March 12th-14th 2010 - Wellington Classic Dressage

Robyn Andrews earns WEG qualifying scores. Despite the first day of competition being cancelled by the torrential rains, the second day of competition brought warm weather and sunny skies. Robyn Andrews and her own Fanciana also shone for the occasion earning 66.471% and 68.237% in two of her technical tests. This is an important year for Canada’s Para Dressage Riders. They are all working hard to qualify to represent Canada the Wind Reach International Para Dressage competition in Ashburn, Ontario, May 29th to 30 th, 2010 and the the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, U.S.A. this October.

November 6, 2009—Ottawa, ON—Para-Equestrian Canada is pleased to announce that Simone Williams from Navan, ON, has been hired by Para-Equestrian Canada as an Assistant Team Coach. Williams will be working closely with Andrea Taylor, Para-Equestrian Canada’s National Team Coach, with key responsibilities in coaching short-listed riders in Eastern Canada.

"I am excited about the opportunity of working with our talented athletes and their coaches in preparation for the World Equestrian Games and other international events,” said Williams.

A certified Level 3 Dressage coach, Williams, has been successfully training horses and riders of all ages from the beginning of their competitive careers through to the Olympic level of Grand Prix. As a testament to her coaching abilities, Williams was named the Coach of the Year by Equine Canada in 1989 when she was only 21 years of age.

Williams’ personal career highlights have included completing at the North American Young Riders' Championships, the North American Dressage Championships, and representing her country in international competition at the 1999 Pan American Games where she enjoyed a top 10 finish individually riding her Hanoverian gelding, Einstein.

Currently, Williams is competing at the Grand Prix level aboard the talented Wunder Ein, a horse she imported from Germany as a two-year-old. The pair has enjoyed great success campaigning in the United States on the very competitive Florida circuit during the winter months before returning to Canada to compete with great results at several CDI competitions close to home.

Rochelle Kilberg & Simone Williams to Represent Canada at the 09 Sydney CDI3* Invitational-Australia

April 21, 2009 — Rochelle Kilberg of Surrey, BC, and Simone Williams of Navan, ON, will represent Canada at the Sydney CDI 3*/CDI–Y International Dressage Derby being held in Sydney, Australia, May 7–9, 2009. The event, hosted at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park, site of the 2000 Olympic Games, is the only CDI3* held in Australia each year.

Williams, a Level 3 dressage coach, and Wunder Ein, an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Wolkenstein II owned by Williams and her parents Robert and Margaret Williams, have competed successfully throughout North America together since 2004. In 2008, Williams and Wunder Ein had their breakout-year and successfully moved up to the Grand Prix level. They won the Grand Prix Freestyle at the CDI-W CNE Classic, in Toronto, ON, with a score of 67.550%, and finished second in both the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Freestyle (66.250%) at CDI-W Blainville International Classic, at the Blainville Equestrian Park, in Blainville, QC. Based on their success in 2008, Williams and Wunder Ein have been named to the Dressage Canada Long List for 2009.

“I am looking forward to representing Canada at the upcoming Sydney CDI 3*; riding an unfamiliar horse at the international levels is always a fun and rewarding experience,” said Williams. “I really appreciate the owners in Australia who make this possible.”

Riding Martell, Ben Vermeulen’s 16-year-old Russian Trakehner gelding, Kilberg was the 2008 British Columbia and Pacific Regional Grand Prix Champion. From 2003 to 2007, Kilberg also competed at all the CDI competitions in California riding Lanzar, a Canadian Warmblood gelding by Florian also owned by Vermeulen, and West-Bay, her own Oldenburg gelding sired by Walldorf. Kilberg and West-Bay were 2003 Canadian Dressage Team Pan-Am Games trials finalists.

“I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to represent Canada and am looking very forward to the Australian dressage experience,” said Kilberg.

The international judging panel at the Sydney CDI 3* will include President of the Ground Jury, Maribel Alonso Quinzanos (MEX) and Members Andrew Gardner (GBR), Janine Rohr-Cicurel (ARG), Chang-Kyoo Yang (KOR), Alison King (HKG), Helen Hughes-Keen (NZL), Mary Seefried (AUS), Susan Hoevenaars (AUS), Jill Cobcroft (AUS), Virginia Creed (AUS), Maria Schwennesen (AUS), Ricky McMillan (AUS)

Due to Australian's strict quarantine requirements and the high cost of air transportation, the organizing committee invited owners to loan their Prix St Georges/Intermediaire I level horses to the visiting international riders. The International Dressage Derby is the most exciting event of the competition. All riders will start on equal terms, drawing the name of the horse they will compete on out of a hat.

