Gina Smith and Fledermaus win Canadian World Cup
Qualifier at Royal Horse Show
Toronto,
Ontario --- Gina Smith of Brockville, ON, was the winner
of the grand prix in the Swarovski Canadian League Dressage
World Cup Final in the first of two nights of dressage
competition at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.
The 1988 Olympic bronze medallist earned a score of
63.61% from the five-member panel of international judges
in the sport often described as ‘equestrian ballet’.
Having completed the World Cup qualifying season at
the top of the leader board, Smith, 41, was the odd’s
on favourite coming into today’s grand prix event.
"I was expecting him to be more nervous, the way he
was when we competed here in the Final two years ago,
but he was very relaxed," Smith said of her mount, Fledermaus,
a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by FranklandsFarm.
"I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s Freestyle.
We have three good horses, so it should be a great competition
for the audience."
Liz Steacie, also of Brockville, ON, finished second
with her Anglo-Trakehner gelding, Maxwell, scoring 61.90%
for her conservative yet technically correct test. George
Miechosky, 59, who represented Canada last year at the
World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy, finished third
with 60.82% riding Leonti, his 13-year-old Oldenburg
gelding.
Tomorrow evening’s sold-out event features the the
Grand Prix Freestyle which sees riders choreograph required
movements to the music of their choice. The winner of
the Swarovski Canadian League World Cup Final will be
named Canada’s representative for the 2000 World Cup
Final, held March 23-26 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, NED. None
of the three riders have ever before represented Canada
at a World Cup Final.
Grand Prix - Dressage
1. Gina Smith Brockville, ON - Fledermaus - 63.61%
2. Liz Steacie Brockville, ON - Maxwell - 61.90%
3. George Miechowsky Hudson, PQ - Leonti - 60.82%
Toronto,
Ontario --- Gina Smith of Brockville, ON, was the winner
of the grand prix in the Swarovski Canadian League Dressage
World Cup Final in the first of two nights of dressage
competition at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.
The 1988 Olympic bronze medallist earned a score of
63.61% from the five-member panel of international judges
in the sport often described as ‘equestrian ballet’.
Having completed the World Cup qualifying season at
the top of the leader board, Smith, 41, was the odd’s
on favourite coming into today’s grand prix event.
