News, Analysis and Articles

Bow Valley Classic I Results

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:50:00 GMT

The results from the $53,000 Mother's Day Grand Prix at Rocky Mountain Show Jumping's Bow Valley Classic I at Anderson Ranch have been partially posted but are incomplete. The top-six have been posted with scores. Scores have not been made available for 7th through 12th place, but placings have been posted for those entries. No information can be obtained for remaining entries, below 12th place. The remaining information will be posted as soon as it can be obtained.

Follow Selection of Olympic Team

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:00:00 GMT

With the winter series now over in Florida and California, most of the major Canadian Olympic team contenders have made some grand prix starts. Click here for a list of the contenders, their performance stats and highlights. The chart will be updated continuously as we move toward final selection in June.

Unlike the U.S. team, Canada’s selection committee does not select a long list. The list of contenders is a list of those who have declared themselves, and specific mounts, available for selection. As the equestrian blog “Get My Fix” aptly described it, it’s an “opt-in” system vs. the American system of being selected to the long list by a committee. Yann Candele and Eric Lamaze have the most potential Olympic mounts. Candele has seven (all owned by Susan Grange) and Lamaze has six.

Also unlike the American system, there are no selection trials. The selection committee will consider performances in 2012 as well as past performance and other factors. Selectors recommended that candidates compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida and at the Spruce Meadows spring tournaments. Some elected not to compete in Wellington where the winter competition is, arguably, the most difficult. If for no other reason, the high number of quality competitors makes it difficult to win in Wellington.

There are two levels of grand prix in Wellington, with two levels of prize money. Although no Canadian won at the top-money level, Ian Millar and Star Power finished second in the difficult grand finale with a purse of $500,000. Canadian Olympic candidates did well in the finale grand prix at all three winter series. Karen Cudmore and Shea won the $100,000 final grand prix in Ocala, Florida. Chris Pratt and Cruise won the $200,000 finale in Thermal, California.

In total, five of the Olympic candidates have won grand prix, to date, in 2012. They are Yann Candele, Karen Cudmore, Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Chris Pratt. Candele (on Carlotta Singular la Magnifica) and Lamaze (on Coriana van Klapsheut) won at the $32,000 level in Wellington. Lamaze and Coriana van Klapsheut are the only Canadians to have won two classes at the over $30,000 level. However, one was not a grand prix and was held on the same day as the $500,000 finale grand prix, therefore was not against some top entries.

Jill Henselwood, on IV Ever, was a winner at the $32,000 level in Thermal, California. Like the Wellington series, Thermal also offers two levels of grand prix each week. Henselwood and IV Ever have jumped clean in 50% of their starts in 2012.

Another impressive combination to watch is Lamaze on Derly Chin de Muze. Although they have yet to log a win, they have jumped clean in nearly 70% of their 2012 starts, including a double-clear in the nations cup in Wellington.

Nine of the twenty-one riders who have declared themselves Olympic candidates (nearly half) have competed in past Olympic Games. Aside from Ian Millar, whose first Olympic appearance dates back to 1972, the past Olympians date back to 1984. Hugh Graham is a declared candidate this year and last rode in the Olympics in 1984. Four of the nine are Olympic medalists from 2008.

Lamaze First Two-Time Winner of 2012, Among Canadians

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:15:00 GMT

Eric Lamaze and Coriana van Klapsheut today became the first Canadian in 2012 to log more than one win, to date this year, at the over $30,000 level. The pair won the $32,000 1.5 metre championship at Week 12 of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. They also won the $32,000 W.E.F. Challenge Cup in Week 8. No other Canadian horse or rider, competing anywhere, has logged two wins at that level this year.

Lamaze has declared Coriana van Klapsheut as one of his Olympic team candidates.

Some Winter Equestrian Festival Results Being Revised

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:43:50 GMT

Some previously posted results from the Winter Equestrian Festival are being revised. The company charged with releasing electronic results released some results that brought the accuracy into question. In addition, some entries showed no score. The latter were shown on this site by their placing and their score "n/a". The erroneous scores have now been obtained and are being added. In addition, it has now been learned that some of the scores originally released did not include time faults and some entries that never started in a competition were shown as having retired on course. Those scores are being corrected on this site.

How Does Canada Rank Overall on World Rider Rankings?

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:20:00 GMT

It has meant a lot to Canadian show jumping fans to have Eric Lamaze reach the heights he has reached on the FEI World Rider Rankings. He is only the second Canadian in history to do so.

An analysis of the nations that dominate the world rankings shows that Canada’s performance in international competition is impressive when compared to the depth of riders in nations with whom the Canadian team and Canadian individuals are competitive.

Top-10
- It will come as no surprise that Germany has the most riders ranked among the top-10 in the world. However, the degree of their domination may surprise. Germany is the only nation with more than one rider in the top-10. There are four Germans in the top-10-ranked riders, meaning they have a complete team in the top-10 (Ludger Beerbaum, Christian Ahlmann, Marco Kutscher and Marcus Ehning).

