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Canadian Eventing Names Eventing Team for the 2004 Olympic Games

July 1, 2004

Ottawa, Ontario --- The Canadian Eventing Committee is pleased to announce the names of the Canadian Eventing Team and alternates for the 2004 Olympic Games. In accordance with the criteria for selection, there will be five horse rider combinations named to the Team and nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee. In addition a list of alternate horse rider combinations will be named in reserve.

The following partnerships have been named to the team: (listed in alphabetical order)

Rider Hometown Horse Age Breed Colour Height Owner(s)
Hawley Bennett(27) Langley, BC Livingstone 14 TB Bay 16.3h Rider & Mrs. Gerri Bennett
Stuart Black(44) Orangeville, ON Fleeceworks Blackout 10 TB Black 17h Rider & Mr. Elkins Wetherill
Bruce Mandeville(44) Puslinch, ON Larissa 15 TRAK Chestnut 16.1h Mr. & Mrs. Franz Hollenbach
Suzy Pettman(26) Westbank, BC Kilcotrim 15 TB Bay 16.3h Rider
Michael Winter(29) Toronto, ON Balista 13 TB Bay 16.2h Rider & Mrs. Emeline Loughlin

Alternates who will form the reserve list are as follows: (listed in alphabetical order)

Rider Hometown Horse Age Breed Colour Height Owner(s)
Peter Gray(46) Orangeville, ON Balladeer Ted 11 ISH Chestnut 16.3h Rider & Mr. & Mrs. J. Bernhard
Ian Roberts(45) Port Perry, ON Mata-Riki 11 TB/QH Bay 16h Ms Kelly Plitz
Garry Roque(44) Caledon East, ON Waikura 13 NZL Bred Bay 16.2h Rider & Mr. Gustav Quast

For rider biographies, visit the Equine Canada website www.equinecanada.ca

“In 2003 and 2004, we have seen amazing growth in the depth of our top horses and riders. The selection process has been made much more complicated by the greater number of qualified riders at this level,” noted Chair of the Selection Committee, Dr. Rob Stevenson. “As selectors, we have been very fortunate to observe the many talented riders who have been vying for a spot on the Team. It is an honour to announce this list today. We wish to thank the riders for their trust in us to make this decision, and we wish them all the very best of luck in the weeks ahead!”

“I’m delighted that the Canadian program is showing obvious signs of success with our qualification for the 2004 Olympics,” said Canadian Eventing International Technical Advisor, James C. Wofford. “I am thrilled with the makeup of the team because it has a nice blend of proven veteran horses and riders as well as new blood which is already operating at an Olympic level with quite a future ahead of them. Overall, I am enthusiastic and encouraged with our results and I am looking forward to showing them off in Athens.”

The Team and alternates will compete in a final preparatory trial at the Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials, July 9, 10 and 11 in Wayne, Illinois, USA. This will provide a final opportunity for the riders to compete prior to the Olympics. The selectors and team support staff will be in attendance for a final assessment of soundness for all North American horses. Horses not currently in North America will undergo similar veterinary assessment prior to July 12th. Should there be issues of soundness, then an alternate may be promoted from the reserve list to a team position up until July 12th, after which no further substitutions may be made.

The Team will meet at the York Equestrian Centre in Cedar Valley, Ontario, for their final pre-Olympic Training Camp July 27 to August 4. They will travel to Athens August 5th, training under the leadership of Wofford and dressage coach Jane Savoie. In addition to the coaching staff, Greg Paull (Eventing Team Chef d’Equipe), Dr. Jennifer Miller (Team Veterinarian), Andy Vergut (Team Farrier) and Debbie Dobson (Team Therapist) will accompany and provide support to the Team throughout the Games.

The Canadian Eventing Committee is grateful to Sport Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee and all of its patrons, benefactors, and sponsors for their continued support of the Canadian Eventing Team in its quest for top-six team placing at the 2004 Olympic Games.

The Olympic sport of Eventing encompasses three separate tests: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Each test ridden by the rider and horse in combination is scored individually but added together for the final results. The rider/horse combination with the fewest number of penalty points over the three days wins the competition. At the 2004 Olympic Games, the team and individual competition will run concurrently. The team competition consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of five competitors with the best three scores to count for the team classification. Following the Team medal show jumping round, the top twenty-five competitors compete in a second round of show jumping to determine the Individual medals.

Canadian Eventing is a committee of Equine Canada responsible for the sport of eventing in Canada from the grassroots to the international level. The Canadian Eventing Committee is comprised of 12 members, including two rider representatives elected by the Elite Riders Association. Directed by the strategic plan for eventing, all Eventing activities are administered by this committee via six sub-committees (one of which is the High Performance Committee). The Equine Canada Eventing Manager, based in Ottawa, coordinates these activities across the country. The High Performance Committee works in partnership with the International Technical Advisor, James C. Wofford in order to develop and manage the National Eventing Team. For more information about Canadian Eventing, visit www.canadianeventing.com

*Provisional Schedule for the Olympic Eventing Competition

All phases of the competition take place at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre

*Provisional Schedule for the Olympic Eventing Competition
All phases of the competition take place at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre
Sunday, August 15 10:00hrs –18:35hrs Individual Dressage - Day 1
10:00hrs –18:35hrs Team Dressage – Day 1
Monday, August 16 10:00hrs – 18:35hrs Individual Dressage –Day 2
10:00hrs – 18:35hrs Team Dressage – Day 2
Tuesday, August 17 08:30hrs –12:30hrs Individual Cross Country
08:30hrs –12:30hrs Team Cross Country
Wednesday, August 18 15:30 hrs – 18:30hrs Individual Show Jumping Qualifier
15:30 hrs – 18:30hrs Team Show Jumping Final
20:45hrs – 22:00hrs Individual Show Jumping Final
22:20hrs – 22:50hrs Medal Ceremony Team and Individual

* Times given are local to Greece - for Canadian time zones – NDT is minus 5:30 hrs / ADT is minus 6hrs / EDT is minus 7hrs / CDT is minus 8 hrs / CST and MDT – minus 9 hours and PDT is minus 10 hours. For example, 10:00hrs in Athens is 05:30hrs in St. John’s, Newfoundland, 03:00hrs in Ottawa and midnight in Vancouver.

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