Equestrian Canada – Ottawa, ON, Aug. 22, 2018 – Olympian Selena O’Hanlon of Kingston, ON led a strong showing of Canadian athletes at the CIC Bromont Horse Trials, held Aug. 17-19, 2018 in Bromont, QC. The competition represented the final preparation for athletes in contention for the upcoming 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), being held Sept. 11-23 in Mill Spring, NC.

Piloting her trusted partner, Foxwood High (affectionately known as “Woody”), a 15-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by John and Judy Rumble and sired by Rio Bronco W, O’Hanlon started the competition on a high note on Aug. 17 with a dressage score of 28.00 penalty points to tie for fourth place.

The next day, O’Hanlon and Foxwood High executed a double-clear show jumping round to hold on to their fourth place position.

“I was incredibly proud of Woody’s show jumping performance,” said O’Hanlon. “When nearly all of the jumps are on related distances, it’s very tough for us to make the time. He is so tall and has to slow down so much to fit in the correct number of strides. We took a risk, and I trusted him completely to gallop to the last oxer in seven strides as opposed to eight, which meant we crossed the finish line right on the time allowed.”

The veteran pair broke away from the pack on Aug. 19 with a clear cross-country round. Showcasing their skills on a course by resident Bromont course designer, Derek di Grazia (USA), O’Hanlon and Foxwood High incurred only 2.40 time penalties to clinch first place on a final score of 30.40 penalties.

“I loved every minute of cross-country with Woody and always do,” said O’Hanlon. “He is a cross-country machine. The footing and fences were perfect and beautifully built, as always. Woody flew around and felt super coming through the finish line.”

In the CIC 2* division, Mélissa Boutin of Ascot Corner, QC captured fourth place with her nine-year-old Zweibrücker gelding, EWSZ Jalando (Daimler d’Adriers x Calando), on a final score of 38.50. Joining her in the top 10 was Karl Slezak of Tottenham, ON and Fernhill Wishes (Chacoa x Gildawn Diamond), the nine-year-old Irish Sport gelding he co-owns with Kirk Hoppner, on a score of 39.90. In ninth place was Canadian Olympian Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON, who scored 40.90 with her 16-year-old Westphalian gelding, Pavarotti (Pavarotti van de Helle x Foxiland).

Canadians dominated the top 10 in the CIC 1* division, led by two-time Canadian Pan American Games medalist, Waylon Roberts, who resides in West Grove, PA. He rode the six-year-old Irish Sport Horse he co-owns with Aletta Martin, Wil Celtic Charlie (sired by Porsche), to a score of 28.00 for the win. Lindsay Traisnel of Lakeshore, ON followed Roberts in second place on a score of 29.90 riding Patricia Pearce’s seven-year-old Selle Français gelding, Bacyrouge (Mylord Carthago x Clyde de la Combe). Canadian Olympian Colleen Loach of Dunham, QC captured third (31.10) and seventh (42.90) with Peter Barry’s seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Foreign Quality (Warrant x Calvados) and Britt Roden’s nine-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding, Rune Stone (sired by Amorex), respectively. In eighth place on a score of 50.90 was Kendal Lehari of Uxbridge, ON and Marvin (Curlin x Eskimo), her six-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, and in ninth on a score of 52.40 was Melisa Ferraro of Severn, ON and Exquisite (Ezcudo II x Argentan), her 14-year-old Hanoverian mare. Rounding out the CIC 1* top 10 was Phoenix and Wabbit, the eight-year-old Thoroughbred gelding she co-owns with Jim Phillips, who earned a final score of 54.20.

Canada’s up-and-coming athletes also had a strong showing, taking on Bromont’s tough terrain in the CIC 1* Under 25 (U25) division. Bradley Champagne of Guelph, ON took third place with a final score of 38.60 aboard Wallaroo W, his 10-year-old Thoroughbred/Warmblood-cross sired by Staccatto. In sixth place was Kathleen Lloyd of Dundas, ON, who piloted her 13-year-old Holsteiner/Canadian Sport Horse-cross mare, Cadence (Camiros x A Fine Romance) to a score of 51.60. Lexi Lawryshyn of Midhurt, ON scored 52.60 with Flagmount’s Mischief (Flagmount’s Freedom x Sunny’s Halo), her 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse Mare, for eighth place, and in ninth place came Marie Limpalaer of Québec, QC and her 11-year-old Anglo Arab gelding, Tamia de la Faye (Tunes of Glory x Veganum).

Full results from the CIC Bromont Horse Trials can be found here.

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