September 2019 Volume 3, Issue 3

2

Dressage Quarterly

Chair’s Message

In this edition of the Equestrian Canada (EC)

Dressage Quarterly Report, we want to recognize

the fantastic results achieved by our Team at the

Pan American Games. Our team of Tina Irwin,

Lindsay Kellock, Jill Irving, and Naima Moreira

Laliberté not only won the gold medal but also

secured a spot for Canada at the 2020 Olympic

Games in Tokyo!

In the individual event our riders again had super

results with Tina bringing home the silver medal

and Naima and Lindsay finishing sixth and

seventh respectively. This team made up of both

experienced and first-time members wowed us

all with top performances in a high pressure

environment, including several personal bests.

Thank you to our riders and the large support

team behind each and every one of them for their

outstanding performances. It will be exciting to

watch our riders as they prepare for the 2020

Olympic Games.

We also want to recognize the exciting results

produced by our junior and young riders at the

Adequan/FEI North American Youth

Championships. Highlights included a podium

hat trick by top young rider Vanessa Creech-

Terauds, a very close silver medal for the

Ontario/Quebec Team of Vanessa Creech-

Terauds, Sophie Dean-Potter, Julie Barrett and

Jade Morrissette in the Young Riders Team

Competition and a fifth place finish for the

Quebec/Nova Scotia Team of Chloe Vandenplas,

Marilie Roy, and Lily-Rose Lemaire.

Congratulations to all of our junior and young

riders and their support teams. The future looks

bright!

We also continue our spotlight on up-and-

coming young riders with interviews with Esmee

Ingham, a very successful young rider from

British Columbia who is now training in The

Netherlands, and Claire and Kathryn Robinson,

sisters from Alberta who both participated at the

North American Youth Championships. Finally,

we are pleased to include a "Looking Back"

article by Christilot Boylen describing her

experiences at the 1971 Pan American Games in

Colombia.

Submitted by Victoria Winter

Quarterly Contributors

Editorial Content Provided by: Christilot

Boylen, Jessie Christie, Jane Fraser, Susan

Fraser, Sue Holtby, Esmee Ingham, Joan

Macartney, Christine Peters, Claire Robinson,

Kathryn Robinson, Sheila Skene, Caroline Soble,

Victoria Winter

Photos Provided by: Cali Newspaper 1971,

Foto4U, Cealy Tetley, Luc van Moorsel,

Courtsey of the Robinson Family, Courtsey of

Robert Dover, www.caragrimshaw.com

EC and the Dressage Committee would like to

thank dressage-news.com for the generous use of

their photo which was published under the

scribing article in the previous issue of Dressage

Quarterly. We apologise for this oversight in the

June issue.

EC Contacts

Contact details, photos and biographies can be

found for all EC staff at the following link:

www.equestrian.ca/about/contact. A quick

overview of staff contacts for the dressage and

technical portfolios are highlighted below:

Christine Peters, Senior Manager Dressage

Olympic / Paralympic Program,

cpeters@equestrian.ca

Celine Hutchison Majerus,

Program Coordinator – Dressage

chmajerus@equestrian.ca

Officials, Rules

Coordinator Technical Development

Lindsey Blakely

lblakely@equestrian.ca

Coaching

Coaching Coordinator

Helen Richardson

hrichardson@equestrian.ca

Competitions

Coordinator, Competition Services

Maria-Christina Lepore

mclapore@equestrian.ca

Upcoming Clinics

Clinic: EC General & Dressage Stewards Clinic

Clinician: Linda Miller (EC Senior National

Steward, EC Senior Dressage Steward and FEI

Dressage Steward)

Date: November 9-10, 2019

Location: Calgary, AB (additional details to

come)

Registration: Online Registration

Levy Performance Symposium Clinician: Robert Dover (Olympic Medalist)

Date: October 25, 2019

Location: Caledon, ON

Registration: Online Registration

Talent ID Clinic Clinician: Robert Dover (Olympic Medalist)

Date: October 26-27, 2019

Location: Blackfalds, AB

Registration: Online Registration

Keep up to date with clinic plans through the EC

clinics page: www.equestrian.ca/events-

results/clinics.

Dressage Team Earns Team Gold and Ticket to Tokyo in Lima

After fierce competition for the top of the

podium the Canadian Dressage Team took Pan

Am gold for the first time in 28 years, and earned

Canada’s berth to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic

Games during the Lima 2019 Pan American

Games in Peru.

Team members, Jill Irving of Moncton, NB, Tina

Irwin of Stouffville, ON, Lindsay Kellock of

Toronto, ON, and Naima Moreira Laliberté of

Outremont, QC, were neck-and-neck with the

United States during the first leg of the team

competition, finishing a fraction behind. They

returned to the Team Final with laser focus to

achieve their dual goals of gold medals, and a

spot for Tokyo 2020 as one of the top two teams

not already qualified.

The Team Final consisted of the Intermediate I

for small tour entries and Grand Prix Special for

the big tour, and also acted as the second

individual qualifier. Kicking off the Canadian

Team’s journey to the podium was small tour

combination, Kellock of Toronto, ON and

Floratina (Fidertanz 2 x Rubin Royal OLD),

owned by Chloe Gasiorowski. For the second

day in a row, Kellock and the 11-year-old

Hanoverian mare set a personal best record,

receiving a score of 73.147% from the Dressage

Ground Jury, which included FEI 4* Dressage

Judge, Brenda Minor of Acton, ON. Their back-

to-back third place finishes in the small tour also

had them sitting third overall in the individual

standings.

“I am thrilled. Today was by far the best feeling

I’ve ever had in the ring with Floratina, and I

couldn’t be happier – she brought it,” said

Kellock, who took over the ride on Floratina less

than a year ago, yet has never scored below 70%

in a single class entered. “When you go at the

beginning, you want to start strong for your

team.”

L to R: Jill Irving, Tina Irwin, Lindsay Kellock,

Naima Moreira Laliberté

Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

Facing that same pressure to help nail down an

early lead was Irwin aboard her long-time

partner, Laurencio (Laurentio x Donnerhall), a

12-year-old Oldenburg gelding she co-owns with

her husband and fellow elite dressage athlete,

Jaimey Irwin. It was mission accomplished when

they became Canada’s top-scoring combination

for the second day in a row after achieving

73.853%. Their score would prove to lead the

small tour rankings right up until the final entry,

Sarah Lockman of the US aboard First Apple.

Having finished second in the small tour both

days, Irwin and Laurencio also held second on

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Dressage Quarterly

the individual leaderboard, with Lockman in the

lead.

“I needed to go for more energy today, so I did

that,” said Irwin, who was attending her second

Pan American Games, previously earning team

silver during the 2011 edition in Guadalajara,

MEX. “No risk, no gain – so I had a little bobble

in my half-pass, which was a coefficient, but I

don’t regret it because I think you have to go big

or go home. You’ve got to go for it, and you’ve

got to push, so I’m happy I did that today.”

Speaking to the feeling of winning team gold,

Irwin continued, “It’s a huge accomplishment.

