Beth Underhill Enjoys Royal Victory at Royal Horse Show

Beth Underhill emerged victorious from a field of Canada’s top show jumping talent in the $20,000 Canadian Challenge on Sunday at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.

While nine riders were able to pass the initial test set by course designer Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela, Underhill was the best of the bunch in the jump-off, stopping the timers at 30.37 seconds. A 1992 Canadian Olympian, Underhill was aboard Magdaline, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Darryl B. Williams.

“The jump-off was spectacular, it was really fun to ride,” noted Underhill of Schomberg, ON, who was the second-last rider into the Ricoh Coliseum. “There were a lot of options, you had to really know your horse and what they could do. This is only Magdaline’s second time showing at the Royal Horse Show, but she was much more comfortable and she gave me everything she had. We have a partnership that you can rely on, and when she is giving her half, it gives you the confidence to win.”

Riding Nicole, Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, was also fast at 31.06 seconds, which proved to be good enough for second place. Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, took third place with Pulque to edge the newly crowned 2004 Canadian Show Jumping Champion, Ian Millar, by one one-hundredth of a second. Millar of Perth, ON, was aboard his Athens Olympic mount, Promise Me, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

Rounding out the top five was Erynn Ballard of Hornby, ON, who rode Rio’s Rhapsody, a grey mare by Rio Grande. Kelley Small of Ottawa, ON, was the only other rider to post a double clear round to place sixth riding Calibur.

Monday evening’s featured events at the Royal Horse Show include the $10,000 National Six-Year-Old Championships, followed by ‘Equestrian Extraordinaire’ consisting of several demonstrations and theatrical performances including barrel racing and Les Chevaux d’Alexis, an equestrian troupe from Quebec performing a mix of acrobatics on horseback and classical dressage.

Tickets for all Royal Horse Show performances can be purchased through Ticketmaster at tel: 416 872-7777 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca. For more information on the Royal Horse Show, including complete schedules and results, please visit www.royalfair.org or call tel: 416 263-3400.

Canadian Show Jumping Championship – Final Standings

Rider Hometown Horse Faults Time
1. Beth Underhill Schomberg, ON Magdaline 0:0 30.37
2. Jill Henselwood Oxford Mills, ON Nicole 0:0 31.06
3. Eric Lamaze Schomberg, ON Pulque 0:0 31.93
4. Ian Millar Perth, ON Promise Me 0:0 31.94
5. Erynn Ballard Hornby, ON Rio’s Rhapsody 0:0 33.02
6. Kelley Small Ottawa, ON Calibur 0:0 34.29
7. Mac Cone King, ON Cybella 0:4 32.06
8. John Kersley Newington, ON Moritze 0:4 34.31
9. John Pearce Stouffville, ON Urioso 0:8 35.63