- Canada is one of six nations with one rider each in the top-10 (the others being France, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States).

- The United States could soon have no rider in the top-10. McLain Ward is presently the only American in this elite group, ranked 9th. He is sidelined with a broken knee-cap until at least May. He has dropped six places since being sidelined and will continue to plummet. Ward’s teammate, Beezie Madden, is currently ranked 13th. She will have to move up, at the pace that Ward drops down, to ensure an American in the top-10.

Top-20
- Germany also has the most riders in the top-20 in the world. But the four who are in the top-10 are also the only Germans in the top-20.

- Among the world’s top-20 riders, the Germans are less dominant than in the top-10. Whereas nearly half of the top-10-ranked riders are German, only 20% of the top-20 riders are German.

- France and the United States have three riders each ranked in the top-20.

- More than half (12) of the top-20-ranked riders belong to four nations -- Germany (4), France (3), U.S.A. (3), and Ireland (2).

- Canada is one of eight nations that have one rider each in the top-20 in the world. This group includes show jumping stalwarts like Brazil, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Switzerland. It also includes one unexpected stand-out, Portugal.

Top-100
- The leading nations shift somewhat when you examine the top-100-ranked riders in the world. This may be the best measure of depth for team selection.

- The Netherlands jumps into the lead, with 12 riders. Yet, the Dutch have none in the top-10. 2000 Olympic individual gold medalist Jeroen Dubbeldam is their top-ranked rider, currently ranked 17th.

- Germany and the United States are tied with eleven riders, each, among the top-100.

- France and Great Britain are tied with 10 riders, each, in the top-100.

- This means that more than half (54) of the top-100 riders in the world are from five nations (France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, and the U.S.A.)

- Canada is one of five nations with two riders ranked in the top-100 (Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar). The nations who are equal to Canada are Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Spain.

- It may surprise some that The Ukraine ranks ahead of Canada, with 3 riders in the top-100. However, none of the three are Ukranian-born. They ride for a Ukranian owner and have taken Ukranian citizenship. However, the future of that team may be in jeopardy after the arrest of the financial backer on money laundering charges. One of their leading riders, Gregory Wathelet, has already returned to ride for his native Belgium. That gives Belgium their only rider in the world's top-50.

- Canada’s two top-100 riders are in the top-31 in the world. What is interesting is the ratio of Germans and Americans to Canadians in that group. Just 5, each, Americans and Germans make the group where two Canadians are ranked. That’s 2-1/2 times the number of Canadians for nations that have tremendous depth of international riders. In the case of the United States, they also have ten times the population of Canada.

- 8 nations have just 1 rider in the top-100. In most or all of those cases the rider has climbed the list by doing what Eric Lamaze has done – leaving his home country to compete regularly in either western Europe or the United States.

Women on the World Rankings
- 19 women are among the top-100-ranked riders in the world. That's 19%, compared to 50% of the top-20 Canadian riders being women.

- 20 women are ranked in the top 101 riders in the world.

- There are no women in the world's top-10 and only 4 (20%) in the top-20

- Jill Henselwood is the top Canadian woman on the world rankings, in 118th place overall and the 24th-ranked woman.

- Not surprsingly, the United States has the most women in the top-100 riders, with six. Germany, Sweden and Switzerland each have two.

- The top-20 women in the world represent 12 different countries.

For complete Canadian and World rankings see the "Rider Rankings" page.

No Change on Canadian Rankings in Last Month, But Lamaze Drops from World #1

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:05:00 GMT

As of the end of December 2011 all top-20 Canadian riders on the F.E.I. World Rider Rankings dropped on the world list, except one. Chris Pratt, ranked 12th among Canadian riders moved up on the world list, but his position among Canadians remained un-changed, as did the order of all others on the list.

Eric Lamaze continues to lead the Canadian rankings by a significant margin. But he lost the #1 in the world position, which he had held since June. It was inevitable that Sweden’s Rolf-Goren Bengtsson would soon by-pass Lamaze on the world list even before the death of Hickstead. Bengtsson won the European Championships on Ninja La Silla. The combination also began the European League World Cup season in the fall with a lot of success. Ironically, it was Bengtsson and Ninja La Silla that Lamaze and Hickstead jumped-off against for the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. They have been close rivals for over three years.

It is natural for most Canadian riders, who do not compete regularly in Europe, to drop in the world rankings at this time of year. Their European counterparts compete in FEI-ranked competition throughout December until right before Christmas. Most Canadians, including Lamaze, will resume earning F.E.I. points by early February.

Hickstead Dead

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:30:00 GMT

Tragically, Eric Lamze's Olympic gold and silver medal partner, Hickstead, collapsed and died under Lamaze in the ring in Verona, Italy today. Lamaze and the Dutch-bred stallion had completed a four-fault round and were exiting the ring. It is suspected that he suffered a heart attack. Hickstead was the only horse ever to win an individual Olympic gold medal for Canada.

