Belinda Trussell and Laurencio, Dressage Canada Athlete and Horse of the Year 2016

Dressage

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Grand Prix rider Belinda Trussell and small your horse Laurencio were named and honoured as the Dressage Athlete and Horse of the Year 2016 during the 2017 EC Awards Reception held 8 April 2017 in Vancouver, BC.

Belinda Trussell, Dressage Athlete of the Year 2016

Belinda Trussell from Stouffville, ON has been named the 2016 Dressage Athlete of the Year based on her outstanding results throughout the 2016 season, capped off by her appearance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Partnered with Anton (Antaeus x Shirley), a 17-year-old Sachsen-Anhaltiner gelding owned by Robyn Eames and Mark Trussell, Belinda kicked off 2016 early in the year at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) series in Wellington, FL where she earned multiple wins at the CDI level, and set a new national record for the highest score achieved in the Grand Prix Special
(75.529%).

Her success with Anton continued in the spring when she travelled to the Ottawa Dressage Festival in Ontario and added another National record to her name after scoring 73.780% in the CDI Grand Prix.

Due to their success throughout the year, Belinda and Anton were named to the Canadian Dressage Team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, BRA. There, Belinda added yet even more records to her name after achieving the highest scores received by a Canadian at an Olympic Games in both the Grand Prix (72.214%) and Grand Prix Special (75.529%).

Laurencio, Dressage Canada Horse of the Year 2016

Laurencio (by Laurentino x Donnerhall), a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding co-owned by Tina and Jaimey Irwin of Stouffville, ON, has been named the 2016 Dressage Horse of the Year in light of his consistent winning performances throughout the 2016 season.

Laurencio (by Sue Stickle) With Tina Irwin in the irons, Laurencio won an incredible nine small tour classes in a row during the 2016 season. His first hat trick came at the CDI 3* Ottawa Dressage Festival in May 2016 with scores of 71.404% in the Prix St. Georges, 73.509% in the Intermediate I, and 74.333% in the Intermediate I Freestyle.

Just one month later, Laurencio once again dominated the small tour, this time at the CDI Cedar Valley in June at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy in Cedar Valley, ON. After starting out with a score of 70.921% in the Prix St. Georges, Tina and Laurencio received 75.605% in the Intermediate I, before finishing with a decisive win on the impressive score of 79.208% in the Intermediate I Freestyle.

To wrap up the season, they travelled to Devon, PA for the CDI-W/3* Dressage at Devon in September. Despite a rain-filled weekend, nothing could dampen their success, and Tina and Laurencio earned progressively higher marks throughout the week, beginning with a score of 71.009% in the Prix St. George. They followed up with 73.579% in the Intermediate I, and finished with 77.175% in the Intermediate I
Freestyle.