop by and see the John Deere zero radius mower parked there and to enter for a chance to win it (a $10,000 value)! Preferred partner, Henry Insurance also has a great prize pack of goodies that you can only enter by using the QR code on site.
Horse competition including Pony Hunters, Children’s & Jr. Hunters, Heavy Horse Cart & Teams was busy throughout the day in the Coca-Cola Coliseum. The evening’s line up started the ten-days of competition with two Olympic disciplines – Eventing and Show Jumping!
In the first round of the Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge, Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON, who now resides in Buckhead, GA, earned the victory. Riding CS Carrera (Contendro I x Calibur) a 13-year-old Holsteiner Westphalian mare owned by Sher Schwartz, finished with zero faults and a time of 81.16.
The 34-year-old athlete has been representing Canada in international competition since the age 14. The two-time Pan American athlete has competed for the maple leaf on five occasions including the North American Young Riders’ Championships (NAYRC) and at only 18 years old, took home the silver medal in the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Photo Credit: Ben Radvanyi
Rounding out the top three was Kendal Lehari of Uxbridge, ON, and her own Audacious, a nine-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding, who jumped clear and completed the course in a time of 81.65. In third place was Holly Jacks of Hillsburgh, ON, and Josephine, a nine-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare, owned by Donna van Beek, finishing with a time of 77.84 and five faults.
Directly after the Eventing Indoor Challenge, High Performance Advisory Group co-chairs Emily Gilbert and Greg Paull were presented in the ring with the Jordan McDonald Award. The award that recognizes passion and dedication to the sport of Eventing is in honour of Jordan McDonald, who passed away at the Nunney International Horse Trials in June 2014. Gilbert and Paull were celebrated for the work they have done to restructure and reinvigorate the Canadian Eventing high performance program over the last year including spearheading the Pratoni, Let’s Go! fundraiser that helped get the team to the World Championships in Italy in September 2022.
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Ali Ramsay was the first of 13 combinations out of the gate to compete in the $25,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship and never looked back, earning the win in round one. Ramsay, who hails from Victoria, BC, and Bonita VH Keizershof Z (Bustique x For Pleasure), a 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Ramsay Equestrian Inc., completed a speedy clear round, with a time of 60.52. She was thrilled with her horse’s performance, acknowledging the feat of success for being first on course. “Go first, win first!” Ramsay proclaimed.
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
‘Bonita’ has been with Ramsay since 2019 but the evening’s event was her first indoor competition, which proved to be successful for the pair. “She’s perfect. It’s her first time showing indoors and I think she doesn’t mind it.” She continued to praise her mare when asked if she could believe her result. “I do believe it. Because that’s her. It doesn’t surprise me, but it still impresses me. She feels great, so as long as I can match her or do half as good as her!”
Ramsay, like everyone expressed how happy she is to be back at the Royal. “It feels really good, everyone’s excited to be here. And now to be leading the Canadian Championship, I can’t complain! But you know, you have to stay consistent to make it mean anything,” she said. The combination will be back on Saturday night to attempt to secure the championship in round two.
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Susan Horn of Bolton, ON, was the only other athlete to jump clear in the first round, while riding
Kirlo van den Bosrand (Cardento 933 x Utrillo Z), a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Kingsfield Farm. The pair narrowly missed the fastest time, stopping the clock at 62.52.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair continues today with the second and final round of Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championship beginning at 7pm. Click here to learn more about the Royal.
Follow the Equestrian Canada social media feeds at @equestrian_can and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair on our social media feeds Facebook and YouTube, @royalhorseshow on Twitter, and @theroyalfair on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Horse Show.