Tina Irwin’s Olympic Bid on Fancy That for Canada Ends with Covid-Caused Cancellation of Cedar Valley Qualifying Event
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May 21, 2021
Tina Irwin’s campaign on Fancy That for a place on Canada’s Olympic team ended Friday when the last remaining qualifying event at Cedar Valley, Ontario was canceled due to coronavirus that left her short of scores required to be considered for a start in Tokyo.
Tina, 40 years old, and Fancy That, a 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, competed at Tryon, North Carolina after skipping Florida’s Global Dressage Festival. The German-born Tina had planned to fulfill qualifying requirements at the Cedar Valley show in early June but that was stymied by cancellation.
Brittany Fraser on All In, Chris von Martels on Eclips, Naïma Moreira Laliberté on Statesman, Lindsay Kellock on Sebastien and Jill Irving on Arthur are the top ranked combinations from which the team of three and a reserve will be selected to go to Tokyo for the dressage competition starting July 24.
“Unfortunately,” Tina said on her Facebook page, “our quest for the Olympics has come to an end. Due to the last qualifier at Cedar Valley having to be canceled because of Covid, we do not have a chance to fulfill the criteria to be considered for the team.
“It has been an emotional year with a lot of difficult decisions that have been made.
“Fancy and I are disappointed to not be able to showcase ourselves to the fullest, but we wish the Canadian Dressage Team who is selected the very best in Tokyo!”
Tina on Laurencio led Canada to Pan American Games team gold as well as individual silver that earned the nation a start at the Tokyo Olympics.
She also rode Winston on the 2011 Pan Am silver medal team.