There was a lot of pressure on our team (to

qualify Canada for Tokyo), but we gave it our all

today. We brought our ‘A’ game and we’re very,

very proud.”

Following the first two flights of riders, Canada

had overtaken the US, and after Moreira

Laliberté - just 22 years of age and making her

major games debut - stayed cool under pressure

to earn 71.787%, the gold medal became a

mathematical certainty for Canada. Riding

Statesman, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding

sired by Sandro Hit and owned by KML S.à.r.l.,

Moreira Laliberté won both the Grand Prix and

the Grand Prix Special as an individual to sit

fourth on the overall leaderboard.

“The goal today was a really steady and clean

ride for the team, and we achieved the plan, so

I’m really happy about that,” said Moreira

Laliberté, who is the daughter of Cirque du

Soleil founder, Guy Laliberté. “Once I realized

that this is a big venue, but really, it’s another

sandbox that just happens to be here at the

Games, then I just focused on riding like I

usually do and that took my pressure away.”

Irving also contested the big tour, finishing third

in the Grand Prix Special and contributing a

score of 67.851% to the team aboard Degas 12

(De Niro 6 x Regazzoni), a 17-year-old

Hanoverian gelding owned by Irving and

Windhaven Farm. She also took third in the

Grand Prix during the first day of competition to

stand 11th on the individual leaderboard.

“Degas is in great form but he was spicy

yesterday, and really spicy today, and it cost me

some very expensive mistakes,” said Irving, who

also rode Degas 12 for Canada at the 2018 FEI

World Equestrian Games in Mill Spring, NC.

“But, my teammates made up for it. I’m really

proud of our team. I think it’s great to be coming

in the second day a little bit behind – you don’t

have to ride defensively, you just put on your ‘A’

game, and that’s what they did. It’s been an

amazing Games. The venue is world class, the

footing is great, the stabling is great, and the

food is amazing. Honestly, it’s been epic.”

Canada’s gold medal was earned on a team total

score of 440.111. The US took silver with

437.791, while the bronze went to Brazil

(408.696). Lima represents the third team gold

for the Canadian Dressage Team, having also

topped the Pan Am Games podium in Havana,

CUB in 1991 and Cali, COL in 1971.

“Coming here, right from the start, there was no

question that we were here to win gold. That was

the goal and they made it happen.” said Canadian

Dressage Team Chef d’Équipe, Christine Peters.

“They rode their heart out for Canada and I’m

very proud. What impressed me the most about

this group is how they came together as a team

and supported each other; the four of them have

been like sisters. To have them bring home team

gold for Canada for the first time in so many

years is incredible.”

TINA IRWIN RETURNS TO PODIUM FOR INDIVIDUAL SILVER AT LIMA 2019 PAN AM GAMES Irwin made a return trip to the Lima 2019

podium on July 31, adding an individual silver

medal to her collection.

The pair was making a solid run for gold

performing their Intermediate I Freestyle, right

up until Laurencio misinterpreted a movement at

the very end of their test.

“I was super happy with my ride until the very

last centreline, where my horse decided to give a

preview of Tokyo and did a bunch of one-

tempis,” joked Irwin, explaining that one-tempis

are a movement found at the big tour level, which the duo had been competing in before

making the decision to come back down to the

small tour in 2019 with the aim of helping

Canada secure Tokyo qualification in Lima.

“That was not planned, but other than that he felt

great, so what can you do? It cost me some

marks, I’m sure, but I was really happy with the

rest of the Freestyle, he was great.”

Tina Irwin & Laurencio

Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

Ultimately, Irwin received a score of 77.780%, a

close shave off the score of 78.980% earned by

individual gold medalist, Sarah Lockman and

First Apple. Fellow American, Jennifer Baumert

took bronze aboard Handsome with 75.775%.

Grabbing the attention of both the judges and the

crowd, Irwin began her freestyle test to music

with one of the more challenging movements, the

two-tempi changes. And, she never let up on the

level of difficulty, performing three-tempi

changes on a bending, serpentine line, and

navigating a pirouette straight into an extended

canter. The intricate choreography, combined

with perfectly synced music made for a crowd-

pleasing performance from start to finish.

“The people who designed my freestyle music

are really good friends, Wendy Watson and

Lewis Manne from Zap Productions in Toronto,”

said Irwin of the music, which incorporated a

medley of songs, such as Hey Brother by Avicii,

(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life of Dirty

Dancing fame and the much-covered Life is Life,

originally by Opus. “Zap Productions were more

into the film industry and documentaries, but

they also produce some of their own music. They

did the theme song for the Canadian show,

Degrassi with the famous Drake. I tell them

which pieces of music I like, then I put the

choreography together and they compose a

whole new piece for the freestyle.”

While Irwin has a team silver medal under her

belt from the 2011 Pan Am Games in

Guadalajara, MEX, Lima represents her first

individual medal.

“It's amazing to get the silver medal. I was

obviously thrilled with the team gold, and now to

be on the podium individually is fantastic, so I'm

thrilled,” she said. “It was definitely my goal, I

was coming to win a medal. I was hoping for

gold, but that's okay. My horse was amazing

through the whole competition. We did our best

and they're not machines. At the end of the day,

one little mistake can cost you first position,

potentially. I'm okay with that, my horse tried his

heart out. Now, my plan is to go back to grand

prix. We're going to take a little break after Pan

Ams and then we'll make a new plan for 2020.”

Tina Irwin takes individual silver.

Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley

Next in the standings for Canada was Moreira

Laliberté, who closed out her major games debut

in sixth place individually with Statesman. The pair were working on a clean and smooth

test until the extended canter, where unplanned

exuberance from Statesman created a chain

reaction of a few missed movements.

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Dressage Quarterly

“Through misunderstanding, he took off (in the

extended canter), and unfortunately that was

very, very costly,” explained Moreira Laliberté,

who took over the ride on Statesman in 2018,

competing at the Under 25 level before moving

up to grand prix in 2019. “I just didn’t think that

at this point in the competition, he’d be feeling

so fresh. But, we had a good recovery, and I'm

also really pleased with the beginning of our

test.”

For the majority of her test, Moreira Laliberté

was right on cue with her music, which was an

instrumental piece of predominantly strings and

piano, custom-created for her and Statesman by

French composer, Jacques Trupin. “I sent him a

video with a timeline, and from scratch, he wrote

everything, recorded it and mastered it. It was his

first time doing it for horses, and he did an

amazing job.”

Rounding out the Canadian individual results

was Kellock, who finished in seventh place

overall after receiving a score of 73.550% aboard

Floratina.

“I think today, I was finally feeling Flora just a

little bit exhausted,” explained Kellock of the

few bobbles in her freestyle performance, which

was designed by Tamara Williamson of

Kurboom and features the music of Irish

composer, Ronan Hardiman. “She got a little

opinionated in her changes, but I’m still so happy

with her. Her performance through this whole

Games has just been amazing. We’ve had two

personal bests here – one percentage point higher

than we normally get.”