Canada has had great results in the past at the Derby where many up-and-coming elite athletes can get a taste of international competition abroad while showing their versatility riding unfamiliar horses. In 2008, Canadian Dressage riders Karen Pavicic of Richmond, BC, and Pia Fortmuller of DeWinton, AB, claimed the team gold medal in the Derby, and Pavicic won the title of best foreign rider.
Source – Equine Canada

Simone Williams Competes at CDI-W Palm Beach Dressage Derby
Canada’s Simone Williams and Wunder Ein finished sixth in the Grand Prix Freestyle during the CDI-W Palm Beach Dressage Derby held February 27 to March 1, 2009, in Loxahatchee, FL. Williams of Navan, ON, earned a score of 67.450% with Wunder Ein (Wolkenstein II x Maat), an 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding she co-owns with her parents, Marg and Robert Williams. “I was really happy with my horse this weekend,” remarked Williams, who is planning on competing in Canadian and Northern United States CDI events this summer with Wunder Ein. “This was our second competition in Florida this winter, and he is really starting to settle in.”
Source – Equine Canada
Photo Credit – Susan Stickle

Queenswood Congratulates Kathryn Yardley and Tendenz on their first Grand Prix!
Kathryn and her beautiful Trakehner mare placed Third in their first Grand Prix held August 30th 2008, Blue Star Farm National Dressage Show, in Mount Albert, ON.

Saugerties CDI New York
"Queenswood's New Young Horse Farley" wins all his classes.
Farley competed at his first horse show in North America September 11th to the 14th, 2008 in the Saugerties New York. Farley was amazing winning some of his classes by over ten percent. His highest scores of the weekend were 84.00% in the Four Year old test and 78.00% in the Training Level. Simone Williams and Wunder Ein had a good weekend winning the Intermediare 2 class and placing Third in the Grand Prix Freestyle. This placing helped earn them an invitation to the upcoming Freestyle Invitational Competition to be held November 12th and 13th at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. Heather Williams had a very progressive horse show. Her horse Gizmo started out a bit nervous and finished the weekend winning the Third Level test 3 class.

Blainville, Quebec
The rain ended and sun began to shine in the second week of the Blainville CDI-W Summer and International Classic.  Although it made a brief return for the final freestyle gala, that didn't stop many people from coming out with their umbrellas to support international dressage.  We had a great time.  Wunder Ein and Simone competed in their first Grand Prix CDI together.  Wunder Ein started out the week fifth in the grand Prix and third in the freestyle.  In the second week, he was second in both the Grand prix and the freestyle.  Scoring 66.25% and finishing off Reserve Champion.  Sapphire and Simone won many classes with a high score of 70.256% and were named Champion in the Third level.  Da Vinci and Simone competed in their first CDI together.  Da Vinci was Named reserve Champion in the Six year old Division the first week of competition and Champion the second week with a score of 72.4%.  Liz Allum and her new horse Watson started on their journey to representing Canada in next years North American Junior Championships  Blainville was their first time competing together in an International competition.  They placed 4th in the team and the individual and 6th in the freestyle.
(To view Wunder Ein's freestyle - click here)

Queenswood is RENOVATING!
This spring the dressage ring has been resurfaced and leveled. This summer our projects include a remodeling of a 9 stall barn and addition of rubber mats to the floors. The renovation includes the addition of a wash stall, a grooming stall and additional storage room. The barn renovation is expected to be complete July 1st. Two of the paddocks are being ploughed and reseeded. Later this summer we will have an additional two paddocks bringing up the total amount of paddocks to eleven.

Centaur National Gold Show, June 8, 2008 - Ontario
Don Noir named high score of Centaur National Gold Show.  Winning all his classes at his first competition at First Level.  Don Noir was named high score of the whole competition after scoring 68.08% in First level test 1.  Don Noir is a beautiful talented six year old Hanoverian gelding who has also successfully competed over fences.

Ottawa Spring Classic, May 16-18, 2008 - Ontario
Wunder Ein and Simone Williams make a clean sweep of the Grand Prix Division, winning all their classes at the Ottawa Spring Dressage Classic. This is the 10-year-old Hannoverian's first year at the Grand Prix level. He scored 63.333% in the Grand Prix and 65.667% in the Grand Prix Special. This is a great start to the Canadian season.

News - 2007 - click here!