Statistical Analysis of Performances by Pan Am Nominated Horses

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 06:15:00 GMT

In July, 12 riders with a total of 18 eligible mounts were named to the long-list for Canada’s Pan American Games team. Of the 6 riders and 8 eligible horses named to the team this week, one was not even on that long-list. Some of the front-runners from that list also dropped out of contention since the list was issued.

The team that will compete at the Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in late October will be comprised of Jonathan Asselin on Showgirl; Jill Henselwood on George; Eric Lamaze on either Coriana Van Klapscheut or Sidoline van de Centaur; and Ian Millar on either Star Power or In Style. The two non-travelling reserves will be Tiffany Foster on Southwind VDL and Jenna Thompson on Zeke.

Foster was not on either the Pan Am team long-list or the 2011 C.E.T. short-list. She was also named alternate for the Canadian team at the Spruce Meadows Masters and moved up to a riding position.

On paper, Ian Millar and Star Power have the strongest record, having four grand prix wins since August. In Style has been used lightly this season after not competing at all in 2010, but has one grand prix win. Henselwood’s new partner, George, has one big grand prix win under his belt, in his first season at this level. Asselin’s Showgirl is also in her first season at this level and has not yet logged a win. She has, however, had steady strong performances all season and jumped in her first nations cup at the Spruce Meadows Masters.

Lamaze will by-pass both his Olympic partner, Hickstead, and the horse with which he recently won the Grand Prix of Barcelona (Atlete van’t Heike). But, his string has such depth that he is still left with two possible mounts. Coriana van Klapscheut has the best record, having won two tough classes at Spruce Meadows – one in the spring and one at The Masters. Sidoline Van de Centaur is his other somewhat less-experienced option.

The recent performances of the horses who have been named to this team show a pattern. Coriana Van Klapscheut hasn’t had more than 4 faults since early spring. She has jumped faultlessly in 7 of her last 15 starts. That’s nearly 47%. Sidoline van de Centaur has been faultless in 11 of 23 starts this season. That’s nearly 48%. In Style has been clean in 8 out of 17 starts, or 47%.

The rookie horses have a lower ratio of clean rounds, but are also consistent with each other. Showgirl and George have each jumped clean in 24% of their season starts.

Star Power has the stand-out statistical record. Since early spring, he has scored 0 faults in 80% of his starts. What would have been a string of 11 straight clean rounds was broken only by one score of 1 time fault. He has been clean in 20 of his last 25 starts.

Pan American Games Team Long List

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:20:00 GMT

Jump Canada has released a long list of horses and riders from which Canada’s show jumping team for this year’s Pan American Games will be selected. See the complete list on the "Pan American Games" page.

Several riders have more than one eligible mount, while some others are partnered with quite young and inexperienced horses.

Eric Lamaze has three mounts on the list, making him a virtual certainty for the team. Although the great Hickstead is not among them, all three have European experience. All three also competed in the recent Spruce Meadows spring/summer series. Lamaze won the individual bronze medal at the last Pan American Games, in 2007, on Hickstead.

Ian Millar also has three mounts on the new list. Any of them would make a capable Games mount. Millar rode all three during the recent Spruce Meadows series. Millar’s 2008 Olympic silver medal partner, In Style, recently made an impressive comeback from a lay-off of nearly two years. He has jumped clean in five of his last eight starts and finished in the top-5 in four of them . Millar’s next mount, Star Power, has had a good 2011 and seems to get even better as the season goes on. In his last thirteen starts he has been near-perfect, marred only by one 4-fault performance and a single time fault in another. He has finished in the top-5 in nine out of his last ten starts. Millar’s final mount, Dryden, has competed much less this season than In Style or Star Power, with only seven starts . But he has jumped faultlessly in five of them and placed in the top-5 in four. Millar narrowly missed the individual bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. He has more Pan American Games medals than any currently active rider.

Millar and Lamaze have enough horsepower for their Pan Am team bids to supply an entire team and more.

Millar’s son, Jonathon, and daughter, Amy, are also both on the Pan Am team long list. Jonathon is listed with Contino 14. This pair was a member of the fifth-placed team at the World Championships last year, so both would come to these Games with international experience. The pair also have one nations cup on their record already in 2011. Amy Millar has never been to a major international championship. She is on the long list with her long-time and reliable mount, Costa Rica Z. The pair finished second in last fall’s Canadian Championship. They have campaigned steadily in 2011 and only once had greater than one knockdown in a grand prix, amongst many clear rounds. Both second-generation Millars competed at Spruce Meadows.

Another member of last year’s fifth place World Championship team, John Pearce, is in the running for this team. Pearce has two eligible mounts. Although Pearce has not been to previous Pan Am Games, he doesn’t lack international experience. He had an outstanding performance at last year’s the World Championships with Chianto. He is also eligible for this team with Son of a Gun. Son of a Gun has logged two grand prix wins in 2011. Pearce and both mounts competed at the first half of the Spruce Meadows series.

