OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011 THE RIDER /51


Angela Covert-Lawrence Wins Inaugural $60,000 Grand Prix of Rockwood


Rockwood, Ontario — Angela Covert-Lawrence of St- Lazare, QC, captured victory in the $60,000 Grand Prix of Rockwood, presented by the Hudson’s Bay Company and Barry Cullen Chevrolet, on Saturday, October 1, at the inaugural Angelstone Interna- tional Show Jumping Tourna- ment held September 27 to October 2 at Angelstone Farms in Rockwood, ON. From an impressive start- ing field of 36 horses, eight jumped clear over the first round track set by course designer Pierre Jolicoeur in the all-weather ring. Angela Covert-Lawrence was the only woman in the jump-off field which also included Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, with three horses, as well as nine- time Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, Canadian Equestri- an Team veteran Hugh Gra- ham of Schomberg, ON, Elliott Stone of Midland, ON, and Colombia’s Roberto Teran, who will represent his country at the upcoming Pan American Games.


As the final challenger in the jump-off, Covert- Lawrence knew exactly what she had to do to win. With Candele leading the standings with a time of 39.07 seconds, the pressure was on. Covert- Lawrence and Utan, a 10-year- old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by The Eastwood Group, rose to the occasion. Cheered on by the crowd, the pair galloped around the short- ened jump-off track, leaving all the rails in place before crossing the timers in 38.76 seconds to claim victory. “Going in for the jump- off, I realized that Yann was holding down first and second, and Roberto was third. They were the only three that were clear,” explained Covert- Lawrence, 35. “The four faulters were all super fast, so I figured I had to take a shot. If I had one down and wasn’t fast, I would end up seventh or eighth.”


and his team handled it better than anyone could have expected,” noted Covert- Lawrence. “We ended up with a sunny day for the Grand Prix on Saturday, and they worked hard all day to make sure the ring was in the best possible condition. The organizers were so helpful, and Keean was very accessible. The show was extremely exhibitor- friendly, and Keean went


At Right: Angela Covert- Lawrence riding Utan won the $60,000 Grand Prix of Rockwood, Presented by Hudson Bay Company, at the inaugural Angelstone International Show Jumping Tournament held September 27 to October 2 in Rockwood, ON. Presenting is Keean White, President of Angelstone International Show Jumping Tournament. Photo by Victoria Clermont


above and beyond to ensure that everyone had a positive experience. The overall atmo- sphere was great.”


Hunter riders also had an opportunity to step into the spotlight for the $10,000 Canadian Hunter Derby, Pre- sented by Manning Equine, on Sunday, October 2. A total of 26 entries took to the Grand Hunter Field, presided over by judge Ken Smith, to tackle the challenging course set by Rob Carey. Darcy Hayes of Auro- ra, ON, emerged victorious riding Moonshadow, owned by KingRidge Stables of King City, ON. Jeff Brandmaier aboard Knightwood Stables’ Rostom finished second while Carly Campbell-Cooper of Elora, ON, placed third riding Diplomat for owner Nicole Walker.


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Covert-Lawrence contin- ued, “Utan was jumping super, and I knew that I could take a chance. After my roll back to number six, the plank, I knew I was fast. There were only two jumps left, and when I landed off the second-last jump, everyone started yelling at me to go. Utan jumps really well off a gallop; he stays off the jumps. The way the class went, it totally made sense to take a shot. It was fun!” For her victory, Covert- Lawrence earned $18,000 in prize money. She and Utan were also named to the Cana- dian Show Jumping Team that will represent Canada in the Nations’ Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November. They were members of the Canadian Team for the same event in 2010, posting the best performance of any competitor from any nation.


The Angelstone Interna- tional Show Jumping Tourna- ment was led by Show Presi- dent Keean White and his organizing team, and although heavy rain was a factor at the inaugural event, it did not dampen the spirits of the com- petitors.


“They had really bad luck with the weather, but Keean


More than 7,200 people attended the inaugural Angel- stone International Show Jumping Tournament with spectators able to get close to the action in the intimate set- ting around the grand prix ring. On Friday night, com- petitors enjoyed a complimen- tary dinner and a live perfor- mance by the Test Icicles while more than 2,500 came out after the Grand Prix on Saturday for an Indian feast and concert by The Almost Hip.


Special thanks to Hud- son’s Bay Company, Seeg- miller, Barry Cullen Chevrolet and Premier Equipment/John Deere for their title sponsor- ships in 2011.


In 2012, Angelstone will host four show jumping tour- naments at Angelstone Farms, including three consecutive weeks from August 22 through September 9 as well as September 26 to 30. Two of the four tournaments will be sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), providing a valuable opportu- nity for riders to earn points in the Rolex World Rankings. More than $500,000 in prize money will be offered in 2012, including $300,000 in the Open jumper division and $50,000 in the Hunter Derby Series.


For more information about Angelstone International Show Jumping Tournaments, including free photographs and full results, please visit www.angelstone.com .


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