Ottawa, ON, Canada - The top young horses in the country will be showcased in the $51,000 Jump Canada Young Horse National Finals taking place September 22-26 at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament in Palgrave, ON.

Running Wednesday through to Sunday, National Champions will be crowned in three divisions: Five-Year-Old, Six-Year-Old and combined Seven- and Eight-Year-Old. Each age division will feature $17,000 in prize money with a breakdown of $3,000, $4,000 and $10,000 offered over three days of competition. Jump Canada will also provide ribbons and coolers.

The final competition in the Five-Year-Old and Six-Year-Old National Finals will take place in the grand prix ring at the Caledon Equestrian Park on Saturday, September 25, while the Seven- and Eight-Year-Old National Final will be showcased on Sunday, September 26, before the start of the $50,000 Caledon Cup Grand Prix.

Throughout the season, young horses competed in three regions across the country: Eastern, Central and Western. The top 10 horses in each age division from the Central Region were invited to contest the National Finals, as were the top eight horses from the Eastern and Western Regions. Any invitations not used by the Eastern and Western Regions were offered to the next horse in the Central Region standings. Complete standings can be viewed at http://www.equiman.com/JumpCanadaYoungHorseSeries/.

Following the conclusion of competition in each of the three regions, the Regional Champions were crowned in each age category. Jump Canada wishes to congratulate the following Regional Champions:

Eastern Region Young Horse Champions
Division/Horse/Owner/Rider
Sevene and Eight-Year-Old - Arise Z Francois Lamontagne Francois Lamontagne
Six-Year-Old - Independence Day 3E* Mudstyle, Inc., Francois Lamontagne
Five-Year-Old - Empire 181 Wynbrook Farm Paul Halpern
Four-Year-Old - Beaulieu’s Heartbreaker Bea Jarzynska Keith Reid

Central Region Young Horse Champions
Division/Horse/Owner/Rider
Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Grand Finale - 3E* KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran
Six-Year-Old - Sera* Braeburn Farms Erynn Ballard
Five-Year-Old - EWSZ’s Jerevel* European Warmblood Group Miro Frei/
Johan Letimonier
Four-Year-Old - EWSZ’s Qualle* European Warmblood Group Stephanie Dubois-Emond

Western Region Young Horse Champions
Division/Horse/Owner/Rider
Seven and Eight-Year-Old - Vibrance Liz Ashton Liz Ashton
Six-Year-Old - Lokomotion Laurel McLaughlin Gary Brewster
Five-Year-Old - Quidam Blue Ute Brinkmann Enrico Suessenbach
Four-Year-Old - Phyline* Ute Brinkmann Enrico Suessenbach

NOTE: The star * beside a horse’s name denotes that it is Canadian-bred.

Recognizing that many horse owners from the Western division would not be able to attend the National Finals in Ontario, a total of $20,000 in prize money was offered during the final Western Regional event, the Rocky Mountain Classic III, held at Anderson Ranch in Calgary, AB, from September 1-5.

The purpose of the Jump Canada Young Horse Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development. This careful development allows the horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence. The Jump Canada Young Horse Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

ENDS