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Ottawa, Ontario---On this day, Canada’s 137th birthday, the Canadian Eventing Committee is pleased to announce the names of the Canadian Eventing Team and alternates for the 2004 Olympic Games. In accordance with the criteria for selection, there will be five horse rider combinations named to the Team and nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee. In addition a list of alternate horse rider combinations will be named in reserve.

The following partnerships have been named to the team: (listed in alphabetical order)

Recent placings or qualifications are listed where possible.

Hawley Bennett (27), Langley, BC, Livingston, 14, TB, Bay, 16.3h. Owners: Rider & Mrs. Gerri Bennett. 14th, Modified Rolex-Kentucky, 2004; member Silver Medal Team Pan American Championships, 2003

Stuart Black (44), Orangeville, ON, Fleeceworks Blackout, 10, TB, Black,17h. Owners: Rider & Mr. Elkins Wetherill. 20th, Rolex-Kentucky CCI****. 2004; 7th, (Market Venture) Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI****, 1998; 22nd, Sydney Olympic Games, 2000. (Stuart and Fleeceworks Blackout are pictured at the right jumping the Table after the First Water at Rolex-Kentucky CCI****, 2004.)

Bruce Mandeville (44), Puslinch, ON, Larissa, 15, TRAK, Chestnut, 16.1h. Owners: Mr. & Mrs. Franz Hollenbach. 11th Advanced/Intermediate Groton House, 2004; member Silver Medal Team Pan American Championships, 2003; completed 1994 WEG, The Hague, The Netherlands, 1999 Pan American Games, Winnipeg, Canada; placed 22nd, 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia and 29th at the WEG Jerez, Spain, 2002.

Suzy Pettman (26), Westbank, BC, Kilcotrim, 15, TB, Bay, 16.3h, Owner: Rider. 23rd, Modified Rolex-Kentucky, 2004; 7th Fair Hill International CCI***, 2003.

Michael Winter (29), Toronto, ON, Balista, 13, TB, Bay, 16.2h. Owners: Rider & Mrs. Emeline Loughlin. 18th, Modified Rolex-Kentucky, 2004; highest placed Canadian Pan American Championships, 2003; member Silver Medal Team Pan American Championships, 2003. (Mike is pictured at the left with his Pan American Championships Silver Medal, 2003.)

Alternates who will form the reserve list are as follows: (listed in alphabetical order)

Peter Gray (46), Orangeville, ON, Balladeer Ted, 11, ISH, Chestnut. 16.3h . Owners: Rider & Mr. & Mrs. J. Bernhard. 45th Guardian Collections Bramham International CCI***, 2004; represented Bermuda in three Olympic Games: 1980 Alternate Olympics, Fontainebleau, France; 1984, Los Angeles, USA; 1988 Seoul, Korea.

Ian Roberts (45), Port Perry, ON, Mata-Riki, 11, TB/QH, Bay, 16h. Owner: Ms. Kelly Plitz

Garry Roque (44), Caledon East, ON, Waikura, 13, NZL Bred, Bay, 16.2h. Owners: Rider & Mr. Gustav Quast. 22nd, Fair Hill International CCI***, 2003.

eventingetc.com will be covering the Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials, July 9-11. Watch for more news of the Canadian Olympic Team's final outing, in Illinois.

(For rider biographies, visit the Equine Canada website http://www.equinecanada.ca/.

“In 2003 and 2004, we have seen amazing growth in the depth of our top horses and riders. The selection process has been made much more complicated by the greater number of qualified riders at this level,” noted Chair of the Selection Committee, Dr. Rob Stevenson. “As selectors, we have been very fortunate to observe the many talented riders who have been vying for a spot on the Team. It is an honour to announce this list today. We wish to thank the riders for their trust in us to make this decision, and we wish them all the very best of luck in the weeks ahead!”

“I’m delighted that the Canadian program is showing obvious signs of success with our qualification for the 2004 Olympics,” said Canadian Eventing International Technical Advisor, James C. Wofford. “I am thrilled with the makeup of the team because it has a nice blend of proven veteran horses and riders as well as new blood, which is already operating at an Olympic level with quite a future ahead of them. Overall, I am enthusiastic and encouraged with our results and I am looking forward to showing them off in Athens.”

The Team and alternates will compete in a final preparatory trial at the Maui Jim Wayne Horse Trials, July 9, 10 and 11 in Wayne, Illinois, USA. This will provide a final opportunity for the riders to compete prior to the Olympics. The selectors and team support staff will be in attendance for a final assessment of soundness for all North American horses. Horses not currently in North America will undergo similar veterinary assessment prior to July 12th. Should there be issues of soundness, then an alternate may be promoted from the reserve list to a team position up until July 12th, after which no further substitutions may be made.

The Team will meet at the York Equestrian Centre in Cedar Valley, ON, for their final pre-Olympic Training Camp July 27 to August 4. They will travel to Athens August 5th, training under the leadership of Wofford and dressage coach Jane Savoie. In addition to the coaching staff, Greg Paull (Eventing Team Chef d’Equipe), Dr. Jennifer Miller (Team Veterinarian), Andy Vergut (Team Farrier) and Debbie Dobson (Team Therapist) will accompany and provide support to the Team throughout the Games.

The Canadian Eventing Committee is grateful to Sport Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee and all of its patrons, benefactors, and sponsors for their continued support of the Canadian Eventing Team in its quest for top-six team placing at the 2004 Olympic Games.

The Olympic sport of Eventing encompasses three separate tests: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Each test ridden by the rider and horse in combination is scored individually but added together for the final results. The rider/horse combination with the fewest number of penalty points over the three days wins the competition. At the 2004 Olympic Games, the team and individual competition will run concurrently. The team competition consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of five competitors with the best three scores to count for the team classification. Following the Team medal show jumping round, the top twenty-five competitors compete in a second round of show jumping to determine the Individual medals.

*Provisional Schedule for the Olympic Eventing Competition

All phases of the competition take place at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre

Sunday, August 15: 10:00hrs –18:35hrs Individual Dressage - Day 1

10:00hrs –18:35hrs Team Dressage – Day 1

Monday, August 16: 10:00hrs – 18:35hrs Individual Dressage –Day 2

10:00hrs – 18:35hrs Team Dressage – Day 2

Tuesday, August 17: 08:30hrs –12:30hrs Individual Cross Country

08:30hrs –12:30hrs Team Cross Country

Wednesday, August 18: 15:30 hrs – 18:30hrs Individual Show Jumping Qualifier

15:30 hrs – 18:30hrs Team Show Jumping Final

20:45hrs – 22:00hrs Individual Show Jumping Final

22:20hrs – 22:50hrs Medal Ceremony Team and Individual

* Times given are local to Greece - for Canadian time zones – NDT is minus 5:30 hrs / ADT is minus 6hrs / EDT is minus 7hrs / CDT is minus 8 hrs / CST and MDT – minus 9 hours and PDT is minus 10 hours. For example, 10:00hrs in Athens is 05:30hrs in St. John’s, Newfoundland, 03:00hrs in Ottawa and midnight in Vancouver.