I do declare - Part 1

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
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Brittany Fraser Beaulieu - Has not yet publicly confirmed her declaration

Mathilde and Fedor

Bea and Summerwood’s Limei

Camille and Sound of Silence

Naima and Statesman

Lindsay and Tu Le Merite

Chris and Londoncrown