Nicole Shinton of Uxbridge, ON, and Wallentstein made their Grand Prix debut at the CDI Gold Coast Opener held January 21-24 in Wellington, FL. Photo by Susan J. Stickle, SportHorsePhotography.com

January 28, 2010 – Wellington, Florida – Canada’s Nicole Shinton of Uxbridge, ON, won the Adult Amateur Intermediaire I at the CDI Gold Coast Opener dressage competition held January 21-24 in Wellington, FL.

Riding GB Marko, Shinton won the Adult Amateur Intermediare I, open to amateur competitors only, with a score of 64.561% to top the division. GB Marko is a 14-year-old chestnut Dutch Warmblood gelding that Shinton began showing at the advanced level in 2008. In Saturday’s Intermediaire I class, which was open to both professional and amateur competitors, Shinton and GB Marko placed fourth overall with a score of 62.368%.

The Gold Coast Opener also marked the second competition for her newest horse, Wallenstein, an 11-year old Swedish Warmblood gelding sired by Warsteiner. In Friday’s FEI Test of Choice, the pair performed their first Grand Prix test together and received a score of 62.057% from the three-member panel of judges. On Saturday, Shinton and Wallenstein contested the Open Grand Prix, earning a score of 61.773% to place fourth among a 13-horse starting field.

“They were good boys this weekend,” said Shinton, 36, of her two horses. “I love competing in the amateur classes, but it was good to do the open divisions with both horses and see where we fit in among the professionals. Since this was my first time ever competing at Grand Prix, there are a lot of little things that I can clean up. Everything will come together with time and experience.”

At the pair’s first show together in early January, Shinton and Wallenstein performed the Intermediaire II test, earning a score of 68.40% from judge Gary Rockwell. Shinton is based in Florida during the winter season and will continue to compete through April.

A former eventing competitor, Shinton was named the 2004 Adult Amateur Intermediate Rider of the Year by the United States Eventing Association, a remarkable feat for a Canadian in such a highly competitive division. Shinton was also named to the 2005 Canadian Eventing Team Long List with two horses, Pamela and The Grey Pony, before a rotational fall in 2007 forced her to change her focus from eventing to dressage.

She and her husband, Alan Shinton, own Greenbrier Farms, a 160 acre eventing facility in Uxbridge, ON.