 Ariana Chia & Guateque IV (Photo: Susan J. Stickle)  We’re in the midst of another big competition week, with a CDI just wrapped up Wellington, Florida and another set to begin in Del Mar, California. A number of Canadians are striving for Olympic qualifying scores in the CDIs. while more still are shaking off the show rust in the National classes. Last week was also a CPEDI, which means a qualifying opportunity for Canada’s para dressage hopefuls as well.
it’s always worth checking out the scores at Equestrian Hub to see not only which pros are in the mix with which horses, but also to follow the surprising number of Canadian amateurs, young riders and juniors competing south of the border. On the road to Paris Camille Carrier Bergeron earned her final minimum score required with longtime partner Sound of Silence. She also had a very strong showing with scores over 70% in the national show with her newer ride, Finlanderin. Ariana Chia earned qualifying scores thanks to a solid performance with Guateque. On the para dressage side, the lone Canadian competitor in the CPEDI was Lauren Barwick, her first appearance in the international ring since the Tokyo Paralympics and a break to have a baby. Despite a bobble on the first day, she earned solid 70+ scores. Michelle Mills seems to be the lone Canadian entry in the HITS Del Mar CDI this week; however a few more are testing the waters in the national show. Olympic qualifying leaderboard Liz Steacie has very helpfully created an unoffical leaderboard to keep track of Canadians' Olympic qualifying progress, which she will update regularly on her Facebook page. I do declare this instalment of “I do declare,” the list of Canadian riders who have confirmed their Olympics declaration is a group of riders I’ll call the veterans. They include past Olympians and team members from international events such as the Pan Am Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cup - the ever-present athletes who are always contenders. In no particular order, today’s declared list includes: - Jill Irving with Delacroix and Genesis - Jacqueline Brooks with Te Amo QOS and Quel Filou - Tom Dvorak and Cyrus - David Marcus and Qosmo - Tina Irwin with Fancy That and Guernsey Elvis - Jaimey Irwin with Donegal V and Simsalabim - Evi Strasser with Deja Vu Tyme and Disney Tyme I’m also including Tanya Strasser and Fidelis Tyme on this list, although Tanya’s far too young to be considered a veteran. But I can’t mention the mom without the daughter! Bonne chance everyone!
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 All four members of Canada’s 2023 Pan American Games team have declared for the Paris Olympics (Photo: Cealy Tetley) The road to the Paris Olympics begins with a single step - the official declaration of a horse and rider combination. Those declared athletes will then compete throughout the winter and spring to meet the qualifying criteria. Canada’s dressage team will be chosen from among the list of qualifying pairs - presumably (but not necessarily) the three combinations with the highest scores. Which riders have declared for the Olympics? Good question. Equestrian Canada does not publicly release the list, sending it only to declared athletes and key stakeholders. However, if the Pan Am Games are anything to go by, it will quickly get circulated behind the scenes. But why wait? We want to follow our declared athletes’ progress and cheer them on throughout the winter season. So over the next few weeks, we’ll be naming groups of riders who have confirmed their declaration with Canadian Dressage News. Some are well-known veterans, while others may be unfamiliar to the average dressage fan. And which horses have those riders declared? Again the list is a mix of established Grand Prix horses, along with up and coming Small Tour mounts who are hopefully ready to make the leap up the levels this year. In this first instalment, we’re starting with Canada’s most recent international teams - those who represented us at the Santiago Pan Am Games and the Tokyo Olympics. Mathilde Blais - Declared with her Pan Am partner Fedor Bea Boucher - Declared with her Pan Am partner Summerwood’s Limei Camille Carrier Bergeron - Declared with her Pan Am partner Sound of Silence, as well as Finnlanderin, a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare (Fidertanz 2 x Donnerhall II) whom Camille acquired in June, 2022 Naima Moreira Laliberte - Declared with three horses: her Pan Am and Olympic mount Statesman; Inspire, who she competed in CDIs at small tour in 2023; and Trafalgar, who she acquired from Edward Gal last summer Lindsay Kellock Duckworth - Declared with Tu Le