The dressage individual final featured the top

50% of horse-rider combinations from the big

tour and small tour following the team final,

which also acted as the second and last

individual qualifier. However, in light of the

caveat that a maximum of three athletes per

country were permitted to the individual final,

the remaining member of the Canadian Dressage

Team, Irving, was unable to move forward. She

closed out her debut multi-sport games with

Degas 12 in the team final where she landed

third in the Grand Prix Special, and finished the

day sitting 11th in the overall individual

standings.

Colombia 1971: A Look Back

With 2019 being a Pan Am year, we have

attempted to “look back” at some of our previous

competitors and successes. This issue, we are

pleased to present an article submitted by

Christilot Boylen. Christilot is our “trail-blazer”

having competed at six Olympic Games and four

Pan Am Games, winning Pan Am gold in 1971,

1975 and 1985.

Submitted by Christilot Boylen

Cali, Colombia in l97l was not exactly regarded

as a safe place. (How little the world really

changes!). It was exactly as I had imagined a

South American country – exotically beautiful,

lush, forest, and distant higher elevations, hot

and steamy.

This was the trailing end of the military rule in

many South American countries, and the teams

in Cali reflected this. I was told to expect the

fiercest competition from the Chilean Team and

that is exactly how it panned out. The Chilean

Army at that time had built up some top horses

and riders, thanks to a number of German

escapees after the war, I am told, and they

certainly were impressive to watch. I must

remember to mention that at this time, the Pan

Am Dressage competition was at the Grand Prix

level – not Small Tour.

The event was held at a beautiful military

compound. The hotel-like housing was very good

and after training in the morning, we tended to

spend a few hours enjoying the beautiful pool.

There were beautifully manicured GRASS rings,

to ride on, as well as large sand-based rings.

Gold - Canada / Silver - Colombia

Christilot Boylen, Zoltan Stehlo & Cindy Neale.

Photo Credit: The Cali Newspaper, 1971.

The whole compound was surrounded by high

stone walls – topped with barbwire strands. I

was really confronted with the difference in

political systems here in Cali, the contrasts

between the military life and the normal

Colombian life just outside the high walls was

stark. I remember leaving the compound by taxi

one morning to explore the “safe” areas of

Bogota, and seeing a native Colombian woman,

baby on her hip, cooking something over a small

wood fire, her hut made up of 3 or 4 giant palm

fronds – I am not making judgment calls, but

over the years, more and more I realized how

PRIVILEDGED the whole sport world is. RIO

was the latest example of this.

I had the great fortune to have had a truly good

horse at this time… ARMAGNAC. He was a

medium-sized chestnut Hanoverian gelding with

big, strong gaits, and a lot of GO due to a fair

mix of Trakehner blood as well as Hanoverian

lines. He and I had been able to garner some

nice placings at Aachen in l970. The trainer was

none less than Willi Schultheis, with whom I had

been training for quite a while, and who had

been able to get me Armagnac when his former

owner, Mrs. Rosemary Springer, wanted to sell

him.

Armagnac and I won the individual gold medal,

and silver and bronze went to two Chilean

officers. On the podium, the legendary Chilean

General Yanez was giving the medals. He was

not amused - very perfunctually he handed out

the medal and turned on his heel, muttered about

‘a woman beating his officers, and what was the

world coming to?’

NAYC 2019 Signals Bright Future for Up-and-Coming Canadian Talent

Canada’s rising stars gained invaluable

international competition experience at the 2019

Adequan/FEI North American Youth

Championships (NAYC) presented by Gotham

North, picking up a handful of medals in the

process.

The maple leaf was represented by 37 athletes

from three disciplines at NAYC 2019, starting

with the eventing championship, which took

place during The Event at Rebecca Farm, held

July 24-28 in Kalispell, MT. Dressage and

jumping followed from July 30-Aug. 4 at Old

Salem Farm in North Salem, NY.

The Young Riders Team Competition featured

thrillingly close scores, with Team

Ontario/Quebec ultimately earning the silver

medal in a historic finish on Aug. 1. Vanessa

Creech-Terauds, 19, of Caistor Centre, ON,

Sophie Dean-Potter, 21, of Caledon, ON, Julie

Barrett, 20, of Cobourg, ON, and 20-year-old

Jade Morrissette of Racine, QC, left it all on the

centreline while the standings shifted

continuously throughout the day’s competition.

Ultimately, all three podium teams sat within one

percentage point of each other – US Region 1 in

the gold medal position (205.706), Team

Ontario/Quebec in silver (205.676), and US

Region 3 in bronze (205.088).

Creech-Terauds went on to complete a podium

hat trick with her talented chestnut mare, earning

silver in the Individual Competition on Aug. 3

(71.029%) and bronze in the Freestyle on Aug. 4

(73.490%). Each day, Creech-Terauds was

joined on the podium by back-to-back gold

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Dressage Quarterly

medalist, US Region 2’s Callie Jones, who

scored 72.647% with Don Philippo in the

Individual, and 74.710% in Freestyle. Kayla

Kadlubek and Perfect Step of US Region 1

rounded out the dominant trio with scores of

70.353% for Individual bronze and 73.505% for

the Freestyle silver medal

L to R: Julie Barrett, Jade Morrissette, Vanessa

Creech-Terauds, Sophie Dean-Potter

Photo Credit: Meg McGuire Photography

“Up until this year, I’ve taken a different horse to

the championships every year, but this was my

first time taking the same horse,” said Creech-

Terauds, who has collected an impressive total of

seven medals over five years of NAYC

attendance. “Every year it’s a whole new ball

game, a new challenge, but this championship is

the best week of the year so I always look

forward to it and push myself. I’m very

competitive, so that helps me stay motivated, and

this year I really wanted to do well with Fleur in

Young Riders because we had done so well in

Juniors [earning the Freestyle silver medal at

NAYC 2016]. I’m happy to say she exceeded my

expectations. I’m so proud of this mare, that

really keeps me going and I love her so much.”

In the Junior division, Team Quebec/Nova Scotia

earned a respectable fifth place in the Team

Competition on July 31. Through the efforts of

Ariel Boesener, 17, of Canning, NS, Chloe

Vandenplas, 17, of Sherrington, QC, Marilie

Roy, 17, of Outremont, QC, and Lily-Rose

Lemaire, 15, of Drummondville, QC, they scored

195.424, less than five points off from the

podium. US Region 4 collected team gold on a

final score of 203.182, and US Region 2’s score

of 202.636 earned silver. The bronze medalists

were US Region 9 on a combined total of

199.637.

“It’s important to get the kids in the team

situation, because you never get that experience

on your own,” explained David Ziegler, who was

Chef d’Équipe of Young Rider Team

Ontario/Quebec and both Junior teams for

Canada. “It’s easy enough to say you want to go

to the Olympics, but it’s nice to have an avenue

to get that sort of team experience when you’re

looking towards the senior team.”

Vanessa Creech-Terauds and Fleur de Lis L

Photo Credit: Meg McGuire Photography

Boesener went on to be the leading Junior

Canadian in the following two competitions. She

rode her 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding,

Winniepuuh (Weltmeyer x Ludendorff), to a

score of 65.588% for 10th in the Individual

Competition on Aug. 2, and earned a personal

best score of 70.375% for fifth in the Freestyle

on Aug. 4.

