Canadian Combo Megan Lane and Caravella One Step Closer to Dressage Team Dream

Making the seven hour trip from her home base Deer Ridge Equestrian Center near Toronto, Canada 23-year-old Megan Lane moved one step closer to her lofty but reachable goal of being selected to represent her country at the Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games, Normandy 2014 winning the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Kentucky Dressage Association Spring CDI***. With her Canadian bred mare (Bred by Jill Irvng) Caravella “aka. Capri” a 2001 KWPN by Contango out of P.Riviera (by Riverman), Lane spent the winter in Wellington training at Stillpoint Farm with Oded Shimoni along with four other Deer Ridge horses and had a successful season. “There is no doubt that the quality of coaching and the Wellington atmosphere were instrumental in my progress thus far,” said Lane. Up until that point, she had been training mostly on her own in Canada with the help of a few visits from clinicians. “There is no doubt that the quality of coaching and the Wellington atmosphere were instrumental in my progress thus far,” said Lane, who was on her own in Kentucky, but will be bolstered by Shimoni’s presence at two key Canadian CDI’s this spring. The Rolex Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park is familiar territory for the Canadian duo of Caravella and Megan Lane, where they have won multiple medals on the Canadian Junior and Young Rider Team previous years. Lane and Caravella have shared their journey representing Canada in the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships earning multiple medals. As Canada continues to develop a new group of eligible riders eyeing the top spot, Lane has been supported by generous grant from the Dressage Canada High Performance Committee (DCHPC) together with the Canadian Dressage Athlete Assistant Program (C-DAAP) which will aid her in traveling to Europe this summer to gain more experience in the international arenas.

“Caravella’s sire, the late Contango is suited for dressage or jumping and “Capri “ shows the same versatility in her athleticism,” said Lane about her long time partner. She had a accompanied a friend to look at her to buy “but at the end of the day it was I who ended up taking her home!”  It was not long after that she managed to qualify for the Junior Young Riders Team and triple medalled at the Championships. “You always have to be one step ahead of her, “ said Megan. “After I purchased her, she had been doing late hunter changes, so I had just three weeks to train her to do clean ones. She picked them up in time for the first qualifying show at juniors that year.”  Megan and Capri have formed a strong relationship as they have grown up together and she shares some of her “girl’s little quirks: “she likes anything that is soft and fuzzy, especially her boots. When you bring them out she perks her ears up and wants to touch them with her nose before you put them on her. She also likes playing with my sister's curly hair!” “I would also like to mention how much I appreciate all support from Canadian dressage community, “ adds Lane. “Having that type of encouragement and enthusiasm behind you is invaluable, and I am so thankful for it. Caravella was bred by a Canadian, and is owned and ridden by a Canadian. It shows that Canada has what it takes to produce dressage athletes, and with so many talented and ambitious up and coming combinations, the future of Canadian Dressage looks very exciting. I would be thrilled that I may be a small part of it!”

Back in Canada, Lane will compete at the Cornerstone CDI* June 5-8, and then June 19-22 at The Royal Canadian Riding Academy CDI* June 19-22.

Watch the video done after the North American Young Riders’ Championships which tells a little of the story of Megan and Caravella.