November 23, 2006 – St-Hilaire, QC – At the conclusion of a sensational 2006 season, Quebec equestrian athlete Laurie Bucci claimed the Canadian Show Jumping Championships at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON, on November 4, 2006.

Bucci of St-Hilaire, QC, has enjoyed an impressive year that began in back in January during the highly competitive Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Riding Catesko, her beloved 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding that is blind in one eye, Bucci posted impressive results among the best riders in the world.

At the conclusion of the Florida circuit where she had trained with Markus Beerbaum, Bucci took advantage of an incredible opportunity to spend three months training in Germany with four-time Olympic Gold medalist, Ludger Beerbaum. Working with Bucci both at his facility and at international competitions, the show jumping legend raised her competitive riding abilities to a new level.

Upon returning to Canada, Bucci enjoyed top placings at Spruce Meadows in Calgary before coming east for the 'Quebec circuit' where her top placings included a sixth place finish with Catesko in the $125,000 CN Grand Prix held during the CSI3* Bromont International. In August, Quidam's Ramiro, a nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Quidam de Revel, began to come into his own, stealing the spotlight from his stablemate, Catesko. By September, Quidam's Ramiro was in top form, winning the $100,000 World Cup Qualifier at the CSI-W Tournament of Champions in Palgrave, ON, following an exciting jump-off.

"It was the first World Cup Grand Prix that I have ever won," said Bucci, still in awe of her hard-fought victory. "All of our hard work over the years had finally paid off, but it also made me realize how much more there still is to achieve."

At the Royal Horse Show, the final event on the Canadian show jumping circuit, Quidam's Ramiro was in top form. The Canadian Show Jumping Championship, held over two days, saw Bucci and Quidam's Ramiro sitting sixth following the opening speed phase. In Saturday's final two-round competition, Bucci and Quidam's Ramiro were perfect, leaving all the rails in place over two tough tracks set by leading course designer, Michel Vaillancourt. In claiming her first Canadian Show Jumping Championship, Bucci edged out early leader Mario Deslauriers, defending champion Jill Henselwood who settled for second, and eight-time Olympian Ian Millar who was looking to claim his tenth national title.

"I always knew that Quidam's Ramiro was capable of winning, I was just surprised that it happened so soon," said Bucci of the nine-year-old gelding owned by Quebec resident, Claude Dufresne. "It is really nice when all of the work that you put into these horses results in a win like the Canadian Championship."

In addition to being the newly crowned Canadian Show Jumping Champion, Bucci finished the season sitting second in the Canadian League World Cup standings. The top two riders in the standings receive an invitation to compete at the 2007 World Cup Final that will be held in Las Vegas.

"I would love to qualify for Las Vegas, and also the Pan American Games are a big goal for me for next year," explains Bucci, 34, who would be making her international debut riding for the Canadian Show Jumping Team should she qualify for either event.

In preparation for the 2007 season, Bucci will again travel to Florida to compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival. While Catesko and Quidam's Ramiro will compete in the Grand Prix ring, she is also developing Bratt Z and will show him in the six-year-old young horse division. Imported by Bucci and her husband and business partner, Francis Berger, Bratt Z is a very promising chestnut Zangersheide stallion boasting current Olympic Champion, Baloubet de Rouet, as his sire while his dam's side carries the famous Capitol I bloodline. In addition to being a very exciting prospect in the show ring, Bratt Z is a popular breeding stallion, and topped the Canadian Warmblood Stallion Performance test in August, earning a score of 122.14 - the second highest score in Canadian Warmblood history!

Bucci is very conscious of the hard work that goes into her success, and is thankful to have such a strong team of supporters behind her including her newest sponsor, Cavalor, a Belgian-based company specializing in equine nutrition.

"First, I could not do this without the support and expertise of my husband and trainer, Francis," she says. "And I wouldn’t have good horses to ride if it weren't for my owners and for Tjeert Rijkens, our friend and partner in Germany. Training with Ludger this spring gave me exposure to European competition, and then coming home and working with well-known horseman, Juergen von Buttlar, to develop plans for my horses was a big help - his advice was instrumental in having Quidam's Ramiro in top form for the Canadian Championships. And of course, my father, Adam, has been there for me since day one."

Bucci first made a name for herself as a teenager, winning the World Junior Championship in Tampa, FL, in 1989, the same year she won the Individual Gold Medal at the North American Young Riders’ Championship. In 1992, Bucci won both Team and Individual Silver Medals at the North American Young Riders’ Championship, held in front of a home crowd in Bromont, QC.

Bucci and Berger own and operate South Shore Farm outside of Montreal, QC, where they concentrate on coaching clients and training horses for success in the hunter and jumper rings. With approximately 70 horses, Southshore Farm has its own breeding program and offers a riding school for those just getting their start in the sport.

For more information, please visit www.southshorefarm.net and www.lauriebucci.com or call (514) 924-4035.