Leslie Steele, who was the Chef d’Équipe for

Young Rider Team Alberta/Quebec and the

Junior individual, concluded, “I think overall the

girls did very well and worked well together, and

it ran very smoothly. We had some first-time

riders and they made it into the ceremonies.

They’re all happy, the families and kids have

been great to work with, and it’s been fun.”

Spotlight on Youth

We are honoured to have numerous Rising Stars

in our midst. This issue of Dressage Quarterly

highlights Esmee Ingham – originally from

Vancouver, BC, and a medalist at the North

American Youth Championships. Esmee is now

training in The Netherlands with Bert Rutten.

Esmee Ingham

Photo Credit: Luc van Moorsel

Here is her story.

Esmee Ingham, 27, was born and raised in West

Vancouver, BC. Horses have been one of

Ingham’s passions since she was a little girl; first

beginning with Western Pleasure riding

alongside her aunt Kristi, jumping with Nancy

Brooks at age seven and finally dressage at the

age of 12 with her mentor and coach Wendy

Christoff. Ingham’s dressage career really took

off at the FEI Junior level with her horse

Norseman. Together they participated in two

NAYCs, once in the Junior division and once in

Young Rider.

“Earning gold, silver and bronze medals,

Norseman was truly a once-in-a-lifetime horse

that catapulted me into a direction I never

imagined my life would lead,” said Ingham.

Following her successes in North America,

Ingham moved to the Dressuurstal Rutten in The

Netherlands where she has trained for the past

four years. The opportunity to work for Rutten

was easily arranged due to her father’s Italian

citizenship, allowing her to obtain a European

passport. Ingham had participated in clinics with

Rutten since the age of 16 and always learned a

great deal from the quiet and assertive lessons.

Ingham competes with Demaire (full sister to gold

medalist Sonke Rothenberger’s Cosmo) in Grand Prix.

Photo Credit: Foto 4U

“It was a difficult decision to pack all of my

belongings and move to Europe, but a chance

that I knew I had to take to further my dressage

education. Nonetheless, it’s a decision I am

grateful for, as I work alongside a fantastic team

and under the watchful, educated eye of Bert

Rutten,” Ingham explained.

Ingham’s daily life in the stable includes feeding,

cleaning stables, putting the horses in the walker,

paddocks and fields, managing the horses’ vet

and farrier care, as well as riding.

Riding roughly eight to 10 horses per day, the

days are consistently full, “In the best way

possible. There are a variety of horses from

foals up to Grand Prix, gaining valuable

experience both in the saddle and also in regards

to general horsemanship,” Ingham said.

“I have been fortunate enough to have the

support of my family, friends and Blue Heron

Farms barn mates since the beginning of my

competition career. These strong networks of

people have enabled me to make the most of the

opportunities presented and strive for success.

There is a long list of competitions that I have

participated in, from local shows, to the

California CDI tour, representing Canada in

Kentucky, The Netherlands and even Australia”

she continued.

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Dressage Quarterly

Some of her competition highlights to date

include:

2019

Officially a grand prix rider, earning

67+% in her first test in Europe.

Earned over 70% in PSG with a seven-

year-old mare she has ridden since the

horse was three.

2018

Third place in Z1 at the Provincial

Championships.

2015

Rising Stars Youth Dressage: Alumni

Champion.

2012

Member of Second Place Team Canada

at the Sydney CDI 3* Derby.

2011

Team Silver Medal at NAYC.

Rising Stars Youth Dressage Challenge:

Overall Reserve Champion of the entire

show.

Rising Stars Youth Dressage Challenge:

Team Gold Medal.

Rising Stars Youth Dressage Challenge:

FEI Freestyle Champion and High

Score.

Pacific Regional Championship:

Reserve Champion in the Small Tour

(PSG and I1).

2010

Team Gold Medal at NAYC.

Bronze Freestyle Medal at NAYC.

Fifth place Individual Test at NAYC.

Canadian National Champion for the

FEI Junior Technical and Freestyle

divisions.

Dressage Canada “Eight Pin” for

receiving nine “8” marks on rider

position.

2009

Canadian National Reserve Champion

in the FEI Junior Technical and

Freestyle divisions.

2008

Individual Silver Medal at the BC

Summer Games.

Team Bronze Medal at the BC Summer

Games.

Karma, a four-year old mare owned by Wendy

Christoff, competing in the L2 level (equivalent to first

level).

Photo credit: Foto 4U

The transition from North American

competitions to the European circuit was not an

easy feat.

Ingham explains, “You must start

from the bottom; it truly felt as though I was a

beginner learning how to actually ride. Fine-

tuning all of your skills, rather than being a

passenger on the horse is a difficult lesson. This

is when I realized the number of hours necessary

to finesse the true art of dressage (pro tip: the

more hours the better, but you can count on the

10,000 hour rule being the “safe zone” to begin

on the road to mastery). No matter your

successes on home soil, you must make a name

for yourself at a local level and work your way

up the ladder. Another difference is the multitude

of shows. If you want to, you can find a show

within 30km of yourself every weekend. Just

one-day competitions; drive in, ride your test;

collect your marks and leave. Most of the

competitions on the young horses are held on the

grass fields of small villages – a valuable training

experience to expose them to all sorts of

elements.”

Current competitions for Ingham include Grand

Prix and Prix St. Georges, in addition to taking

the young horses in the lower levels. Karma

owned by Wendy Christoff is one of Ingham’s

young mounts that placed fourth in the Dutch

Provincial Championships.

“The experiences I have gained whilst

participating in all of these competitions have

pushed me far out of my comfort zone, with the

expected highs and lows associated with

learning. It has been an incredible journey thus

far and I look forward to continuing towards the

ultimate goal of riding for Team Canada at

International events in the near future,” she said.

Ingham continued, “Horses are incredibly special

creatures, and I am so fortunate to be able to

work with them every day. Special partnerships

are formed through each horse’s unique

character, which is incredibly gratifying. I feel as

though I could write a trilogy based solely on the

special horses I have been blessed with in my

life. Each one offers varying lessons and

wisdom, which carries throughout all aspects of

barn life and “normal” life. And I must be

honest, a balanced lifestyle is crucial.”

A career with horses is not without its sacrifices,

Ingham attests.

“I am so fortunate to have the unwavering

support of my family and friends,” she said. “I

was able to attend a high school that had a sports

program geared towards high performance

athletes, which allowed me to maintain high

quality education, with time and understanding

from my teachers to focus on my sport. My

mother spent countless hours driving me to and

from the barn as well as competitions. The rest of

my family was – and still is – a huge part of my

success, and the friends I had in high school are

still close to me today, which proves again how

lucky I truly am. I have always tried to expand

my horizons, gain skills and have interests

outside of the barn and this is still something I

try to maintain. I have my Special Education

Assistant certificate from Capilano University,

but for now dressage is my main career.”

She continued, “Working in the horse business is

not for the faint of heart but it is incredibly

rewarding – always remain true to yourself and

pursue your passions within and outside of the

stable, there is no stopping you from achieving

your wildest dreams.”

