OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 THE RIDER /55
Charitable Giving and Great Show Jumping Come Together Art Halton Place’s Canadian Country Classic
Last minute changes to the crowded show jumping schedule of late summer did nothing to dampen spirits and enthusiasm for the 2010 Canadian Country Classic held at Halton Place, August 23rd to September 12th.
Halton Place owner Timur Leckebusch unleashed a series of fundraising initiatives which engaged the riders, attracted new sponsors and raised money for some very significant chari- ties.
Week one of the Canadian Country Classic opened with the OVC (Ontario Veterinary Col- lege) Equi-Challenge, attracting over 500 VIPs, to a star-studded event which raised both dollars and awareness for OVC’s new Equine Sports Medicine and Reproduction Centre. The leaders and legends of the sport came together for a spe- cial evening in celebration of the horse. Show jumping and dressage riders, jockeys and polo players, drivers, event riders and barrel racers all “changed hats” for the evening with each doing “what they don’t do” to a sold-out crowd of horse sport supporters.
by Team Elder, which included “Captain” Jim Elder, his two grandsons and Ainslie Burns. Week three continued the fundraising activi- ty with Sunday’s Equestrian Factory Outlet Fash- ion Show and Luncheon dedicated to Sunrise Therapeutic Riding, located in nearby Puslinch. While charitable giving was clearly a major component of Halton Place’s overwhelming reception by competitors, their owners , sponsors and patrons, classic show jumping took centre stage for each of the three weeks of competition which offered $400,000 in prize money. It all came down to experience on Sunday during the opening week of the Canadian Coun- try Classic as three veteran Canadian Equestrian Team members claimed the top three placings in the David Ballard designed $40,000 Villarboit Grand Prix.
Week two included a Charity Team Chal- lenge involving three relay-style show jumping riders plus an anchor team captain riding a lawn mower through a skillful pylon course. When the dust settled, three teams galloped away with $17,000 in cheques to support their dedicated charities: Hockey for the Homeless, the George- town and District Memorial Hospital and CARD (Community Association for Riding for the Dis- abled). The latter team was skillfully represented
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In a crowded jump-off field of 10 horses, Hugh Graham (King,ON) guided King Ridge Stable’s’ grey Canadian Sport Horse gelding Executive Privilege 3E to victory in a time of 31.10 seconds; hot on his heels was Beth Under- hill (King, ON) who went first in the jump-off and stopped the clock at 31.88 seconds. Finishing in third spot was Ainsley Vince of Milton who blazed around the course in the fastest time and seemed poised for victory until her mount Frieda, downed a heartbreak rail on the last fence of the course.
sic. A festive occasion preceded the grand prix with a ‘concours’ of classic British Saloon cars followed by the Highland bagpipe band ‘Clans of Tecumseh’ which officially opened the Sunday feature event at Halton Place, known historically as “The Scotch Block”.
Small but mighty, the fastest round of the day belonged to Ainsley Vince of Milton, ON and her mare, Frieda, with a blistering time of 38.25 secs. to snare the $13,400 first prize. Three weeks of competition at the Canadian Country Classic, wrapped up the final Sunday with a fitting pair of winners for the two Hunter Classics held in the expansive grass grand prix ring.
Twenty-seven entries, including some of Canada’s elite riders, competed over international course designer Michel Vaillancourt’s daunting course of 1.50 m fences.
champion in the $10,000 Villarboit Hunter Clas- sic, successfully defended her title again this year aboard her own dark bay warmblood gelding, Woodstock, delivering scores of 85 and 83 for a two-round total of 168, a solid 10 points ahead of runner-up Cellina, owned by Val Sinke and rid- den by Stephanie Brett.
A beautiful crisp fall-like day greeted the $40,000 Swisscan Grand Prix on Sunday during the second week of the Canadian Country Clas-
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Jaclyn Carey, of Kleinburg, Ontario, cap- tured the $3,000 LongRun Thoroughbred Hunter Classic Final, open to registered thoroughbreds, aboard her sister Leslie McCormick’s gelding Remington. It was a bittersweet end to a week of tragedy for McCormick, whose Thoroughbred jumper mare ‘Gala Fire’ had to be euthanized two days earlier after she shattered a pastern while competing at a Trillium circuit event in Caledon. “I can’t wait to call Leslie and tell her we won,” said Carey afterwards. “I think Gala Fire was riding with me today. This one is for both of them.”
Top junior rider Rachel Schnurr, last year’s 3
Schnurr, of Waterloo, ON, trains with Hyde Moffat, and is enjoying her final year as a junior. “It was an awesome course,” Schnurr said of the track designed by Josh Meyers (Newmarket, ON), “This is such a fun class. I look forward to it every year. It’s nice to be in such a big, open ring and let the horses gallop on a bit.” “It’s been a fantastic three weeks. We’re actually sold out of stalls,” said Leckebusch, who has devoted two decades to turning the 200-acre former hog farm into a premier European-style show jumping venue. “It’s taken a lot longer than I thought it would, but Halton Place is at the point where it’s looking good enough for me to say I’m proud of it.”
Leckebusch, was particularly jubilant on the final day of three weeks of competition as he handed out substantial cheques to local and equine charities associated with the Canadian Country Classic. “This year we are proud to have raised over $25,000 for charity” he said, “Next year we will double that”. For complete results visit:
www.haltonplace.com
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1/ A dance demonstration was presented by Center Stage School of the Arts.
2/ Allison Posen riding Charisma. Photo by Aron Posen
3/ Ainsley Vince riding Frieda winning the $40,000 SWISSCAN Grand Prix
4/ Hugh Graham riding Executive Privilege winning
the $40,000 Villarboit Grand Prix
5/ LongRun organizer Stacey Krembil with winner Jaclyn Carey and Remington 6/ Michele Dunn and Jackie Wimbush 7/ Carolyn Charbonneau, Joelle Charbonneau, Linda Hale, Old Orchard Farm, Moffat
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8/ Laurent of Georgetown Hospital with Halton Place owner Timur Leckebusch 9/ Timur Leckebusch, Liz Shaughnessey and Vicki Henshaw
10/ A fashion show was held by Equestrian Factory Outlet, showcasing the new GPA Double Clear French line of apparel
11/ Models prepare for the EFO Fashio Show. 12/ Halton Place hosts OVC's Equi-Challenge 13/ Jimmy Elder as team captain drives the last leg of the Team Charity Challenge
Photos 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 by The Rider, Photos 3,12 by Michelle Dunn and Photos 4 and 13 by Onsite Digital
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