CSH top five-year-old Young Horse jumper

Canadian Sport Horses ruled the Five-Year-Old division of the Jump Canada Young Horse Series National Finals held September 21 to 25 at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament in Palgrave, Ontario. CSHs claimed the top three spots in the national final, with three others finishing in the top 10.

Held over three days in the grand prix ring and featuring $17,000 in prize money, horses accumulated points in each of the three phases with total points determining the overall champion.  

Ridley, a CSH owned and bred by Susan Grange of Lothlorien Farm, was crowned the Five-Year-Old Champion under rider Yann Candele after earning 41 points over three days.

 “We’ve been developing him all season,” explained Candele, a member of the Canadian Team at the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  “He’s had a few little mistakes here and there, but he is young.  He’s been jumping beautifully.  He’s pretty laid back, has good confidence, and a good back-end.”

Ridley is by the Dutch Warmblood sire Ustinov and out of an Adlantus dam.

 “It’s great that Sue’s breeding program has produced a national champion,” said Candele, who has been riding for Grange since 2007.  “It’s encouraging, and the (Young Horse) program is a great incentive for the breeders.”

 Lavender ZF, a Canadian Sport Horse mare bred and owned by Zeidler Farm of De Winton, AB earned the Reserve Champion title, while her half sister, India Blue ZF was third in the national finals.

 “It was worth the trip,” said Lori Green, manager of Zeidler Farm.  “They’ve never done jump-offs before, and they were both really good; I am very pleased with them.”

Lavender ZF is by Sandstone Laurin out of Illusion, a Dutch Warmblood mare by Calvados that Tani Zeidler rode at the Grand Prix level.  India Blue ZF is also out of Illusion, while her dam is Mr. Blue.  Both mares were bred using embryo transfers.

Lavender ZF is “very brave and she has a lot of blood.  It is hard for the five-year-olds to compete over three days in the mud.  They get tired, but she has a lot of blood and a lot of go.  In these conditions, if you had a horse with a lot of blood, you were golden,” said Green.

Two King Ridge Farm CSH homebreds, King’s Ransom 3E and Knock Out 3E, both ridden by Hugh Graham, finished fifth and 10^th.

Fine Time M, a CSH mare bred by Millar Brooke Farm in partnership with Ann Matthews placed eighth with Amy Millar.

 Throughout the season, young horses competed in Eastern, Central, and Western regions.  The top horses in each age division from each region were invited to contest the national finals.

 The Jump Canada Young Horse Series encourages the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior jumping prospects.  Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development.