Silver Medal for Canadian Show Jumping Team at Pan American Games
Jill Henselwood & Special Ed. photo © TetleyPhoto.com |
“We had four super riders, and we came in with guarded optimism, knowing that
the Brazilians would be tough to beat,” said Canadian Show Jumping Team Chef
d’Equipe Terrance Millar following the medal ceremony.
The second and
final day of team show jumping competition began at 9 a.m. on Friday at the
National Equestrian Centre, located 30 km north of the Pan American Village.
Having finished Thursday’s speed phase in first position, Canada had the luxury
of being the last of ten teams to compete in the first of two rounds comprising
the Nations’ Cup team final.
First in for Canada was Cone, 54, riding
Melinda, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Southern Ways. A total of
12 jumping faults over Guilherme Jorge's taxing course featuring obstacles set
at a height of 1.50m would ultimately see Cone's score dropped from the team
tally where only the best three scores are counted.
Henselwood, 41, and
Juniper Farms’ 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding Special Ed, the individual leaders
following Thursday's opening competition, added no points to their perfect score
of zero by jumping clear over the 13 numbered obstacles featuring 16 jumping
efforts.
Lamaze, 39, also repeated his performance from the first day,
incurring four jumping faults in the first round on Hickstead, an 11-year-old
Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Torrey Pines Stables and Ashland Stables Inc.
Brazil had already posted three clear rounds to guarantee the lead by
the time the fourth and final Canadian, eight-time Olympian Ian Millar, 60, set
out with In Style. The 12-year-old Dutch-bred gelding owned by Susan Grange had
a confident clear round that kept Millar second in the individual standings
behind Henselwood.
At the end of round one, Canada had dropped into
second place with a score of 6.72, just 1.05 points behind Brazil with 5.67 but
with a comfortable lead over the third-placed United States with 19.20. After
its third place finish on day one, Mexico lost considerable ground to slip to
fourth position with 25.89.
The order of go changed in the second round
to reflect the change in team standings, and the teams from Ecuador and Chile
had been eliminated. Due to several retirements and eliminations, the starting
list for the second round had shrunk from 47 horses to 39.
Cone improved
on his first round performance with eight faults on Melinda, but Canada needed
to be able to discard that score in order to secure the gold medal. Henselwood
was not able to duplicate her perfect ride from the morning, taking a single
rail with Special Ed and dropping to second position individually with a score
of four points behind Brazil’s Pedro Veniss with 2.84.
Lamaze and
Hickstead returned to post a clear round for Canada. Riding in the anchor
position, Millar and In Style looked set to post a double clear round when In
Style drifted left at fence nine and took down the front rail.
Adding
just one rail from final rider Rodrigo Pessoa and Rufus to its score, Brazil
claimed the gold medal before a home crowd with a score of 9.57. Canada claimed
the silver with 14.72 while the United States, finishing with only three horses
after Todd Minikus fell off Pavarotti at the water jump in the first round, took
bronze with 27.20.
With its silver medal, Canada achieved its goal of
qualifying a team for the 2008 Olympic Games, the equestrian portion of which
will take place in Hong Kong due to equine health concerns in mainland China.
Brazil also earned its ticket, as did fourth-placed Mexico as the United States
had already qualified with a silver medal at last year’s World Equestrian Games.
“We really needed to make sure we send a team to the Olympics, for the
future of our sport,” said Henselwood.
The individual show jumping
final, a two-round Table A competition, will take place on Sunday, July 29. All
four Canadians are eligible to compete and with Henselwood and Millar currently
sitting second and third respectively on scores of 4 and 4.29, both are well
positioned to claim an individual medal. Lamaze, currently sixth with 6.43, is
less than one rail back from the leader, Pedro Veniss of Brazil who has a score
of 2.84 riding Un Blancs de Blanc. Cone and Melinda are in 18th position on a
score of 24.31.
“We have three riders in the top six, and that’s
significant in itself,” noted Terrance Millar.
Rider Country Horse Score
1. Pedro Veniss Brazil Un
Blancs de Blanc 2.84
2. Jill Henselwood Oxford
Mills, ON Special Ed 4
3. Ian Millar Perth, ON In Style 4.29
4. Rodrigo Pessoa Brazil Rufus 4.74
5. Lauren Hough United States
Casadora 6.29
6. Eric Lamaze Schomberg, ON
Hickstead 6.43
7. Bernardo Alves Brazil Chupa Chupa 2 9.09
8. Laura Chapot United States Little Big Man 9.38
9. Antonio Chedraui
Mexico Don Porfirio 9.85
10. Cara Raether United States Ublesco 11.53
18. Mac Cone King City, ON Melinda
24.31
The Canadian Show Jumping Team claimed the Silver Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. From left to right: Mac Cone, Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze, and Ian Millar. photo © TetleyPhoto.com |