Like Pearce, Chris Pratt is a Canadian team member living in California. Pratt is long-listed with Cruise. He rode Cruise to a win the $100,000 Grand Prix of Del Mar in the spring and they also won a 1.5 metre competition at Spruce Meadows. Pratt has never competed at a Pan American Games, but represented Canada at the 2006 World Championships.

The individual gold medalist from the 2007 Pan Am Games, Jill Henselwood, is on this year’s long list, but not with her 2007 partner, Special Ed. Special Ed, recently returned from a lengthy lay-off. His initial comeback was impressive but performances over four recent Spruce Meadows tournaments were less than stellar. Henselwood is on the selection list partnered with George, a nine-year-old. He has a small amount of European experience and finished third in a 1.5 metre competition near the conclusion of the recent Spruce Meadows series.

Yann Candele is on this long list with Pitareusa, as well as Game Ready. He rode Pitareusa at the 2010 World Championships. Game Ready’s 2010 records indicate he may be “game ready”, as he jumped a high ratio of clean-rounds-to-starts last year. However, both he and Pitareusa have been campaigned lightly this year. They did not compete at Spruce Meadows.

2008 Olympic team member, Mac Cone, is also listed with a new young partner. Unanimous stepped up to the international division at the Royal Winter Fair last fall, where he performed well. He has made only four starts in grand prix this season and did not compete at Spruce Meadows. Cone was a member of the 2007 Pan American team.

The 2008 Olympic alternate, Jonathan Asselin has been out of sight in the grand prix ring for a little over a year. He is long-listed for the Pan American team with a new partner, Showgirl. In spite of her inexperience, Asselin and Showgirl finished second in a 1.6 metre competition at the Spruce Meadows North American.

Two riders who made their nations cup debuts last year are also on this long list. Angela Covert Lawrence had an impressive team debut on Utan, with whom she is partnered on this list. Jenna Thompson rode Zeke in two nations cups in 2010 and he is her partner on the Pan Am Games long list.

The final Pan American Games team will be named by September 14.

2010 Ranking of Canadian Grand Prix Horses

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:20:00 GMT

The charts on this website and these performance rankings are based on starts in grand prix-type competitions with a minimum of $30,000 total purse. Novelty classes, such as six-bar, winning round, etc. are not included even if the prize money is of the required amount. A nations cup or a two-round grand prix, in which the horse competed in both rounds, is considered two starts.

To be considered in the horse rankings, a horse must have made a minimum of ten starts at this level under a Canadian rider in the calendar year 2010. Exactly fifty horses did that. Only half of those fifty horses made fifteen or more starts at this level.

The busiest horses were Hickstead (Eric Lamaze), Pitareusa (Yann Candele), Celena Z (Keean White) and Southern Pride (Karen Cudmore) with 42, 40, 39 and 38 starts, respectively. It must be considered that the horses being compared often competed in very different circumstances. For example some competed primarily in Canada, some only in Europe or the U.S. and some in a wide variety of geographic locations.

Of the 50 horses who competed regularly at the grand prix level, less than half (22) had a win. Of the 22 horses that produced a win, one of them had no individual wins but played an instrumental role in a nations cup win. Only 10 of the 50 horses produced more than one win in 2010. Five had two wins, two had three wins and three horses stood out as the leading winners of the year. Hickstead leads the pack with 7 wins. Chianto (John Pearce) and Pitareusa logged 5 wins each.

However, when you look at the number of wins compared to the number of starts, there is some shuffling at the top of the list. Chianto and Game Ready (Yann Candele) move to the top of the list, each having won 25% of their starts. Hickstead, who led the number of starts and the number of wins, won only 16.67% of his starts, ranking him fourth.

When ranked by the percentage of starts that result in a clear round, the same group of horses rise to the top, but the order is shuffled. Chianto takes the lead with 60%, but only fractions separate him from Hickstead and Game Ready. Take-Off is also fairly close behind in fourth place. Ranked this way, Star Power (Ian Millar) makes his first move up the list into the top-five. Only four of the fifty horses that were campaigned at the grand prix level never jumped a clear round. With so many of them jumping clear rounds, and yet less than 50% producing a win, it shows that clear rounds don’t necessarily equate to wins.

Looking for consistency, the horses were ranked by the percentage of their starts that resulted in a top-5 placing. Game Ready leads the pack by a margin, with 58.33%, and is followed very closely by Chianto, at 55%. The percentage drops after the two leaders. There is a large group with more than 30%, led by Hickstead with 42.86%. Ole (Mac Cone) jumps into the top group when ranked this way, with 40%. Although Ole only made the minimum ten starts required to be ranked, he had a very consistent season.

Game Ready leads again when ranked by the percentage of starts that result in a top-ten placing. He did so 83.33% of the times he competed. Chianto and Ole tied with 75%. Then there is a large group between just under and just over 60%, led by Star Power with 64.52%.

