MAY 2023 THE RIDER /3
LRK3DE Continued from Page 1
as a partner for Slezak, but as a sale horse. He sourced her at the Monart Sale in Ireland as a four- year-old, and then as he is known for, used his knack for getting the best out of a horse with patient training. And now, after six years of relationship building and steady conditioning, she proved to everyone that she has what it takes to win on the international stage – with Slezak as her rider. “She is funny,” he said.
“She gets grumpy in the barn with everybody else, but every time I come to get her, she’s al- ways keen and ready to go.” No different in her four-star debut, she also doesn’t seem to be phased by crowds, and cleans up like the best of them. Bobo’s
Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
grooms Ella Hubert and Amber Wavryk won the award for best turned-out horse in the level. Cross country was where
the duo really seized their oppor- tunity. They made fast work of the track laid out by course de- signer Derek di Grazia covering the course in a time of 06:43. The pair was one of only three com- binations that completed it with- out penalties. “She felt amazing out there,” the Pan Am Games bronze medalist commented about their run. “This was the biggest crowd she’s ever seen, so you just never know. It’s a big venue, with a lot of atmosphere. But honestly, she was on her game. From leaving the box, she was just full out running all the way to the end.” Heading into the third day
Knowing they’ve won, Slezak connects with Bobo after they’ve completed their clear stadium
round.Photo credit: Cealy Tetley
of competition, holding on to the top position on the leaderboard, the pressure didn’t seem to get to either of them. “She didn’t know the difference,” Slezak remarked. “She’s always such a good jumper after cross country. She’s
just that much sharper, a little bit spicy. It’s such a good feeling ac- tually. I’ve never been so confi- dent going in. I kept waiting all morning for the butterflies to set in, and they never did. I just be- lieved in her so much and she stepped up to the plate and didn’t prove me wrong.” Held in Lexington, KY, the
annual event has been hosting an international three-day eventing competition since 1979 and draws eventing enthusiasts from around the world. The 4*-S was introduced in 2021 and is run concurrently with the CCI5*-L competition. The last time a Canadian has won at Kentucky was in 1992 when Stuart Young- Black won the Rolex Kentucky CCI*** with the Thoroughbred- Welsh Cob cross Von Perrier. Rebecca Howard, Chef
D’Equipe for the Canadian Eventing Team was on hand throughout the weekend support- ing the eventers and their teams. “We had a good contingent of Canadian high-performance rid- ers here in Kentucky,” Howard said. “Everyone put in positive dressage performances and showcased some of the great work they’ve been doing.” “Cross country shook up
the leaderboard quite a bit. Karl obviously had a standout per- formance and really stepped up to the challenge!” She continued. “Jessie (Phoenix) had several good runs and with her thorough- bred who shines on cross country, she put up a solid performance in the five star.” Howard, along with every-
one on the ground have their sights set on the future, including the lead up to the Pan American Games in October. The focus has been team building and skill re- finement with the athletes hoping to take the enthusiasm of this win into the season ahead. “We hope the riders are feeling supported and we know this is the start of more to come for Canada,” said Howard. “It’s just so exciting to see this win for a Canadian here in Kentucky. It’s a great motiva- tion for us, the team and for Canadian Eventing.” Other Canadian perform-
ances in the CCI4*-S included Lindsay Traisnel of Maidstone, ON, and Bacyrouge owned by Patricia Pearce, who placed 17th, Jessica Phoenix of Cannington, ON and Watson GS owned by Phoenix
and
Bundy of Toronto, ON and Lovely Assistant owned by Ju- liana Hansen in 21st, Jessica Phoenix and Fluorescent Adoles- cent owned by Makayla Rydzik in 24th, and Jamie Kellock of Cedar Valley, ON and Summer Bay owned by Jamie Kellock, Jane Stephenson and Laurie Massa, placed 34th in the stand- ings.
In the challenging CCI5*-L
event, Jessica Phoenix and Wab- bit owned by Jim Phillips had a strong cross country performance that moved the pair up on the leaderboard to finish 19th. For more information on
Land Rover Three-Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky, please visit
https://www.kentuckythree-
dayevent.com/
Charlotte Equestrian Canada News Release Schickedanz in 18th, Hanna
Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge finished 17th in the 4*-S. Photo Credit: Cealy Tetley
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
