August 19, 2004 – Collingwood, Ontario – Erynn Ballard and Louvre leapt to the top of the standings in the Six-Year-Old Division of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series held Friday, August 13, at the Collingwood Festival in Collingwood, ON.

Ballard of Hornby, ON, guided the Oldenburg stallion by Landfriese II to the head of the 14-horse class which included all four of the past winners of this division this season - John Pearce and Archie Bunker who won the last time out at the Capital Classic Show Jumping Tournament in Ottawa, ON, Simon McCarthy and Kaiser de le Cour, Hyde Moffat and Ruben, and McCarthy with Sparky, who won the first event of the season at the Festival of the Horse in Ancaster, ON.

However, it was Louvre’s time to shine in Collingwood as the horse, bred in Germany by Paul Schockemohle and purchased by W. Charlot Farms as a two-year-old, enjoyed his first victory on Canadian soil after previously enjoying numerous wins in Young Horse classes in the United States.

“After doing extremely well as a five-year-old in the U.S., then placing second at the first Canadian show in Ancaster, Louvre had not been focusing on his job at the last few shows, something that is not uncommon for a young stallion,” noted owner Augustin Walch of W. Charlot Farms in Stratford, ON. “We were very happy at Collingwood to see that he was ‘all business’ again, and want to thank Erynn for the excellent job she does with all of our horses.”

Moffat of Brantford, ON, placed second with Rhianna, a Dutch Warmblood mare who was bred in the Netherlands and is enjoying her first year of showing under the ownership of Gary Moroney. Moffat also jockeyed Rambo, also a registered Dutch Warmblood by Heartbreaker, to third position for owner Frank Highley.

The Mill Creek Stables entry of Kaiser de le Cour, a chestnut selle francais stallion by Verdi, a son of Narcos II, took fourth position under McCarthy while Peter Gisborne guided V.D.L. Roger, a Dutch Warmblood by Indoctro, to fifth place for owner Hogendoorn Sport Horses.

Thirty horses contested the Five-Year-Old Division with Axel Schmidt coming out on top riding Horsecommerce Salzburg, a Dutch Warmblood by the Landgraf I son, Burggraaf, owned by North Ridge and Horsecommerce. Schmidt, who hails from Germany, enjoyed the win while on a two-week visit back to Canada, having spent last summer working with two-time Olympian and Collingwood Horse Show Co-Chair, Jay Hayes.

Ballard’s name again appeared in the standings as she piloted the Irish-bred gelding, Kinsale, to second place for owners Burmonds and Nancy Wetmore. Kinsale, who is by the aptly-named Puissance, was imported earlier this year after being purchased from his Irish breeder and is a half-brother to the 2003 Six-Year-Old National Champion, Mystical Sprite, also owned by Burmonds and Wetmore.

W. Charlot Farms took third place with Rio’s Ricardo, a licensed Canadian Warmblood stallion. Homebred and standing alongside his famous father, Rio Grande, Rio’s Ricardo was piloted by Ballard. Another Rio Grande progeny, Rachel, placed fourth for owner Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON. A registered Oldenburg mare, Rachel was ridden by 18-year-old Tonya Henning.

Rounding out the top five was Sil, a Dutch Warmblood gelding by Voltaire. Sil is a new acquisition for owner and rider Elliott Stone, 22, of Midland, ON.

For the third time this season, Pour Patrice W topped the Four-Year-Old Division with rider Erynn Ballard. However, there was one difference this time – a change of ownership. Formerly owned by his breeder, W. Charlot Farms, the Hannoverian stallion by Pour Gagne and out of a Rio Grande mare was purchased in July by Charles Ormston, the founder and past Chair of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series.

Hugh Graham took three of the next four positions for owner KingRidge Stables. Encore, a Canadian Sport Horse gelding by Class Action and out of the grand prix show jumping mare, Alley Cat, placed second; Easy Money, a Canadian Sport Horse gelding by Money Talks, finished third; and Endeavour, a Canadian Sport Horse mare also by Money Talks, placed fifth.

The Mill Creek Stables entry of Rin Tin Tin, a Hannoverian gelding by Raphael that was imported to Canada in 2002, broke up the KingRidge domination with a fourth place finish under McCarthy.

In the Four and Five-Year-Old Divisions, 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. Points in the overall Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series are tabulated 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 on Saturday, September 4, during the Halton Valley Summer Tournament in Milton, ON. The 2004 Series is comprised of nine events, including the Ontario Championships scheduled for the Tournament of Champions in September where $12,000 in prize money will be offered - $5,000 each for the Five and Six-Year-Old Divisions and, thanks to the sponsorship of W. Charlot Farms, $2,000 for the Four-Year-Old Division. At the National Championships for Five and Six-Year-Olds hosted by Toronto’s famed Royal Horse Show in November, $16,000 in prize money will be offered in addition to two saddles that have been generously donated for the winning entries at the National Championships - Cavalier will award an Amerigo saddle while Running Fox will present a Luc Childeric saddle.

Proud supporters of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series include the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, Cavalier, 4 Star Trailers, Gary Cooper Chev Olds, Tim Grubb, Henry Equestrian Insurance Brokers Ltd., Horseware Ireland, KingRidge Stables, Kim Kirton, Dr. Alan Manning, Peter Miller, the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association, Charles Ormston, Running Fox, Scotia McLeod, TD Canada Trust and W. Charlot Farms.

Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series – Final Results From Collingwood

Six-Year-Old Division

Horse, Owner, Rider
1. Louvre, W. Charlot Farms, Erynn Ballard
2. Rhianna, Gary Moroney, Hyde Moffat
3. Rambo, Frank Highley, Hyde Moffat
4. Kaiser de le Cour, Mill Creek Stables, Simon McCarthy
5. V.D.L. Roger, Hogendoorn Sport Horses, Peter Gisborne

Five-Year-Old Division

Horse, Owner, Rider
1. Horsecommerce Salzburg, North Ridge and Horsecommerce, Axel Schmicht
2. Kinsale, Burmonds and Wetmore, Erynn Ballard
3. Rio’s Ricardo, W. Charlot Farms, Erynn Ballard
4. Rachel, Mill Creek Stables, Tonya Henning
5. Sil, Elliott Stone, Elliott Stone

Four-Year-Old Division

Horse, Owner, Rider
1. Pour Patrice W, Charles Ormston, Erynn Ballard
2. Easy Money, KingRidge Stables, Hugh Graham
3. Encore, KingRidge Stables, Hugh Graham
4. Rin Tin Tin, Mill Creek Stables, Simon McCarthy
5. Endeavour, KingRidge Stables, Hugh Graham

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

2004 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series Show Schedule

Festival of the Horse – Ancaster, ON, June 6
Summer Classic – Palgrave, ON, June 18
Cornerstone Farms Show – Barrie, ON, July 2
Capital Classic – Ottawa, ON, July 16
Collingwood Horse Show – Collingwood, ON, August 13
Halton Valley Summer Tournament – Milton, ON, September 4
Fox Run Horse Show – Troy, ON, September 19
Ontario Championships, September 23
Tournament of Champions – Palgrave, ON
Five and Six-Year-Old National Championships, November 7
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair – Toronto, ON