Darrin Dlin and Catwalk won the $100,000 Caledon Equestrian Park World Cup Grand Prix at CSI-W Caledon Summer Festival on Sunday, August 5. Photo by Shoot Photographic

August 5, 2007 – Palgrave, Ontario – Darrin Dlin of Spruce Grove, AB, claimed victory in the $100,000 Caledon Equestrian Park World Cup Grand Prix held Sunday, August 5, at the CSI-W Caledon Summer Festival in Palgrave, ON.

A total of 26 riders tackled the technical course set by Robert Ellis of Great Britain with nine passing the test and advancing to the jump-off.  Riding sixth out of the jump-off order, Darrin Dlin and the Canadian-bred Catwalk were clear in a time 49.23 seconds to take over the lead from American Schuyler Riley and Nottingham who had also jumped double clear in a time of 51.77 seconds.

"The course was quite technical, there were a couple of tricky lines and the water was the fourth jump on course, which I think surprised a lot of horses and riders by coming that early," said Dlin, 37, who currently makes his home in Wellington, FL.

Next into the ring, Mark Samuel of Toronto, ON, came the closest to catching Dlin by stopping the clock in 50.13 seconds, but in the end settled for second with his 2003 Pan American Games mount, Darios V.

"I planned on being aggressive, but unfortunately I didn't find the forward distance I was looking for in a couple of places or else I could have shaved off another second or two," said Samuel, who has been showing his 16-year-old selle francais gelding in Grand Prix competition since 2001.  "He jumped super, rub-free in both rounds, and I couldn't be happier with him."

In addition to $28,000 in prize money, the victory gave Dlin his second consecutive World Cup win as he also won the $70,000 Grand Prix Jumping du Quebec on July 8 in Blainville, QC.  With the Palgrave victory, Dlin widens his lead in the Canadian League World Cup standings, putting him on target to be one of two Canadian representatives at the 2008 World Cup Final in Goteborg, Sweden.

"We would very much like to go to Sweden next April, and we are also hoping to get to the Royal this fall.  It would be Catwalk's first indoor show," noted Dlin, who hasn't competed at Toronto's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair since he was a junior competitor.

Of Catwalk, a 10-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Odyssey Venture Inc. and sired by the famous stallion, Rio Grande, Dlin said, "She was great, she was fast and careful and on the ball.  She is really coming into her own and has found her confidence.  The first round is becoming easy for her, and now she is getting some jump-off experience under her belt."

Finishing fourth in the standings behind Dlin, Samuel and Riley was John Pearce of Stouffville, ON, riding Archie Bunker.  The winners of Friday's $20,000 Open Welcome had the fastest time in the Grand Prix jump-off, 48.38 seconds, but a fallen rail mid-way on course brought their chances of another victory to a halt.

Two young women took the next two spots in the standings.  Elissa Reisman, 24, of Toronto, ON, was clear until the last fence to place fifth riding Taboo International Inc.'s Iveena S while Kim Farlinger, 23, had the second last fence down to finish sixth riding Cordoba, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Peter Farlinger.

As the final challenger, Mike Grinyer of Campbellville, ON, gave it a shot with Moritze, but the final rail came down to leave him seventh.  The first rider to tackle the jump-off course, Frankie Chesler-Ortiz of Orangeville, ON, incurred eight faults with Ranville to finish eighth while Laurie Bucci's mount, Catesko, had a refusal to give the rider from St. Hilaire, QC, a total of eight jumping and four time faults.

For more information including full results, please visit the Equestrian Management Group's website at www.equiman.com.

           Rider            Hometown      Horse            Faults            Time
1.         Darrin Dlin      Spruce Grove, AB            Catwalk          0:0            49.23
2.         Mark Samuel            Toronto, ON  Darios V         0:0            50.13
3.            Schuyler Riley            Wellington, FL            Nottingham      0:0            51.77
4.         John Pearce            Stouffville, ON Archie Bunker 0:4            48.38
5.         Elissa Reisman            Toronto, ON  Iveena S          0:4            49.19
6.         Kim Farlinger            Annan, ON            Cordoba          0:4            49.46
7.         Mike Grinyer            Campbellville, ON            Moritze            0:4            51.51
8.         Frankie Chesler-Ortiz            Orangeville, ON            Ranville            0:8            50.88
9.         Laurie Bucci    St. Hilaire, QC            Catesko          0:12            63.87
10.       John Pearce            Stouffville, ON Urioso            4
11.       Keean White            Cambridge, ON            Vienna Rouge  4
12.       Yann Candele            France            Lorrain Z          4