Kyle Timm
Kyle Timm, a Canadian residing in Apex, NC, took top honours at the CSI 1* competition in Kronenberg, NED on Nov. 24. Riding Genua (Gaillard De La Pomme x Landeur), an eight-year-old Dutch Riding Horse mare owned by T. Torgilsman-Van Bakel, he topped an impressive field of 60 entries after stopping the clock with a clear round in 65.16 seconds. Timm’s time gave him the edge over second place finisher, Ozgur Ozkan of Turkey who had a time of 65.46 seconds aboard Doctor Dolittle.
Vanessa Creech-Terauds
Vanessa Creech-Terauds of Caistor Centre, ON, and the 10-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Diane Creech and Louise Leatherdale, Fleur De Lis L (First Dance x De Niro), kicked off the 2019 season with back-to-back wins at the opening week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. On Jan. 12, they captured first in the CDI-Y Team Test with a score of 67.824%. They returned the next day to top the CDI-Y Individual leaderboard, scoring 66.676%.
Creech-Terauds returned for the second week of AGDF with Harley L (His Highness 2 x Expri), a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Creech and Leatherdale. The duo won the CDI-Y Freestyle on Jan. 20 on a score of 67.235%.
Jill Irving
Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle
Jill Irving of Moncton, NB, also saw success at AGDF 1. On Jan. 12, She rode Arthur (Jazz x Contango), Windhaven Farm’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, to first place in the CDI 3* Grand Prix Special with a score of 65.532%.
Tiffany Foster
Photo Credit: Jump Media
L to R: Ariel Grange, Tiffany Foster, Martha Jolicoeur and Dr. Stephen Norton
Two-time Canadian Olympian, Tiffany Foster of North Vancouver, BC, was presented with the first Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Award of the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season on Jan. 13 in Wellington, FL. No stranger to the title having won the Martha Jolicoeur Overall Leading Lady Rider Award for WEF 2016, Foster earned the honour as the female competitor who accumulated the highest number of points in the $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 1 and the $75,000 Rosenbaum PLLC Grand Prix during WEF 1. Foster and Donjo (Zirocco Blue VDL x Ahorn), an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Ariel Grange, earned a top-10 finish in the Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup before taking third in the Grand Prix. One of south Florida’s leading real estate brokers, Jolicoeur presented Foster with a bottle of champagne, bouquet of flowers, and gift certificate for a shopping spree at Hunt, Ltd. in recognition of her achievement.
Mario Deslauriers
Photo Credit: Sportfot
Canadian Olympian and 1984 World Cup Champion, Mario Deslauriers topped a starting field of 44 entries on Jan. 19, to win the $72,000 CSI 2* NetJets Grand Prix at WEF. Deslauriers and Amsterdam 27 (Catoki x Acord II), a nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Wishing Well Farm LLC, were one of eight entries to advance to the jump-off over the course set by Oscar Soberon of Mexico. Lauren Hough of the United States held the lead with a jump-off time of 37.28 seconds riding Valinski S when Deslauriers entered the ring. A clear round in a time of 36.59 seconds gave the Bromont, QC, native his first “Saturday Night Lights” victory of the season.
Jonathan Ding
Jonathan Ding of Thornhill, ON, clinched the top spot in the CSI 2* competition in Oliva, ESP on Jan. 20 riding Super Micke (Artist x Almeto Z), a 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood owned by Ms. Inez Ding. He sped through the two-part speed competition that saw over 60 strong entries, capping off the class with a nail-biting final round, where he put in the clear and lightning-fast time of 25.29 seconds to beat Constant van Paesschen’s (BEL) time aboard Verdi Treize (25.51) by fractions of a second.
Chris Sorensen
Chris Sorensen of Caledon, ON, earned back-to-back wins with two horses in Kronenberg, NED on Jan. 20. He started the day by winning the Walkro Prix CSI 1* on Sara McCloskey’s seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Hobelia (Zavall VDL x Carolus II), after a clear, fast round. Less than an hour later, he was back at it with Calgary 56 (Carinjo x Cassini I), a 13-year-old Dutch Sport Horse gelding owned by Quincy Hayes and Sorensen Stables, to win the Eye Watch Security Prix CSI 1* on a clear round completed in 57.90 seconds. Interestingly, his time was exactly one second faster than Swiss rider, Barbara Schnieper, who had a time of 58.90 aboard Sonora.
Ariana Chia
Ariana Chia of Winnipeg, MB, danced her way to first place in the CDI 1* Intermediate I Freestyle on Jan. 20 at AGDF 2 in Wellington, FL. She and her nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Fiderflame (Fidertanz x Abanos), impressed the judges for a score of 68.500%.
Diane Creech
Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle
That same day, Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON, made her mark in the AGDF 2 CDI 2* division with Chrevis Christo (Chrevi’s Cavallo x Matador), the 16-year-old Danish Warmblood she owns with Louise Leatherdale, scoring 66.522% to win the Grand Prix.
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu
Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle
During AGDF 3, Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu of Saint-Bruno, QC, continued the winning tradition with All In (Tango x Damiro), the 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding she co-owns with her father, Craig Fraser and husband, Marc-Andre Beaulieu. The pair set a new personal best score of 72.761% to win the CDI 3* Grand Prix on Jan. 24.
Tina Irwin
Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle
Canada was also well represented in the small tour at AGDF 3. Tina Irwin of Stouffville, ON, and Laurencio (Laurentio x Donnerhall), the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding she owns with husband, Jaimey Irwin, won the CDI 1* Intermediate I Freestyle on Jan. 27, where they scored a notable 75.900%.
Lindsay Kellock
Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle
Lindsay Kellock, an up-an-coming Canadian currently residing in Wellington, FL, rode Floratina (Fidertanz x Rubin-Royal), Chloe Gasiorowski’s 11-year-old Hanoverian mare, to win the CDI 1* Intermediate I with 71.471% on Jan. 26 at AGDF 3.
Scarlett Hansen
Scarlett Hansen of Outremont, QC, enjoyed back-to-back wins at AGDF 3 with her 11-year-old Selle Français pony gelding, Umour de Glatigny (Doppelspiel x Viersen K). On Jan. 26, they placed first in the CDI-P Team Competition (64.857%), followed by a win in the next day’s CDI-P Individual Competition (63.770%).