The conclusions of these rankings are similar to last year’s conclusions. Canadian grand prix horses that compete regularly and are among the group from which nations cup members are selected have the following characteristics.
a) than a 50% chance of producing one win per season and only a small handful will produce more than one win
b) the top group will win 15% or more of their starts
c) the top group will jump a clean round in 50-60% of their starts
d) on average will will finish in the top-5 in more than 30% of their starts
e) on average will finish in the top-10 in 50%, or more, of their starts

See the “Horse Ranking” page for complete rankings of the top-ten horses in each category.

There are some up-and-coming competitors and horses who only had partial seasons for various reasons, who deserve recognition but did not make the minimum ten starts. Their statistics illustrate why a minimum number of starts is required to make a ranking system meaningful. High success and a low number of starts can distort the accuracy when using statistics as a measure of success.

Five horses produced at least one win at this level in spite of not making the minimum starts. Carolla Z (Yann Candele), Always Cullohill (Jonathon Millar); Cordoba (Kim Farlinger); Magic Man (Ben Asselin) and Lolita (Ben Asselin) produced one win each. That one win meant that Cordoba won 25% of his starts and Magic Man 20%, which would put them among the most successful horses. With only 5 starts, Magic Man’s clear rounds-to-starts ratio was an incredible 80% and Cordoba’s was 75% with 4 starts. Timo (Erynn Ballard) would also have had a 25% clean record.

Beth Underhill’s newcomer Quelqu’un de la Musardiere started late in the season, making only 6 starts, but jumped clean in 50% of them which would be in the top-5 horses if he kept it up. The same is true of Ulano (Karen Cudmore).

If eligible, Timo would top the list of top-5 starts at 75%. Quelqu’un de la Musardiere, Ulano and Cordoba would all be near the top with 50%. Jill Henselwood’s 2008 Olympic mount would join them with 50%, but was on the comeback from a lay-off and made only 6 grand prix-level starts. Cordoba and Timo finished in the top-10 in 75% of their small number of starts. Ulano, Special Ed and Magic Man also would have been in the top group.

Three Canadian-born Riders in Top-10 at World Championships

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:40:00 GMT

At the conclusion of the first leg of competition at the 2010 World Show Jumping Championships, three Canadian-born riders are in the top-10 individually. Mario Deslauriers leads, Eric Lamaze is sitting in eighth place and John Pearce is holding down tenth position. Deslauriers is now riding for the U.S. but was born and raised in Quebec and developed as a rider to the international level in Canada. It is interesting to note that all three of these riders have elected to compete outside Canada virtually full-time in recent years. Deslauriers has competed extensively in the U.S. and Europe for many years and finally took U.S. citizenship last year. Pearce elected to compete full-time from a base in California approximately five years ago. He rarely competes in Canada. Lamaze has competed extensively in Europe since about 2005 and, since 2008, has competed there full-time, returning to Canada mostly for Spruce Meadows tournaments.

Should the success of these three riders continue for the remainder of the Championships, it will no doubt fuel the current controversial debate about the quality of show jumping tournaments offered in Canada, outside Spruce Meadows. Today, the only two members of this team who compete full-time outside Canada, as well as a rider who left Canada behind for the U.S. have risen to the top of the world.

It is also interesting to note that, Of 120 starters today, from 41 nations, two Quebec natives finished in the top-10.

The World Show Jumping Championships are being held as part of the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky through Saturday.

Mid-Year Canadian Grand Prix Horse Rankings

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:45:00 GMT

Canadian grand prix horses jumping in competitions with prize money over $30,000 during the period January 1 to June 30, 2010 were ranked by several methods to see who emerges as the most consistent. Horses must have made a minimum of 6 starts to be included in the ranking. 31 horses met that criteria.

2010 is not a typical year for mid-year horse rankings. Some may say, the mid-year standings this year are not representative of the horses that are truly the best performers. Most of the horses competing at the top level are being aimed at the World Show Jumping Championships. This year, they will held particularly late in the year for a major championship. Held under the umbrella of the World Equestrian Games, which begin in September, the show jumping championship is the final event of the Games and is, therefore, in early October. Riders will, therefore, use different means to peak their horses late in the season and prove their worthiness to selectors at the same time. Therefore the degree of competition that a horse has undertaken by mid-year may not be representative of a typical year.

Among Canadian grand prix horses, and team candidates, two of the top ones have been absent from competition for the period being analyzed. Those horses are Special Ed and In Style, both members of the 2008 silver medal-winning Olympic team. Both have been included on Jump Canada’s short-list for the team that will compete at the World Championships — indicating that their riders and the selectors have strong reason to expect them to be fit and performing in just over two months.

The above factors may explain why there are some surprises when ranking horses by their statistics in a season such as this.

The busiest grand prix horses ridden by Canadians in 2010 have been Pitareusa (Yann Candele), with 19 starts, and Top Gun (Beth Underhill), with 18. They are followed closely by Southern Pride (Karen Cudmore) and Celena Z (Keean White), with 17 starts each, and Bottom Line (Jill Henselwood) with 16. Following that group there are eight horses with 12 to 14 starts each. That group includes Hickstead (Eric Lamaze). Eighteen additional horses have ten or fewer starts – a group that includes some team favourites such as Ole (Mac Cone) as well as some young horses who have just been tested in their first grand prix season. Three horses jumped the minimum number of starts but never jumped a clean round.

