Following a successful spring and summer training and competition program, the Canadian Eventing High Performance Committee has named Aldergrove’s Hawley Bennett-Awad to the Canadian Eventing Team which will compete in the Pan American Games, Guadalajara, Mexico, October 21-23.
Selected according to the qualification thresholds and selection procedure, there are five rider/horse combinations named to the team and nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee. The Pan American Games eventing championship will be held at the Club Hipica and Santa Sophia Country Club in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Hawley Bennett-Awad will be riding Five O’Clock Somewhere, a bay American thoroughbred gelding. Also named to the team are James Atkinson of Manitoba, Rebecca Howard of Salmon Arm, Jordan McDonald of Ontario and Jessica Phoenix of Ontario.
The entries were nominated by Equine Canada to the Canadian Olympic Committee by the deadline of Sept. 6.
The Team and alternates will participate in a Training Camp in Ocala, Florida, USA, prior to the October 15th departure for Guadalajara.
The team trains under the leadership of David O’Connor, international technical advisor. Eventing chef d’équipe Graeme Thom, stable manager Debbie Furnas, team veterinarian Dr. Christiana Ober, team farrier Randy Pawlak and team manager Fleur Tipton will accompany and provide support to the team throughout the Games.
The Olympic sport of eventing encompasses three separate tests: dressage, cross-country, and show jumping held consecutively. 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.
For specific times and competition details and results consult the Organizing Committee website http://www.guadalajara2011.org.mx/ or the FEI web site http://www.fei.org/