Merite, a 12-year-old gelding by Totilas, owned by Lisa Apa Chris von Martels - Declared with his Olympic mount Eclips, and rising star Londoncrown, an 11-year-old mare moving up from small tour this year Brittany Fraser Beaulieu - Has not yet publicly confirmed her declaration  Montreal’s Mathieu Boisselier showcases his Canadian pride on the road (Photo courtesy of Elevage d’Hulm). To be the best you need to learn from the best. That’s one of the primary reasons (along with the kinder climate) so many Canadian riders head to Florida and California for the winter season, where they can train with and compete alongside some of the biggest names in the sport. However at least two Canadians are packing their bags (and their horses) and heading slightly further afield this year in pursuit of their goals. British Columbia native Shannon Dueck is leaving her Loxahatchee, Florida home at the end of January to spend the next seven months training with her longtime mentor and friend, Carl Hester. Of course her 9-year-old mare Angelika MW (Franziskus x Welt Hit II) is coming along for the ride. After a highly successful season at Small Tour last year which culminated in being named as an alternate for Canada’s Pan Am dressage team, Shannon and Angel have stepped up to the big tour this year and hope to return from Carl’s yard firmly established at Grand Prix. Meanwhile this week, Montrealer Mathieu Boisselier leaves his home base in the south of France and heads to Barcelona. There he will train with Spanish Olympian Jordi Domingo, who also coaches fellow Canadian Naima Moreira Laliberte. Mathieu is bringing his two FEI horses to sunny Spain: With 10-year-old KWPN mare J'Adoreina (All At Once x Tuschinski) he has his sights set on medium tour in 2024. His nine-year-old homebred gelding Fangorn d'Hulm (Don Juan de Hus x Otto Mail) competed at small tour last year at the national level in France, and Mathieu plans to enter him in CDIs this season. Safe travels and bonne chance to our Canadian friends!  Lindsay Kellock and Sebastien at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: Astrid Appels / Eurodressage By Liz Steacie
HPAG - the High Performance Advisory Group. This is where the buck stops with respect to selecting a team for Paris. This group will make the decisions that will name a team (or not). Yeah, I said "Or NOT". There is the possibility within the Equestrian Canada Équestre Olympic qualifying criteria to decide to NOT send a team to Paris. And that will be the first big decision this group will face at the end of the qualifying period. The criteria state: 3.3.6 For Canada to guarantee the nomination of a full team to the COC for the 2024 OG the final ranking average for the team must be 70% or higher. There is some wriggle room here, in that they use the word "guarantee". Leaves them some options. Roughly equivalent to "may or may not" but won't "guarantee" up front. But they are also not locking themselves out of nominating a team that does not have a 70% average. That's how I read this clause. Really, if you think about it, sending a team that cannot achieve an average score of 70% or better is perhaps a waste of money and resources. Sure there is some merit in sending a team of riders who might gain valuable experience and mileage through participation in a major games. Enough for the enormous amount of money that will be needed to get them there? Ponder and decide how you would look at the situation. So let's take a look at this group and see what makes them comfortable with such decisions. The HPAG is a full time sub-committee reporting to the Manager of Dressage at EC (Christine Peters). Here is the composition of this group: Victoria Winter – ON - Chair (former FEI level rider who did compete in major games, international chef d'equipe, lawyer) Denielle Gallagher – Legriffon – FL – Athlete Representative Lisa von Martels – FL – Athlete Representative Joan Macartney – ON Retired FEI level judge. Dr. Alan Manning – ON Veterinarian, has been the traveling team vet at major games. Ex Officio Members (ex-officio means that these members are derived by the position they hold within EC): Christine Peters – ON Manager of Dressage at EC James Hood - AB Director High Performance and FEI Relations at EC (all disciplines). So these are the people tasked with the following directives (taken from the 2024 Equestrian Canada Olympic qualifying criteria): 3.2 Specific Responsibilities • The general purpose of the HPAG is to provide input and feedback into the development of the high performance strategy, policies (including criteria) and programming. • Oversee the selection / nomination of Canadian