June 25, 2006 – Ottawa, Ontario – Music filled the Nepean National Equestrian Park as Freestyle competition took center stage at the CDI3* Ottawa Summer Dressage Classic held June 22-25 in Ottawa, ON.

Big winners included Andrea Bresee of Brockville, ON, Briannon Johnson of Ottawa, ON, Jessica Rhinelander of St. John's, NL, and Tatianna Turcotte of Mount Royal, QC.

Andrea Bresee put in an elegant performance to take top spot in the Intermediaire Freestyle, earning a score of 71.55% from the panel of five international judges. Bresee's partner is Raffles, a 12-year-old Canadian-bred mare owned by Faith Berghuis and Olympic Team Bronze Medallist Gina Smith. Bresee, a noted coach herself, has been training with Smith at Franklands Farm in Brockville for the past ten years.

The pair's technically difficult Freestyle program featured two tempi changes on the half-circle in front of the judges and several trot half-pass tours. Karen Robinson of Applause Dressage in Vancouver, BC, compiled the powerful Celtic-inspired music. Bresee and Raffles are now concentrating on qualifying for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"I think she was really in front of my leg and the connection was very good, plus she really likes her music," said Bresee, 31, who performed to a musical piece entitled 'Middle Earth Quest of the Dream Warrior'. "She has gotten a lot stronger over the winter and she understands what I am asking her to do. I have been riding her since she was a four-year-old, and she's not an easy mare in her temperament, so when she gives herself to me, it is a great feeling because she is very talented."

Tom Dvorak had the most interesting ride of the afternoon. Mid-way through his Freestyle performance, the sprinkler system went off, spraying Dvorak and his horse, Fortissimo, not to mention the judges! When this technical glitch was corrected, Dvorak choose to begin his test again from the start, earning a score of 67.75% to place second for a program that made use of his horse's impressive extended trot and canter.

"It turned out okay in the end," said Dvorak, who performed to a 'Blues Brothers' medley compiled by Kim Goodyear. "Fortissimo is spooky by nature, but he recovered well. I think that he was a little tired by the end of the weekend, so that helped. The judges gave me the choice to pick up again or start over at the beginning, and I choose to start again and do the trot work, I think if I had just picked up with the canter, he might not have settled down so well. He really hung in there for me."

Gillian Sutherland of Unionville, ON, was a close third with 67.20% riding Great Tyme. Sutherland is now enjoying her third season of competition with her athletic nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding.

After winning the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I competitions, Diane Creech encountered difficulty with her nine-year-old Hannoverian mare, Wiona, in the Freestyle. However, the many beautiful moments still earned her a score of 64.95% for fourth place.

Cheryl Meisner of Halifax, NS, rounded out the top five with a score of 64.60% riding Lucky Strike, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Lobster Point Farms.


Briannon Johnson, a 19-year-old University of Ottawa student, won the FEI Young Riders' Freestyle with a score of 66.35%. Johnson has been partnered with La Valse, her chestnut Hannoverian gelding, for three seasons and trains at Queenswood Stables in Navan, ON, with Simone Williams. Cecile von Martels of Ridgetown, ON, finished a close second with a score of 66.05% riding Downtown, her 10-year-old Westphalian gelding.

Jessica Rhinelander made her trip to Ontario worthwhile by winning the FEI Junior Freestyle with an impressive score of 70.40%. Rhinelander was aboard Dostoevsky, a Russian Warmblood gelding owned by Leah Wilson. Rhinelander has a long commute between her home in Newfoundland and her training base in the Ottawa area at Oxford Ridge Stables with coach Ruth Koch. Breanne Willoughby-Brown of Stouffville, ON, took second place with a score of 65.05% riding Espar, her chestnut Hannoverian gelding.

Making a clean sweep of the FEI Pony division, Tatiana Turcotte of Mount Royal, QC, and her 10-year-old bay Connemara pony, Serenity's Dream On, won the Freestyle with 66.167%. Two Ottawa area riders, Jade Deter riding Columbo 25 and Ashley Phipps riding Maggie, placed second and third respectively.

In addition to the Freestyle competitions, the Grand Prix Special was also held on Sunday. Cheryl Meisner claimed the win with a score of 61.80% riding Hesperos, a 12-year-old German Trakehner gelding. The 24-year-old rides for Halifax-based Lobster Point Farms. Karin Davis, an Australian native now making her home in Canada, was the runner-up riding Mighty Heights, a 21-year-old Australian thoroughbred gelding that formerly enjoyed a career in three day eventing.

Over 240 horses competed during the CDI3* Ottawa Summer Classic, one of only five World Cup Qualifying events held in Canada. The competition was organized by Ottawa's own Cara Whitham, who will also mount the CDI3* Ottawa Fall Dressage Classic at the Nepean National Equestrian Park from August 25-28. For more information, please visit www.equivents.com. Complete results can also be found at www.foxvillage.com.

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Rider Hometown Horse Score
1. Andrea Bresee Brockville, ON Raffles 71.55%
2. Tom Dvorak Hillsburgh, ON Fortissimo 67.75%
3. Gillian Sutherland Unionville, ON Great Tyme 67.20%
4. Diane Creech Caistor Centre, ON Wiona 64.95%
5. Cheryl Meisner Halifax, NS Lucky Strike 64.60%
6. Ute Busse Breslau, ON Lindor's Finest 64.40%
7. Lee Tubman Smithville, ON Marquis 62.00%
8. Chris Sanders Port Stanley, ON Van Gogh 59.75%
9. Liz Steacie Brockville, ON Mikayla 59.05%
10. Alexandra Hosein Wellington, NS Lucky Star 57.95%
11. Ariane Gauthier St. Lazare, QC Deimos 56.90%

Rider Hometown Horse Score
1. Cheryl Meisner Halifax, NS Hesperos 61.80%
2. Karin Davis Australia Mighty Heights 60.64%