Congratulations Esmee on your achievements

and thank you for sharing your experiences. We

wish you all the best as you pursue your dressage

dreams, and hope to see you riding for Canada in

the near future.

The Tale of Two Sisters by Sue Holtby

Claire and Katie Robinson.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Robinson family

It is no secret that Rising Stars Youth Dressage is

committed to bringing more youth riders into

dressage. In our ongoing quest to better

understand what motivates youth riders to

become involved in dressage, we asked Claire

and Kathryn (Katie) Robinson from Edmonton,

AB to share with us how they became involved

in the sport.

This sister duo Claire (Young Rider) and Katie

(Junior) both qualified to compete at 2019

NAYC in New York.

As we venture out to many Dressage

competitions across Canada it is clear that in

order to attract youth riders, we must create

curiosity about our sport – the inspiration to join

in will come from committed youth dressage

riders like Claire and Katie.

Food for thought: “Somewhere around this

arena is a little kid who wants to be just like you

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Dressage Quarterly

someday. It is an opportunity to inspire them to

join in.”

The Robinson sisters have a long history of riding

together.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Robinson family.

That is an excerpt from their story as told by

Claire. Keep reading for more of their insight.

And sidenote: If you want to adequately explore

how Katie and Claire became involved in

dressage, it might be best to title your

article: “What Happens When Your Parents Ban

You from Jumping.”

We are the offspring of two personal injury

lawyers… Although our mom rides dressage, our

dad never even had a pet prior to marrying our

mom. He likens riding to “riding on the hood of

a car” - nothing to hang on to. This type of

thought is not exactly conducive to encouraging

your children to ride at all! In the end, though,

he acquiesced but employed a middle-ground

solution: Dressage! Helped along by the fact

that our mother was riding dressage.

At a fairly young age, we were trailing around at

shows, “cooling out” my mom’s horses and

taking beginner lessons. The first “real horse”

was an awesome boy 85% of the time… He was

soon replaced by two very awesome ponies.

Because my mom was always at a dressage barn,

that meant we always were riding with dressage

coaches, attending dressage shows and of

course, at least pretending to be “dressage-

y”. Let’s be honest, though, when left on our

own we would mostly gallop bareback in the hay

fields, joust with pool noodles (a sport where

being the older sister pays off), ride backwards,

and work on switching horses while standing

up. All of these activities helped us develop

“sticky seats” in the saddle.

Katie and Claire with their coach, Eiren Crawford, at

the Vernon Dressage Show 2019.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Robinson family.

More than anything, having total fun in the

saddle probably contributed to gaining an

appreciation and interest in dressage. It was

always about having fun and learning through

doing. We were trying tempis, half-steps and

extended trot long before we were learning the

“perfect" dressage frame. While it maybe wasn’t

the most “correct” way to learn, it certainly is

the reason we are still riding dressage this avidly

today. That’s just the stat, then the perfecting

becomes fun!

The other thing that really contributed to our

love of dressage was being saddled with

appropriate mounts. Our ponies were not the

best of the best. They weren’t the fanciest; but

they always suited our abilities. They were

SAFE, not too big and not a “training project”.

We were able to learn a lot, and gain confidence.

We have also always been lucky enough to work

with good coaches and have access to lessons

and clinics.

Our family owns a boarding and breeding stable,

The Dressage Studio Inc. Not only did we muck

stalls on weekends, but we learned a lot about

nutrition and equine management.

Finally, the riding and horse management have

always been pursued keeping a balance between

school and riding. Even leading up to our

selection for NAYC this year, we have always

existed in a “school first” environment at home.

Next year I (Claire) will be attending the

University of Alberta in the Faculty of Arts and

Katie will be going into Grade 11 of high school.

Katie and I intend to continue to pursue our

goals for the future with horses, all while not

compromising our schooling or family needs.

Riding competitively is a time commitment,

however, for anyone trying to tell you that you

can’t achieve both, please refer them to me!

We are very grateful for the support of family,

friends and coaches both directly as we prepared

for the championships and in our riding journey

to this point.

It is wonderful to have stumbled into this

beautiful sport and to be able to take it to the

next level, not only representing Canada, but

proudly representing our home, Alberta.

Rising Stars Equitation Program

The Rising Stars Equitation Program is growing

and now offered in numerous shows across the

country. How does one get started in Rising

Stars Equitation?

Here is the experience of Claire Robinson from

Edmonton, AB:

Is it possible to win prizes spending an entire

training level test intermittently bolting and

bucking? Dressage traditionalists will tell you

no, that’s only for the jumper shows, but the

Rising Stars Equitation program is letting us

have our fun… and get credit for it too.

During the summer of 2018, I was preparing

myself for an exciting (if not successful) show

season on a converted top jumping horse who

was known for his “shenanigans” in the ring. It

was Rising Stars’ inaugural test run at the

VDRC Dressage and Hack show in Vernon, BC

and with a “why not?” attitude, I signed myself

up for our first show. In the past, I had competed

aboard my (very stubborn) Haflinger pony in

many a “children’s equitation class” offered as

part of regular dressage shows.

The comment “we would have placed you higher

for your position, but your pony is not on the

bit,” became my mantra. With this haunting

memory, my expectations were less than stellar

for our classes on the weekend. When I arrived

with my bootleg dressage horse and cleared out

the warm-up arena (to the horror of the

steward), my expectations had sunk even lower.

Off we went to halt (jig) at X and debut my future

CDI star. Turns out that “uphill tendency” in the

canter transitions is, in fact, a relative term…

[Honestly, I barely kept my horse in the four

walls of the dressage ring.]

Of course, I had ridden enough dressage tests in

the past to know my test score was going to be

handed back to me in flames. Imagine my

surprise when I went to the show office to collect

my less-than-superb technical score and spied

that holy grail of all dressage riders: a stunning

70%, right next to my number! It turns out that

the mark for the Rising Stars portion of my test

was not only completely separate from the

technical score, but it was actually

COMPLETELY based on equitation.

I’m pretty sure the Rising Stars mission

statement does not include: “encourage

underage riders to break helmets and place last

at dressage shows” - but it does include a huge

opportunity for kids to compete on a level

playing field no matter how dressage-y (or not)

their mount might be.

Rising Stars offered me the opportunity to

receive a ribbon and an incredibly detailed

scoresheet outlining the things I managed to get

RIGHT in the ring (Ok…which didn’t include

much on the technical side). It did not matter that

my horse was above the bit, spooking at plastic

flowers, or that his trot was tense and lacking

suspension.

Of course, at the next show in Vancouver I was

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Dressage Quarterly

knocked off my throne by a “grade schooler”

channeling Charlotte Dujardin with her

OTTB. Honestly, it didn’t even feel like a loss. I

had the opportunity to ride amongst a lovely

group of talented riders who were friendly,

having fun and not so worried about the score in

the ring. We were all rewarded for our efforts

and (importantly) successes.

