Yann Candele Claims Second Consecutive Victory at the Capital Classic Show Jumping Tournament

July 18, 2004 – Ottawa, Ontario – After winning Saturday’s $35,000 Jumping Derby, Yann Candele of France claimed his second consecutive victory at the Capital Classic Show Jumping Tournament, held July 13-18 at the Nepean National Equestrian Park in Ottawa, ON, by winning the $75,000 ‘Big Ben Memorial’ Grand Prix.

Candele, a native of Normandy, France, qualified two horses for the jump-off, but the first one into the grand prix ring got the job done. Riding the 10-year-old Belgian-bred Mill Creek Marco Taere, Candele efficiently completed the shortened jump-off track set by Canadian course designer Danny Foster in a time of 52.21 seconds to overtake the lead. His performance would prove to be the winning one as none of the other eight jump-off challengers could even come close to his time.

“I rode two horses, both for Mill Creek Stables, and qualified both in the jump-off,” noted Candele, 33, who was riding for Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON, and picked up a winner’s cheque of $20,000 for the day’s work. “With Mill Creek Marco Taere, my idea was to leave the rails up, then go for the speed. You try to put the pressure on the others, to get them to chase you and have a rail. I thought one or two other combinations had the potential and the experience to catch me, but I put on enough pressure and the rails fell.”

Of the six horses who followed, Laurie Bucci of St Hilaire, QC, came the closest to challenging Candele, clocking in more than four seconds slower with a time of 56.36 riding Catesko, a horse that only has one eye. Bucci, 32, began riding the eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding last year and the pair are currently in their first year of grand prix competition together.

Hometown favourite Jill Henselwood had the disadvantage of going first in the jump-off and, while she did leave all of the rails up, she left the door open for her time to be beaten, clocking in at 58.47 seconds.

“I was hoping to find a route that was shorter, but the one I choose wasn’t faster,” lamented Henselwood, 39, of Oxford Mills, ON. “It’s tough because you know you have to leave all of the fences up, and there was a lot of fast horses in the field. I knew that Yann would be faster, and Ainsley’s horse, Catch 22, is like lightning.”

Ainsley Vince of Milton, ON, finished fourth with the stallion, Kafka, when she had one rail down in the jump-off in a quick time of 55.12 seconds. As Henselwood had predicted, Vince did have the distinction of having the fastest jump-off time, 51.15 seconds, but two rails cost her the win with her veteran partner, Catch 22, to place seventh.

Belgium Olympian Eric Flameng took fifth with a four fault jump-off effort riding Roxanne, while Candele and the developing nine-year-old Nurejev took sixth.

Over 700 horses competed at the 2004 edition of the Capital Classic Show Jumping Tournament for more than $150,000 in prize money. For more information, please visit www.capitalclassic.ca

Rider, Hometown, Horse, Faults, Time
1. Yann Candele, France, Mill Creek Marco Taere, 0:0, 52.21
2. Laurie Bucci, St. Hilaire, QC, Catesko, 0:0, 56.36
3. Jill Henselwood, Oxford Mills, ON, Callisto, 0:0, 58.47
4. Ainsley Vince, Milton, ON, Kafka, 0:4, 55.12
5. Eric Flameng, Belgium, Roxanne, 0:4, 55.79
6. Yann Candele, France, Nurejev, 0:4, 64.38
7. Ainsley Vince, Milton, ON, Catch 22, 0:8, 51.15
8. Ken Berkley, Flemington, NJ, Ratina Z, 0:8, 57.52
9. Jay Hayes, Cheltenham, ON, Landor 17, 0:12, 60.09