In Tight Race, Brittany Fraser on All In Moves to 2nd in Canadian Pan American Games Small Tour Standings
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May 25, 2015
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Brittany Fraser on All In moved up to second place behind Diane Creech on Robbie W in Canada’s Pan American Games Small Tour standings but with less than one percentage separating the top three ranked combinations with one qualifying competition to go.
Based on results from the Cedar Valley last weekend and Palgrave two weeks earlier, Brittany and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding had an average of four qualification scores of 72.421, 0.068 behind Diane and the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding on 72.489. Chris von Martels on Zilverstar is in the third slot on 72.408.
Meantime, Karen Pavicic who competed her World Games team mount Don Daiquiri at the CDI4* in Wiesbaden, Germany last weekend was observed by Dr. Volker Moritz, the German trainer and retired judge who is advising the Canadian high performance dressage effort.
His appearance at Wiesbaden to observe the Canadian pair that is third in the Big Tour standings sparked speculation as it came after the No. 2 ranked Megan Lane and Caravella were listed as “withdrew” from the Cedar Valley show. Belinda Trussell on Anton is atop the Big Tour standings.
The final qualifying competition is at Ottawa this coming weekend with the four qualification results to play a big role in determining which four Big and Small Tour combinations will be named to the team for the Pan Ams in Toronto in July. The deadline for naming the team for the Pan Ams is mid-June.
A single nation with at least one Grand Prix combination gets to send a team to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
The United States with at least two Big Tour combinations capable of scoring well above 70 per cent in both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special that also add an extra 1.5 per cent to their scores is heavily favored to take Pan Am gold and thus the Olympic team slot.
If the U.S. gets the team slot, an individual combination–not from the winning team with a Big Tour pair–can also gain Olympic qualification at the Pan Ams.
A second spot can be earned through the rankings for the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) group comprising Canada, the Caribbean and the United States but again excluding the U.S. if the country has already qualified its team. A third individual slot can be earned through world rankings that would enable the nation to put together a so-called “composite” team with the minimum of three horses and riders.