The Rising Stars Equitation program has created

a wonderful forum for young riders to compete

and be recognized in the saddle for their

position, elegance and use of the aids with

positive scoresheets, excellent camaraderie and

the removal of that element of “horse envy” that

is sometimes present in the technical tests - it’s

all on you. How else would I have been awarded

a championship ribbon for my efforts to contain

a training level test happening at the speed of a

1.45m jump off?

Next thing I knew, I had been talked into flying

BACK to Vancouver after school had started to

use a horse I had never met - or seen - to partake

in the year-end ride off at the Pacific Regionals.

I loaded myself onto a plane, completely grumpy

about the Bio 30-1 exam I had coming up on

Monday, still unsure what to expect from the

experience. I spent the entire flight praying

“please, give me a horse that goes on the bit.”

Claire Robinson – FEI Young Riders NAYC

Photo Credit: Meg Mcguire

Enter Bravo Z, a gorgeous, yet utterly different

mount from my light, ultra-hot and bronc-ing

boy at home. It turned out that instead of

receiving holy grace, I had entered a period of

trial.

While the lovely Bravo certainly LOOKED the

flashy dressage horse part, it turned out he had

been spending the past year playing around in

the hunter/jumper ring. With a pat on the back,

and a 15 minute ride to get adjusted, we were up

and in the trailer at 6:30am, headed to

Thunderbird Show Park.

Somehow, between the hair flying loose from my

hairnet and the rain soaking through my jacket, I

managed to make it into the ring aboard Bravo.

Could I see where I was going? No. Could I hear

what the judge was calling for? Also no. But I

followed the luxurious tail of a Friesian-cross in

front of me and somehow managed to maintain

my balance on this unfamiliar horse.

I must have sat up and kept my hands forward

because as I lined up with the other competitors,

Judge Lilo Fore approached me with the

championship ribbon. My grin was stretching

beyond the bounds of my face as she eyed me up

and proceeded immediately to list an extensive

analysis of my shortcomings. As my heart

dropped and I managed to squeak out an

affirmative response, she also gave me a pat on

the leg and assured me with a smile,

congratulating me on a great round. Bravo and I

wore those ribbons with pride for the

championship photos!

Winning the year-end ride off was a definite

“feather in my cap” for the rest of the year, and

the riding commentary on the equitation sheets

have a permanent spot in my notes. However, the

real fun of that season was enjoying the

successes and companionship of the other riders

in the class.

The group class is light and confidence-building

alongside the individual classes. They connect

youth riders from within the shows and

encourage a group experience with showing.

After being invited by Susan Holtby and Wendy

Christoff to ‘ambassador’ and promote the

program in my home province of Alberta, I was

more than excited to see almost 10 riders

participating in Rising Stars this 2019 season in

Edmonton. Many laughs and shared stabling

contributed to the festivities.

I cannot wait to see how this program will grow

and help Alberta dressage youth come out and

enjoy camaraderie at the shows.

The North American Youth Championships Experience

By Katie Robinson

It seemed like a great idea at the time…

My 17 year old sister was almost ready for the

PSG and I had just finished a great 2018 show

season at Third level with my horse, Forget-Me-

Not (fondly known as “Froggy” around the

barn). A huge pile of paperwork later, both my

sister and I had sent in our NAYC declarations

and were excited to give qualifying a try, myself

as a Junior and my sister, Claire, as a Young

Rider. Little did we know, the criteria did not

seem to take into account the long, harsh Alberta

winters and the fact that both of us were high

school students in the midst of finals. We had

only two shows available to qualify and, as luck

would have it, scores were required from

both. Suffice to say, the last show wrapped up

with qualifying scores for both of us. The next

thing I knew, Claire and I were both celebrating

having made the Canadian team (McDonalds

McFlurries for all)!

Late in July, we loaded our horses into the trailer

and drove south across the border. One long day

of driving later, we pulled into the beautiful

driveway of Crooks Show Jumping Stables and

unloaded the horses into clean, bright,

comfortable stalls to spend the night somewhere

near Seattle. After spending a considerable

amount of time searching for a hotel in

Snohomish, Washington (soon referred to by us

as “Snoho” ) we settled down for the night. 1:50

a.m. felt a little early but the excitement helped

us to rouse ourselves. Still in the pitch dark, we

returned to Crooks and, phone flashlights in

hand, picked up our horses for the biggest part of

the journey; the flight.

45 minutes away, Sea-Tac airport loomed in

front of us. It is a busy airport and not

necessarily the place you want to park your one-

ton dually and attached 34 ft. gooseneck horse

trailer. Unfortunately for my mom, who had been

having pre-emptive parking nightmares for

weeks in advance, parking is exactly what we

had to do. Soon, the horses were loaded, our rig

was parked, and we had caught our own flight to

New York!

Katie Robinson at NAYC competing in FEI Junior

division at NAYC.

Photo Credit: Meg Mcguire

We landed in New York a number of hours

before the FedEx shipment with our equine

partners. With nothing better to do, we decided

to go and check out Old Salem Farm (the venue

of our first-ever CDI level competition). After

only a few initial wrong turns, we made our way

into the driveway, greeted by large bright signs

advertising the “2019 FEI Adequan North

American Youth Championships presented by

Gotham North” (a phrase we got to know very,

very well by the end of the week)! Heart in my

throat, I caught my first glimpse of the

property: a large statue of a horse surrounded by

a gorgeous garden of flowers, which we found

out later was, in fact, hand watered every day. As

we continued further down the driveway the

property was more and more spectacular, every

last bit of it perfectly manicured and absolutely

gorgeous.

Once our horses had landed, I found myself in a

flurry of training, acclimatizing and more

cleaning than I had ever done before.

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Dressage Quarterly

Ribbon presentations – NAYC FEI Junior

Photo Credit: Meg Mcguire

Suddenly, the day of the team test had arrived

and with it the start of the show as a whole.

Before we got to New York I was a little

disappointed at being an individual and not

having a team, however as I tacked up for the

first ride of the show I felt an odd sense of relief

at having a “trial run”. I tried hard to convince

myself that there was no pressure as this score

couldn’t count without a team.

Try as I might, my nerves remained on

edge. The tension was high going into the ring

and I ended up getting onto my horse about 10

minutes earlier than I should have, purely out of

panic at not wanting to be late. Unfortunately, I

forgot to take into account that it was 100º F with

100% humidity and neither Froggy nor I were

prepared for the sudden searing heat.

As soon as I turned to go down centreline

however, my fear melted away and my focus

kicked in; I forgot about everything around me.

The only thing that mattered at that point was

riding the best test I possibly could with the

horse I had in the ring.

Froggy was a complete superstar. Although I’m

pretty sure I left my best horse in the warm-up,

she still pulled through and handled everything

like a champion for an almost 65% ride. My

second and third rides were both a lot of fun and

each time I rode down centreline, it became

minutely easier. Getting into the ribbons for the

Freestyle was a fantastic way to complete those

three rides!

Each time, though, as I completed my final

salute, I let out my breath. Each time, I realized

that I had been holding it throughout the entire

ride. Before I had even left the competition

arena, my score was broadcasted up onto the

large screen and my name added to the

scoreboard rankings. This prompt scoring made

everything so much more exciting than a regular

horse show; for the athletes, spectators…

everyone.

