Belinda Trussell of Stouffville, ON, won the Grand Prix, the Grand Prix Special, and the Grand Prix Freestyle to record a clean sweep of all the Grand Prix classes offered this past weekend and the CDI*** Port Jervis, in Port Jervis, NY, held April 24-27, 2003

Trussell, a member of Canada’s 2002 World Equestrian Games Team, riding her horse Royan II, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, handily won the Grand Prix on Friday, April 25, with a score of 66.71%. Fellow Canadian Evi Strasser of Ste. Adele, PQ, aboard her 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Pryme Tyme, finished in fifth with a score of 62.83%. Finishing in sixth place was Gillian Sutherland of Unionville, ON, and her 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding Justin Tyme, owned by Karen Soupcoff. Right behind Sutherland, in seventh place, was Jacqueline Brooks of Mount Albert, ON, and her horse Finnegan, a 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding.

On Saturday, Trussell dominated the Grand Prix Freestyle with a commanding score of 70.43% with Royan II for the win. Strasser and Pryme Tyme finished in third with a score of 68.85% and Sutherland riding Justin Tyme placed fifth with 63.88%. Brooks finished in sixth place with 63.08%.

Trussell wrapped up her fantastic weekend with a victory in the Grand Prix Special with a score of 67.32%.

“Our detailed training this winter has paid off,” noted Trussell. “Royan felt great, fresh and ready to show. After owning him for a year, our partnership is really coming together.”

Adding to Trussell’s stellar performance was her double victory in the FEI six-year-old Qualifier test with a score of 74.6% and FEI six-year-old Test with 77.6% aboard Grand Marnier, a Hanoverian gelding owned by her husband Mark Trussell.

In the Prix St. Georges test on Friday, Ishoy finished in fifth spot with 64.70% aboard Coeur de Lion. Brooks and Gran Gesto placed sixth with 64.65% and Winter and Davidoff were eighth with a score of 63.60%. Bresee riding Raffles placed 10th with a score of 62.65%, and Strasser and Quantum Tyme were 12th with a score of 62.40%.

In the Intermediare I Freestyle on Saturday, Strasser riding Quantum Tyme, her eight-year-old Oldenburg gelding, placed third with a strong score of 65.80%. Brooks and Gran Gesto, an eight-year-old Oldenburg owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch, finished in sixth with a score of 64.08%. In eighth place was Andrea Bresee of Brockville, ON, riding Gina Smith’s nine-year-old Canadian bred Swedish warmblood, Raffles. Olympic bronze medallist, Cindy Ishoy of Hannon, ON, finished in ninth place riding her horse Coeur de Lion, a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion.

Also on Saturday, Sutherland, riding Karolos, an 11-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding owned by Karen Soupcoff, won the Intermediare I Freestyle Consolation with a score of 61.95%. Jessica Costello aboard Litmanen, a 10-year-old Dutch warmblood owned by Judy Elliot, finished in third place.

Brooks and Gran Gesto placed third with 65.45% in Sunday’s Intermediare I. Strasser riding Quantum Tyme finished in fifth with 63.45%. Victoria Winter of Toronto, ON, riding Patricia Winter’s Davidoff, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding, placed ninth. Ishoy and Coeur De Lion placed 10th, Sutherland and Karolos finished 12th, and Costello and Litmanen placed 14th.

Bethanne Murphy of St-Etienne De Beauharnois, PQ, riding her horse Wendela, a nine-year-old Hanoverian mare, placed eighth in the Young Rider Team Test and sixth in the Young Rider Individual Test.

At the CDI***Del-Mar in California, Dominique Culham of White Rock, BC, the only Canadian rider, aboard Matisse, her nine-year-old Dutch warmblood sired by Darwin, placed well in the Prix St. Georges with a score of 64.80%, and were 8th in the Intermediare I with a score of 65.30%. The duo placed 5th in the Intermediare I Freestyle with a score of 65.90%.

Photos copyrighted: Kathryn Eitutis

Related LinksHorsesdaily On the Scene at the 2002 World Equestrian GamesBC Canadians Win at Golden State Dressage Festival CDI-W in California Canadians Score a 1 – 2 Victory at the CDI Palm Beach Dressage Derby Canadian Julia Vysniauskas Celebrates Grand Prix Dressage Debut Canadian FEI Junior/Young Rider Clinic Series with Albrecht Heidemann