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Ottawa, ON — Canadian Para-Dressage riders won three out of four of their Individual Freestyle tests during their last day of competition at the Bishop Burton CPEDI 2*, held July 22–24, 2011, at Bishop Burton College, Beverley, GBR.

Ashley Gowanlock of Vancouver, BC, won the Grade IB Freestyle riding Alexander (Sandy) Mitchell’s Donnymaskell, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding. Gowanlock received a score of 69.17% for the win.

"The European tour has been a phenomenal experience. I am very pleased with my results and the lessons I learned while attending both shows. I am looking forward to going home, working hard and coming back stronger than ever," said Gowanlock.

In Grade II Freestyle, Lauren Barwick of Aldergrove, BC, recorded her third victory of the competition riding Off To Paris, Equine Canada’s 10-year-old Oldenburg mare. With a score of 75.58%, Barwick was also awarded Highest score—Older Foreign Rider. Riding her own horse Ferdonia 2, a 12-year-old Oldenburg mare, Barwick scored 72.50% for second overall.

“After competing at the Hartpury 3* just last weekend, Bishop Burton 2* was a great test of our physical, emotional and mostly our mental fitness as individuals and in our ability to work as a team,” said Barwick. “I believe we passed with flying colours. The show was a great stress-free opportunity to experiment with my two amazing horses, Off To Paris and Ferdonia 2. Big thanks to the coaches, leadership team, grooms, my personal assistant, fellow team-mates, sponsor Parelli Natural Horsemanship, sponsor Hanz Wizla, Equine Canada and Own the Podium. You all made this European Tour a great success.

Eleonore Elstone of Langley, BC, rode Why Not G, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding that she co-owns with Kelleigh Kulscar, to a score of 68.00% for another first place finish in the Grade IV Freestyle.

In the Grade 1A Freestyle Test, Jodie Schloss of Toronto, ON, riding her 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Inspector Rebus, earned a score of 66.58% which was good for second place. In fourth place was Robyn Andrews of St Johns, NL, who rode Fancianna, her 10-year-old warmblood mare, scoring 64.08%.

“This has been a tremendously successful tour for the Canadians, not only in the ring but also as a team-building exercise in preparation for next year's Paralympic Games in London.

We have received a great deal of support from British organizers,” said chef d’équipe, Elizabeth Quigg-Robinson. “All the riders have learned a lot, especially those on their first overseas trip. This will help to make the journey to Greenwich much easier. With Andrea Taylor and Mary Longden working together as our coaches and support people with each rider who were always cheerful and helpful to everyone, we received many compliments on the unity of the team.”

“We were all so proud to hear the Canadian anthem played for our winners,” added Quigg-Robinson.

“Even though it would have been ideal to have the Bishop Burton 2* before the Hartpury 3*, having two shows back to back proved to be productive. The riders were able to challenge themselves and push their horses further in order to improve on the previous weekend's results,” said Andrea Taylor, Team coach. “Our grooms and support staff were amazing—extremely hard workers, great sense of humour and committed to getting our horses and riders up the centre line looking and feeling their best."

“Viterra would like to commend the Canadian Para-Dressage Team on their accomplishments during the 2011 European Tour. We are proud to provide the team with ongoing support and wish them the best of luck at the 2012 Paralympics," said Bill Mooney, Viterra’s senior vice-president, Feed Products.

“Perry Transport is very proud of the accomplishments of our Canadian Para-Equestrian riders and honoured to be selected the horse carrier of choice and a sponsor for the Para-Equestrian Team,” said Daphne Perry, CEO Perry Transport Ltd.

Additional details about the Bishop Burton CPEDI 2*may be found at www.bishopburton.ac.uk.

The Bishop Burton CPEDI 2* is the second stop on the Canadian Para-Dressage European Tour. From July 13–15, the Team attended the CPEDI 3* Hartpury Festival of Dressage, also held in Great Britain. The purpose of the 2011 European Tour is ultimately to prepare athletes and horses for the 2012 Paralympic Games.

The 2011 European Tour is made possible through the Own the Podium program, a national sport technical initiative designed to help Canada’s summer and winter athletes achieve podium success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Viterra provides premium quality ingredients to leading global food manufacturers. Headquartered in Canada, the global agri-business has extensive operations across Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Our growing international presence also extends to offices in Japan, Singapore, China, Switzerland, Italy, Ukraine, Germany and India. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, we operate in three distinct businesses: grain handling and marketing, agri-products, and processing. Viterra's expertise, close relationships with producers, and superior logistical assets allow the Company to consistently meet the needs of the most discerning end-use customers, helping to fulfill the nutritional needs of people around the world.

About Perry Transport Ltd.
Perry Transport Ltd. is a fully licensed and insured transport company specializing in Equine Transportation. We have safely and reliably served the Canadian and Canada/U.S. markets for over 30 years and are proud sponsors of the Canadian Para-Equestrian Team. For more information about Perry Transport Ltd., please visit www.perryt.com.

About Para-Equestrian Canada
Para-Equestrian Canada is the Equine Canada committee responsible for developing programs for athletes with a physical disability, and implementing the Para-Dressage high performance program. Para-Equestrian is one of Canada’s most successful international disciplines, achieving an individual gold medal and an individual silver medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games, as well as two individual bronze medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games.

About Para-Equestrian Sport
Para-Equestrian sport provides riders with a physical disability the opportunity to compete against other riders with similar abilities. Riders are given a “Grade” based on their functional ability, and are judged on their riding skill against other athletes of the same Grade. There are five grades of competitions in dressage, with Grade 1A representing the more severely impaired riders, and Grade 4 representing the least severely impaired riders. Many Para-Equestrian athletes also compete alongside able-bodied competitors in Equine Canada competitions. At the grass roots level, Para-Equestrian encompasses a number of different disciplines, while the international stream focuses only on Para-Dressage. For more information, please visit www.equinecanada.ca/para-equestrian.

About Equine Canada
Equine Canada is Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism. A member-driven, charitable institution, it is the executive branch of the Canadian Equestrian Team, and the national authority for equestrian competition; the national voice for recreational riders; and the national association for equine welfare, breeding, and industry. Equine Canada is recognised by the Government of Canada, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national organisation representing equestrian sport and equine interests. For more information about Equine Canada, please visit www.equinecanada.ca.

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Julie Cull
Equine Canada
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Tel: 613-248-3433 ext 136
Email: jcull@equinecanada.ca
2685 Queensview Dr. Suite 100, Ottawa,ON K2B 8K2