Two horses are tied for jumping the most clean rounds in grand prix-level competition. Chianto (John Pearce) and Pitareusa jumped 9 faultless rounds each (jump-offs not included). Top Gun is close behind with 8.

When the percentage of starts that result in a clean round is measured, Take Off (Eric Lamaze) shoots to the top of the list. With only 9 starts at the required level, he jumped clean in 7 of them, or 77.78%. Chianto ranks an impressive 69.23%. Three horses jumped clean half (50%) of the times they went in the ring at the required level. However, all of those with 50% had made only the minimum required number of starts (6). They are Coriana van Klapscheut (Eric Lamaze), Star Power (Ian Millar), and Ulano (Karen Cudmore). Lamaze has three mounts in the top-ten on this list.

Chianto and Take-Off again top the list for the number of wins, with 4 and 3, respectively. Hickstead had 2 as of June 30, but added 2 more immediately after the cut-off date. Lamaze has five horses in the top-10 ranked by this method.

Looking at the percentage of starts that result in a win, Take Off and Chianto again rise to the top. Take Off won 33.33% of his starts and Chianto 30.80%.

The percentage of starts that results in a top-five finish shows that top-class horses at this level place in the top-five in about half of their starts. Take Off again tops the list at 55.56%. Star Power, Ulano, Chianto and Hickstead follow, all between 46% and 50%.

Chianto takes a strong lead when horses are ranked by the percentage of their starts that result in a top-ten finish. He did so in 76.92% of his starts – or more than three-quarters. As he did last year, John Anderson's Terrific showed consistency when ranked this way. He ranked closest behind Chianto with 71.43%. The top-five all finished in the top-ten in 66.67%, or more, of their starts.

For detailed rankings in each category, see the “Horse Rankings” page. To view each horse’s season go to the “Horses” section and select the sub-tab alphabetically for the horse you wish to view.

It is interesting to note that the number of wins and the percentage of top placings for each position on the rankings is almost identical for this time period as it was for the entire year 2009, although the horses holding those rankings differ. That indicates that to be among the top Canadian grand prix horses, a horse should finish in the top-ten in at least 50% of his starts. He should finish in the top-five in more than 25% of his starts.

Marcus Ehning Claims Third World Cup Title

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:15:00 GMT

In one of the quirkiest World Cup Finals in history, Germany's Marcus Ehning has claimed his third title. Ehning was the World Cup title holder in 2006 on Sandro Boy and 2003 on Anka. He used two horses to earn this year's title (riders can switch horses after Phase I, the speed phase). Ehning rode Plot Blue in Phase I and Noltes Kuechengirl for the remainder.

Ehning's countryman, Ludger Beerbaum, on Gotha, finished in a tie for second, just one fault behind Ehning. Beerbaum was tied with Pius Schwizer, of Switzerland, on Carlina Ulysse. Schwizer is currently the #1-ranked rider in the world.

Mario Deslauriers was poised to earn his second World Cup title, having won his first in 1984 riding for Canada, and now riding for the U.S. He entered today's two-round competition with a zero score. He maintained that fault-free score in round-one but incurred 13 faults in the second round. That dropped him to sixth-place overall.

The elimination of McLain Ward will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most controversial World Cup moments. An allegation of "hypersensitivity" is normally associated with the use of a banned substance that creates hypersensitivity on the horse's legs, which constitutes cheating. However, Ward was eliminated with no scientific evidence of such a substance. The F.E.I. attributed the arbitrary decision to "the welfare of the horse". Ward would have entered today's competition as the leader. Fall-out from this controvery has the potential to change F.E.I. policies and powers if the backlash is as strong as early indications appear it could be.

F.E.I. Denies Last-Ditch Appeal by McLain Ward and U.S.E.F.

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:20:00 GMT

The International Equestrian Federation issued the following statement this morning following an appeal/protest by McLain Ward and the United States Equestrian Federation:

"FEI TRIBUNAL DENIES REQUEST TO ALLOW SAPPHIRE TO COMPETE IN FEI WORLD CUP™ FINAL ROUND

An urgent appeal/protest was lodged this morning by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), McLain Ward (Person Responsible) and Dr Tim Ober (USEF Team Veterinarian) against the disqualification of Sapphire from the FEI World Cup™ Final. The FEI Tribunal heard the case for emergency relief to allow the horse to compete today. Following the hearing, the FEI Tribunal Chair Ken Lalo (ISR) denied the request for emergency relief on the grounds that the FEI Tribunal did not have jurisdiction to overturn the Ground Jury’s decision. This means that Sapphire remains disqualified from today’s final round of the FEI World Cup™.

Sapphire, the horse ridden by McLain Ward (USA), was eliminated from the second round of the FEI World Cup™ Final on Friday night (16 April) and disqualified from the rest of the event following a positive hypersensitivity test."

