Dressage-News

CEDAR VALLEY, Ontario, June 17, 2018–Megan Lane and Zodiac MW won the CDI3* Grand Prix Freestyle Sunday to leave only one more competition in Canada to qualify for the nation’s team to go to the World Equestrian Games opening in Tryon, North Carolina in 88 days.

Top contenders for the four spots on the team are Brittany Fraser on All In, Megan on Caravella, Jill Irving on Degas and Belinda Trussell on Tattoo. Megan on Zodiac are ranked fifth, according to unofficial calculations by dressage-news.com while Diane Creech on Diana C stands in sixth.

Brittany and All did not compete this weekend as the pair that were on the Pan American Games silver medal team at small tour in 2015 is atop the standings with only one CDI3*, at Caledon, Ontario July 20-22, remaining on the show schedule ahead of Tryon..

For Megan on Caravella, the youngest rider at 26 on the oldest horse, 17, among the leading combinations, Tryon would be her second world championship having competed at Normandy in 2014 in the event staged once every four years. She also was on the 2015 Pan Am team and the 2016 Olympics.

Jill Irving on Degas moved into third place on the rankings with a victory in the Grand Prix Special Saturday following a second place in the Grand Prix, both with scores that were the best for the pair in the WEG qualifying period that began Jan. 1 and could run until Aug. 13 when nominations must be filed. If successful in making the team this would be first international championship for Jill.

Belinda Trussell, who also did not compete here as Tattoo is recovering from a minor injury, is ranked fourth on the unofficial standings in seeking to go to her fourth World Games, having competed in 2002, 2010 and 2014 as well as the 2004 and 2016 Olympics and the 2015 Pan Ams.

Megan, if she stays in fifth place or better with Zodiac at Caledon could have an option of two mounts for Tryon.

Diane Creech on Diana C is ranked sixth, according to dressage-news.com’s caculations.

The impact of Ashley Holzer, a three-time Olympian and three-time World Games competitor for Canada, is significant as she coaches both Brittany Fraser and Jill Irving. Ashley, a long-time resident with her family of New York City, now rides for the United States and is on the squad in Europe from which the American team for Tryon will be selected.

The (very) unofficial rankings as of June 17:

Brittany Fraser, 29, and All In, 13-year-old KWPN gelding, owned by Brittany and Marc-Andre Beaulieu — 71.137

Megan Lane, 26, and Caravella, 17-year-old KWPN mare, owned by Megan Lane, Cathy Lane & Kelsey Lane — 70.787

Jill Irving, 55, and Degas, 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding, owned by Jill Irving-Windhaven Farm — 69.661

Belinda Trussell, 46, and Tattoo, 15-year-old Westfalen gelding, owned by Belinda — 69.097

Megan Lane on Zodiac MW, 14-year-old KWPN gelding, owned by Deer Ridge Equestrian — 68.782

Diane Creech, 55, and Diana C, 11-year-old Hanoverian mare, owned by Diane and Louise Leatherdale — 67.846

Results: