Equine Canada Announces Nominations for the 

June 20, Ottawa, ON-Equine Canada is pleased to announce the names of the rider/horse combinations who will be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) for review and naming to the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team for the sports of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. The riders and horses nominated have successfully completed the team selection process of their respective High Performance Committees.

Nominated team entries will be submitted to the COC no later than July 4. The COC will officially name the Canadian Olympic Team for the sport of Dressage, Eventing and Jumping on July 5 during a news conference at Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta.

The rider/horse combinations to be nominated are as follows (listed in alphabetical order):

Dressage

If for any reason one of the selected horse/rider combinations is unable to compete in the Olympic Games,the following Team Alternate Nominees may be named as a substitute to the Dressage Team:

Eventing

If for any reason one of the selected horse/rider combinations is unable to compete in the Olympic Games,the following Team Alternate Nominee may be named as a substitute to the Eventing team:

Jumping

* The Jump Canada High Performance Committee has the liberty of changing the combinations prior to the final submission to the COC July 4.

If for any reason one of the selected horse/rider combinations is unable to compete in the Olympic Games,the following Team Alternate Nominees, listed in priority order, may be named as a substitute to the Jumping team:

For rider biographies, please visit  Games 2012.

The 2012 Olympic Games Equestrian Competition takes place in Greenwich Park, London, July 28 - August 9.

Equine Canada would like to acknowledge the funding contributions of the following partners-Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Sport Canada in supporting our athletes to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For more information, please contact:

Julie Cull, Equine Canada Media Relations at 613 248-3433 x 136

About Eventing and Equine Canada

Canadian Eventing is a committee of Equine Canada responsible for the sport of eventing in Canada from the domestic to the international level. The Canadian Eventing Committee is comprised of 12 members, including two rider representatives elected by the Elite Riders Association. Directed by the strategic plan for eventing, all eventing activities are administered by this committee via six technical sub-committees with the support of eventing department staff based at the Equine Canada office in Ottawa. The national team athletes and program, led by International Technical Advisor David O'Connor, are monitored by the High Performance Committee. Visit Eventing at Equine Canada for more information.

Follow our Canadian Equestrian Team during the Games  

About the Canadian Olympic Committee

Equine Canada Announces Team for 2012 Paralympic Games

Ottawa, June 20, 2012 - Equine Canada announced today that Para-Equestrian athletes Lauren Barwick, Eleonore Elstone, Ashley Gowanlock, and Jody Schloss have been nominated to the Canadian Paralympic Committee to represent Canada at the 2012 Paralympic Games, August 29-September 9 in London, England.

Barwick, Elstone, and Gowanlock are each returning Paralympians, while Schloss will be making her Paralympic debut in London, providing a combination of experience and new talent to the team.

The Canadian Para-Equestrian team riders have had remarkable success over the past 12 months, achieving podium performances at international events in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Belgium, Germany and the United States, which has put the team in fourth place in the world heading into the Games.

"I am pleased to congratulate para-equestrian athletes Lauren Barwick, Eleonore Elstone, Ashley Gowanlock, and Jody Schloss on being nominated to the 2012 Canadian Paralympic Team," said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). "I wish all the best to our Canadian Paralympic athletes as they prepare for the Games. I would also like to thank the coaches, family, and officials who support and encourage the athletes who will proudly represent our country."   

"I feel very confident that our Team is well prepared for the Games," states National Team Coach Andrea Taylor, who will be accompanying Canada's team for a second time to the Games. "This team, from the athletes, the support personnel, to the leadership group, works tremendously well together and has a solid history of international experience. We're ready to go for it!"

The list of nominated riders and horses are:

Rider Name: Lauren Barwick

Hometown/Training Centre: Aldergrove, BC / Langley, BC

Horse(s): Off to Paris (owned by Equine Canada)

               Ferdonia 2 (owned by Lauren Barwick)

Rider Name: Eleonore Elstone

Hometown/Training Centre: Langley, BC / Langley, BC

Horse(s): Zareno (owned by Elisabeth Posmus-Penterman)

               Why Not G (owned by Kelleigh Kulcsar/Eleonore Elstone)

Rider Name: Ashley Gowanlock

Hometown/Training Centre: Surrey, BC / Langley, BC

Horse(s): Ferdonia 2 (owned by Lauren Barwick)

               Maile (owned by Lauren Barwick)

Rider Name: Jody Schloss

Hometown/Training Centre: Toronto, ON/Kemptville, ON

Horse(s): Inspector Rebus (owned by Jody Schloss)

A strong support team will accompany the riders and horses to London, including coaches, chef d'équipe, grooms, a physiotherapist and veterinarian, working to ensure that the world-class athletes) are fully prepared to achieve greatness at the 2012 Games.

"Canada will once again field a strong equestrian team in what promises to be a memorable competition in iconic Greenwich Park," said Gaétan Tardif, Team Canada's Chef de Mission for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. "I very much look forward to watching our Canadian athletes in action."

"I am very confident that we have a strong team, with some outstanding horses. We expect to be very competitive at the Games," said Elizabeth Quigg, chef d'équipe for the Canadian Para-Equestrian Team.

"We have a very talented team of athletes, horses, coaches, and team personnel who have achieved great success over the past year," said Amie O'Shaughnessy, Director of Para-Equestrian and Paralympic Team Manager at Equine Canada. "The support of Own the Podium, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Sport Canada combined with the tremendous efforts of the athletes, has ranked the Canadian team fourth in the world heading into the Games, which will make for a very exciting experience in London."

The selection process for the Canadian Paralympic riders was based on their performances at international events during the qualifying period running between January through to June 1, 2012.

At the Paralympic Games, individual medals are awarded to athletes in the individual and freestyle tests, as well as an overall team medal.  Seventy-eight athletes will compete at the Paralympic Games during the 12 days of competition.

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.

Fans can follow the Team's performance during the Games online at Canadian Paralympic Committee, as well as at Equine Canada.

Equine Canada would like to acknowledge the funding contributions of the following partners-Own the Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Sport Canada.

For more information contact:

Julie Cull, EC Media Relations and Games Media Press Attaché for Para-Equestrian,

at 613 248-3433, x 136/Cell 613 858 7562/ jcull@equinecanda.ca  

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