Jessica Phoenix
Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
October welcomed CCI 4*-S level competition back to Canada with the MARS Bromont Three Day Event, which ran on Oct. 3 in Bromont, QC. Canadian Olympian Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, secured her first win at the level with Wabbit (Line of Departure x Great Gladiator), the 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that she co-owns with Jim Phillips. Together, the 2020 NTP Eventing Development Squad combination scored 60.8 penalty points for first.
Colleen Loach
In the Bromont CCI 3*-S division, Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach of Dunham, QC, took first (40.4 penalties) with her 2019 Lima Pan Am Games partner, FE Golden Eye (Goldfever 3 x Contendro I), an eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding that she co-owns with Peter Barry and Amanda Bernhard.
Holly Jacks-Smither
In the Bromont CCI 2*-S division, Holly Jacks-Smither of Hillsburgh, ON, nabbed first riding Candy King (Grafenstolz x Moothyeb), her 10-year-old British Sport Horse gelding, to 34.7 penalties.
Kara Chad
Kara Chad and Irinka Lady (Etoulon x Eldorado van de Zeshoek) found themselves on top twice at the Sunshine Autumn Tour CSIYH 1* in Vejer de la Frontera, ESP. The Millarville, AB, native and Matthew Sampson’s seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare sped to their first victory on Oct. 7, nabbing first with a clear round completed in 35.56 seconds. Two days later, Kara and Irinka Lady stopped the clocks on another foot-perfect round in 63.30 seconds to make the return trip to the winner’s circle.
Kara also competed in the Sunshine Autumn Tour CSI 3* division, in which she found success riding the 10-year-old gelding, Firefly W (Nabab de Reve x Voltaire), another Dutch Warmblood owned by Sampson. The pair topped the leaderboard on Oct. 11 with a clear round completed in 60.93 seconds.
Kara and Irinka Lady returned to the ring a few weeks later to assert their dominance once again in the CSIYH 1* division, this time at the CES Valencia Autumn Tour in Valencia, ESP. On Oct. 23, they topped the two phase competition with back-to-back penalty-free rounds clocking in at 28.40 and 39.05 seconds. But the formidable pair wasn’t done yet: On Oct. 25, a clear jump-off round of 31.800 seconds earned yet another first-place finish, edging out Great Britain’s Sampson and Jafabalou and their time of 33.73 seconds.
Karl Slezak
Karl Slezak of Tottenham, ON, and his seven-year-old mare, Hot Bobo, emerged victorious in the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event CCI 2*-L, held in Lexington, KY, from Oct. 14-18. Picture-perfect cross-country and show-jumping rounds led the pair to end on their dressage score of 29.3 penalty points for the win.
Judith Ameli
Judith Ameli of Whistler, BC, kicked off a string of Canadian wins at the CSI 2* Harvest Welcome at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, BC, on Oct. 15. She won the 1.20m Two Phase Special riding her 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Sig Cortez (Contact Me x Lord), clear with a time of 35.94 seconds.
Bonnee James
Bonnee James of Pitt Meadows, BC, won the Harvest Welcome 1.40m Two Phase Special CSI 2* on Oct. 15, clocking 41.25 seconds riding clear aboard Lucianna 44 (Lux Z x Quickstar), her 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare.
Brian Morton
Brian Morton of Calgary, AB, had very a successful week at the Harvest Welcome CSI 2*. On Oct. 15, he and Spruce Meadows LTD’s 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Chili Pepper SM (Calido x Graf Top), won the 1.30m Two Phase Special in a clear 37.06 seconds. Next came the $500 1.40m competition on Oct. 16, in which Brian and Chili Pepper SM left up all the rails in 71.95 seconds for the top spot. On Oct. 18, he brought out Cadillac (Corlensky G x El Bundy), Spruce Meadows LTD’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, to capture the $73,000 ATCO Cup 1.45m Grand Prix. Their clear jump-off time of 40.66 seconds was just enough to beat Rachel Cornacchia of Foothills, AB, and Valkyrie de Talma, who ended up second on a time of 40.99 seconds.
Jenna Lee Gottschlich
Photo Credit: Totem Photographics
Jenna Lee Gottschlich of Edmonton, AB, topped the $5,000 1.40m Trademark Stables Under 25 CSI 2* held on Oct. 16 during the Harvest Welcome. As the only FEI-sanctioned competition offered for Under 25 riders in Canada this season, the class attracted a large starting field with five qualifying for the jump-off over course designer Joey Rycroft’s track. Her winning time of 36.04 seconds riding Evita P, her 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, gave Jenna Lee the victory over Kassidy Keith of Surrey, BC, who placed second in 37.95 seconds riding Havana and Sara Tindale of Campbellville, ON, who produced the only other double clear in 38.92 seconds riding Candar Mail.
