Keean White Enjoys Success in $40,000 Season Opener Grand Prix at Palgrave

May 20, 2004 – Cambridge, Ontario – Keean White of Cambridge, ON, opened the Canadian show jumping season with a second and sixth place finish in the $40,000 Classic @ Palgrave Grand Prix held May 16 in Palgrave, ON.

White, 21, posted clear rounds with both of his mounts, Arriscraft Rocca and Arriscraft Cassius, to advance to the jump-off against six other competitors. With Arriscraft Cassius, White posted another clear round and stopped the clock at 39.55 seconds, a time that would eventually put him in sixth place for owner Elinor Ratcliffe.

Immediately before entering the grand prix ring for his jump-off ride with Arriscraft Rocca, White witnessed Chris Pratt move into the lead with a blistering fast time of 32.94 seconds riding Markant. While White and his 10-year-old selle francais gelding attempted to catch the leaders, their time of 34.63 seconds fell just short, giving them a second place finish in their first outing on the 2004 Canadian show circuit.

“I wouldn’t normally have even gone that quick with Arriscraft Rocca, but Chris rode one of the fastest jump-offs I have ever seen!” noted White who collected a total of $11,000 in prize money for his second and sixth place finishes. “It was the first grand prix my horse has jumped since returning from the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, and I wanted a good result to start the season off right. My horse felt great, he handled it easily, and we weren’t that far off of Chris’ time.

“I was also really pleased with Arriscraft Cassius,” continued White of the developing black Oldenburg gelding by Continue. “This was his first Sunday grand prix and I thought he stepped up really well for an eight-year-old.”

White operates Angelstone Farms in Cambridge, ON, where he coaches competitors and develops numerous young horses, both as sales prospects and on behalf of clients. In total, 12 horses showed under the Angelstone Farms banner during opening week at the Palgrave horse shows.

“Overall, it was a very successful week for Angelstone Farms, all of our horses won ribbons in their classes,” said a pleased White. “Our business has grown a lot in the past year, and we have numerous new clients and investors. The success we experienced this week is a result of the effort and commitment from all of the people involved, including our owners.”

At only 20 years of age, White made his international debut as a member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team at the CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters tournament in Calgary, AB, last fall. He was also the traveling alternate for the Canadian Show Jumping Team at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and is the current Team Gold and Individual Silver Medallist for the North American Young Riders’ Championship. As a result of his outstanding accomplishments, White was named the 2003 ‘Equestrian of the Year’ by Equine Canada, the national governing body for equestrian sport, and was selected as the 2003 ‘Professional Athlete of the Year’ by the City of Cambridge.