I was lucky to have my grandparents come to the

event. My grandma, who is not usually a

complete dressage connoisseur, was out with her

pen and list of riders writing in the scores of each

of the riders and furiously cheering each time a

new leader was announced. The scoreboard let

her keep up with what was happening in the ring

and was actually a great educational tool in

helping spectators understand what the judges

were looking for in the ring. The spectators were

so much more invested in all of the rides than I’d

ever seen before!

Throughout the show, I felt acutely aware that I

am a Canadian. It is a feeling of intense pride

that is not evident in day-to-day life at home.

Being able to wear the bright red Canada shirts

to stand out from the dark navy of the Americans

and the green hats of the Mexicans is truly a

feeling that I will never forget.

There was such a strong team bond between all

of the Canadians; the cheering squad in red was

by far the loudest and most enthusiastic of

all! The whole Canadian team was very

supportive and inclusive to all of the athletes,

jumping and dressage, juniors and young riders,

east and west.

As a whole, being able to represent the maple

leaf at NAYC 2019 is an experience that I will

never forget. I almost couldn’t accept that it was

over when the competition came to a close.

All of a sudden the only thing I want to do is go

back again and again, year after year (I’m not

sure if my parents will want to hear

this!). Taking part in this show was one of the

best experiences I’ve ever had. It seemed like a

good idea at the time, but looking back on it now

I can say with confidence that it wasn’t just a

“good” idea, it was a GREAT one.”

How Well Do You Know Your Dressage Rules

Every year Rule Change Suggestions are

requested from all EC supporters for all

disciplines by May 31. The dressage and para-

dressage suggestions are then reviewed by the

Dressage and Para-Dressage Committees and go

forward, together with any rule changes that have

been suggested throughout the year (whether as a

result of evolving competitive changes,

governance, or new FEI requirements), for

review by the National Rules Committee.

Each September, the proposed rule changes then

go forward for public review. Be sure to go to

www.canadaequestre.ca/programs-services/rules

this month and review the Proposed 2020 EC

Rule Changes, as your input is vital to ensure the

rules in effect are fair and assure the welfare of

our horses.

As the competitive season winds down, some of

you may be asking yourselves what it takes to

become an EC official or perhaps how certain

decisions are made.

All EC officials are bound by conflict of interest

rules to ensure a level playing field for all

competitors. They understand that being an

official is a privilege, not a right, and that

integrity and impartiality prevails. They are

subject to periodic review to ensure their

knowledge and abilities reflect those required by

EC.

For those interested in pursuing an official’s

accreditation, refer to:

www.equestrian.ca/programs-services/officials

or e-mail: officials@equestrian.ca.

Test your knowledge of the duties of a judge or

steward:

1. If the judge is also my coach, may I ride

in front of him/her?

2. I’d like to let the judge know my horse is

for sale, can I do that?

3. If a dress or tack rule has been violated,

who eliminates the competitor?

4. May I request a pre-ride tack check?

5. What is a Guest Card?

6. What is the purpose of a steward?

Answers:

1. Not unless you can prove that you have

not been coached by him/her within 30

days of the competition.

2. This is inappropriate; no official may be

party to discussions about any horse that

they are officiating in any capacity.

3. After showing the competitor the

relevant rule, the steward confers and

recommends to the judge whether to

eliminate or not. The judge makes the

final decision.

4. Yes.

5. Guest Cards are temporary licences

allowing an official not currently listed

in the EC Officials Roster for a certain

level required by a competition. Usually

Guest Cards are granted to allow an

official to co-judge with a higher level

judge. i.e. a Medium judge may be

guest carded to judge with a Senior or

FEI judge for FEI classes at a Gold

competition.

6. To Help, Prevent and to Intervene. They

are there to represent EC but also to

work for the competition, competitors,

coaches, horses, officials and spectators

to help provide fair sport in the best

possible conditions available and

uphold the welfare of the horse.

Coast to Coast

Maritime Clinic Report:

Ride-Coach-Judge Better Dressage Tests with

FEI 5* Judge Elizabeth (Lib) McMullen.

This two-day interactive clinic was organized by

Fraser Equestrian Centre and hosted by Coveside

Stables in Chester, NS. It was attended by

demonstration riders, unmounted riders, coaches,

judges, and prospective judges from all over the

Maritimes.

Format To get everyone acclimatized, Saturday opened

with three riders demonstrating movements and

paces while McMullen critiqued the movements

and explained how the rider could improve the

movement, thus raising their mark.

Following this demonstration there were 8-40

minute test ride sessions each day rising by level

from Training through Prix St. Georges.

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Dressage Quarterly

Each test ride had three components:

Each session opened with the rider presenting

their test while McMullen used a mic to share

her marks and comments over the sound system,

allowing the unmounted participants to see the

movements through the eyes of an FEI judge.

After the last halt at X, McMullen moved in front

of the group of unmounted participants to discuss

the test movement-by-movement, describing

what she saw and the marks she awarded;

encouraging participation by asking and

answering questions.

McMullen then took 20 minutes to work with the

rider and their coach to improve a couple of

select movements.

The horse and rider rode up the centreline to ride

the test for a second time. This time McMullen’s

mic was silent as she scored the test as the

unmounted participants put their pens to paper

testing their eye and knowledge (every

participant having received a package of tests for

this purpose).

At the completion of the test, McMullen flicked

her mic on and stepped in front of the group to

share her marks and comments, and encouraged

the group to share their scores and observations.

The format initiated:

• Deep learning. For example, in shoulder-in,

what is “good bend” as compared to a “neck-

in shoulder-in” or a “non-bending leg-yield”

ridden as a shoulder-in-like movement?

Where did each type of execution land on the

marking scale?

• A free exchange of information and feedback

between coaches and an internationally-

recognized dressage judge.

• Discussions between judges improving their

eye and an expert in the field.

• Unmounted riders to analyze and consciously

determine the degree of correctness in what

was presented to them.

• Discussions on what was needed to move a

mark from a 7.5 to an 8; why a movement

earned an 8 rather than a 6.

Although the 16 riders were initially concerned

about having their scores announced over a

sound system for all to hear - their fears were

unfounded.

An interactive clinic like this will only work with

engaged non-riding participants. Our group

consisted of riders, competitors, judges, and

coaches who were knowledgeable, engaged and

clearly interested in increasing their knowledge.

The positive atmosphere was encouraging and

understanding in recognition of the challenges

we all face.

For our sport to evolve:

• Riders must be brave enough to embrace

change.

• Coaches must recognize the need for

change.

• Judges must recognize and reward what is

positive in the pair presented for assessment,

while encouraging improvement.

Furthermore, it was very evident that the judge

IS on your side and wants to see you in the best

possible light. The judge is giving you the gift of

impartial insight to help you improve your

performance.

The clinic met its objective of helping the riders,

coaches, and judges who attended the clinic

understand the marking scale and to understand

the criteria judges use when assessing and

marking the movements at the different levels.

Many thanks to Elizabeth McMullen who was at

the helm and deserved reviews for the focused

and very enjoyable efforts. Competition

organizers in the Maritime Provinces have been

busy organizing a variety of dressage

competitions during the year.

