Canadian Nations Cup Team in 2014. PC: Eric Lamaze
Ottawa, ON – Elite and up-and-coming Canadian show jumping athletes are set to compete for Canada at the prestigious CSIO 4* Winter Equestrian Festival, taking place March 1-4, 2017 in Wellington, FL.
The four-member Canadian Show Jumping Team for the CSIO 4* $150,000 FEI Nations’ Cup on March 3 will be selected from the following six riders:
Rider / Hometown
Kara Chad / Calgary, AB
Tiffany Foster / North Vancouver, BC
Eric Lamaze / Wellington, FL
Vanessa Mannix / Calgary, AB
Ian Millar / Perth, ON
Keean White / Rockwood, ON
The Nations’ Cup will take place in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), under the lights at 7 p.m. ET. Nations’ cup classes are the only type of jumping competitions where riders compete in teams of four and face off against other countries. To determine overall team scores, the top three scores from each team are counted toward the final result of the two-round competition.
In addition, the following riders will challenge the FEI Under 25 (U25) series classes throughout the week:
Rider / Hometown / Horse / Owner
Bretton Chad / Calgary, AB / Renkum Dorenda / Stone Ridge Farms LLC
Kathryn Dafoe / Nobleton, ON / Eos van de Donkhoeve / KD LAN Solutions Ltd.
Mackenzie Edwards / Calgary, AB / Showgirl / The Watermark Group
Muhammad Itani / Essex, ON / Tax Free / Muhammad Itani
Jennifer Mattell / Milton, ON / Cherokee / Joe Mattell
Alexanne Thibault / Boucherville, QC / Chacco Prime / Alexanne Thibault
Supporting the senior riders on the ground during at CSIO 4* WEF will be Equestrian Canada Manager of Jumping, Karen Hendry-Ouellette and Chef d’Équipe, Mark Laskin. The U25 athletes will be supported by Beth Underhill, Technical Advisor of Jumping U25 Programs.
The eighth week of top-class international competition, the CSIO 4* WEF is part of a 12-week series that takes place annually in Florida. The 2017 series marks the 38th anniversary, and with more than $9 million offered in prize money, and over 50 FEI World Ranking classes on the schedule, attracts top riders from around the world.
For more information on the CSIO 4* WEF, visit http://pbiec.coth.com. Further details on the FEI Nations’ Cup series can be found at www.fei.org.