•    Canadian drivers have always strongly supported the Metamora CDE with their entries, and this year was no exception. Ten of the 36 competitors, almost 1⁄3 of the field, were from across the border, and they went home with plenty of ribbons. Robert Thomas won the training level single horse class with Tfal Skywalker, and Gord Freeman with UCM Govenor Cornwallis took the blue ribbon in the preliminary single pony class. Kirsten Brunner has attended the Metamora event more than any other Canadian competitor, and she added another MCDE ribbon and trophy to her collection with Beaverwood’s Astillbe in the preliminary single horse division.

•    Local driver Lisa Cianciola with her gray Arabian Amira won the training level single pony class, while Jose Hernandez won the training level pair horse division with his spotted horses Rhett Butler and Brigade.

•    The best dressage of the competition was driven by Gavin Robson with Larry Denny’s pair of intermediate Dutch Harness Horse geldings. Robson scored 40.17 and went on to beat the other two competitors in his class in the marathon and cones.

•    Also at the intermediate level, Nifty Hamilton and her daughter Jan Jan went head-to-head with their single Morgan horse entries. Although the younger Hamilton led in the dressage phase, Nifty eventually took the blue ribbon, while her daughter placed second overall after a conservative performance on the marathon.
         The Hamiltons received a special award for traveling the farthest; hailing from Alva, Fla., their odometer notched more than 1,400 miles from their home to Metamora’s Windrush Farm.