Maritime Competition Report:

2019 will see DRESSAGE PEI

(https://dressagepei.wixsite.com/dressage-

pei/about) hosting three schooling and two EC

Gold/Bronze competitions at the lovely Crapaud

Agriplex in 2019.

NEW BRUNSWICK will host four

Gold/Bronze Competitions, all held at the

Princess Louise Park, Sussex.

New Brunswick native, Jill Irving, continues to

inspire Maritime riders as she and her Grand Prix

mount Degas 12 (De Niro 6 x Regazzoni)

contributed to Canada’s gold medal at the Pan

Am Games in Lima, with a score of 67.851%

and third place finish in the Grand Prix Special.

NOVA SCOTIA is hosting three Gold/Bronze

competitions, two in Windsor and one in Salmon

River.

All of these competitions provide excellent

opportunities for the athletes in the Maritimes as

well as providing officials with valuable

judging/officiating experience.

Other News from Nova Scotia:

Ariel Boesener, 17, of Canning, NS, riding

Winniepuuh, was the highest-placed Canadian in

the Dressage Junior Freestyle at NAYC, laying

down a personal best score of 70.375% for fifth

place. Ariel qualified for the Junior Freestyle

when she and Winniepuuh - her 16-year-old

Hanoverian gelding (Weltmeyer x Ludendorff) -

placed 10th in the FEI Junior Individual test with

65.588%.

Canter for the Cure Porter Airlines, Five Fires Equestrian Centre, and

22 dressage competitors are joining forces

September 21 & 22, 2019 to raise funds to fight

Breast Cancer. Money will be raised through

raffles, donations, and pledges collected by each

competitor.

For every $25 raised in pledges, riders will

receive a ballot to win return flights for two,

Halifax to Toronto, during the Royal

Agricultural Winter Fair, from Porter Airlines.

The more they raise, the greater their chance to

win.

Coaching Awards

High Performance 1 Dressage Coach and Senior

Medium Dressage judge, Susan Fraser of Port

Williams, NS, recently received the title of 2018

Competitive Coach of the Year. Susan, largely

credited as the catalyst for dressage development

in the Atlantic provinces, travels the Maritime

provinces mentoring coaches, working with

students, as well as training a group of dedicated

riders at her own establishment, Fraser

Equestrian Centre.

Submitted by Susan and Jane Fraser

British Columbia Dressage Championships

The BC Dressage Championships were held

August 16 to 18, 2019 at the Southlands Riding

Club. Lots of quality horses and riders and a

wonderful competition overall. Congratulations

to all the athletes for their efforts as well as to the

organizers for their excellent planning and

hospitality.

Here are some photos of the overall winners in

their categories.

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Dressage Quarterly

CONGRATULATIONS to Shelley Lawder and

Balancee achieving the overall high score award

(77.931%) for the competition. The prize was an

e-scooter donated by Domino High Voltage.

Photo Credit: www.caragrimshaw.com

ROBERT DOVER COMING TO CANADA IN OCTOBER 2019 EC is pleased to announce that the 2019

Dressage Levy Performance Advantage

Symposium, offered at no cost to 2019 Dressage

Levy contributors, will take place Oct. 25, 2019,

at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON.

Register Today!

The 2019 Symposium will feature coaching

sessions with four-time Olympic medalist,

Robert Dover (USA). His career as an

internationally acclaimed athlete, coach, and

trainer spans several decades and includes

holding role of Technical Advisor for the

Canadian Dressage Team from 2009 to 2011, as

well as a lengthy stint as the U.S. Dressage

Technical Advisor and Chef d’Équipe from 2013

to 2018. Dover, who will be coaching EC

National Team Program dressage athletes

alongside the Symposium sessions, is celebrated

worldwide for his expertise, enthusiasm, and

skillful ability to provide accessible and valuable

advice to riders at every level.

“I am very excited to be seeing my Canadian

friends again during the EC Dressage Levy

Performance Advantage Symposium,” said

Dover. “My goal is always to have people going

home feeling they have learned something new

and had a lot of fun, whether as a rider or an

auditor. In my heart, though, I truly hope that

each person there will have an ‘Aha!’ moment

that might actually change their lives on or even

off their horse.”

In addition to Dover, the Symposium will offer

educational sessions tailored to Canadian

dressage enthusiasts at no cost to participants

who contributed to the 2019 Dressage Levy.

Attendance hours will also count towards EC

coaching certification maintenance.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Robert Dover

Pre-Registration is required for the Dressage

Levy Performance Advantage Symposium. To

register, please visit the online Symposium

registration portal. Please note that space is

limited and this event will fill up quickly!

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Ride with Robert

Dover Dover’s coaching sessions will feature demo

riders for both national and FEI level tests. The

demo rider fee has been subsidized by the 2019

Dressage Levy and is $175 per horse-and-rider

combination, due upon selection.

To be considered for selection as a Symposium

demo rider, please e-mail the application form

and a corresponding test performance video to

EC Dressage Program Coordinator, Celine

Hutchison Majerus, at chmajerus@equestrian.ca.

Dover will review all video applications and

select the demo riders for each level.

Expect to receive an exciting announcement on

the Symposium headline speaker in early 2019!

You will not want to miss this opportunity!

Combine your fall plans and attend both the

Dressage Levy Performance Advantage

Symposium and the Ingrid Klimke Masterclass

in the same weekend!

Don’t miss out on three solid days of education!

DRESSAGE TALENT ID

& DEVELOPMENT CLINIC WITH ROBERT DOVER

After headlining the 2019 Dressage Levy

Performance Advantage Symposium, American

Olympian Robert Dover will travel to Horse In

Hand Ranch in Blackfalds, AB, for a two-day

dressage clinic held Oct. 26-27, 2019.

Auditors for the Talent ID and Development

Clinic have the option of purchasing a weekend

pass for $200 or a one-day pass (October 26 or

October 27) for $125.

Passes include morning and afternoon

refreshments, as well as a light lunch. Auditors

are advised to dress for the weather. The auditor

registration portal is available here.

Riders from all levels are welcome to apply for

one of the demo rider spots at the clinic. Rider

applications will be reviewed and selected by

Dover.

Register Today!

Housekeeping Last call for 2020 Dressage Handbook

advertisers

If you are interested in advertising in the 2020

Dressage Handbook please contact Celine

Hutchison Majerus at chmajerus@equestrian.ca Dressage Annual Awards Don’t forget - deadline for submissions is Oct.

31.

For complete details visit

www.equestrian.ca/sport/dressage/awards

Suggestions

That’s it for this issue of Dressage Quarterly.

Thanks to all the contributors for your input.

We would like to hear from you - our dressage

community. If you have suggestions for the next

issue of Dressage Quarterly, please submit those

ideas to:

Christine Peters, Senior Manager Dressage

Olympic / Paralympic Program,

cpeters@equestrian.ca

Plans are in place for the next issue (scheduled for

December). Content under development includes

“Dressage for Life”, feedback from our Pam Am

stars, and much more.

We welcome your contributions and photos.