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2008 Olympic Games
Canadians Ishoy and Holzer also By-Pass 2008 Olympic
Games
January 14, 2008
 After
the withdrawal of the Swiss dressage team from competing
at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, two
Canadian team riders also announced their decision
not to be available for Canadian Team selection for
the Olympics. Cindy Ishoy and Ashley Holzer cited both
financial difficulties to meet the Canadian qualification
criteria as well as the hot and humid weather in Hong
Kong as decisive factors not to run for a berth at
the Games.
The recently released Canadian qualifying
process demands that riders and their
horses compete in events in the United States and Europe
before heading to "very hot" Hong Kong.
"This added stress is, in my opinion, too much
for my horse," Nicoll-Holzer told the newspaper
The Globe and Mail. Ishoy said she's
not keen on the pollution factor that will be added
to the mix of heat and humidity. While high heat and
humidity may be manageable, she doubts spectators will
see peak performances. The Canadian criteria are potentially
so costly that Ishoy would have to win Lotto 649 just
to qualify.
Factoring in travel stress on horses, Ishoy told The
Globe and Main she would have to spend two months in
Florida and another two in Europe, and if she qualified,
she'd
be in Beijing
for 30 days. To return, she would have to send the
horse back to the place of origin - Europe - which
might include another quarantine, before heading back
to Canada.
"I have no interest in leaving my business for
five to six months, and I have no interest in leaving
my children, particularly my son, who is only 14," Ishoy
said.
Ishoy and Holzer were both members of the bronze medal
winning Canadian team that competed at the 1988 Olympics
in Seoul. Ishoy delivered Canada's best
individual Olympic result in dressage, a fourth place
in Seoul. When the Canadian team qualified for the
Seoul Olympics, Canadian dressage organizers brought
international
judges to Canada to score the routines. The United
States has its top 12 riders take part in trials at
home and then fly out to Europe. Both would be "doable," Ishoy
said.
Some Canadian riders live in Europe. Christilot Boylen-Hanson
has lived in
Germany for many years, and Evi Strasser, who is
the athletes representative of Dressage Canada, has
lived
in Europe for the past year, which would make their
participation easier.
"Riders wish they had more input," Ishoy
said. "Athens was a beautiful Olympics, but it
wasn't animal or human friendly. That kind of heat
and humidity was brutal."
Canadian dressage officials could not be reached for
comment.
Source: The Globe and Mail
Photo copyrighted: Mary Phelps/Phelpsphotos.com
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