athlete/horse combinations to represent Canada internationally. • Develop a national ranking system for elite riders. • Develop a mechanism for ensuring that the feedback and opinions of targeted athletes are represented in the key high performance policy and program decision making processes. • Collectively act as a resource to the DHP (James Hood) on other high performance program areas, as requested. • Support management in dealing with appeals and disciplinary actions related to dressage programs and selection / nomination. • Provide strategic counsel to the DHP (James Hood) on matters concerning high performance programs and services. • Review athlete development through objective assessment tools in collaboration with the Performance Analyst. Today we will talk about the role of HPAG set out above as: • Oversee the selection / nomination of Canadian athlete/horse combinations to represent Canada internationally. Based on the criteria, this is how it should work: ... nomination to the team will be determined as outlined below: a) The athlete/horse combination with the highest final ranking average as per Appendix 1, Section 3.3.3 and Section 3.3.4 above will be nominated to the team for the 2024 OG. b) The final two athlete/horse combinations nominated to the 2024 OG team, and up to two athlete/horse combinations named as alternates, will be nominated in an effort to identify and nominate the best possible team to represent Canada at 2024 OG. The HPAG will review and evaluate athlete/horse combinations on the following non-exhaustive factors: i. Qualification scores, including the currency and consistency of the qualification scores, examples of which are: a) Consistency of qualification scores from qualifying classes during the QP; b) Whether qualification scores from qualifying classes reflect improvement over the QP; c) Number of qualification scores obtained within the last 3 months of the QP; and d) Consistency of qualification scores from qualifying classes at different venues, under different conditions, before different judges/panels. ii. The fitness, soundness and ability of the athlete/horse combination to contribute to a top 10 team performance at the 2024 OG; iii. The previous international experience of the athlete/horse combination, examples of which are: a) Whether the athlete/horse combination has previously competed for Canada at a CDIO Competition or Major Games (Pan American Games, World Equestrian Games, Olympic Games) and the impact of their contribution to the team at such events; b) Athlete’s previous international experience and the impact of their contribution at such events; c) Horse’s previous international experience and the impact of its contribution at such events; d) The CDI level (CDI 3* – 5*) of the qualifying competition; e) The international ranking of other athlete/horse combinations competing in the qualifying class Lots of factors to consider, eh? Loads of wriggle room. There is more, concerning extraordinary unforeseen circumstances and substitutions. If you care, you can read all about it here: https://www.equestrian.ca/sport/dressage/high-performance (click on the link 2024 Olympic Games Equestrian Canada Nomination Criteria & Procedures - Dressage). What is not mentioned in this document are the more "fuzzy" decisions around team strategies, team objectives, and how the qualified individuals can contribute to these. For example, at Paris, the team placing is based on ONLY the Grand Prix test. This is why the GP is so heavily weighted (80%) in the calculation of the final average for contenders. And why we will need team members who can really nail the GP! We also need team members who will not be marginalized by tension, or compromised by the extensive travel, or subject to potential unsoundness. With a team of only 3 riders, we cannot afford to have a team member eliminated or produce only a minimum score in this test. At the Pan-Am Games, the team final placing included BOTH the GP and the GPS. The strategy around team selection was slightly different in this scenario. I will let you guys ponder all this and the difficult role this group has before the 2024 Olympic Games. Keep these things in mind as you follow our riders through the qualifying period.  New Brunswick native Denielle Gallagher and Comeback de Massa, photographed in 2023 by Lauren Pitylak As the Adequan Global Dressage Festival got underway in Wellington, FL today, just two riders represented Canada in the CDI. Denielle Gallagher and Comeback de Massa had a solid ride in the CDI3* Grand Prix, finishing in 4th place with a personal best 67.217, her first Olympic qualifying score of the season.
