Ali Ramsay and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve crowned 2017 Caledon Cup Champions at Canadian Show Jumping To

Victoria, BC’s Ali Ramsay and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve closed out the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament CSI2* at Caledon Equestrian Park on Sunday (Sept. 24) with a win in the $86,000 Grand Prix.

Represenatives of HEP, Aviva and Edge Mutual presenting Ali Ramsay and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve with the winning awards for their victory of Phase 3 of the Caledon Cup. Ali also takes home a $1000 rider bonus cheque for being the highest placed rider in the class wearing a specially branded saddle pad. Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

The win in the third and final phase of the Caledon Cup capped off a great week for the pair, which saw them claim the overall championship and 2017 Caledon Cup title.

Ramsay, 25, and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve — a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare — bested a starting field of 30 of some of the top Canadian riders for the victory. Sunday’s win, coupled with a fourth-place finish in the $35,000 Open Welcome, the second phase of the Caledon Cup, was enough to put them over the top in the overall standings.

The pair pulled off a thrilling win in the jump-off on Sunday, using an inside turn on jump three — the only competitor to try it — to gain the three-quarter-second advantage they needed for the win.

“(Hermelien VD Hooghoeve) has just been on form, she’s just been getting better and more careful, so I can ride a little more in the jump-off and not be so concerned about the front rails,” said Ramsay after Sunday’s win.

Ramsay and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve negotiating the course designed by Mexican course designer Oscar Soberon. Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

“That inside turn, I don’t think I could have pulled it off if I’d planned it. When she caught the angle on the oxer, it set me up for the next jump and it just worked out,” she added.

Ramsay followed runners-up Isabelle Lapierre and Cescha M in the 13-horse jump-off, who managed an impressive time of 41.47 in the second round. Ramsay put the pressure on the remaining five riders with a posted time of 40.76 and no one else would come close.

Runners-up Isabelle Lapierre and Cescha M in the 13-horse jump-off.

Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

Erynn Ballard and Royale du Rouet placed third with a time of 45.31, with Ian and Amy Millar finishing fourth and fifth riding Vittorio 8 and Heros, respectively.

Ramsay was also awarded $1,000 bonus courtesy of Henry Equestrian Plan for winning the class while sporting a specially branded saddle pad.

The Caledon Cup was broken down into three phases, with the first two phases coming earlier the week.

The action started out in the Grand Prix ring for the first phase on Friday in the $10,000 Speed class — presented by Equestrian Management Group.

Irish rider Daniel Coyle and Susan and Ariel Grange’s Martha Louise were first to go clear out of the fourth spot in the order among the 32 entries, setting a blistering pace of 67.85 which would hold for the remainder of the contest.

Daniel Coyle Susan and Ariel Grange’s Martha Louise are victorious in phase 1 of the Caledon Cup. Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

Coyle and Martha Louise bested the next fastest horse-and-rider combo, Ian Millar and Dixson, by just under two seconds for the red ribbon. Francois Lamongtange and his ride Chanel du Calvaire finished third with a time of 69.86. Beth Underhill riding Count Me In, and Isabelle Lapierre and Cescha M rounded out the top-five finishers.

“Martha Louise hasn’t had as good a season as she has in the past, but in the last month or so she’s really come back into herself — she’s starting to feel good again. I knew I had a lot of competition and had to go fast and she was great,” said Coyle.

The second phase of the 2017 Caledon Cup, the $35,000 Open Welcome, ran Thursday (Sept. 21) in the Indoor Ring at Caledon Equestrian Park with a starting field of 28 competitors. Eight horse-rider combos would move on to the jump-off.

Perth, Ontario’s Amy Millar and Heros set the pace out of the gate in the second round, posting an impressive time of 42.8 seconds. That time would stand until Hugh Graham and his Kingridge Stables-bred mount, Knock Out 3E, managed to shave just under half a second off Millar’s pace with the eventual winning run of 41.59 seconds.

Hugh Graham and Knock Out 3E owned by Kingridge Stables.

Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

Amy’s father and 10-time Canadian Olympian, Ian Millar, was third in the class riding Dixson — also owned by Susan and Ariel Grange. Ramsey and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve placed fourth, while Laurie Bucci would finish fifth riding Glimmer Man.

However, it would be Ramsay and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve who would claim the Caledon Cup overall championship — presented by RAM Equestrian, with their win in the $86,000 Grand Prix.

Bob Northcott of Arthur Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Limited and Ross Millar representing RAM Equestrian present Ali Ramsay and Hermelien VD Hooghoeve with the overall winning title of Caledon Cup Champion. Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

“The way she set up in the indoor ring (on Friday), I knew we had a good shot (in the Grand Prix) today, said Ramsey, claiming she was a little in awe after competing against and defeating some of the best riders in the country.

“Especially in a 13-horse jump-off, you’re always a little backed off from that and never really know what can happen. It feels pretty good to be able to compete — or even be in the same ring as (those riders) — let alone beat them all,” she added.

Mexican course designer Oscar Soberon oversaw all three phases of the Caledon Cup.

Prior to Sunday’s Grand Prix, the audience caught a glimpse of the future of Canadian equine sport in the always-popular lead line class featuring 10 competitors. The competition was stiff as usual, and guest Judge Mayor Allan Thompson had little choice but to call it a tie sending each entry home with a well-deserved red ribbon.

The future of Canadian equine sport shown here in the lead line class.

Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

The pre-class show also saw Alexanne Thibault honoured as the fourth and final winner in the 2017 McKee-Pownall Groom Appreciation Showcase at Caledon Equestrian Park.

In appreciation for all the hard work grooms do behind the scenes, each horse in each of the four FEI Horse inspections this season were judged by the ground jury based on overall presentation. The groom for each winner was awarded with a $200 prize and a McKee-Pownall Prize Pack.

Alexanne Thibault honoured as the fourth and final winner in the 2017 McKee-Pownall Groom Appreciation Showcase. Photo By: Ben Radvanyi Photography.

Other winners this year included Nathaniel Tucker for his work with Flower, ridden by Conor Swail); Mia Antoinette Malmstrom for her work with Falco van Spieveld, ridden by Nicole Walker; and Danny Ingratta for his efforts with Vittoria 8, ridden by Ian Millar.

The second and third phases of the Caledon Cup, the $35,000 Open Welcome and the $86,000 Grand Prix were sponsored by Henry Equestrian Plan, Aviva Insurance and Edge Mutual Insurance, while the overall award was presented by RAM Equestrian.

The five-day Canadian Show Jumping Tournament CSI2* also featured some exciting competition on a different level, with the OHJA Medal Finals and the Under 25 Young Rider Development Series preceding the second phase of the Caledon Cup on Friday.