Jacqueline Brooks and Balmoral swept the Intermediaire division at the CDI3*-W Toronto CNE Dressage Classic. Photo by Warren Liebmann, Actionpix.ca

August 15, 2007 – Toronto, Ontario – The second annual CDI3*-W Toronto CNE Dressage Classic was held from August 7 to 11 at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, ON, and the popular winner was hometown favourite, Jacqueline Brooks.

Brooks made a clean sweep of both the Grand Prix and Intermediaire divisions, winning every class she contested. A total of six riders challenged the Grand Prix with Brooks emerging victorious with Gran Gesto, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch. Her score of 65.500% made her the unanimous winner among the panel of five international judges.

Placing second was 26-year-old Tina Busse-Irwin of Lakefield, ON, riding Amicelli, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by her mother, Ute Busse, and Wendy Beresford. The pair earned a score of 62.292%. The next four competitors were closely matched, all earning scores within one percentage point of each other. Jessica Costello of Mount Albert, ON, earned 60.917% riding Judy Elliott's Litmanen; Nancy MacLachlan of Terra Cotta, ON, earned 60.458% with Ariston; Merrickville, ON, resident Susanne Dutt-Roth debuted Rheirattack, a horse she bred herself, in CDI Grand Prix competition for 60.250%; and Jon Costin scored 60.042% riding Wholio. In last year's inaugural event, Costin of Freelton, ON, had been the Grand Prix winner with Wholio, his 11-year-old Hannoverian gelding by Warkant.

MacLachlan opted to compete in the Grand Prix Special with Ariston, her 11-year-old Ukrainian Warmblood gelding, winning with a score of 63.400% over Dutt-Roth (59.800%) and Costello (59.560%). Brooks, Busse-Irwin and Costin all choose to contest the Freestyle. For her dramatic performance to music from the major motion picture 'Alexander', Brooks was rewarded with a score of 72.050%. Busse-Irwin took second with 66.050% while Costin was third with 65.400%.

"Both horses tried so hard in all their classes," noted Brooks, 39, of Gran Gesto and Balmoral. "I was especially pleased with Gran Gesto in the Freestyle. Although we had some confusion in the Grand Prix, he really stepped up in the Kur. He even had some nine's in the test! Balmoral was consistent again and, not to be outdone by his brother, also received a nine in his freestyle."

In addition to winning her two Grand Prix classes, Brooks also made easy work of the Intermediaire division, winning with Prix St. Georges (68.850%), the Intermediare I (67.150%), and the Intermediaire Freestyle (70.500%).

Ute Busse of Breslau, ON, was Brooks' biggest competition in the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire I, placing second with scores of 65.250% and 64.75% respectively riding Lindor's Finest, a 10-year-old Canadian-bred gelding owned by Busse and Sylvia Carlton. In the Intermediaire Freestyle, Jaimey Irwin, 29, of Lakefield, ON, slipped ahead of his mother-in-law to finish second with Dover, a 10-year-old black Oldenburg gelding owned by Wendy Beresford. Irwin's score of 67.450% kept him just ahead of Busse who earned 67.170%.

Although Brooks was unable to compete in the inaugural CDI3* Toronto last year as she was training and showing in Europe, she is no stranger to the venue, having competed in the Ricoh Coliseum on several occasions during November's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Replacing the now defunct Canadian League World Cup Final at this year's Royal will be the inaugural 'Royal Canadian Freestyle Championship'.

"The venue was a fantastic preparation for our Canadian Freestyle Final in November," noted Brooks, who will be among the six riders invited to compete. "It was also great to be able to get Balmoral into that ring long before he will be competing in a final himself."

There were three CDI3*-W international dressage competitions on the Canadian calendar in 2007 and Brooks dominated all three. At the Ottawa Summer Dressage Classic in June, she won all divisions of the Intermediaire and Grand Prix and, at the following week's Blainville Dressage International, she won the Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire Freestyle as well as the Grand Prix.

"I am very pleased for my owners Eric and Mary Brooks, Anne and John Welch, and Nick and Jean Vinios, that the horses have had such a rewarding summer winning 13 of the 15 CDI classes they contested," noted Brooks.

"As always, I would like to thank Cara Whitham and Equivents, Inc. for providing so many Canadian CDI's, and Walter Shanly for bringing dressage to downtown Toronto!" added Brooks in reference to show manager, Cara Whitham, who organizes the CDI Ottawa Summer Classic, and competition organizer, Walter Shanly.

Other winners at the CDI3* Toronto CNE Dressage Classic included Vivian Cornell who swept all three tests comprising the FEI Pony division riding Secret Agent Man, Annie-Pier Venne who won the FEI Junior Freestyle with Step Up, and Katharine Martin who claimed the FEI Young Riders' Freestyle riding Optimist. Young horses were also in the spotlight with the FEI Five-Year-Old Young Horse Final being won by Dutt-Roth riding Di Stefano and Lee Tubman emerging victorious in the FEI Six-Year-Old Young Horse Final riding De La Rosa.

For more information on the CDI3*-W Toronto CNE Dressage Classic, please visit www.equivents.com. Complete results can be found at www.foxvillage.com.


CDI Grand Prix
Rider Hometown Horse Score
1. Jacqueline Brooks Mount Albert, ON Gran Gesto 65.500%
2. Tina Busse-Irwin Lakefield, ON Amicelli 62.292%
3. Jessica Costello Mount Albert, ON Litmanen 60.917%
4. Nancy MacLachlan Terra Cotta, ON Ariston 60.458%
5. Susanne Dutt-Roth Merrickville, ON Rheirattack 60.250%
6. Jon Costin Freelton, ON Wholio 60.042%

CDI Grand Prix Special
Rider Hometown Horse Score
1. Nancy MacLachlan Terra Cotta, ON Ariston 63.400%
2. Susanne Dutt-Roth Merrickville, ON Rheirattack 59.800%
3. Jessica Costello Mount Albert, ON Litmanen 59.560%

CDI Grand Prix Freestyle
Rider Hometown Horse Score
1. Jacqueline Brooks Mount Albert, ON Gran Gesto 72.050%
2. Tina Busse-Irwin Lakefield, ON Amicelli 66.050%
3. Jon Costin Freelton, ON Wholio 65.400%