August 21, 2004 – Athens, Greece – The Canadian Dressage Team placed ninth overall at the conclusion of the Team competition at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Held over two consecutive days, the final two Canadian Dressage Team members performed the Grand Prix test on Saturday at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Center. Competing 50th in the order from the starting field of 52 competitors, Cindy Ishoy of Jerseyville, ON, earned a score of 66.58% with Proton, her 10-year-old German-bred gelding, to end her fourth Olympic bid as the top-placed Canadian athlete in 31st place overall.

“I was proud of how he performed, he worked with me and really put his heart into it,” noted Ishoy, 52, who made her Olympic debut in 1972 at the Munich Games. “The whole team did a good job, we had a great support system, and I couldn’t have asked for more.”

Belinda Trussell, 32, of Stouffville, ON, riding Royan II, her 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding, earned a score of 66.00% to place 36th overall individually in her Olympic debut.

In Friday’s Grand Prix competition, Leslie Reid of Langley, BC, riding Mark, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Deryol Andrews, earned a score of 66.08% to place 35th overall individually. Making her second Olympic appearance, Ashley Holzer, 40, of Toronto, ON, earned a score of 64.67% to rank 42nd in the individual standings riding Imperioso, her 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion.

Counting the best three out of four scores, Canada’s overall average was 66.22%, putting the Canadian Dressage Team just behind eighth-placed Austria who had an average score of 66.57%. For the sixth consecutive time, the Gold Medal was awarded to Germany, Spain captured the Team Silver and the United States claimed the Team Bronze.

“This is a judged sport, and we have to be content with what we delivered,” noted Canadian Dressage Team chef d’equipe Gwynne Rooke of Stouffville, ON. “We haven’t been to the Olympics in eight years, but last year we were among the top ten nations in the world to qualify for these Olympics, so we are definitely moving in the right direction. Our Team was well-prepared, the athletes did the best they could do on any given day and were at the mercy of the judges. Better results could be found through exposing ourselves to more European competition and we know this, but it takes big bucks.”

“The bottom line is that we need to get to Europe and compete against the best in the world for a period of time,” added Ishoy with regard to improving Canada’s overall world standing. “In my case personally, I feel that Proton has the same quality as some of the top horses in Europe and there are many other promising horses in Canada, but we have got to get out in front of the international judges on a regular basis. We need to sit down, make a plan and get a program going where there is funding to help.”

Canada put forward a team of experienced competitors that included Holzer and Ishoy, members of the Bronze Medal Team at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, Reid, 48, who claimed Individual Gold and Team Silver Medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Trussell who most recently represented Canada at the 2004 World Cup Final in Dusseldorf, Germany, and, like Holzer, helped Canada qualify for the Olympic Games through its placing at the 2003 Open European Championships in Hickstead, Great Britain.

A total of 52 horse-rider combinations contested the Grand Prix with the top 25 horse-rider combinations in the individual standings, with a maximum of three per nation, moving forward to the Grand Prix Speciale competition on Monday, August 23. From there, the top 15 will advance to Wednesday’s Grand Prix Freestyle to Music, used to determine the Individual Medals.

Ulla Salzgeber of Germany currently holds the top spot with a score of 78.20% riding Rusty, while Spain’s Beatriz Salat is in second place with Beauvalais on a score of 74.67%. Defending Olympic Champion, Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands, is in third position with a score of 74.21% riding Salinero.

For complete results, please visit www.athens2004.com.