Bailey Ritchie Harding
Bailey Ritchie Harding of Langley, BC, won the Harvest Welcome $500 1.30m CSI 2* on Oct. 16. She rode her 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare, Toscana, through a clear round in 71.91 seconds to bring home the red ribbon.
Madelaine Riddle
Also on Oct. 16 at the Harvest Welcome, Madelaine Riddle of Sherwood Park, AB, won the $500 1.20m CSI 2*. She cleanly navigated the course riding Stylish (Salvatore x Cavalier Royale), her six-year-old Canadian Sport Horse mare, in 68.95 seconds.
Shauna Cook
Madelaine’s neighbour, Shauna Cook, claimed another win for Sherwood Park in the Harvest Welcome $3,500 1.30m Classic CSI 2* on Oct. 17. Caya (Christian x Quintender 2), a seven-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by Sheilagh Kelly, was Shauna’s partner for a fault-free jump-off round, completed in 37.02 seconds – ahead of second-place combination, Lindsay Wendt of Dunster, BC, and Denise, and their score of 38.03 seconds.
Justin Prather
Justin Prather of Calgary, AB, won the Harvest Welcome $3,500 1.20m Classic CSI 2* on Oct. 17, winning the jump-off in 34.06 seconds with Brandon Equestrian LTD’s Aimee 2 (Cormint x Linaro). He and the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare crossed the finish line just before Ayla Martinoff of Langley, BC, and Amigo B, who stopped the timers at 34.94 seconds.
Makayla Barta
Makayla Barta of Ottawa, ON, won the Harvest Welcome $2,500 1.40m Classic CSI 2* during her first weekend of FEI level competition with Cirdano (Cluysenaer x Cordano Z), her 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding. The fledgling partnership claimed the lead after a clear jump-off performance in 45.01 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of Shauna and Casparo’s 46.95 seconds.
Rachel Cornacchia
Rachel Cornacchia of Foothills, AB, won the Harvest Welcome $2,500 1.35m Classic CSI 2* on Oct. 18. She jumped Koko Katinka (Nabab de Reve x Tinka’s Boy), a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Eventyre Farms Ltd, through a foot-perfect round in 34.38 seconds, ahead of the 35.49 seconds posted by Ellicia Edgar of Parkland County, AB, and Igor K.
Carly Stevens
Photo Credit: Totem Photographics
Carly Stevens of Foothills, AB, closed out the Under 25 competition at the CSI 2* Harvest Welcome at Thunderbird by winning the $10,000 Trademark Stables Under 25 Final on Oct. 18. As the first rider to return for the jump-off, Carly set a standard that could not be beat, stopping the clock in 38.42 seconds riding VIP des Majuros, an 11-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding owned by her parents, Grant and Susan Stevens. Emily Ward of Great Britain and Evita DKG posted the only other double-clear effort of the day to finish runner-up.
Following a consistent week of results, Stevens, 17, was named the overall Under 25 Series Champion.
Nikolaus Leckebusch-Peters
Nikolaus Leckebusch-Peters of Georgetown, ON, bested over 60 entries in the CSI-U25-Y-J-A competition in Chevenez, SUI, on Oct. 16. He navigated C’est la Vie 145, a 12-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Halton Place, clear through the course and stopped the clock at 55.70 seconds for the win.
Mario Deslauriers
Photo Credit: Sportfot
Bromont, QC, native Mario Deslauriers won the $73,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake held Oct. 22 at CSI 4* Tryon, NC. A total of 89 entries attempted the track set by American course designer Anthony D’Ambrosio with 12 advancing to the jump-off. Mario’s double-clear effort in a time of 36.35 seconds gave him the win over Israeli Olympian Daniel Bluman, who was almost a full second slower in 37.31 seconds riding Gemma W. Deslauriers’ winning partner was Amsterdam 27, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Catoki x Acord II) owned by Deslauriers, Luja LLC, and Wishing Well Farm LLC.
Anne Claire Breton
Anne Claire Breton of Saint-Jean-Chrysostome, QC, won the CSIYH 1* competition on Oct. 23 in Opglabbeek, BEL. She and Brooklyn du Toultia Z (Balou du Rouet x Argentinus), Ecurie Fabien Schreiber’s six-year-old Zangersheide mare, left all the rails in their cups through their ride of 55.93 seconds to win.