Tanya Strasser continued her World Cup Final bid with Fidelis Tyme, finishing 9th in the CDI-W Grand Prix on a score of 65.913. Alexandra Duncan had planned to compete in the CDI3* GP, however her mount Illusionist cut himself in the paddock, forcing her to withdraw. Alex will ride the Grand Prix tomorrow in the national show aboard the 9-year-old Grand Diamond. Several other Canadians are testing the waters in the national big tour classes this weekend. Camille Carrier Bergeron and her Pan Am partner Sound of Silence scored 65.326 for 8th place in the GP today, while in the Special Ariana Chia earned a second place 68.777 with Guateque IV. Olympic hopefuls Jill Irving and Naima Moriera Laliberte will also go down centre line in the FEI Grand Prix tomorrow. Mathilde Blais Tetrault and Fedor will ride the GP in the FEI test of choice, and Vanessa Creech is entered in the Intermediate II with Daniel L. Canada is also well-represented in tomorrow’s national small tour classes: Prix St. George Naima Moreira Laliberte & Jaliska Belinda Trussell & Diamanten Dave Belinda Trussell & Feng de Lys Justin Ridgewell & Cosmopolitan Intermediate 1 Brooke Mancusi & Kalisto Sollenburg While national show results do not count towards Olympic qualifying scores, it’s a good opportunity to experience the busy atmosphere of the Global show grounds without the pressure of a CDI.  Tanya Strasser and Fidelis Tyme are chasing a spot in the World Cup Final The first CDI of Florida’s winter season begins tomorrow at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Despite the event being a qualifier for the 2024 Olympics, just three Canadians are entered. Denielle Gallagher with Comback de Massa and Alexandra Duncan with Illusionist M will contest the CDI3* Grand Prix, while Tanya Strasser and Fidelis Tyme are entered in the CDI-W Grand Prix.
The low Canadian entries in the CDI are no cause for alarm; many just made the trip down south in recent weeks and may not feel ready for international competition after the journey. Denielle and Alex, on the other hand, live in Florida year-round. Tanya is in contention for one of the World Cup Final spots allocated to North American riders, so this CDI-W is very important for her. There will still be plenty of CanCon at the Global grounds, with a number of Canadians entered in National classes. Among them are several veteran riders with exciting new horses, or horses we haven’t seen them compete in North America yet: Jill Irving & Delacroix, Naima Moreira Laliberte & Inspire, Camille Carrier-Bergeron & Finlanderin and Alexandra Duncan and Grand Diamond will all tackle the Grand Prix, while Ariana Chia tackles the Grand Prix Special with Guataque IV. Another interesting pair to keep an eye on this weekend is Shannon Dueck & Angelika MW, who moved up from the small tour this season. Will they be contenders in the Olympic qualifying race? Time will tell. Ride times and results can be found online for both the CDI and the National show. :Good luck to all our Canadian friends!  By Liz Steacie
The process to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games as a Canadian Dressage athlete begins with the requirements of the Equestrian Canada Nomination Criteria and Procedures. This document is published on the Equestrian Canada Équestre website. To find it, you go to Sport - Dressage - High Performance from the main menu. It is a 23-page document that details the requirements to attempt nomination to the team. The main body of the document lists all the aspects for all contenders in all the disciplines. These include:
Assuming all the above conditions are met, you can go ahead and DECLARE your intent to try for a place. Declarations for dressage closed NOVEMBER 3rd, 2023. In the document, there are pages and pages of contingency clauses and accreditation information before moving to Appendix 1 - Discipline specific nomination criteria. In order to declare for selection to the dressage team, an athlete has to pay a non-refundable fee:
Once declared, the athlete has to achieve the FEI condition of "Minimum Eligibility Requirements" during the time period 1 Jan 2023 to June 24, 2024. Refer to yesterday's post for more information on MERs. Quickly: 67% from both the panel and an L4 judge twice in a CDI. The score chasing begins January 1, 2024. Canadian dressage athletes must have, at a minimum:
Now the kicker: ALL scores from qualifying competitions during the qualifying period will be used to calculate the combination's average, although athletes may drop 1 score (either GP or GPS, not both). So, if an athlete attends 5 CDI competitions, the scores from all of these competitions will be used, not just the BEST 3. Elimination, withdrawal and poor scores will ALL be factored in (after dropping the lowest score). Elimination and DNS will be assigned a 0 and included in the average (unless dropped). In calculating the final averages, the Grand Prix will be weighted 80% and the Special 20%. After all that, a final ranking for a three member team must be 70% or better to guarantee Equestrian Canada Équestre will in fact nominate a team. If that is the case, the highest ranking athlete/horse combination will be named to the team, and the 2 remaining team members and reserves will be selected by the HPAG, the High Performance Advisory Group. More about this group in the next update! About the author Liz Steacie of Brockville, Ontario has been an active member of Canada's equestrian community as an FEI competitor, high performance coach, and sought-after trainer for more than 50 years. Liz has volunteered on a number of Equestrian Canada's dressage committees over the years, including Domestic Development and High Performance. She also served as Interim Chair of High Performance leading up to the 2011 Pan American Games.  Photo: Alison Campbell-Wright The 2024 international competition season kicked off not with a bang, but with a whimper. Just 9 horse/rider combinations entered the CDI division at this weekend’s event at the beautiful Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, a disappointing and somewhat surprising turn of events considering the show is a World Cup qualifier.
