Canadian dressage team for WEG announced

Canadian dressage riders Ashley Holzer, Belinda Trussell, Bonny Bonnello and Victoria Winter will be representing their country at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Three-time Olympian Ashley Holzer will ride her 2008 Olympic partner Pop Art, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Rusty Holzer and Moreen Nicoll. Currently ranked 14th in the world, Holzer and Pop Art recently returned from a successful tour in Europe, where they won the grand prix freestyle in CDI 3* Lingen on 76.3% and secured a bronze medal finish for the Canadian Dressage Team in the CDIO Rotterdam Nations’ Cup.

Also a member of the recent European tour, Belinda Trussell was on Canada’s 2004 Olympic dressage team. She will be riding Anton, a 10-year-old German-bred gelding owned by Robyn Eames. The pair have only been competing at grand prix for one year, but they have achieved an average qualification score of 69.595%.

Bonny Bonnello’s participation in the European tour with Pikardi, a 13-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding co-owned by Bonnello and Jean Bell, marks her return to the Canadian equestrian team. Bonnello rode at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and has qualified the relatively green Pikardi with an average of 66.932%.

Victoria Winter, a member of Canada’s dressage team at the 1996 World Equestrian Games, will ride Proton, Neil and Cindy Ishoy’s 16-year-old Baden-Wurttemburger gelding by Patriarch. The duo have an overall average score of 66.745%.

The two reserves will be Wendy Christoff riding Pfalstaff and Evi Strasser with Quantum Tyme.

Both Cheryl Meisner and Shannon Dueck had earned positions as reserve team riders but have decided to remain in Europe to compete. Due to quarantine restrictions this means they will not be available to the team as reserve riders.

“All of these riders have shown tremendous effort and made great sacrifices to be where they are in the standings. I am very proud to be associated with all of them,” said Dressage Canada technical coach/advisor, Robert Dover, who will also be the team coach at WEG.

“I commend Cheryl Meisner and Shannon Dueck and respect their decisions to remain in Europe with their horses to compete. I know they will be a strong credit to the Canadian Team in the future. I also want to congratulate both Wendy Christoff and Evi Strasser who have been named as reserve riders for this year’s team.”

• Read the latest World Equestrian Games news