August 28, 2005 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Olympian Evi Strasser of Ste-Adele, QC, maintained her perfect record by winning the Grand Prix Freestyle at the CDI3* Ottawa Fall Dressage Classic running August 25-28 at the Nepean National Equestrian Park in Ottawa, ON.

Strasser, riding Quantum Tyme, had won all three international dressage competitions held in Canada earlier this year and as she prepared to make it four in a row, the crowd gathered around the Grand Prix ring. Strasser did not disappoint, delivering an entertaining performance and keeping her winning streak in tact, claiming the Freestyle with an impressive score of 75.250%.

“It just gets better and better every time we perform it, and it never stops being great fun,” said Strasser, who performs to dramatic music from the Disney’s ‘The Lion King’. “My horse is so amazing, we have been through all the levels together, and he just fits me like a glove.”

Jacqueline Brooks of Mount Albert, ON, put in a strong performance to finish second riding Gran Gesto, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Anne Welch and Brinc Ltd. The pair earned a score of 72.400% as they debuted a new, and technically difficult, freestyle programme.

“The degree of difficulty in my new freestyle routine is much harder,” noted Brooks, whose required technical movements were choreographed to powerful music by Kurboom. “You really have to concentrate on getting all of your musical cues, and today we did everything right.”

The only other Grand Prix Freestyle competitor, Karin Davis, represented Australia to make it a true international competition. Riding Mighty Heights, a 20-year-old Australian thoroughbred gelding, Davis earned a score of 60.725%.

Nancy MacLachlan opted to ride the Grand Prix Speciale instead of the Freestyle. As the only entry, it was an easy win for MacLachlan and her Ukranian Warmblood gelding, Ariston, who scored 63.750%.


Gillian Sutherland Has Great Tyme in Ottawa
Gillian Sutherland of Unionville, ON, scored her first major victory by winning the Intermediaire Freestyle with a score of 71.575%. Sutherland was aboard the impressive Great Tyme, an eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned in partnership with her long-time sponsor, Karen Soupcoff. Sutherland has been riding Great Tyme for just over one year, and has steadily been developing a strong partnership.

After winning the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I, Brockville’s Andrea Bresee settled for second in Sunday’s Freestyle with a score of 70.475%. Bresee rode Raffles, an 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare, to a rock and roll compilation. Canadian Olympian Tom Dvorak and Beaumarchais took third place by being the only other combination to earn a score over 70%.


Dressage Canada Freestyle Champions Crowned
Dressage Canada crowed the National Freestyle Champions on Sunday. Pia Fortmuller, 20, of Dewinton, AB, was named the Young Riders’ Champion with her Hannoverian mare, Donagna. Ottawa’s own Amy McIlwham, 19, was named the Dressage Canada Young Riders’ Freestyle Reserve Champion with Marzipan, an eight-year-old Hannoverian stallion owned by Michael and Susan Nash. Success runs in the family as her older sister, Sarah McIlwham, won the Third Level Freestyle riding Karajan with a score of 69.362%.

“I am so happy, it is my first year competing at this level and I really could not have asked for more,” said Amy McIlwham, who is preparing to enter her second year at Carleton University. “What a great way to end the season!”

Vancouver’s Alexandra Duncan, 15, rode Elektra, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare, to the Dressage Canada Junior Rider Freestyle Championship title, open to riders aged 14 to 18. The Reserve Championship title went to another BC resident, Langley’s Erika Urff riding Dog and Pony Venus, a 10-year-old Hannoverian mare.

Angela Wong, 15, of Toronto, ON, was crowned the Dressage Canada Pony Rider National Freestyle Champion riding Cover Girl, a nine-year-old Welsh-cross mare. Alexandra Dvorak of Hillsburgh, ON, is following her in father’s competitive footsteps, riding Ronja to the Reserve Champion title.


Young Horse classes have become extremely popular in recent years as a means to identify and develop the international equine stars of the future. In the Six-Year-Old National Young Horse Finals, Crystal Kroetch of Calgary, AB, claimed the Championship riding Rhythmix, an Oldenburg gelding by Rubino Rosso who was bred in Germany. Evi Strasser earned the Reserve Championship title with Foto Tyme, her Westphalian gelding by Florestan I.

The winner of the Five-Year-Old National Young Horse Finals was Diane Creech of Caistor Centre, ON, riding Devon L, a Hannoverian gelding by De Niro. Strasser was again the Reserve Champion, this time with Romance Tyme, a flashy chestnut Oldenburg stallion by Rotspon.


Over 200 of Canada’s top dressage athletes traveled to the Nation’s Capital to compete in the CDI3* Ottawa Fall Dressage Classic. Sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the competition also hosted the Dressage Canada National Championships for Pony, Junior and Young Riders’, the Canadian FEI Young Horse Finals, and a national show sanctioned by Equine Canada and the United States Equestrian Federation. The CDI3*/Y/J/P Ottawa Fall Dressage Classic was the third and final FEI-sanctioned competition to be hosted in Canada this year by Ottawa’s own Cara Whitham and her company, Equivents, Inc. For more information, including full results, please visit www.equivents.com.

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Name Hometown Horse Score
1. Evi Strasser Ste-Adele, QC Quantum Tyme 75.250%
2. Jacqueline Brooks Mount Albert, ON Gran Gesto 72.400%
3. Karin Davis Australia Mighty Heights 60.725%


1. Nancy MacLachlan Terra Cotta, ON Ariston 63.750%


1. Gillian Sutherland Unionville, ON Great Tyme 71.575%
2. Andrea Bresee Brockville, ON Raffles 70.475%
3. Tom Dvorak Hillsburgh, ON Beaumarchais 70.400%
4. Diane Creech Caistor Centre, ON Wiona 69.600%
5. Dominique Culham Caledon East, ON Matisse 69.100%


1. Pia Fortmuller Dewinton, AB Donagna 141.850
2. Amy McIlwham Ottawa, ON Marzipan 138.525


1. Alexander Duncan Vancouver, BC Elektra 140.892
2. Erika Urff Langley, BC Dog and Pony Venus 134.015


1. Angela Wong Toronto, ON Cover Girl 135.500
2. Alexandra Dvorak Hillsburgh, ON Ronja 134.861


1. Crystal Kroetch Calgary, AB Rhythmix 8.69
2. Evi Strasser Ste-Adele, QC Foto Tyme 8.65


1. Diane Creech Caistor Centre, ON Devon L 8.60
2. Evi Strasser Ste-Adele, QC Romance Tyme 8.05