Grand Finale 3E is Grand Winner in Canadian Jumper Development Series

Caledon, Ontario – The third leg of the 2009 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series took place during the Cornerstone II Horse Show at Bronte Creek Equestrian Centre in Milton, ON, on July 3, 2009, and once again showcased the future of Canadian show jumping.

KingRidge Stables made a clean sweep of the Seven and Eight-Year-Old Division by taking the top three positions. Finishing in first place was Grand Finale 3E, a Canadian Sport Horse mare by Jamestown out of a Chin Chin mare shown by Roberto Teran.

Hugh Graham rode the second placed entry, Feature Attraction 3E, a Canadian Sport Horse by Baloubet du Rouet out of Galaxy 3E by Aerobic Z. Graham also rode the third placed entry of Fifth Estate 3E by the Dutch Warmblood stallion, Class Action, out of Alley Cat by Emilion. All three horses were bred by KingRidge Stables of King, ON.

Improving on their second place finish in the previous event in the Canadian Jumper Development Series, Jay Hayes and Wonderboy won the Six-Year-Old Division. The Dutch Warmblood gelding is by Lupicor out of a Renville mare and is owned by North Ridge.

Placing second was the Canadian Sport Horse, Holy Smoke 3E, ridden by Hugh Graham and owned by breeder KingRidge Stables. The pair has enjoyed great success to date in the 2009 season, having also topped the division the last time out.

Capturing third place was Frankie Chesler-Ortiz of Orangeville, ON, riding Caprice Z. Sired by the famous Holsteiner stallion Chin Chin, Caprice Z is out of Ianouchka des Genets by the selle francais stallion, Le Tot de Semilly.

Chesler-Ortiz dominated the Five-Year-Old Division, winning with the Canadian-bred Hannoverian Eli for the second time this season. With a clear round and a style score of 39 from style judge Peter Stoeckl, Eli received a total of 89 points to take the win. Bred and owned by Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON, Eli is by El Bundy out of a Rio Grande mare. Chesler-Ortiz also took third place with another Mill Creek Stables entry, Ruby Tuesday, an Oldenburg by Royal Bravour out of No Doubt by Cambridge. Their clear round, combined with a style score of 37, gave them a total of 87 points.

Allison Zlepnig finished second with the Ottawa Southway Inn Group’s Lino, an Oldenburg by Lordanos out of Fiane by Pablo.

The Four-Year-Old Division saw Kevin Maxie add another red ribbon to his growing collection. Maxie won the class with Viva’s Victory W, a Canadian Warmblood sired by Viva Voltaire and owned and bred by Augustin and Christine Walch’s W. Charlot Farms of Stratford, ON. The victory put the pair in the winner’s circle for the second time in a row, as they had also won the Four-Year-Old Division at the last instalment of the Canadian Jumper Development Series held in Palgrave, ON. Maxie and Viva’s Victory W produced a clear round and were awarded a style score of 40 points to land in the lead with an impressive total of 90 points. Kevin Maxie also finished in third position with Viva’s Destiny W, also sired by Viva Voltaire and owned by Augustin Walch.

Finishing in second place was Los Pehuenes Tornado, ridden by Miguel Elicagaray. The Argentine Warmblood is by Twister B out of Los Pehuenes Ladina by James and is owned by Bob Suriwka of King City, ON.

The purpose of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development. This careful development allows the horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence. The Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

The 2009 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is truly national in scope with competitions being held from coast to coast. This year, the Rocky Mountain Classic II will play host to the $20,000 Western Canadian Championships from August 28-30 in Calgary, AB. After being held at Thunderbird Showpark in Langley, BC for the past three years, the move to Calgary in 2009 will encourage more participation from Alberta owners and breeders.

The Ontario Championships, Eastern Canadian Championships, and National Young Horse Finals will also change venues this year, and will take place at the Canadian Country Classic at Halton Place in Halton, ON, from September 9-13.

The next event in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series will take place during the Summer’s Here at Halton Place Horse Show in Halton Place, ON, running from July 22-26.

Proud supporters of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series include Jump Canada, the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association, Gary Cooper, Dutch Masters Construction Services Ltd., Equus Integral (exclusive Canadian distributor of Cavalor and Devoucoux), 4 Star Trailers, Henry Equestrian, KingRidge Stables, Dr. Alan Manning, Mill Creek Stables, Peter Miller, Preston Sand and Gravel, Jennifer Rogers, Scotia McLeod, Sher-Al Farms, and W. Charlot Farms. An additional donation was made in memory of Morgan Firestone.

For more information, please visit the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series website at www.jumperdevelopment.com.