Ottawa, Ontario – Mike Winter and Balista finished in 8th place out of 44 competitors at the 2005 Jersey Fresh CCI*** Three Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown, NJ, May 12 – 15.

Winter, who is based in Newnan, GA, was part of Canada’s silver medal-winning Team at the 2003 Pan American Championships and the highest placed Canadian at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He finished the Dressage test with a score of 62, putting him in 30th place with Balista, the 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding he co-owns with Emeline Loughlin.

“Balista was really good, and I was very happy, but our Dressage test was a little lackluster,” said Winter. “I should have ridden more forward, I was too conservative.”

Winter was the third competitor to tackle the Cross-Country course. He was one of two riders to stay on after the suspended bridge water obstacle, which was taken out and replaced with a more time-consuming option after the first 3 riders had mishaps .

“The suspended bridge was too loose, and acted like a trampoline when the horses landed on it, bouncing them into the air and causing some horses, including mine, to stumble or fall on the landing,” noted Winter. “My horse was fabulous in the Cross-Country, but I slowed down after the suspended bridge because the strange landing took a lot out of him.”

However, even with the cautious finish, the duo only incurred 14.4 time faults, moving them up to tie for 12th place. In the following day’s Show Jumping, the pair came out with only 8 faults, putting their final score at 84.4, and securing their 8th place finish.

“I’m pleased with our performance” said Winter, “and Balista came out sound and healthy and ready to tackle whatever is next.”

Penny Rowland, of Orangeville, ON, who was also part of the 2003 Canadian Pan American Championship Team, finished 13th with Windswept, the 10-year-old Connemara/Thoroughbred gelding, owned by Don J. Good. After receiving a score of 53.7 in the Dressage test, the pair were tied for 13th place. They went on to finish the Cross-Country phase, after the option was in place, with only 20 faults, moving them up to 9th place, but a Show Jumping score of 1 time fault and 24 jumping faults left them with a final score of 98.7, to finish in 13th place.

“I was absolutely ecstatic with our Cross-Country. It was a tough course, and he didn’t put a foot out of place. However, I was disappointed with our Show Jumping. I felt that I gave him a good ride, I think he was just tired out from the day before,” she noted. “Overall I’m happy with him, and he came home happy and healthy, and that’s the most important thing.”

The other Canadian finishers were Jennifer Holling, who resides in Ocala, FL, who finished in 23th place with a final score of 184.6 aboard Three Sheets, her own 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, and Ashley Harris of Aldergrove, BC who finished with a final score of 194.5, putting her in 24th place with her own 12-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, Baylee.

The winner of the Jersey Fresh CCI***, with a final score of 48.7, was Australian Olympian Phillip Dutton, riding Amazing Odyssey.