Hawley Bennett Top-Ranked Canadian Eventing Team Member in Athens

August 16, 2004 – Athens, Greece – At the conclusion of the opening phase of dressage, Hawley Bennett of Langley, BC, was the top-placed member of the Canadian Eventing Team competing at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Bennett, 27, posted a score of 61.20 penalty points to move into 47th position from the field of 75 starters. In addition to being the youngest member of the Canadian Eventing Team, Bennett is also the sole female competitor.

“My horse was really, really good, I am very happy with him,” said Bennett of Livingstone, a 14-year-old Canadian thoroughbred gelding that she purchased ten years ago. “The atmosphere in the ring was electric, the winds were high and the flags were snapping, but he really kept it together and put in a good test. It is overwhelming to think that I am riding at the Olympics, and that I just did my first Olympic dressage test.”

Also competing for Canada on Monday at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Center was Bruce Mandeville, 44, of Summerland, BC, who earned a score of 66.40 penalty points for 60th place in his second consecutive Olympic appearance riding Larissa, a 15-year-old Canadian-bred Trakehner mare owned by Franz and Elke Hollenbach.

On Sunday, the three other Canadian Eventing Team members –Ian Roberts of Port Perry, ON, Garry Roque of Caledon East, ON, and Mike Winter of Toronto, ON, completed the dressage portion. Riding Balista, a 14-year-old thoroughbred gelding owned by Emeline Loughlin, Winter, 29, earned a score of 63.20 penalty points and now sits in 51st position in the standings. Winter is immediately followed by Roque who is in 52nd position with Waikura, a 13-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding owned by Gustav Quast, after earning a score of 63.40 penalty points. Roberts, 45, is currently placed 68th with a score of 70.60 penalty points riding Mata-riki, an 11-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding owned by his wife, Kelly Plitz.

Canada is currently 12th in the Team standings with a score of 187.80 penalty points, counting the best three performances of Bennett, Roque and Winter. The leader board is extremely tight with Great Britain narrowly edging World Champion France 113.20 to 113.40 penalty points. Germany is one point behind with a score of 114.40 while the United States sits in fourth position with 128.40. The defending Olympic champions, Australia, are also in the hunt with a score of 129.40 penalty points.

Individually, 24-year-old Nicolas Touzaint of France riding the grey selle francais Galan de Sauvagere is in first place with a score of 29.40 penalty points followed by Great Britain’s Pippa Funnell and Primmore’s Pride who received a score of 31.40. Germany’s Bettina Hoy is in third with a score of 32.00 riding Ringwood Cockatoo while Kim Severson of the United States received a score of 36.20 penalty points for her performance aboard Winsome Adante.

On Tuesday, August 17, all 75 horse-rider combinations will contest the second phase of Eventing competition, the challenging cross-country portion. Riders will have nine minutes and 46 seconds to complete the course designed by Albino Garbari of Italy. The lead-off rider for Canada will be Roque, followed by Roberts, Winter, Bennett and anchor rider Mandeville.

“I am excited, I have been given the go-ahead to take all of the direct routes,” noted Bennett, who is making her Olympic debut after helping Canada win the Silver Medal at the 2003 Pan American Championships and qualify for Athens. “It is a very interesting course because the first few fences are fairly small and some people think the course is going to be easy, but I think you will have to ride every fence and it is going to be really tough to make the time allowed. My horse feels great, this is the most fit he has ever been, and now is the time!”

“All of the riders are keen to get out there,” added Greg Paull, the Canadian Eventing Team Manager. “The course is lovely, very rideable and well-constructed, and everything is well set-up for being able to cool the horses out afterwards.”

Following cross-country, the third and final phase of show jumping will take place on Wednesday, August 18, with a second show jumping round determining the Team medals.

The Canadian Eventing Team is competing under the guidance of International Technical Advisor Jimmy Wofford and Dressage Coach Jane Savoie in addition to numerous other support personnel.