FEI World Cup Jumping Update: News from Canada

Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, continues to lead the Canadian League World Cup standings, used to determine Canada’s two representatives for the 2006 World Cup Final.

After participating in four of the six World Cup Qualifiers held to date on the 2005 calendar, Henselwood leads the way with 50 World Cup points. At the Canadian League season opener held at the CSI-W Spruce Meadows ‘Continental’ Tournament on June 19, Henselwood produced double clear rounds and was the highest-placed Canadian competitor, finishing in third position. In July, she and her equine partner, Special Ed, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Juniper Farms, traveled to Bromont, QC, for the $50,000 National Bank World Cup Qualifier, capturing the win with a lightening fast jump-off round and raking in 20 World Cup points, the maximum awarded.

Currently holding second position in the Canadian League standings with 44 points is Keean White of Cambridge, ON. White was the runner-up in the $65,000 World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix at the Blainville International in Blainville, QC, scoring 17 points with his long-time partner Arriscraft Rocca and, on August 7, again aboard the 11-year-old selle francais gelding owned by Randy White, the 22-year-old placed second in the $100,000 World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix at the Caledon Summer Festival in Palgrave, ON.

With only three World Cup Qualifying events under his belt, Chris Pratt of Belltown, ON, moved into third position in the standings with a total of 39 points. Riding Rivendell, the 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Lothlorien Farms, Pratt won the most recent World Cup Qualifying event in the Canadian League, the $50,000 Collingwood Festival Grand Prix in Collingwood, ON.

Only two World Cup Qualifying events remain on the Canadian calendar. The CSI-W Tournament of Champions in Palgrave, ON, will play host to one on Sunday, September 25, while the CSI-W Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON, will host the Canadian League Final on Wednesday, November 9.

The top two riders in the Canadian League World Cup standings following the Royal will be invited to compete in the 2006 World Cup Final to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from April 26 to 30. Canada has claimed the annual indoor event on three occasions, setting records in the process. Mario Deslauriers remains the youngest rider to ever win the World Cup Final, claiming victory at the age of 19 in 1984, while Ian Millar and Big Ben were the first horse-rider combination to win back-to-back World Cup Finals in 1988 and 1989.

For complete Canadian League World Cup standings, please visit www.jumpcanada.ca or FEI website section jumping-results-standings

Jessie Christie
Media Relations, Equine Canada
Tel:             (613) 248-3433       ext. 133
e-mail: jchristie@equinecanada.ca