Canadian Olympic equestrian team finalized with unveiling of dressage and eventing athletes
The jumping team was announced in late June.
Equestrian Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee announced the roster of Team Canada dressage and eventing athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Friday. With the announcement, Canada’s equestrian team has been finalized, after the jumping team was revealed at the end of June.
To be eligible for the Olympics, the selected athlete-horse combinations must have achieved the Minimum Eligibility Requirements at selected events during the qualification period. The dressage qualification period was from January 1 to June 9, 2024, while eventing’s qualification period was a week longer and ended on June 16.
Canada’s quota spots were won at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, however. The eventing team secured Canada’s spot with a gold medal, while the dressage spot was confirmed with a bronze medal.
In dressage, Canada will be represented by Camille Carier Bergeron and her horse Finnländerin, Jill Irving with Delacroix 11, and Naïma Moreira Laliberté with Statesman. Canada’s alternate athlete is Chris von Martels and horse Eclips. Paris 2024 will be the Olympic debuts for all three athletes. Irving, 61, is expected to be the oldest athlete on the Canadian Olympic team in Paris.
Moreira Laliberté was an alternate athlete for the Tokyo Olympics, and has been partnered with 17-year-old Statesman since 2018. The duo, along with Irving and her then-partner Degas 12, were part of the team that won Pan Am Games gold in 2019. Moreira Laliberté and Carier Bergeron were part of the 2023 bronze medal-winning squad.
“I am thrilled and honoured to be heading to Paris with Statesman,” said Moreira Laliberte in a press release. “Being the traveling reserve in Tokyo was a challenging task and it was not easy to be in that position. Although I did travel with the team and got an experience out of it, it definitely fuelled me and gave me a lot of determination to chase my dream.
“For me to now qualify in the number one spot has been really rewarding, after everything Statesman has done for me and we have achieved together, it makes me really proud. We are so thankful to everyone that has helped us, supported and encouraged us along our journey.”
In eventing, Jessica Phoenix will ride, Freedom GS, Karl Slezak competes with Hot Bobo, and Michael Winter partners El Mundo. Canada’s alternate athlete will be Colleen Loach, whose partner is FE Golden Eye.
Phoenix and Winter will be making their third Olympic appearances, while Slezak is making his debut. Phoenix competed at London 2012 and Rio 2016, and was named to the Tokyo 2020 team, but was forced to withdraw from the latter Games after her horse suffered an injury. Winter will return to the Olympic stage for the first time since Beijing 2008, and previously competed at Athens 2004.
Slezak is a two-time Pan American Games medallist, including the team gold medal with Hot Bobo in Santiago — a team that also included Winter. Slezak and Hot Bobo have had a successful few years, including winning the CCI4*-S division at the MARS Bromont CCI, the final qualifying event of the season.
“I am overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude with our selection for the Olympics,” said Slezak in a press release. “This lifelong dream would not have been possible without the unwavering support of so many incredible people who have stood behind me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hot Bobo and I hope to do you proud. Go Canada!”
Canada has previously earned a bronze medal in each discipline in the past. The team dressage bronze came at Seoul 1988, and the team eventing bronze came at Melbourne 1956 — although the equestrian competitions for those Games were held in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Château de Versailles will host to all equestrian disciplines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, from July 27 to August 6. Eventing is up first from July 27 to 29, followed by dressage from July 30 to August 4.
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