Tournament’s Young Canadian Jumpers Meeting the Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2008

Palgrave, Ontario – Caledon Equestrian Park’s Jumper Annex ring was bustling with activity on September 18th, as young jumpers vied for recognition. Tournament of Champions, which is host to the Canadian Jumper Development Series (CJDS) finals, was also host to the Canadian Performance Futurity’s Eastern Zone Jumper classes. Four and five-year-old horses who had been campaigning all season, came together to see who would take the year-end prizes.

The Canadian Performance Futurity has leverage off of the competition criteria of the CJDS since inception. Given that, it was only natural for the two classes to be held in cooperation, providing young horses and their riders a shot at two purses of prize money for a single effort. Canadian-bred horses nominated for the Canadian Performance Futurity, and competing in the CJDS Eastern Canadian Championship class, were assessed for the Futurity in their performance over a challenging course designed by senior course designer David Ballard.

The prize for the four-year-old jumper went to Viva’s Romeo W, owned and bred by Augustin Walch of W Charlot Farms. Romeo, a Canadian Warmblood, is by Viva Voltaire, out of Rio’s Rexy W, a Rio’s Rex mare.

The championship for the five-year-old class went to KingRidge Stables, who has been a strong participant in the Futurity program since its inception. Heads Up 3E a Canadian Sport Horse gelding by Jamestown and out of Shooting Star 3E, a Class Action mare, was ridden to the top place by Roberto Teran. Heads Up, who narrowly beat out his sibling Holy Smoke 3E, also went on to become the CJDS National Champion.

“KingRidge is a strong participant in young horse jumper classes,” commented Roberto Teran. “Canada’s breeding programs have improved over the past five years, and these classes give us a chance to show this. KingRidge horses are just as successful in the Young Jumper Championships in the United States as they are in Canadian programs, so we know they are competitive.”


The Canadian Performance Futurity, which is open to registered and Canadian bred horses, is funded in part by the Canadian Breeders' Initiative Fund (CBIF). CBIF supports Canadian breeders of horses for the FEI disciplines, providing financial assistance to initiatives which profile multiple breed registries, with a preference to Canadian organizations. The CBIF is administered by Equine Canada and funded with charitable donations.

More on the Canadian Performance Futurity, including information for nominating horses, can be found at www.CanadianPerformanceFuturity.com.