SEPTEMBER 2019 THE RIDER /27


Canadian Eventing Team Foot-Perfect In Final To Claim Bronze At Lima 2019 Pan Am Games


Aug. 4, 2019, Lima, PER – After a foot-per- fect performance in the final jumping phase, Canadian Eventing Team members, Dana Cooke, Colleen Loach, Jessica Phoenix and Karl Slezak claimed the bronze medal at the Lima 2019 Pan Amer- ican Games in Peru on Aug. 4. Following a challenging cross-country


day the Canadian Eventing Team moved from their dressage standing of second down to the bronze medal position on a team total of 183.7. This would prove to be their final score and placing after three con- secutive clear rides over the jumping course, which featured 11 obstacles and 16 jumping efforts set by FEI 4* Course De- signer, Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. The top two spots on the podium, and


therefore the two qualifications for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, went to the United States (91.2) and Brazil (122.1). Individu- ally, Boyd Martin of the US won gold with Tsetserleg on 25.6, with teammate, Lynn Symansky piloting RF Cool Play to silver with 29.2. Brazil’s Carlos Parro earned bronze aboard Quaikin Qurious on a score of 34.9. Phoenix, who resides in Cannington,


ON, maintained her individual standing of fifth from cross-country on a score of 37.0, and was Canada’s highest-placed athlete aboard her 17-year-old Westphalian geld- ing, Pavarotti (Pavarotti van de Helle x Foxiland). The duo’s quick and careful trip around the jumping track, which included double and triple combinations, a liverpool, and a delicate wall, elicited strong cheers from the packed stands. “I could not be happier with


Pavarotti’s performance,” said Phoenix, 35, who stepped up to her third consecutive Pan Am podium, having won individual gold and team silver in Guadalajara, MEX in 2011, and individual silver and team bronze from 2015 in Toronto. Remarkably, all medals were won aboard Pavarotti. “He’s such a competitive horse that. Phoenix continued, “As a country, we


were faultless today, so that is as good as it gets. We really finished on a high note and I’m really proud of our horses and our rid- ers today. Bronze isn’t quite what we were going for here, but the memories that you take away are of the group of people you were there with - and we’ve had an incred- ible couple of weeks together at training camp and throughout this competition. I was really honoured to be standing next to them on that podium today.” Slezak, 37, was the next best on the in-


dividual leaderboard, moving up one spot from his cross-country standing to close out his inaugural major games in 12th place on 58.9 penalties. Riding Fernhill Wishes (Chacoa x Gildawn Diamond), he executed one of the day’s smoothest jumping rounds, piloting the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding he co-owns with Kirk Hoppner to a relaxed, yet efficient effort. “He’s a fantastic jumper. He’s always


so level - that was probably one of his more lively rounds,” joked Slezak, who calls Tot- tenham, ON home and is known for his tal- ent at bringing young horses along up the eventing ranks. “I am super excited about the bronze medal. It was a great experience and we have a great team, I loved every minute of it. (Lima) was a good building experience and we look forward to the fu- ture.”


Colleen Loach, a 36-year-old Cana-


dian Olympian from Dunham, QC, ended her fourth consecutive major games and second Pan Am Games in 20th place overall aboard FE Golden Eye (Goldfever x Con- tendro I), a rising talent she owns in part- nership with Amanda Bernhard. The duo were Canada’s best performers in the dres- sage phase, but


Hanoverian gelding had a few ‘green’ mo- ments cross-country, resulting in a final score of 87.8. However, due to FE Golden


Eye’s exuberant jumping efforts back in the stadium, they finished strong and were one of the fan favourite per- formances of the day. “I’m very happy with my horse.


He had a great experience here and he will be back in the future,” said Loach. “Winning a medal as a team is always special, even if it wasn’t exactly the one we were going for. We will do our homework and be back, better than ever.”


Although Canada’s final team


member, Cooke, 31, of Merritt, BC did complete cross-country and was eligi- ble to move forward with Mississippi,


she opted to forego the final jumping round in light of a scrape her horse re- ceived during a bobble at a challenging corner obstacle with narrow flags on cross-country. “Unfortunately my mare has a


minor wound with stitches, but she will be back out on another day and it will be better next time,” Cooke said of the nine-year-old Württemberger mare (Cassini II x Legaat), owned by the FE Mississippi Syndicate LLC. Chef d’Équipe, Rob Stevenson


added, “Mississippi scraped an elbow Continued on Page 28


Left to right: Karl Slezak, Colleen Loach, Jessica Phoenix, Dana Cooke. Photo Credit: © Cealy Tetley - www.tetleyphoto.com


the seven-year-old


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