Archie Bunker and Double Diamond Crowned National Young ...

November 18, 2004 Contact: Jennifer WardFor Immediate ReleaseStarting Gate Communicationstel: (613) 569-2423Archie Bunker and Double Diamond Crowned National Young Horse ChampionsToronto, Ontario – Archie Bunker was crownedthe National Six-Year-Old Champion whileDouble Diamond was named the National Five-Year-Old Champion when the 2004 CanadianYoung Horse Jumper Development Seriesconcluded on November 7 and 8 at the RoyalHorse Show in Toronto, ON.The featured event of the Royal Horse Show onMonday, November 8, the $10,000 Six-Year-Old National Championship saw 14 top younghorses competing for the national title. Only one,Archie Bunker, was able to master to the courseset by Leopoldo Palacios to earn nationalhonours. Owner and rider, John Pearce,purchased the Oldenburg gelding by Contenderlast fall in Germany. In addition to $3,000 inprize money, Pearce was also rewarded with aLuc Childeric saddle generously donated byRunning Fox.Hugh Graham guides Double Diamond to the National Five-Year-Old Championship title at the 2004 Royal Horse Showfor owner KingRidge Stables”Photo Credit – Mike ArmstrongKaiser de le Cour also jumped the course cleanly,but one time fault prevented a jump-off for the national title. A chestnut selle francais stallion by Verdi, ason of Narcos II, Kaiser de le Cour was ridden by Yann Candele of France for owner Mill Creek Stablesof Cambridge, ON. After being imported in 2001, Kaiser de le Cour was crowned the National Five-Year-Old Champion in 2003 and, in September, was named the 2004 Ontario Six-Year-Old Champion.Margie Gayford of Stouffville, ON, placed third riding P-Spice after turning in a well-ridden four faultround. Bred and owned by Jens and Natalie Hansen of Nepean, ON, P-Spice is a Canadian Warmbloodmare by Voltaire.Yann Candele also rode the fourth-placed entry, Gary Moroney’s Rhianna, a Dutch Warmblood mare byN and out of a Lord Z dam that was bred in The Netherlands. Peter Gisborne and V.D.L. Roger roundedout the top five in what proved to be the most hotly-contested division of the year. Owned byHogendoorn Sport Horses, V.D.L. Roger is a Dutch Warmblood by Indoctro out of a Landgraf I mare,and was imported one year ago.

KingRidge Stables of King, ON, swept the top two spots in the $10,000 National Five-Year-OldChampionships. Double Diamond, who had been named the Ontario Five-Year-Old Champion inSeptember, went on to claim the National Championship title at the Royal Horse Show.In the Five-Year-Old Division, horses are judged equally on their performance and style. With a clearround and the highest mark from the style judges, Jonathon Millar and 1976 Olympic Silver Medallist,Michel Vaillancourt, Double Diamond topped the division. A Belgian Warmblood stallion by Nabab deReve and out of a Chin Chin mare, Double Diamond was shown by long-time KingRidge Stables residentrider, Hugh Graham.“He only showed lightly as a four-year-old because we were breeding him, so to come out and win thisyear is a great acheivement,” noted Graham, who was presented with an Amerigo saddle on behalf ofCavalier. “He is a sweetheart, he is a focused horse that rides really well. We haven’t even tested him yetand given him a chance to see what he can do. I love working with the young horses, it gives you a realhigh to develop nice young horses and see what they are capable of.”After placing third in the Ontario Championships, Distant Star finished second in the National Five-Year-Old Championships under Roberto Teran of Colombia. Bred by KingRidge Stables through embryotransplant, Distant Star is a registered Canadian Sport Horse by the KingRidge Stables stallion, ClassAction, and out of Betwixt, a former grand prix show jumper ridden to international success by Graham.After being named the Ontario Reserve Champion, Rio’s Ricardo placed third in the NationalChampionships under rider Erynn Ballard. Bred and owned by W. Charlot Farms of Stratford, ON, theCanadian Warmblood stallion is by Rio Grande and out of Gambia, who is by the influential Holsteinerstallion, Landgraf I.John Pearce took fourth place with O’Reilly, an imported Oldenburg gelding by Lady’s King and out of aSilvio I mare, while Laurie Bucci of Mont St. Hiliare, QC, placed fifth riding Larico. Larico is a GermanbredHolsteiner gelding by Lavaletto by Landgraf 1, and out of a Lavall II dam, who is also by Landgraf1.The purpose of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is to encourage the developmentof young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior showjumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jumpat a level suited to their development as four, five or six-year-olds. This careful development allows theyoung horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competitionwith confidence. The Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series also gives prospective buyersfor the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competitionsetting.The 2004 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is comprised of nine events. Following theOntario Championships, the top 15 qualified horses in the Five and Six-Year-Old Divisions advanced tothe National Championships at the Royal Horse Show.Proud supporters of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series include the CanadianWarmblood Horse Breeders Association, Cavalier, 4 Star Trailers, Gary Cooper Chev Olds, Tim Grubb,Hanoverian Breeder’s Club, Henry Equestrian Insurance Brokers Ltd., Horseware Ireland, KingRidgeStables, Kim Kirton, Dr. Alan Manning, Peter Miller, the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association, CharlesOrmston, Running Fox, Scotia McLeod, TD Canada Trust and W. Charlot Farms.

Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series – National Championships$10,000 Six-Year-Old DivisionHorse Owner Rider Faults1. Archie Bunker Forestview Farm John Pearce 02. Kaiser de le Cour Mill Creek Stables Yann Candele 13. P-Spice Jens and Natalie Hansen Margie Gayford 44. Rhianna Gary Moroney Yann Candele 45. V.D.L. Roger Hogendoorn Sport Horses Peter Gisborne 4$10,000 Five-Year-Old DivisionHorse Owner Rider Points1. Double Diamond KingRidge Stables Hugh Graham 802. Distant Star KingRidge Stables Roberto Teran 793. Rio’s Ricardo W. Charlot Farms Erynn Ballard 784. O’Reilly Forestview Farm John Pearce 77.55. Larico M. Weiner Laurie Bucci 77- 30 -ATTACHED PHOTOAction - “Hugh Graham guides Double Diamond to the National Five-Year-Old Championship title at the2004 Royal Horse Show for owner KingRidge Stables.”Photo Credit – Mike ArmstrongPhotograph may be used only in relation to the above news item. Please advise of links to web postings.For further information on the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series, please contact DaleHawerchuk, Chair, at tel: (519) 938-8637.