Sam Walker
Photo Credit: Andrew Ryback Photography
On June 9, Sam Walker of Nobleton, ON, brought home the win from the $2,000 Power/Speed 1.40m CSI 3* class at the 2021 Tryon Spring 6 in Mill Spring, NC, with Evergate Stables LLC’s Hermelien VD Hooghoeve (Otangelo x Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve), a 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. The pair raced around the jump-off course in 35.96 seconds to impressively beat Mexico’s Daniel Pedraza Littlewood on Santa Rosa Coldplay, who stopped the clock at 37.39 seconds.
Sam Walker then made his first visit to Traverse City, MI, a winning one by scoring victory in the $36,600 CSI 2* Welcome Stake on June 19, during the Traverse City Spring Horse Show II. He topped a starting field of 23 entries riding Evita (Canturano x Farmer), a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Marion and Bill Cunningham’s MarBill Hill Farm. As the final challenger in the nine-horse jump-off, Sam knew exactly what he needed to do to win. Executing his plan flawlessly, Sam’s time of 27.40 seconds earned the victory over U.S. Olympic team gold medalist Will Simpson who had to settle for second with a time of 28.12 seconds riding Chacco P.
Ali Ramsay
Photo Credit: Allyson Lagiovane for Phelps
A total of 22 athletes put forth their best effort in the $36,600 CSI 4* Welcome Stake held June 11 at the Traverse City Spring Horse Show. Seven jumped clear over the first round track set by Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil to advance to the jump-off including Ali Ramsay of Victoria, BC, with two mounts, Bonita vh Keizershof Z and Lutz. First to return for the jump-off with Lutz, owned by Ramsay Equestrian Inc., Ramsay set the time to beat at 44.01 seconds. When she returned on her second jump-off contender, Ramsay again went to the top of the leaderboard with a clear round in 42.49 seconds that would prove unbeatable. Ramsay has been riding Bonita vh Keizershof Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Bustique x For Pleasure) owned by Ramsay Equestrian Inc., since the horse was a six-year-old.
Mélissa Boutin
Mélissa Boutin of Ascot Corner, QC, won the CCI 2* division at June 12’s Bromont Horse Trials in Bromont, QC, on her very own Obeah Dancer GS (Humble GS x Buddenbrock), a nine-year-old Trakehner mare. The duo were the only pair to run double clear going cross-country and no penalties in the show jumping phase meant they ended on their dressage score of 33.0 penalties.
Brandon McMechan
Brandon McMechan of Toronto, ON, took the victory in the Bromont Horse Trials CCI 3* division with Oscar’s Wild, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Brandon and Glenn McMechan. With only one rail down in show jumping to add to their dressage score of 28.2 penalties, they ended on a final score of 32.2 penalty points.
Bruno Martins Costa
On June 17, Bruno Martins Costa of Maaseik, BEL, proved to be uncatchable in the De Peelbergen CSI 2* in Kronenberg, NED, with Bailarinna (Filou de Muze x Chacco Blue), an eight-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Haras Bonne Chance BV. The pair expertly maneuvered through the course in 36.17 seconds to beat Greg Patrick Broderick of Ireland, who rode Coolivio PS to a time of 39.42 seconds.
Tiffany Foster
Photo Credit: Andrew Ryback Photography
Two-time Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster of North Vancouver, BC, closed out the Traverse City Spring Horse Show II by winning the $72,900 CSI 2* Four G Surfaces Grand Prix riding Vienna (Valentino x Lordanos). It all came down to a seven-horse jump-off where Tiffany and Artisan Farms LLC’s 10-year-old Hanoverian mare pulled out all the stops to produce the only double clear performance. Tiffany’s working student, Emily Ward of Great Britain, had the fastest four-fault effort in the jump-off to place second riding her own Millioninmind.
Retuning to the saddle on July 3, Tiffany placed first at the CSI 3* at Knokke Hippique in Knokke, BEL, with Brighton (Contendro II x Quick Star), a 15- year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Artisan Farms LLC. The pair jumped clear in 40.79 seconds to beat out Mark McAuley of Ireland on his mount Engerupgaards Cezanne, who managed a time of 41.23 seconds.
Back aboard Vienna, Tiffany brought home the win from the CSI 5* Masters of Chantilly on July 9, in Chantilly, FRA, finishing the one-round course in 66.17 seconds.
Elizabeth Bates
On June 30, Breakaway Equestrian BVBA’s Jolly Dutch (Audi’s Dutch Design x Quidam de Revel) didn’t put a foot wrong while carrying Elizabeth Bates, a Canadian who resides in Waterloo, BEL. The seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare beat Mehdi Roessli of Switzerland and his mount Arlington Jolly by only 0.79 seconds in the CSI 1* at the Equieffe Star Tour in Gorla Minore, ITA. The pair raced the clock without gaining any faults to finish in 44.03 seconds.
Shelby Brost
Canadian Shelby Brost of Ocala, FL, came in first on July 2 in the Maryland Horse Trials CCI 2*-S in Adamstown, MD, finishing on her dressage score of 29.4 penalties with RHF Peterzano (Perigueux x Now or Never), the nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding she owns with Wayne Brost.
Brian Walker
On July 3, Brian Walker of Wellington, FL, rode Waldman Horses and Jake Hunter’s Cleopatra (Quick Star x Calato), an 11-year-old Holsteiner mare, to victory. The Canadian duo beat Maren Hoffmann of Germany and Goldquelle 2 with no faults and exactly one second to spare at the CSI 3* Bemer Group Prize class in Pinneberg, GER. The pair was one of only two competitors who completed the course in under a minute with a time of 58.38 seconds, while Maren and Goldquelle 2 finished within 59.38 seconds.
Brian and Cleopatra also won the Van Grunsven CSI 3* in Ommen, NED, jumping clear across two phases of competition in 32.47 and 36.40 seconds against 50 other expert riders.
Danielle Lambert
Danielle Lambert of Paris, FRA, and Cissro Van Birthe Z (Cicero Z x Tauber Van Het Kapelhof), a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned in partnership by Francois Chansault, S.A.R.L. Centre Equestre de Mazeray and Jerome Gachignard, won the CSI 1* class at Masters of Chantilly on July 8. The victory was an extremely close call, with Cissro Van Birthe Z carrying Danielle through a nerve-wracking jump-off to finish in 45.51 seconds, while Belgium’s Mathieu Guery and Mirabelle stopped the timers at 45.68 seconds.
The next day, Danielle rode Claire Gouin’s nine-year-old Selle Français gelding, Cobalt De Nantuel (Tobago Chevrier x Diamant de Semilly), to beat 34 accomplished athletes in the CSI 1* at the Masters of Chantilly with a 61.11 second round.
Makayla Barta
On July 10 at the Masters of Chantilly, Makayla Barta of Ottawa, ON, earned top honours on her own Cohinoor 4 (San Patrignano Carrado x Sandro), a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion. Makayla and her mount raced around the course leaving behind no faults in 71.81 seconds.