June 11, 2004 – Ancaster, Ontario – The Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series opened its 2004 season on Sunday, June 6, at the Festival of the Horse in Ancaster, ON.

The Series has quickly grown with the first event on the 2004 calendar attracting 55 entries in the Four, Five and Six-Year-Old Divisions. The opening event saw Mill Creek Stables return to its winning ways, taking top honours in the Six-Year-Old Division with Sparky, a Hannoverian gelding by Skorpio who was ridden to victory in an eight-horse jump-off by Simon McCarthy. Bred by Augustin Walch of W. Charlot Farms and purchased by Mill Creek Stables as a weanling, last year Sparky took third place in the National Five-Year-Old Championships.

“From the day I bought him, Sparky has been a special horse, and anyone who has ever had anything to do with him recognizes his quality,” said Phil Henning, owner of Mill Creek Stables in Cambridge, ON. “He is very careful, always knows where his feet are, and has tonnes of scope. He’ll make some noise in the future. The thing that impresses me the most about the Series this year is that the quality of the horses competing has gone through the roof! The competition was tough, and our results were hard-won.”

W. Charlot Farms of Stratford, ON, took second place with Louvre, an Oldenburg stallion by Landfriese II that was bred in Germany by Paul Schockemohle. Short-listed Canadian Show Jumping Team member Erynn Ballard of Hornby, ON, showed the talented stallion that had previously competed in Young Horse classes in the United States, taking numerous victories as a five-year-old.

Kes, a horse who has been developed in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series, took third place for rider Judith Rathbone of Hamilton, ON, who owns the thoroughbred/Hannoverian-cross mare in partnership with Raelene Rathbone. Kes was bred in Rockwood, ON, by Betty-Lou Clark and is by the thoroughbred stallion, Victorian Grey.

V.D.L. Roger, a Dutch Warmblood by Indoctro, took fourth place under Peter Gisborne for owner Hogendoorn Sport Horses while the 2003 National Five-Year-Old Champion, Kaiser de l Cour, a chestnut selle francais stallion by Narcos II, took fifth position for Mill Creek Stables.

With 31 entries, the Five-Year-Old Division was hotly contested and it was the KingRidge Stables entry of Double Diamond that came out on top. The Belgian Warmblood stallion by Nabab de Reve and out of a Chin Chin mare was imported to King City, ON, as a yearling and ridden to victory by Olympic veteran, Hugh Graham.

The luck of the Irish was with the Burmonds and Wetmore entry of Kinsale, an Irish gelding by Puissance and out of a Clover Hill dam that was imported to Canada in January. Olympic, World Championship and Pan Am Games veteran Beth Underhill guided the horse that is enjoying his first year of showing.

W. Charlot Farm took third and fourth place with two horses that are by its flagship stallion, Rio Grande. Erynn Ballard guided both Rio’s Ramiro W, a Canadian Sport Horse gelding, to third place while the Canadian Warmblood stallion and 2003 Ontario Four-Year-Old Champion, Rio’s Ricardo, placed fourth. Rio’s Ricardo, whose dam is W. Charlot Farm’s Gambia, a Holsteiner mare by Landgraf I, was conceived through embryo transplant.

Riding Sabrina B, a Dutch Warmblood mare by Zeoliet, Beth Underhill also took fifth place for owner Tracy Howard of North Gower, ON.

W. Charlot Farm emerged victorious in the Four-Year-Old Division , just as it had a year ago when Rio’s Ricardo stood in the winner’s circle. This time, it was the promising entry of Pour Patrice W that took top honours. A Hannoverian stallion, Pour Patrice W was bred at W. Charlot Farm and is by its licensed Westphalian stallion, Pour Gange, and out a Rio Grande mare, Riona. Erynn Ballard rode Pour Patrice W to victory in his first year of showing.

The KingRidge Stables entry of Encore finished as runner-up. Ridden by Hugh Graham and bred by Epstein Equestrian Enterprises, the Canadian Sport Horse gelding carries Dutch Warmblood bloodlines. He is by the KingRidge stallion, Class Action, and out of the Emilion mare, Alley Cat, who Graham has successfully campaigned at the grand prix level.

Third place went to Concorde’s Tiantha shown by Vivian Millard. Concorde’s Tiantha was bred in the Netherlands and, as the name implies, is by the well-known show jumping sire, Concorde. Owned by Sentinel Hill Farm of Schomberg, ON, the Dutch Warmblood mare was the first ‘premium’ status mare to be registered with the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association.

Mill Creek Stables took both fourth and fifth place in the Four-Year-Old division. Simon McCarthy rode Selina, an Oldenburg mare bred by Mill Creek Stables, to fourth and also guided Rin Tin Tin, a Hannoverian gelding by the famous and recently deceased Hannoverian sire, Raphael, to fifth place.

Atlanta Olympian Chris Delia had the honour of judging the Four and Five-Year-Old Divisions where horses are judged solely on their performance and style. In the Six-Year-Old Division, the top eight horses return for a jump-off, carrying forward any faults accumulated in the first round. In order to tabulate the standing in the overall Series, points are awarded according to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Cup system with the number of points given being based on the number of horses entered in each class.

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 next event in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 18, during the Caledon Summer Classic in Palgrave, ON. The 2004 Series is comprised of nine events, including the Ontario Championships scheduled for the Tournament of Champions in September where $10,000 in prize money is offered and the National Championships for Five and Six-Year-Olds hosted by Toronto’s famed Royal Horse Show in November. In addition to the $20,000 in prize money offered, two saddles have been generously donated for the winning entries at the National Championships - Cavalier will award an Amerigo saddle while Running Fox has given a Luc Childeric saddle.

Proud supporters of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series include the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, Cavalier, Four Star Trailers, Gary Cooper Chev Olds, Tim Grubb, Henry Equestrian Insurance Brokers Ltd., Horseware Ireland, Dr. Alan Manning, Marigold, the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association, Charles Ormston, Running Fox, and TD Canada Trust.