Archie Bunker and Double Diamond Crowned National Young Horse Champions

Hugh Graham guides Double Diamond to the National Five-Year-Old Championship title at the 2004 Royal Horse Show for owner KingRidge Stables. Photo Credit – Mike Armstrong

Archie Bunker was crowned the National Six-Year-Old Champion while Double Diamond was named the National Five-Year-Old Champion when the 2004 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series concluded on November 7 and 8 at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.

The featured event of the Royal Horse Show on Monday, November 8, the $10,000 Six-Year-Old National Championship saw 14 top young horses competing for the national title. Only one, Archie Bunker, was able to master to the course set by Leopoldo Palacios to earn national honours. Owner and rider, John Pearce, purchased the Oldenburg gelding by Contender last fall in Germany. In addition to $3,000 in prize money, Pearce was also rewarded with a Luc Childeric saddle generously donated by Running Fox.

Kaiser de le Cour also jumped the course cleanly, but one time fault prevented a jump-off for the national title. A chestnut selle francais stallion by Verdi, a son of Narcos II, Kaiser de le Cour was ridden by Yann Candele of France for owner Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON. After being imported in 2001, Kaiser de le Cour was crowned the National Five-Year-Old Champion in 2003 and, in September, was named the 2004 Ontario Six-Year-Old Champion.

Margie Gayford of Stouffville, ON, placed third riding P-Spice after turning in a well-ridden four fault round. Bred and owned by Jens and Natalie Hansen of Nepean, ON, P-Spice is a Canadian Warmblood mare by Voltaire.

Yann Candele also rode the fourth-placed entry, Gary Moroney’s Rhianna, a Dutch Warmblood mare by N and out of a Lord Z dam that was bred in The Netherlands. Peter Gisborne and V.D.L. Roger rounded out the top five in what proved to be the most hotly-contested division of the year. Owned by Hogendoorn Sport Horses, V.D.L. Roger is a Dutch Warmblood by Indoctro out of a Landgraf I mare, and was imported one year ago.

KingRidge Stables of King, ON, swept the top two spots in the $10,000 National Five-Year-Old Championships. Double Diamond, who had been named the Ontario Five-Year-Old Champion in September, went on to claim the National Championship title at the Royal Horse Show.

In the Five-Year-Old Division, horses are judged equally on their performance and style. With a clear round and the highest mark from the style judges, Jonathon Millar and 1976 Olympic Silver Medallist, Michel Vaillancourt, Double Diamond topped the division. A Belgian Warmblood stallion by Nabab de Reve and out of a Chin Chin mare, Double Diamond was shown by long-time KingRidge Stables resident rider, Hugh Graham.

“He only showed lightly as a four-year-old because we were breeding him, so to come out and win this year is a great acheivement,” noted Graham, who was presented with an Amerigo saddle on behalf of Cavalier. “He is a sweetheart, he is a focused horse that rides really well. We haven’t even tested him yet and given him a chance to see what he can do. I love working with the young horses, it gives you a real high to develop nice young horses and see what they are capable of.”

After placing third in the Ontario Championships, Distant Star finished second in the National Five-Year-Old Championships under Roberto Teran of Colombia. Bred by KingRidge Stables through embryo transplant, Distant Star is a registered Canadian Sport Horse by the KingRidge Stables stallion, Class Action, and out of Betwixt, a former grand prix show jumper ridden to international success by Graham.

After being named the Ontario Reserve Champion, Rio’s Ricardo placed third in the National Championships under rider Erynn Ballard. Bred and owned by W. Charlot Farms of Stratford, ON, the Canadian Warmblood stallion is by Rio Grande and out of Gambia, who is by the influential Holsteiner stallion, Landgraf I.

John Pearce took fourth place with O’Reilly, an imported Oldenburg gelding by Lady’s King and out of a Silvio I mare, while Laurie Bucci of Mont St. Hiliare, QC, placed fifth riding Larico. Larico is a German-bred Holsteiner gelding by Lavaletto by Landgraf 1, and out of a Lavall II dam, who is also by Landgraf 1.

The purpose of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development as four, five or six-year-olds. This careful development allows the young horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence. The Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

The 2004 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is comprised of nine events. Following the Ontario Championships, the top 15 qualified horses in the Five and Six-Year-Old Divisions advanced to the National Championships at the Royal Horse Show.

Proud supporters of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series include the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, Cavalier, 4 Star Trailers, Gary Cooper Chev Olds, Tim Grubb, Hanoverian Breeder’s Club, Henry Equestrian Insurance Brokers Ltd., Horseware Ireland, KingRidge Stables, Kim Kirton, Dr. Alan Manning, Peter Miller, the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association, Charles Ormston, Running Fox, Scotia McLeod, TD Canada Trust and W. Charlot Farms.

Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series – National Championships

$10,000 Six-Year-Old Division
Horse Owner Rider Faults
1. Archie Bunker Forestview Farm John Pearce 0
2. Kaiser de le Cour Mill Creek Stables Yann Candele 1
3. P-Spice Jens and Natalie Hansen Margie Gayford 4
4. Rhianna Gary Moroney Yann Candele 4
5. V.D.L. Roger Hogendoorn Sport Horses Peter Gisborne 4

$10,000 Five-Year-Old Division
Horse Owner Rider Points
1. Double Diamond KingRidge Stables Hugh Graham 80
2. Distant Star KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran 79
3. Rio’s Ricardo W. Charlot Farms Erynn Ballard 78
4. O’Reilly Forestview Farm John Pearce 77.5
5. Larico M. Weiner Laurie Bucci 77