June 9, 2005 – Ancaster, Ontario – Canadian-bred horses won all three divisions offered in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series when the 2005 season opener was held June 5 at the Festival of the Horse in Ancaster, ON.

A familiar name, Distant Star, won the Six-Year-Old Division. After finishing the 2004 season as the National Five-Year-Old Reserve Champion, Distant Star continued her success by topping a highly competitive field of 18 entries under rider Roberto Teran of Colombia. Teran and Distant Star won in dramatic fashion, as horse and rider parted ways just after passing through the timers. Bred and owned by KingRidge Stables of King, ON, the grey Canadian Sport Horse mare was bred by through embryo transplant and is by the KingRidge Stables stallion, Class Action, and out of Betwixt, a former grand prix show jumper ridden to international success by Hugh Graham.

Canadian Show Jumping Team Short List member Erynn Ballard, a familiar name in the Young Horse Development Series, piloted both the second and third place finishers. Windus, a Belgian Warmblood gelding by Skippy II, placed second for owner Holter Leasing while Possibilities, Jamie Richardson’s Dutch Warmblood gelding by Monaco, was third.

Rob Carey rode the fourth place entry, Carolla Z, for owner Liz Currie and the fifth placed horse, Fahari, for Bonaventure Farms.

Teran and KingRidge Stables again proved their successful partnership by winning the Five-Year-Old Division. Encore, who is also a Canadian Sport Horse by Class Action, has another Grand Prix show jumping mare, Alley Cat, as his dam. Both Class Action and Alley Cat are registered Dutch Warmbloods, as is Alley Cat’s sire, Emilion.

Erynn Ballard piloted her own Trocadero, a Dutch Warmblood gelding by Nassau and out of a Quidam de Revel dam, to second place. Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON, took the next three spots in the standings. Sandhya, a Luxemburg mare by the Oldenburg stallion, Silvio II, placed third while Sancho, an Oldenburg gelding by Skorpio and out of a Continue dam, placed fourth. Tonya Henning, 19, rode both Sandhay and Sancho. Sebastien Kapel had the ride on Millesime du Valy, a selle francais stallion by Verdi, to round out the top five.

After finishing runner-up in both the Five and Six-Year-Old Divisions, Ballard of Hornby, ON, claimed victory in the Four-Year-Old Division. Rio’s Jolicoeur W, a Canadian Warmblood stallion by Rio Grande and out of a Landgraf I dam, took top honours for owner and breeder Augustin Walch of W. Charlot Farms in Stratford, ON.

Canadian Olympian Beth Underhill of Schomberg, ON, guided VDL Ulando H to second place for owner Timothy Millard, also of Schomberg. Bred by Hogendoorn Dutch Warmbloods, VDL Ulando H is a licensed Canadian Warmblood breeding stallion by Corland and out of an Ahorn dam.

Mill Creek Stables took third place with its entry of Valvoline, a Hannoverian mare by Voltaire. Shown by Henning, Valvoline has already had two foals through embryo transplant, one by Graf Grannus and one by the well-known Mill Creek stallion, Kaiser de la Cour.

Fourth place went to another W. Charlot Farms entry, Vasco da Gamma ridden by Ballard, while Simply Ahorn took fifth place under Kevin Maxie for owner Canterbrooke Farms.

The purpose of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development as four, five or six-year-olds. This careful development allows the young horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence. The Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

The 2005 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series has been extended to include ten events. The next competition will take place on June 17 during the Caledon Summer Classic in Palgrave, ON.

T he Ontario Hunter Jumper Association, together with its proud supporters - TD Waterhouse, Scotia McLeod, Peter Miller, Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, W. Charlot Farms, Henry Equestrian Insurance Brokers Ltd., Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd., Dr. Al Manning, Brubacher’s Harness Shop, KingRidge Stables, Sea Air International, Mr. Charles Ormston, the Hannoverian Breeders Club of Eastern Canada, Mr. Michael Boyd, Mrs. Elaine Gray, and other friends present the 2005 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series.

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For further information on the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series, please contact Dale Hawerchuk, Chair, at tel: (519) 938-8637.

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Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series – Results from Ancaster, ON

Six-Year-Old Division

Horse Owner Rider
1. Distant Star KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran
2. Windus Holter Leasing Erynn Ballard
3. Possibilities Jamie Richardson Erynn Ballard
4. Carolla Z Liz Currie Rob Carey
5. Fahari Bonaventure Farms Rob Carey

Five-Year-Old Division

Horse Owner Rider
1. Encore KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran
2. Trocadero Looking Back Farms Erynn Ballard
3. Sandhya Mill Creek Stables Tonya Henning
4. Sancho Mill Creek Stables Tonya Henning
5. Millesime du Valy Mill Creek Stables Sebastien Kapel

Four-Year-Old Division

Horse Owner Rider
1. Rio’s Jolicoeur W W. Charlot Farms Erynn Ballard
2. VDL Ulando H Timothy Millard Beth Underhill
3. Valvoline Mill Creek Stables Tonya Henning
4. Vasco da Gamma W. Charlot Farms Erynn Ballard
5. Simply Ahorn Canterbrooke Farms Kevin Maxie