Emilie Bussereau

Emilie Bussereau of Saint-Nicolas, QC, nabbed a first-place finish on Feb. 4 at the Spring Tour 2021 in Valencia, ESP. She deftly cleared the CSI 2* course in 59.38 seconds riding Artist de Capucine (Diamant de Semilly x Col Canto), an 11-year-old Selle Français gelding owned by Julien and Pascale Bussereau.

Lisa CarlsenThe Winner’s Circle – March 2021

Photo Credit: ESI Photography

Lisa Carlsen of Okotoks, AB, dominated the $137,000 1.55m Purina Grand Prix held Feb. 7 during the CSI 3* Desert Circuit III in Thermal, CA. A total of 37 entries tackled the track set by Manuel Esparza of Mexico with five advancing to the jump-off. Lisa was the first rider to jump clear, setting the time to beat at 38.80 seconds riding Livestream 2 (Lordanos x Landadel), the 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Attaché Stables in partnership with The Livestream Group. Canadians Beth Underhill and Count Me In stopped the timers at 39.22 seconds for a close second place.

Jim IfkoThe Winner’s Circle – March 2021

Photo Credit: Sportfot

Jim Ifko of Calgary, AB, made his presence felt on Feb. 12 during the fifth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL, by winning the $37,000 Restylane 1.45m Qualifier. A total of 72 entries tackled the first-round track set by British course designer Kelvin Bywater with 10 advancing to the jump-off. Jim, 51, once again produced a clear round riding his partner of seven years, Un Diamant des Forets, a 13-year-old bay Selle Français stallion (Diamant de Semilly x Papillon Rouge) owned by Eventyre Farms Ltd. and better known as “Monty” around the barn. The pair’s time of 33.74 second was fast enough to hold off Carly Anthony of the United States, who stopped the timers in 34.34 seconds riding Hera de Landette II. Making the win more remarkable, WEF 5 was Jim’s first competition since the spring of 2020.

Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu

The Winner’s Circle – March 2021

Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle

Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu and All In (Tango x Damiro) firmly maintained their status as Canada’s leading dressage combination with two stellar CDI-W wins during the fifth week of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) in Wellington, FL. The Saint-Bruno, QC, native and 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood, whom Brittany co-owns with her father, Craig Fraser, and husband, Marc-Andre Beaulieu, began their winning run in the Grand Prix on Feb. 12 with a score of 73.696%. Brittany and the liver chestnut gelding returned to the ring on Feb. 14 to post a personal best in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Despite their pattern’s immense technical difficulty and the fact that it was only their second time performing it, the pair hit a dazzling high note of 79.330%, with the judge at M awarding the pair 80.850%.

Lindsay KellockThe Winner’s Circle – March 2021

Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle

Representing the maple leaf in CDI 3* competition at AGDF 5 was Wellington’s Lindsay Kellock, a member of the gold medal Canadian Dressage Team at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. She and Sebastien (Sandro Hit x Fidermark), the 15-year-old Rheinländer gelding Lindsay co-owns with Enterprise Farm Equestrian, LLC, danced their way to 73.319% for first in Feb. 13’s Grand Prix Special.

Camille Carier Bergeron

In the AGDF 5 CDI-U25 division, Camille Carier Bergeron of Mascouche, QC, enjoyed success with Gilles Bergeron’s 14-year-old Württemberg gelding, Acoeur (Acordelli x Ricardo). The pair made repeat appearances in the winner’s circle in the Intermediate II on Feb. 12 (70.765%), Grand Prix on Feb. 13 (69.718%) and Grand Prix Freestyle on Feb. 14 (73.385%).

During AGDF 7, Camille made a splash with Sound of Silence 4 (San Amour I x Limes), Gilles’ 13-year-old Westphalian gelding. The two swept the CDI-Y division with 70.637% in Feb. 26’s Team Competition, 69.500% in Feb. 27’s Individual Competition and 75.555% in Feb. 28’s Freestyle.

Camille showed up as a double threat to AGDF 8 riding both Sound of Silence 4 and Acoeur. In the CDI-Y division, Camille and Sound of Silence 4 nabbed top honours in the Team Competition on March 5 (72.255%) before posting a personal best of 78.145% in the Freestyle on March 7. Riding Acoeur in the CDI-U25 division, Camille scored 70.588% in March 5’s Intermediate II and 72.436% in the next day’s Grand Prix.

Michelle Filsinger

Michelle Filsinger, a resident of Rancho Santa Fe, CA, and her 11-year-old Westphalian stallion, Bellmeier (Belissimo x Weltmeyer) scored 66.863% for first in the CDI-Am Prix St. Georges on Feb. 11 at AGDF 5. The pair continued their winning CDI-Am run at AGDF 7, scoring 67.794% in the Prix St. George on Feb. 27 and 68.265% in the Intermediate I on Feb. 28. At AGDF 8, Michelle and Bellmeier took home the blue ribbon once again in March 5’s CDI-Am Intermediate I with 69.412%.

Jonathan Ding

Jonathan Ding of Thornhill, ON, led the pack at the XXVII Sunshine Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, ESP. Riding Super Micke (Artist x Almeto Z), a 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Inez Ding, he captured first in the the CSI 4* Medium Tour 1.30m competition on Feb. 20 with a clear round executed in 62.71 seconds.

Sam WalkerThe Winner’s Circle – March 2021

Photo Credit: Sportfot

A total of 63 athletes under the age of 25 competed in the $25,000 Hermes U25 Grand Prix held on the grass derby field during WEF 6 on Feb. 21. Ranked as a CSI-U25 competition, the stakes were high as nine horse-rider combinations found their way to the jump-off over the track set by Mexican course designer Catsy Cruz. In the end, 18-year-old Sam Walker of Nobleton, ON, blew away the competition by posting a clear jump-off effort in a time of 43.89 seconds to take the win over Violet Lindemann Barnett, who produced the only other double-clear effort in 46.85 seconds. Walker’s winning mount was Coralissa, an 11-year-old bay Holsteiner mare (Com Air x Corrado I) owned by MarBill Hill Farm that he has been riding since the 2018 season.

Kara Chad

At the XXVII Sunshine Tour, Kara Chad of Millarville, AB, and Lea Popely’s eight-year-old mare, Kunis (Luidam x Le Tot de Semilly), navigated a foot-perfect round in 63.23 seconds to win the CSI 4* Small Tour 1.30m competition on Feb. 26.

Pia Fortmuller

Pia Fortmuller of Foothills, AB, conquered the AGDF 7 CDI 3* Intermediate A on Feb. 27, scoring 71.176% partnered with Frieda (Fuerstenball OLD x Rouletto), a 10-year-old Hanoverian mare she co-owns with Lars Busch.

Alexandra Reid

Alexandra Reid, who resides in Wellington, FL, also found herself in the winner’s circle at AGDF 7. She rode Elaine Cordia-Van Reesema’s Flynn (Wynton x Future), an 11-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, to a score of 73.295% in the CDI 3* Intermediate I Freestyle on Feb 28.

Amy Millar

At WEF 8, Amy Millar of Perth, ON, topped the leaderboard of the $5,000 Premier Equestrian Welcome CSIO 4* on March 3, riding clear in 56.78 seconds holding the reins of Christinao (Canoso x Compliment), an 11-year-old Brandenburg gelding owned by Future Adventures in Wellington