Karen Cudmore Top Canadian at Toronto’s Royal Horse Show Toronto, Ontario -November 11, 2002- Victoria’s Karen Cudmore was the top Canadian in the $20,000 International Jumper Challenge at the Royal Horse Show, November 8-17 .Eight of the 22 international show jumping riders performed flawlessly in the first round of competition to advance to the jump-off. Cudmore took the early lead by posting a clear round in a time of 39.67 seconds riding Conejo, a nine-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by her husband, Blair Cudmore.

“It was a fair jump-off, you could run, you could turn and you could have fun,” said Cudmore, who represented Canada with Conejo at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, in September. “This class did an excellent job of setting you up for the rest of the week, and I needed the confidence going into Wednesday’s World Cup.”

Cudmore’s lead was short-lived as four-time Olympian Michael Whitaker, 42, of Great Britain posted a faster time of 39.37 seconds with the nine-year-old Hannoverian gelding, Landfurst. However, Whitaker would finish in second position as the final rider into the ring, Guiseppe Rolli of Italy, was able to shave almost two seconds off his time. A time of 37.44 seconds claimed the victory for Rolli and Kilian, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion.

The only other rider to post double clear rounds, Dutch rider Eric van der Vleuten, finished fourth with Audi’s Castana, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare.

Placing fifth was American Margie Goldstein-Engle of Wellington, Florida, who had a rail down in the jump-off but in the fastest time, 40.04 seconds, with the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Hidden Creek’s Jones. Goldstein-Engle beat out fellow Americans Leslie Howard and Schuyler Riley, as well as seventh-placed Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, all of whom had one rail down.

Tuesday features a jam-packed day of show jumping action in the Coliseum. The $10,000 International Jumper Classic begins at 1:50 p.m. followed by the $10,000 Bell Nexia Jumper Development Series National Championships for 4 and 5-year-old horses. In the evening, the $10,000 Bell Nexia Jumper Development Series National Championships for 6-year-old horses will be held at 6:45 p.m. followed by the $30,000 Jolera International Hit and Hurry.

Celebrate the 80th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the world's largest indoor combined agricultural, horticultural, canine and equestrian event, from November 8 to 17, 2002, National Trade Centre, Exhibition Place. For more information, please visit www.royalfair.org.

$20,000 International Jumper Challenge