Colombia’s Roberto Teran riding Vortex won the $10,000 ATCO Jumping Derby on Saturday, August 20, at the National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments in Ottawa, ON. Photo by Alison Moore

August 20, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario – Colombia’s Roberto Teran dominated at the National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments, taking four out of the top nine spots in the $10,000 ATCO Jumping Derby held Saturday, August 20, at the Nepean National Equestrian Park in Ottawa, ON.

In the ultimate test of fitness and bravery, only 10 horses managed to finish the course set by Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela. Nine horses were eliminated at the stone wall, which required horses to negotiate their way down a hill before jumping off over a stone wall. Two riders - nine-time Canadian Olympian Ian Millar, 64, of Perth, ON, riding Dryden and eventual winner Teran, on a different horse, Galina 177, managed to continue and successfully complete the course after having a refusal at the wall.

Teran increased his chances for victory by entering four horses in the $10,000 ATCO Jumping Derby. On his third attempt around the track riding Vortex, Teran left all the rails in place but exceeded the 129-second time allowed for one time fault. It proved to the best score of the day, giving Teran the victory without a jump-off.

“It is a very long course and the horses start getting tired at the end, but with riders Ian Millar and Jay Hayes competing, I am a little surprised that we didn’t get a clear round,” said Teran, 34, who has been based in Schomberg, ON, for the past eight years and continues to represent his native Colombia in international competition. “After I went with my first horse, I knew it was going to be tough to get a clear. Even if you managed to jump clear, the time was tight, as we have come to expect from Leopoldo.”

The two-time Olympic course designer was happy with the result.

“Winning with one time fault is perfect,” said Palacios, 64, who was the course designer at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “Here at this Park, you have all of the natural obstacles. You should use them. We have big crowds and television coverage here today; they love the derby. The derby is to test the bravery of the horses; the riders need to show that their horses are fit and well-trained.”

Teran confirmed Palacios’ assessment when asked what the secret was to jumping the wall by saying, “That wall, if you have trained it, is a very simple jump. If you haven’t, it looks like quite a drop for the horses, and they think it is scary. Leopoldo added an extra element of difficulty by putting a rail there as well. The rider starts thinking about it, worrying that they are going to have trouble, and the horses feel their tension and become scared.”

Teran began riding his winning mount, Vortex, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Ashlyn Trevelyan, earlier this year. In July, they enjoyed top three placings at competitions in Blainville and Bromont, both in Quebec, before taking their first win in the $10,000 ATCO Jumping Derby.

Runner-up Hayley Mackinnon of Stittsville, ON, was only the second rider on course, guiding Class Action to a five-fault round after having a rail down in the dreaded devil’s dyke and incurring one time fault.

Ryan Roy of King City, ON, placed third after having one rail down at fence 13, and picking up two time faults with Limbo 124. Olympic team silver medalist Millar riding Dryden did not touch a rail, but placed fourth with eight faults after counting his refusal at the wall and four time faults.

Teran slotted into fifth position with 12 faults incurred with Cheptel Gaston, a horse Teran was riding for only the second time. The horse is usually ridden by Teran’s student, Miguel Elizagaray of Argentina, who was unable to make it to the National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments. Teran also took sixth place with Sioux de Ambar Z, a horse that is only seven years old, and ninth with Galina 177, a horse that owner Mark Hayes imported from Belgium seven weeks ago.

Teran and Hayes operate a training business together, based at the stables of Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze in Schomberg, ON.

The two-week National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments concludes with Sunday’s $75,000 CSI** Brookstreet Grand Prix, sanctioned by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), at approximately 2 p.m.

More than 500 horses will compete over the two weeks of competition at the Nepean National Equestrian Park, conveniently located at the 417 Queensway and Moodie Drive. For more information on the National Capital Show Jumping Tournament, please visit www.hayesco.ca.

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