While the F.E.I. stands by their claim that the horse was "hypersensitive" in one leg, they reportedly refused to swab the leg for banned substance. The test was reportedly requested by McLain Ward, but denied.

Positive tests for a topical substance that causes hypersensitivity were the cause of at least seven eliminations and subsequent suspensions at the 2008 Olympic Games. However, with no test performed in the Ward case it will, no doubt, raise questions in the future about the power the F.E.I. officials to arbitrarily eliminate entries.

Elimination of World Cup Leader is Controversial

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 03:45:00 GMT

The elimination of McLain Ward from the remainder of the World Cup Final is sparking controvery. Horse welfare is at the core of the issue, according to F.E.I. President H.R.H. Princess Haya. Understandably, Americans are the most vocal critics of the decision. However, they are not alone in feeling that it is an unusual case. Some have cited an over-zealous desire, on the F.E.I.'s part, to show that the welfare of horses is paramount and that the sport is clean. Click here to link to a New Jersey Star Ledger article that covers the fallout in detail.

McLain Ward's Un-Doing May Be Mario Deslauriers' Opportunity

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:55:00 GMT

American team star McLain Ward stood in the lead after two legs of the World Cup Final in Geneva yesterday. In the three-leg cumulative competition that would assure him the World Cup title if he were to jump two clean rounds this Sunday. However, Ward will not get that chance and will not be the 2010 World Cup title holder. His long-time mount, Sapphire, failed a hypersensitivy test that was conducted after Thursday's opening competition. Therefore, results from the first two legs of competition are obliterated and Ward is disqualified from continuing. The following is the International Equestrian Federation's Statement on the matter:

"Sapphire, the horse ridden by McLain Ward (USA), has been eliminated from the second round of the FEI World Cup™ Final last night (16 April) and disqualified from the rest of the event following a positive hypersensitivity test. The horse was selected for thermography testing on its legs yesterday and US Team Vet Dr Tim Ober was notified in the late afternoon that the horse would be tested at 7.30pm (CEST).

The test involved the use of a thermography camera and a clinical examination of the legs, which was carried out by FEI appointed veterinarian Dr Paul Farrington and Dr Emile Welling, the Foreign Veterinary Delegate. Following the examination, Dr Farrington informed Dr Ober and the two grooms that were present at the test that the horse was showing sensitivity in its left foreleg but that it was fit to compete at that time.

McLain Ward and Sapphire went on to finish second in the class to take over the lead in the overall standings, but the FEI made a decision to re-examine the horse post-competition, using both thermography and clinical examination. The second test was carried out at 12.30am on Saturday, 17 April in the presence of the President of the Ground Jury, Rene Billardon (FRA), Dr Ober, the two grooms and Lizzie Chesson from the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Dr Paul Farrington, Foreign Veterinary Delegate Dr Emile Welling (BEL) and Dr Markus Mueller (SUI) each re-examined the horse and declared that, due to the level of hypersensitivity, it was unfit to take any further part in the competition.

The FEI Foreign Veterinary Delegate Dr Welling immediately informed the President of the Ground Jury, who notified the rider (the Person Responsible) that the horse was eliminated from the competition and disqualified from the rest of the event. Dr Farrington stressed that there was no indication or evidence of any malpractice by McLain Ward or any member of the team.

Under the FEI General Regulations (Art. 159.6.2, 159.6.4), there is no appeal against the decision of the Ground Jury to eliminate or disqualify a horse from an event for abnormal sensitivity."

Although this is not deemed to be a case of cheating, but rather a case of animal welfare, Ward has had problems with rule infractions in the past. About a decade ago, he was suspended when an F.E.I. Steward at the famed Aachen venue in Germany spotted what were alleged to be upside-down bottle caps under Ward's horse's run-down bandages as he was entering the competition ring. Shortly after that incident he was named as the trainer-of-record when a amateur's horse tested positive for cocaine. He expressed a great deal of dissappointment following a second-place finish to Meredith Michaels Beerbaum at last year's World Cup Final. Recently he said it was his goal to win it this year.

Sapphire has also been Ward's mount for two Olympic team gold medals as well as numerous wins and top placings in some of the world's biggest-money grand prix. The first Olympic gold medal came at the expense of the German team. The American team earned silver in Athens in 2004, but were elevated to gold when a German horse had a positive drug test. In the 2008 Olympics, Sapphire and Ward were part of the U.S. team that jumped-off against the Canadian team for the gold medal.

Ward is the son of legendart horseman Barney Ward who served three years in prison for insurance fraud. The senior Ward was convicted of arranging the execution of horses on behalf of others so that they could collect the insurance.

McLain Ward's un-doing at the World Cup opens an opportunity for Quebec native Mario Deslauriers. Deslauriers now holds both U.S. and Canadian citizenship, but elects to ride for the U.S. He won the World Cup Final in 1984 at the age of 19 and remains the youngest-ever winner of the title. With Ward's elimination, Deslauriers takes over the overall lead. Deslauriers will win the title if he jumps two clean rounds on Sunday. He has no room for error, however, as less than one knockdown separates the top-three. German superstar Marcus Ehing stand second and the world's number-one-ranked rider, Pius Schwizer, of Switzerland, is third.

