Ottawa, Ontario—July 29  

Equestrian Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have confirmed an athlete and horse replacement for the Canadian Equestrian Team that will represent Canada in the eventing portion of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Effective July 28, Kathryn Robinson and Let It Bee, previously named as the reserve horse/rider combination for eventing, will replace Selena O’Hanlon and Foxwood High, who were nominated to the CET for the Games on July 14.

The athlete and horse replacement was implemented in accordance with the International Olympic Committee Late Athlete Replacement policy based on veterinary medical grounds concerning O’Hanlon’s declared horse, Foxwood High, a 13-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by John and Judy Rumble.

Following official approval from the FEI, IOC and COC, Robinson—who was the first reserve eventing athlete nominated to the COC—was officially appointed as the substitute for Canada’s four-member eventing team, partnered with Let It Bee, her 15-year-old Westphalian gelding.

Robinson had been named as a team member in the initial team naming on June 24, with Jessica Phoenix having been named as an alternate. But Phoenix launched a successful appeal arguing selectors had not followed the selection criteria. On July 24, Equine Canada replaced Robinson on the team with Phoenix and moved Robinson to the reserve slot after arbitrator Ronald P. Armstrong, Q.C., ruled that the selection criteria had not been followed fairly.  

Following the athlete and horse replacement, the full CET for eventing at the Games is as follows:

Rebecca Howard on Riddle Master

Colleen Loach on Qorry Blue d’Argouges

Jessica Phoeniz on A Little Romance

Kathryn Robinson on Let It Bee

The eventing portion of the Games gets underway with the dressage phase on Aug. 6-7 at the Olympic Equestrian Centre in the Deodoro zone of Rio de Janeiro. Cross-country will follow on Aug. 8 with the final jumping phase taking place on Aug. 9.