July 27, 2004 – Ottawa, Ontario – Archie Bunker is a name few will forget, especially following his win in the Six-Year-Old Division of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series held Friday, July 16, at the Capital Classic Show Jumping Tournament in Ottawa, ON.

In only his second appearance in the Series so far this season, Archie Bunker again turned heads. After finishing runner-up the first time out at the Cornerstone Farms II Horse Show in Barrie, ON, on July 2, there was no beating the Forestview Farms entry this time out. Ridden by Sydney Olympian John Pearce of Stouffville, ON, Archie Bunker topped the eight-horse jump-off field with the only double clear round.

“Actually, my mother-in-law came up with his name,” explained Pearce of his horse’s unusual moniker. “His real name was hard to pronounce, so she suggested calling him Archie Bunker since he could never get anyone’s name right. It really suits him because he is a bit common.

“He has a good mind, is fairly uncomplicated, and is quite agile for his size,” continued Pearce who purchased the Oldenburg gelding by Contender last fall in Germany. “This will be the fourth horse I have developed through the Young Horse Series, the other three being my grand prix mounts Air Jordan, Champagne and Demeure, and I believe Archie Bunker will be a grand prix horse as well. I enjoy the Series, I think the people behind it have done a great job and it has certainly done a lot for our industry.”

The Quebec entry of Gidget, a bay Westphalian gelding owned by David Arcand, finished as the runner-up. Things were looking good in the jump-off until the final fence on course fell for rider Marie-Claire Savard.

The foreign entry of R. Adermie Las Marismas, a dark bay Dutch Warmblood mare by Coriander out of a Joost dam, took third position under Mariano Bedoya, 43, from Argentina who was the alternate at last summer’s Pan American Games. Bred by Stal Roelofs in the Netherlands, R. Adermie Las Marismas was bought from her breeder as a yearling by Las Marismas, a breeding, training and sales operation with bases in both Canada and the Dominican Republic.

Versace, a Belgian Warmblood stallion by Darco, finished fourth for owner Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON, under rider Yann Candele of France who recently enjoyed a top 15 finish at the 2004 World Cup Final in Milan, Italy. Tyler Reeve guided the Oldenburg gelding, Calle, to fifth place for owner Grande Farms of Orangeville, ON. Bred in Germany by Jens Meyer, Calle is by the Hannoverian sire, Cashman.

A total of 21 entries contested the Five-Year-Old Division with 25-year-old Hyde Moffat guiding the recently-imported World Cup van het Lindehof, a Belgian Warmblood gelding by Darco, to the top of the field for owners Mark Hayes and Hawkestone Farm.

After winning last time out in Barrie, ON, Roberto Teran and Déjà Vu 3E, a Canadian Sport Horse gelding by KingRidge’s own Class Action, settled for second in Ottawa, ON.

Multi-Olympian Tim Grubb took third place riding Robert Montgomery, a registered Oldenburg gelding by the Hannoverian stallion, Rio Grande, and out of the Holsteiner mare, Cayla. Bred by Mill Creek Stables, Robert Montgomery is now owned in partnership by his breeder and Grubb.

Two horses bred and owned by W. Charlot Farms of Stratford, ON, took fourth and fifth places. Erynn Ballard of Hornby, ON, guided Rio’s Rodrigo, a Canadian Warmblood gelding, to fourth and also took fifth riding Rio’s Ricardo, a licensed Canadian Warmblood stallion. Both horses are by W. Charlot Farms flagship stallion, Rio Grande.

For the second time in a row, Concorde’s Tiantha came out on top in the Four-Year-Old Division. Canadian Olympian Beth Underhill rode the Dutch Warmblood mare by Concorde to first place for owner Sentinel Hill Farm.

KingRidge Stables of King, ON, took three of the next four spots. A Canadian Sport Horse gelding by Money Talks, Easy Money may prove to be just that, displaying talent under veteran Canadian Equestrian Team member, Hugh Graham. Graham also guided Encore, a Canadian Sport Horse gelding by Class Action and out of the grand prix show jumping mare, Alley Cat, to third place.

Quebec competitor Francois Lamontagne was fourth riding the German-bred Charlie Brown, a Hannoverian gelding by Chasseur, for owner Louise Palmer while another KingRidge entry, Endeavour, a Canadian Sport Horse mare by the former grand prix show jumping stallion, Money Talks, placed fifth under Roberto Teran of Colombia.

In the Four and Five-Year-Old Divisions, horses are judged solely on their performance and style. In the Six-Year-Old Division, the top eight horses return for a jump-off, carrying forward any faults accumulated in the first round. Points in the overall Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series are tabulated according to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Cup system with the number of points given being based on the number of horses entered in each class.

The purpose of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects. Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development as four, five or six-year-olds. This careful development allows the young horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence. The Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.

The next event in the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series will take place on Friday, August 13, during the Collingwood Horse Show in Collingwood, ON. The 2004 Series is comprised of nine events, including the Ontario Championships scheduled for the Tournament of Champions in September where $10,000 in prize money is offered and the National Championships for Five and Six-Year-Olds hosted by Toronto’s famed Royal Horse Show in November. In addition to the $20,000 in prize money offered, two saddles have been generously donated for the winning entries at the National Championships - Cavalier will award an Amerigo saddle while Running Fox has given a Luc Childeric saddle.

Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series – Results From Ottawa

Six-Year-Old Division

Horse, Owner, Rider
1. Archie Bunker, Forestview Farm, John Pearce
2. Gidget, David Arcand, Maire-Claire Savard
3. R. Adermie Las Marismas, Las Marismas, Mariano Bedoya
4. Versace, Mill Creek Stables, Yann Candele
5. Calle, Grande Farms, Tyler Reeve

Five-Year-Old Division

Horse, Owner, Rider
1. World Cup van het Lindehof, Mark Hayes and Hawkestone Farm, Hyde Moffat
2. Deja Vu 3E, KingRidge Stables, Roberto Teran
3. Robert Montgomery, Mill Creek Stables and Tim Grubb, Tim Grubb
4. Rio’s Rodrigo, W. Charlot Farms, Erynn Ballard
5. Rio’s Ricardo, W. Charlot Farms, Erynn Ballard

Four-Year-Old Division

Horse, Owner, Rider
1. Concorde’s Tiantha, Sentinel Hill Farm, Beth Underhill
2. Easy Money, KingRidge Stables, Hugh Graham
3. Encore, KingRidge Stables, Hugh Graham
4. Charlie Brown, Louise Palmer, Francois Lamontagne
5. Endeavour, KingRidge Stables, Roberto Teran

For further information on the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series, please contact Dale Hawerchuk, Chair, at tel: (519) 938-8637.

2004 Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series Show Schedule

Festival of the Horse – Ancaster, ON, June 6
Summer Classic – Palgrave, ON, June 18
Cornerstone Farms Show – Barrie, ON, July 2
Capital Classic – Ottawa, ON, July 16
Collingwood Horse Show – Collingwood, ON, August 13
Halton Valley Summer Tournament – Milton, ON, September 4
Fox Run Horse Show – Troy, ON, September 19
Ontario Championships, September 23
Tournament of Champions – Palgrave, ON
Five and Six-Year-Old National Championships, November 7
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair – Toronto, ON