Camille Carier Bergeron in Just 2nd Show on Finnländerin Wins Wellington CDI3* Grand Prix Special, First Canadian Big Tour Victory So Far this Olympic Year

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Camille Carier Bergeron riding Finnländerin to victory in the Wellington CDI3* Grand Prix Special, the first Canadian Big Tour winner so far in this Olympic year. © 2024 Ken Braddick/DRESSAGE-NEWS.com

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

WELLINGTON, Florida, Mar. 2, 2024–Camille Carier Bergeron in just her second show on Finnländerin won the Global Dressage Festival CDI3* Grand Prix Special Saturday, the first Canadian Big Tour victory so far this Olympic year.

Camille and the 14-year-old Oldenburg scored 71.511% for her first Big Tour victory and that may have boosted the rider to the early lead in Canada’s Olympic rankings that run to the beginning of June, two months ahead of the Games in Paris.

Australia’s Jemma Heran on Saphira Royal, 15-year-old Rhinelander mare, was runner-up on a personal best 70.575% after the Germany-based pair captured the Grand Prix Thursday, also on a personal best.

Fellow Canadian Denielle Gallagher on the 12-year-old Lusitano gelding Come Back de Massa also posted a personal best 69.915% for third.

Kasey Perry-Glass, an Olympic and World Equestrian Games team medalist for the USA, placed fourth on Heartbeat W.P. 69.723% to complete the first international competition for the partnership.

Finnländerin was bought by Camille’s father in 2022 after the horse was competed at Big Tour by Madeleine Witte-Vrees of the Netherlands. Camille said she spent 2023 getting to know Finnländerin, that is nicknamed “The Queen,” as she is treated by the rider and others in their Quebec stables.

“We’re still getting to know one another,” said Camille who was on Canada’s bronze medal team at Grand Prix with Sound of Silence at last year’s Pan American Games and both individual and team gold medalist in earlier North American youth championships. She trains with Canadian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu who rode All In at the Tokyo Olympics, the 2018 World Equestrian Games and the 2015 Pan Ams in Toronto.

“My goal for today was just to go clean because I knew if we could go clean we would have a good mark. This horse has no hole, she doesn’t have one weakness. Everything is good, all three gaits are good, the changes are really big… she’s so consistent and she goes in there and she really fights for me and she goes that last and just gives me more... until the end, and she’s never going to let me down.

“She really fights for me so I knew I just had to ride as good as she can be. That was my goal for today and it just feels unreal. It’s really like a special moment for me.”

Camille said the character of Finnländerin is what attracted her to the horse–“it was just like, good friend at the start. I sat on her and she just gave me so much already and she didn’t know me and she was just offering; that’s what I liked about her is her heart (and) she has such a good brain. It’s great to go in there and I don’t worry about like what type of course I’ll have today like she’s always the same whether it’s at home or here or people clapping or raining or whatever you know she goes in there so it’s like it’s so much fun.
“I can just think about my riding and just getting better and being precise and and I like the fact that she had some experience, too, which told me a bit I’m not gonna have a surprise going in there, not knowing what type of horse is gonna be like. She’s been there–indoors, outdoors, music, no music also one of the reason why we bought her but mainly because the fit was great from the start. It’s really one cool horse to ride.”

Results:

CDI3* Grand Prix Special
RankCompetitorScoreEHCMB
1.
Camille Carier Bergeron (CAN)
Finnländerin
71.511%71.17070.42671.27771.17073.511
2.
Jemma Heran (AUS)
Saphira Royal 2
70.575%70.85169.14970.21370.85171.809
3.
Denielle Gallagher (CAN)
Come Back de Massa
69.915%69.68168.72371.17069.36270.638
4.
Kasey Perry-Glass (USA)
Heartbeat W.P.
69.723%70.63867.02169.25569.25572.447
5.
Katie Duerrhammer (USA)
Paxton
68.511%68.08566.38369.25568.61770.213
6.
Laurence Vanommeslaghe (FRA)
Havalon
67.660%69.14966.17067.12868.19167.660
7.
Susan Pape (GBR)
Harmony’s Eclectisch
66.851%67.23465.95767.44766.06467.553
8.
James Irwin (CAN)
Simsalabim
66.553%67.76665.10668.72365.95765.213
9.
Kiichi Harada (JPN)
Impression
66.468%65.85166.59666.80965.31967.766
10.
Bianca Berktold (USA)
Imperial
64.425%63.93664.14962.55365.00066.489
11.
Allison Carmichael (USA)
Figaro
63.872%64.57461.38364.25563.51165.638
12.
Melissa Taylor (USA)
Dixie WRF
63.723%63.40464.25561.59663.29866.064
13.
Patricia Ferrando (VEN)
Elvis
63.234%63.93664.57462.55361.70263.404
14.
Tina Irwin (CAN)
Fancy That
63.021%63.08561.80962.55362.76664.894
EL
Frederic Wandres (GER)
Joy Game
eliminated
Find details on Equestrian Hub