American Ben Ebeling was the sole competitor in the CDI-W classes, scooping up all the available points from the competition and all but sealing his bid for a spot. Canada was represented by a sole rider in the CDI; British Columbia’s Alison Campbell-Wright and her mount Slapstick were among the three entries in the Young Rider division. The pair finished third in Friday’s team test with 59.118%, and moved up to second place in the individual test on Saturday with a score of 57.471%. Why are entries so low in this all-important Olympic qualifying year? For starters, it’s very early in the season. Many of the Canadians wintering in California have just arrived in the past few weeks and are slowly acclimating their horses after the journey. And those based there year-round may feel no pressure to spend their holiday break preparing for an international competition. I’ve also noticed an increasing number of west coast riders opting to spend their winters in Florida over the past few years. Hopefully entries increase dramatically for other events this winter. It would be a huge loss for riders in the west (both Canada and the USA) if the California CDIs disappeared from the FEI calendar. Next week the east coast is in the spotlight as the Adequan Global Dressage Festival kicks off with its first CDI of the season beginning Thursday, January 11. Happy new year, Canadian dressage fans! If you're new here, welcome. If not, you may notice a few changes on the site. We've changed our name from Canadian Dressage Addict to Canadian Dressage news to reflect our goal to be a primary source for news, updates, athlete profiles and more from the world of Canadian dressage. As an Olympic year, 2024 is a critical one for our national squad members and hopefuls. Over the coming weeks and months we'll delve into the qualifying process and get to know some of Canada's top team contenders. For now, let's start with a look at where Canadians stand on the FEI world rankings at the start of this new year. FEI WORLD RANKINGS - CANADIAN STANDINGS - AS OF JANUARY 3, 2024  What do those rankings mean in terms of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics? Pretty much nothing. They reflect last year's achievements and qualifying will be based on horse and rider performance between January 1 and June 24, 2024, with one score from each of the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special to be earned after April 1, 2024. Hence the mass exodus of Canadians to Florida and California, where CDI competitions throughout the winter season offer numerous opportunities to earn scores (not to mention the bonus of training in above-freezing temps).
As well, it's important to note that not all of Canada's contenders are included on this list. For example, 2020 Olympic team member Lindsay Kellock took time off last year due to the birth of her baby, but with a number of top-quality horses in her barn, will likely be back in the CDI ring this year. Shannon Dueck's lovely mare Angelika MW is knocking on the door of the Grand Prix. After a season spent overseas training with the incomparable Carl Hester, will the pair be ready to compete at the highest level by spring? Only time will tell, but I wouldn't count them out! Tina Irwin acquired her new Grand Prix horse Guernsey Elvis last year and had some successful outings at national shows and I expect to see them in the CDI ring at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival this year. By the same token, not all the Canadian horse / rider combinations in the current world ranking list will be competing together in 2024. Most notably, #2-ranked Pia Fortmuller made the decision to retire her lovely Grand Prix mare Frieda last year, just prior to the close of the Pan Am qualifying period. It's probably also worth noting that FEI world rankings at the end of the qualifying period is NOT what determines who will represent Canada at the Olympics. The team will be determined through Equestrian Canada's somewhat complicated qualifying criteria, plus a significant amount of leeway from the powers that be to make selections. More on that in the coming weeks. We'll be keeping a close eye on the World Cup qualifying process as well. Three spots in the final are allocated to horse / rider combinations from the North American League and currently Canada's Tanya Strasser-Shostak with Fidelis Tyme are ranked third in the league. Stay tuned and buckle up - it's going to be an exciting year! |
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