Colleen Loach and Vermont. Photo by Abby Powell.
December might be a bit of a sporting hinterland for eventing, but one thing you can always rely on is this: the announcement of each major country’s high performance squad and Olympic talent-spotting pathway. The latest nation to release its 2023 lists is Canada, which has published a four-strong horse-and-rider line-up on the National Squad and a list of eleven riders and fourteen horses on the Development Squad.
The athletes and horses named to the National Squad are as follows:
- Dana Cooke (Mooresville, NC) and FE Mississippi, owned by the FE Mississippi Syndicate LLC
- Colleen Loach (Dunham, QC) and Vermont, owned by Peter Barry
- Jessica Phoenix (Cannington, ON) and Wabbit, owned by James Phillips and Jessica Phoenix
- Lindsay Traisnel (Maidstone, ON) and Bacyrouge, owned by Patricia Pearce
The athletes and horses named to the Development Squad are as follows:
- Hawley Awad (Aldergrove, BC) and Jollybo, owned by the Jollybo Syndicate LLC and Hawley Awad
- Melissa Boutin (Ascot Corner, QC) and Obeah Dancer GS, owned by Melissa Boutin
- Hannah Bundy (Toronto, ON) and Lovely Assistant, owned by Juliana Hansen
- Holly Jacks (Hillsburgh, ON) and Candy King, owned by the Candy King Limited Partnership
- Kyle Carter (Sparr, FL) and G Star Van de Klinkenberg, owned by the Barnstaple Group
- Dana Cooke and Quattro, owned by Kingfisher Park
- Jamie Kellock (Cedar Valley, ON) and Summer Bay, owned by Jamie Kellock
- Kendal Lehari (Uxbridge, ON) and Audacious, owned by Kendal Lehari
- Colleen Loach and FE Goldeneye, owned by Peter Barry, Amanda Bernhard, and Colleen Loach
- Jessica Phoenix and Isla GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz; Freedom GS, owned by Charlotte Schickedanz; and Tugce, owned by Jessica Phoenix
- Karl Slezak (Tottenham, ON) and Fernhill Wishes, owned by Kirk Hoppner and Karl Slezak, and Hot Bobo, owned by Karl Slezak
Both the Development and National Squad programs are part of the framework of Canada’s drive to improve results on the world stage, with the National Squad — formerly known as the Elite Squad — representing the pinnacle of the program. Now, Canada will be hoping to hone its team in order to take a much-needed win at the 2023 Pan-American Games, which will give them a direct qualification route for the 2024 Paris Olympics if attained.
