Winning Moments from the Royal Horse Show of Toronto

Julia Madigan Claims $10,000 Junior/Amateur Jumper Royal Stake in Royal Horse Show Debut

Julia Madigan of Vancouver, BC, won the $10,000 Dominion Regalia Limited Junior/Amateur Jumper Royal Stake on Sunday, November 5, at the Royal Horse Show, held as part of the 95th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair running through November 13 in Toronto, ON.

In her Royal Horse Show debut, Madigan claimed victory riding Farfelu du Printemps, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Action-Breaker x Darco) owned by John Madigan. Four entries jumped clear over the track set by 2016 Rio Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge to advance to the jump-off.

Madigan was again clear in a time of 35.25 seconds to claim the victory over Alexanne Thibault of Boucherville, QC, who placed second riding Chacco Prime with a double-clear effort in 36.42 seconds. Asta Torokvei of King City, ON, took third in 40.39 seconds aboard Camara, and also earned the Equitek Turn-out Award for the impeccable presentation of her mount.

Sabrina Lefebvre of St. Marc Sur-Richelieu, QC, stopped the clock in 36.17 seconds but one rail down left her in fourth place riding Alaska. Sadie Leon of Port Credit, ON, rounded out the top five riding Camilla.

Having also won the Junior/Amateur Speed class and placed fourth in the Welcome class, Madigan and Farfelu du Printemps were named the overall Junior/Amateur Jumper Division champions. In recognition of their accomplishment, they were awarded the Canadian Equestrian Team Challenge Trophy, presented in memory of Andre Bollinger.

“This is my first time competing here,” said Madigan, 21, a third-year mechanical engineering student at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. “I have been at school since September and only riding on the weekends, but I have been training harder the last two weekends to come here. It means a lot; this is the championship of Canada and is very well known.”

Madigan trains under the direction of Canadian Olympic team silver medalist Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, who takes over the ride on Farfelu du Printemps when Madigan is focusing on her studies. In fact, Henselwood and Farfelu du Printemps partnered to win the 2015 Canadian Show Jumping Championship title at the Royal Horse Show. Madigan herself is coming off a banner year, having claimed individual gold and team silver medals at the Adequan/FEI North American Young Rider Championships in Saugerties, NY, in July.

Leon, who won the Junior/Amateur Welcome on Saturday, tied with Thibault for the title of Reserve Junior/Amateur Jumper Champion, presented by Equestrian Canada.

Makayla Clarke and Grace Munro Tie to Win $5,000 MarBill Hill Royal Pony Jumper Final

Makayla Clarke of Hilden, NS, riding Twisted and Grace Munro of Wolfville, NS, riding Ever So Clever tied for the win in the $5,000 MarBill Hill Royal Pony Jumper Final after both jumped clear and stopped the jump-off timers in the exact same time, 23.10 seconds.

Makayla Clarke of Hilden, NS, riding Twisted tied for the win in the $5,000 MarBill Hill Royal Pony Jumper Final on Sunday, November 5, at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON. PC: Ben Radvanyi Photography

Both hailing from Nova Scotia, Clarke and Munro have been friends for four years and have competed against each other in the Pony Jumper division all season.  While they weren’t expecting the Royal Pony Jumper Final to end in a tie at the Royal Horse Show, it is not the first time the two riders have finished an event in a dead heat.

“This has happened several times at the Windsor Spring and Summer Horse Shows in Nova Scotia,” said Clarke, 15, who was competing at the Royal Horse Show for the first time.  “We have shown together a lot and it has been a long season to get here.  At first, it was nerve racking to be here, but once you’re in that ring, it feels like any other horse show with a lot more atmosphere.”

Of her experienced mount, Twisted, Clarke noted, “He’s still going strong at 22 years of age. He is a little firecracker, but a lot of fun to ride.  After this show, I will start looking for a horse to move up on.”

