Dressage Canada officials announced the selection of the Olympic dressage team for Canada on June 6. Ashley Holzer with Pop Art, Jacqueline Brooks with Gran Gesto and Leslie Reid with Orion were named to the team. Christilot Boylen will be the traveling reserve with Gachino.
Although the horses are relatively young, the team members have plenty of international experience between them. Holzer, New York, N.Y., will represent Canada in her third Olympics. Her mount, Pop Art, is an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Amsterdam—Jody Prinses) owned by Ian and Moreen Nicoll and Rusty Holzer. The pair achieved an average qualifying score of 72.72 percent in the Florida CDIs this winter.
Gran Gesto is a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Goldi—Grannox) owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch. Brooks, Mt. Albert, Ont., hasn’t ridden in the Olympics before, but she took home team silver with Gran Gesto at the 2003 Pan American Games. The pair was named to the 2006 World Equestrian Games team, but didn’t compete due to a last-minute abscess.
Reid rode in the 1996 and 2004 Olympics. She and Orion qualified with an average of 67.27 percent. Patricia Hatch owns the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Jazz—Havana), and he is in his first year of Grand Prix.