Deslauriers has been a member of two American nations cups teams since gaining citizenship last September. A record second World Cup title, 26 years after his first, would be a magnificent start on the tough-to-crack U.S. team. Although the Americans dominated the World Cup in its early years, their World Cup record has been weak in recent years. Deslauriers is riding Urico, a relatively inexperienced horse that he said last winter was the best in his current extensive string of mounts.

Canada's only representative at this year's World Cup Final was Karen Cudmore on Southern Pride. They did not qualify to advance to Sunday's final leg of competition.

Former Canadian Makes Long-List for U.S. Team for World Show Jumping Championships

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:35:00 GMT

Quebec native Mario Deslauriers has been named to the short-list for the American team that will compete at the World Show Jumping Championships in September. The quadrennial World Championships are held as part of the World Equestrian Games, with this edition being held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Deslauriers and his young mount Urico are tied for third with Beezie Madden on Danny Boy, among those who earned their spots on the list through the selection trials. Nicole Shahinian Simpson and Tristan top that list, followed by Richard Spooner on Cristallo. Laura Kraut on Cedric and McLain Ward on Sapphire were each given a bye to a position on the short-list. Ward earned another spot on the list through the selection trials, on his less experienced mount Rothchild.

Rounding out the current list is Hillary Dobbs on Quincy B; Beezie Madden on Mademoiselle (Madden, like Ward, has two spots); Candice King on Skara Glen’s Davo; and Rich Fellers on Flexible. Three more rider/horse combinations will be added by the selection committee to make a 12-member short list.

Members of the short-list will form three teams and compete in nations cups in Europe. Final selection of the team that will represent the U.S. at the World Championships will be made based on performances in Europe.

Deslauriers represented Canada at the first-ever World Equestrian Games, in 1990 in Stockholm. He also rode for Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games. He was the first Canadian ever to win the World Cup Final, doing so in 1984 on the great Aramis. He became an American citizen late last year.

Canadians Score Double-Defeat Against Home Team on Big Day at Winter Equestrian Festival

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:05:00 GMT

The home team was at a disadvantage in the coveted nations cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida Friday night. It is the only nations cup held on U.S. soil. Earlier in the day, a selection trial was held for the U.S. team that will compete at the World Show Jumping Championships, as part of the World Equestrian Games, in Kentucky. The importance of that selection trial weakened the home squad for the nations cup, as they brought out their strongest mounts for the selection trial.

Canada won the nations cup, followed by Mexico, which would normally be a crushing defeat for the U.S. But the defeat was tempered by the importance of the selection trial.

However, the selection trial for the U.S. World Championship team was won by former, long-time Canadian team member. Mario Deslauriers, who took U.S. citizenship late last year, was the winner on Urico. Deslauriers was a member of the Canadian team for 25 years and represented Canada at two Olympic Games, as well as World Cup Finals and World Championships.

The winning Canadian nations Cup team was comprised of Yann Candele on Pitareusa; Mac Cone on Ole; Beth Underhill on Top Gun; and Eric Lamaze on Ronaldo. Canada has a strong history in this nations cup. It is the first time Canada has won it with Ian Millar absent from the team.

New Criteria for Results Shown on this Site

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:32:51 GMT

The criteria for results to be included in the rider and horse records on this site have been changed for 2010, compared to 2009. Like last year, results in all grand prix-type competitions, European style derbies, nations cups and major championships are included. Also like last year, speed competitions, six-bar, puissance and novelty competitions are not included. However, the minimum prize money for inclusion is now $30,000, as compared to $25,000 last year.

Criteria for inclusion on the list of major grand prix winners in North America is a purse of $50,000 or more.

In addition, in 2010 horse rankings will be calculated semi-annually and annually, instead of quarterly, as they were in 2009.

Comments about the criteria for inclusion of results are welcome.

Former Canadian Finding Success With U.S. Team

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:40:00 GMT

Two-time Canadian Olympian and former World Cup champion Mario Deslauriers switched citizenship late last year and was immediately named to a U.S. nations cup team. Last week he won his first grand prix as an American citizen. Yesterday he was named to the 10-person short list for the nations cup in Wellington, Florida on March 5.

Joining Deslauriers on that list are McLain Ward, Lauren Hough, Richard Spooner, Ashlee Bond, Kent Farrington, Rich Fellers, Hillary Dobbs, Charlie Jayne, and Margie Engle.

Deslauriers’s grand prix win last week came in a $50,000 grand prix aboard Urico. Urico just started at the grand prix level last year. Deslauriers rode him in nine grand prix-level starts in 2009, finishing in the top three in more than half of them. The pair had three wins and a second-place during the 2009 Spruce Meadows summer tournaments. Urico is owned by long-time U.S.E.T. backer Jane Clark, who owns several other Deslauriers mounts. Deslauriers says Urico is now considered their best.