Collingwood a Huge Success

Chris Pratt & San Pellegrino

The Collingwood Horse Shows, held in scenic Collingwood, is eastern Canada’s largest outdoor equestrian event. For fifteen years show jumper Jay Hayes, along with wife Shawn, and daughters Lauren, Ainsley and Regan have organized the tournament. What started as a “B” circuit show has developed into a two-week long competition with international-level show jumping.

The first Friday saw another leg of the Jumper Development Series – Ontario take place. Twelve 4- year olds came forward with the win going to Kaiser de la Coeur, a flashy Selle Francais stallion owned by the Millcreek Stables of Cambridge, Ontario and ridden by Simon McCarthy. In the class for 5- years San Pellegrino, an Oldenburg gelding ridden by Chris Pratt and owned by Carol Taylor, took the win with the unbeatable score of 92. There were sixteen entries in the division for 6-year olds. After the first round, Amaretto, a textbook-style jumper, and Marni Von Schalburg were in the lead on 92 points. However, in the jump off, the lovely green jumper, Cezanne Z, owned by Peter Cullen and ridden by Canadian WEG team member Melissa Brown, sped their way to victory.

Melissa Brown & Cezanne Z

Sunday, August 11 was the $50,000 CIBC Grand Prix, the final leg in the Jaguar Triple Crown series. The Jaguar Triple Crown allows riders to nominate up to two horses each for the series. Participating competitions were Bromont, Quebec, Ottawa, Ontario and Collingwood, Ontario. Points are awarded at each. The rider with the highest points at the completion of the CIBC Grand Prix is presented with a Jaguar X-Type vehicle for one year. Danny Foster of Georgetown, Ontario was the course designer. The course flowed well and it suited many of the twenty-one entries, with 50% of the entries proceeding to the jump off.

Ian Millar was first back with the tall, bay mare, Jasmijn. This horse is a new ride for Millar in 2002 and they proved that their partnership is strengthening by posting a double clear. Frankie Chesler was next with her top hanoverian mare, Ravenna Z. They bettered Millar’s time by three seconds, but took a rail on their way. Ainsley Vince and Catch-22, the Jaguar points leaders coming to Collingwood, were next. They, too, posted a better time then Millar, but also had a rail. Many top riders challenged Millar, including Hugh Graham, Yann Candele, Karen Cudmore and Ainsley Vince on her second ride, Kafka, No one could catch “Captain Canada”. Ian Millar and Jasmijn led from the start to the finish to win the $50,000 CIBC Grand Prix. Ainsley Vince and Catch-22 were the Jaguar Triple Crown winners.

Ian Millar & Jasmijn

Following a two day break, the Collingwood Classic started up. The Classic is also host to a bevy of divisions with top class competition with the highlight being the $50,000 Town of Collingwood Grand Prix on the final day of competition. Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge was the course designer for the grand prix. Jorge set an up-to-height track, with some fences reaching 5’1” in height. Once again, the stands at Collingwood were packed with enthusiastic fans, enjoying the beautiful weather, eager to watch the thirty entries tackle the course.

The pathfinder was Frankie Chesler with Hanastacia, a fast, Dutch warmblood mare. They put in a good round but lacked the impulsion to clear the triple (6) and also picked up faults at the vertical (8). Two rides later, Jill Henselwood and ToyzRUs, a very popular horse on the circuit, posted the first clear of the afternoon. Immediately after, rising star Keean White of Cambridge, Ontario and Arriscraft Rocca guaranteed a jump off with their clean trip. This seemed to start a trend and, by the end of the first round, fourteen were in the jump off.

Ainsley Vince & Kafka

The jump off track was challenging and twisty. The first double-clear came from Ian Millar and Promise Me, a lovely chestnut owned by Millar Brooke Farm Ltd. Their time of 49.867 seconds would be bettered by others. Eric Lamaze and Millcreek’s Raphael scorched around the course. They shattered Millar’s time by nine seconds and moved into the lead. Keean White, who had two rides in the jump off, chased Lamaze’s time with Libidou. They too posted a double-clean and moved into second place Heather Manbert-Serniuk and her Dutch warmblood mare, Just Julia, powered over the fences. Their time was competitive, but not good enough.

If there is one rider in Canada capable of challenging Eric Lamaze as the fastest rider, it’s Yann Candele. Candele and Espresso Thyme are an incredible pair and deadly in a jump off situation. Espresso Thyme’s jump off round was absolutely incredible. Organized, fast, and handy. They flew through the finish to great cheers (Lamaze’s included) and into the lead with a time of 37.824. Mark Samuel posted the last clear round of the jump off, riding Darios V, an eleven year old Selle Francais gelding, to finish in third. Once again, the “Flying Frenchman”, Yann Candele and the hot chestnut, Espresso Thyme, led the victory gallop in the grand prix ring.

Results
$50,000 CIBC Grand Prix (Jaguar Triple Crown final)
1st Jasmijn Ian Millar Sue Grange & Lothlorien Stables
2nd Marco Taere Yann Candele Millcreek Stables
3rd Espresso Thyme Yann Candele Espresso Thyme Syndicate
4th Ravenna Z Frankie Chesler Sher-Al Farms
5th Catch-22 Ainsley Vince Trinity Farm
6th Promise Hugh Graham Kingridge Stables

Results
$50,000 Town of Collingwood Grand Prix
1st Espresso Thyme Yann Candele Espresso Thyme Syndicate
2nd Millcreek’s Raphael Eric Lamaze Millcreek Stables
3rd Darios V Mark Samuel Chadburn Holdings
4th Libidou Keean White Randy and Keean White
5th Just Julia Heather Serniuk Janet Manbert
6th Promise Me Ian Millar Millar Brooke Farm Ltd.