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Canada’s Jessica Di Genova Captures Florida CCI**Three Day Event

April 27, 2006

Ottawa, Ontario --- Junior rider Jessica Di Genova of Norval, ON and her Canadian Thoroughbred / Dutch Warmblood-cross mare Upolu took top honours in the CCI** division of the inaugural edition of the Florida Horse Park CCI ** / CCI* Three Day Event. The competition took place from April 20-23 in Ocala, FL. Several other Canadians successfully took part and represented a large portion of the competitive field.

Since being crowned the individual winner of the CCIJ* non-championship division at the 2005 North American Young Riders’ Championships (NAYRC), the talented young rider has been working towards improving her dressage skills. The results showed in Florida when Di Genova and Upolu scored a personal best of 43.5 penalty points and a third place tie after dressage. The pair moved up into first place after what seemed to be an effortless negotiation of the 8-minute-fifteen-second long cross country course. On the final day of competition, the pair sailed through the show jumping course, adding no penalties to their score and securing the win over the 43 competitors in the two star division.

“This was the first time that I competed in a CCI** three day event and it was an unbelievable experience to actually win it. My horse’s performance was exceptional and I couldn’t have expected more from her,” commented the delighted junior. “I was amazed with the amount of impulsion and activity offered by Upolu in the dressage but I was worried about the big tables and the long cross country course. Going into show jumping in first place made me really nervous, but my mare was amazing,” she explained.

Di Genova, 16, started riding at the tender age of 6. It was only four-years ago when the young girl decided to try eventing with her mother’s 22-year-old schoolmaster. The following year ‘Momma’ (Upolu) was purchased and so began to unfold a successful partnership.

Finishing just behind Di Genova in seventh place was fellow Canadian Samantha Taylor, 22, of Richmond, BC, who rode Laura Gaitewood’s 13-year-old English Thoroughbred mare, Lucinda to a seventh place finish, finishing on her dressage score of 55.8. Thirteen other Canadians successfully took part in this competitive division including US based Michael Winter with Daybreak and Pascale Tremblay-Wagner of Mont St. Hilaire, QC with Paradoxe de l’Eclypse both finishing in the top fifteen and Colleen Loach of Canton de Hatley, QC, who was unfortunately eliminated in the cross country after an impressive first place dressage test.

“I am thankful to David O’Connor who helped me warm up for all three phases. Before show jumping, David told me to focus on the rhythm and everything else will come – she jumped just beautifully,” commented Taylor.

The CCI* division of the competition was won by American icon Karen O’Connor. Canadian Vanessa Fenwick of Pefferlaw, ON finished eleventh aboard her six-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding Dhundh while Jordan McDonald of Richmond , BC finished 15th with Top Drawer,. US based Jessica Hampf was 23rd with High Society while Stacey Thorson of Langley, BC was 28th with Big Bad Ed and Lindsay Pearce of Tecumseh, ON with James finished in 39th place.

As a warm up for next week’s CCI Rolex four star three day event in Lexington, KY, several Canadian riders took part in the Advanced Combined test (dressage and show jumping only). Finishing in third place was Leslie Grant with Timber Spirit while Ian Roberts with Napalm was 14th. Anticipated Jersey Fresh competitor Sandra Donnelly placed 16th with Willow and 18th with Whiz Kid while Karl Slezak with Foxwood Spencer placed 17th.

About Canadian Eventing

Canadian Eventing is a committee of Equine Canada responsible for the sport of eventing in Canada from the grassroots to the international level. The Canadian Eventing Committee is comprised of 12 members, including two rider representatives elected by the Elite Riders Association. Directed by the Strategic Plan for Eventing, all Eventing activities are administered by this committee via six sub-committees with the support of an Eventing Manager based at the Equine Canada office in Ottawa. For more information about Canadian Eventing, visit www.canadianeventingteam.com

CCI** Division Results
Rider / Horse /   Score / Placing
Jessica Di Genova
Upolu
43.5
1
Samantha Taylor
Lucinda
55.8
7
Michael Winter
Daybreak
57.5
11
Pascale Tremblay Wagner
Paradoxe de l’Eclypse
62.1
14
Mike Winter
Secret Decision
62.8
17
Noel Clark
Jack Of Hearts
68.6
22
Courtney Olmstead
Rockafellar
68.9
23
Kyle Carter
Madison Park
72.2
25
Rebecca Berry
Kachemak Bay
75.7
27
Vanessa Fenwick
Balista
83.9
29
Ian Roberts
Amelia
92.4
31
Peter Barry
Gin Tonic
116.8
33
Peter Barry
Jefferson D’Aurois
120.6
34
Karl Slezak
Showdown
151.5
35th
Colleen Loach
The Duke Of Somerset

E
Megan White
Worcester

E


CCI* Division Results
Rider / Horse /   Score / Placing

Vanessa Fenwick
Dhundhu
61.6
11
Jordan McDonald
Top Drawer
63.5
15
Jessica Hampf
High Society III
69
23
Stacey Thorson
Bid Bad Ed
72.9
28
Lindsay Pearce
James
86.7
39
Samantha Taylor
Ringwood Zazu
WD
WD


Advanced Combined Test

Rider / Horse /   Score / Placing

Lesley Grant
Timber Spirit
35.12
3
Ian Roberts
Napalm
52.42
14
Sandra Donnelly
Willow
54.98
16
Karl Slezak
Foxwood Spencer
56.88
17
Sandra Donnelly
Whiz Kid
62.51
18
Peter Gray
Hot Pursuit
WD
WD
Peter Gray
Balladeer Ted
WD
WD

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