Nicole Walker Opens Royal Horse Show With a Win

Nicole Walker of Aurora, ON, opened the Royal Horse Show with a win in the first phase of the $125,000 Canadian Show Jumping Championship held Friday, November 2, as part of the 96th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.

Speed was the name of the game in Friday night’s $25,000 Canadian Show Jumping Championship, Round 1, presented by Lothlorien.  As the final competitor to tackle Irish course designer Alan Wade’s speed track, Walker laid down the winning round, jumping clear in a time of 64.37 seconds with her partner of three years, Falco van Spieveld, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding.

“It was nice to be able to watch a couple go since I went last,” said Walker, 24, of being the final competitor on course.  “I knew just how fast I needed to go without risking too much.  Hopefully we will have the same luck tomorrow.”

As the defending Under 25 National Champion at the Royal Horse Show, Walker spoke to her progression from winning in the Under 25 division to winning the opening phase of the Canadian Championships.

“The Under 25 program is a great stepping stone,” said Walker.  “You get to be in [the Coca Cola Coliseum] and be in that kind of pressure situation.  Being indoors is a bit of a different vibe than outdoors.  You really need to be on it.  Just having that experience helped to get to the next level.”

In a sport where men and women compete as equals, it was another young female athlete, Ali Ramsay, 26, who finished runner-up.  Riding Casino, a 10-year-old Oldenburg owned by Ramsay and Angelstone Farms, the Victoria, BC, native also left all the rails in place and crossed the timers in 66.47 seconds. Keean White, 35, of Rockwood, ON, and Leilani left two poles on the ground, but their incredibly fast time of 59.04 seconds held up for third place despite having an eight-second time penalty added for an adjusted total of 67.04 seconds.

It was a family affair as 12-time Canadian Show Jumping Champion Ian Millar, 71, of Perth, ON, took fourth place with a time of 70.23 seconds riding Calvin Klein for Brookstreet Stables while the reigning Canadian Champion, Amy Millar, 41, also of Perth, ON, placed fifth with a time of 70.63 seconds riding her 2016 Rio Olympic mount, Heros.

Following Friday night’s speed round, horse-rider combinations will return in reverse order of standing to tackle the $100,000 Canadian Show Jumping Championship, Round 2, on Saturday night.  Walker will once again be the final competitor on course, with the Canadian Championship title set firmly in her sights.

Opening night of the Royal Horse Show also featured the $20,000 Horseware Indoor Eventing Challenge.  Making her Royal Horse Show debut, Lauren Kieffer of Middleburg, VA, rode Glendening Avis, a 13-year-old buckskin Canadian Sport Horse mare owned by Callie Evans, to victory in the opening phase of competition.  With a clear round in a time of 90.03 seconds over the course designed by Mark Phillips, the Olympic, World Championship, and Pan American Games veteran now holds the lead heading into the second and final round of competition on Saturday evening, November 3.  Finishing second was Toronto’s own Brandon McMechan riding Oscar’s Wild to a clear round in a time of 92.78 seconds to hold off third-placed Kendal Lehari of Uxbridge, ON, who was also clear riding Totally Frank in a time of 94.30 seconds.

More than 1,000 horses from around the globe will compete for $980,000 in prize money during the 10-day CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show.  VIP Platinum and Gold seating, as well as group and individual tickets, are selling quickly.  All Royal Horse Show tickets include general admission to the Fair. Click HERE to purchase tickets.

For more information on the Royal Horse Show, the marquee event of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, please visit http://www.royalfair.org/horseshow.html. 

Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.

$25,000 Canadian Show Jumping Championship – Round One, presented by Lothlorien
Friday, November 2

            Rider                                 Hometown                        Horse                                      Time
1.         Nicole Walker                   Aurora, ON                       Falco van Spieveld                  64.37
2.         Ali Ramsay                       Victoria, BC                      Casino                                     66.47
3.         Keean White                     Rockwood, ON                 Leilani                                     67.04
4.         Ian Millar                          Perth, ON                          Calvin Klein                            70.23
5.         Amy Millar                       Perth, ON                          Heros                                      70.63
6.         Beth Underhill                  Schomberg, ON                Count Me In                            70.98
7.         Hyde Moffatt                    Brantford, ON                  Granturo                                  71.63
8.         Erynn Ballard                    Tottenham, ON                 Quantico 946                          72.38
9.         Mac Cone                          King City, ON                  Zaia di san Giovanni               72.99
10.       Courtney Vince                 Burlington, ON                 Valetto JX                               74.40