Grace Munro of Wolfville, NS, tied for first in the $5,000 MarBill Hill Royal Pony Jumper Final riding Ever So Clever on Sunday, November 5, at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON. PC: Ben Radvanyi Photography

Munro, meanwhile, has owned her pony for four years, and keeps her at home where she cares for Ever So Clever herself. The Royal Horse Show marked the pair’s last competitive appearance together, as Ever So Clever has been sold and Munro will compete on horses next season.

“It was really exciting to win our last class together,” said Munro, 17. “The atmosphere here is really different than anywhere else we show, so being here and doing well is really exciting.”

Savannah Singh of Stoney Creek, ON, placed third with a jump-off time of 23.64 seconds riding Northwind Darby for owner and grandmother, Cara Whitham. Erin Oswald of Rigaud, QC, took fourth with a time of 24.74 seconds riding Brookside Look At Me, owned by Sandra Costanzo O’Brien, while Ella Marquis of Caledon, ON, rounded out the top five with four faults in the jump-off riding Fluff on Fire for owner Mark Marquis.

Oswald’s performance in the MarBill Hill Royal Pony Jumper Final helped her and Brookside Look At Me earn the division championship title. The pair was second in the Stake earlier in the day and third in the Welcome class held Saturday, November 4. Having won the Welcome and finished third in the Stake, Kilby Brunner Deforest of Hillsburgh, ON, was named reserve champion riding Beaverwood’s Kauri.

Show jumping competition continues with the start of the Royal Horse Show’s international division on Tuesday, November 7. The $150,00 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto on Wednesday evening (November 8) highlights international show jumping competition at the Royal Horse Show, and is a qualifying event for the 2018 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final in Paris, France, next April.

Royal Horse Show VIP subscriptions, group, and individual tickets are now on sale and are expected to sell-out on multiple nights during the Royal Horse Show. To purchase tickets, click here.

For more information on the Royal Horse Show, the marquee event of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, please visit www.royalfair.org/horseshow. For a behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Horse Show, follow The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair on Facebook, @royalhorseshow on Twitter and @theroyalfair on Instagram. Tag the Royal Horse Show using #RAWF17, #royalfever, #FEIWorldCup, #Longines, and #RideToParis.

Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.

$10,000 Junior/Amateur 1.40m Jumper Stake

RiderHometownHorseFaults/Time

1.        Julia Madigan Vancouver, BC Farfelu du Printemps 0:0/35.25

2.        Alexanne Thibault Boucherville, QC Chacco Prime 0:0/36.42

3.        Asta Torokvei King City, ON Camara 0:0/40.39

4.        Sabrina Lefebvre St. Marc Sur-Richelieu, QC Alaska 0:4/36.17

5.        Sadie Leon Port Credit, ON Camilla 4/66.52

6.        Emily Fitzgerald Calgary, AB New Boy de Logerie 4/67.48

7.        Sierra Mark Augusta, ON Heat Wave 3E 4/69.27

8.        Mackenzie Wray Loretto, ON Castor 4/69.39

 $5,000 MarBill Hill Royal Pony Jumper Final

RiderHometownHorseFaults/Time

1.        Makayla Clarke Hilden, NS Twisted 0:0/23.10

1.        Grace Munro Wolfville, NS Ever So Clever 0:0/23.10

3.        Savannah Singh Stoney Creek, ON Northwind Darby 0:0/23.64

4.        Erin Oswald Rigaud, QC Brookside Look At Me 0:0/24.74

5.        Ella Marquis Caledon, ON Fluff on Fire 0:4/24.40

6.        Jennifer Athan Stayner, ON Firecrackers 0:4/24.71

7.        Kilby Brunner Deforest Hillsburgh, ON Beaverwood’s Kauri 0:4/31.52

8.        Nicole Donovan Coldwater, ON Fiontar Mactire 4/54.42

About The Royal

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world’s largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian event. The 95th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 3-12, 2017, at Exhibition Place, Toronto, Canada. For competition schedules, live webcasting, results and to purchase tickets, please visit www.royalfair.org.