Mathilde Blais Tetreault Comes Back from Two Broken Wrists to Victory at 2021 CDI Wellington

Shows

2021 CDI Wellington

Canadian dressage rider Mathilde Blais Tetreault comes back from two broken wrists sustained in the spring of 2020 to victory in her first International show of 2021 on a new ride, Fedor.

At the 2021 CDI Wellington on 28 - 31 January, Blais Tetreault returned at the Global Dressage Festival winning the Intermediaire II 3* class on Fedor with 66.647%

Early Career

The 29-year old Mathilde has been one of Canada's most successful Young Riders and Under 25 Grand Prix riders in the past decade.

She began her international career as a young rider in 2011 aboard the Swedish warmblood Michelangelo (by Amiral x Utrillo) and the Hanoverian Embasssy III (by Escudo x Silvio), representing Canada and winning multiple gold medals at the North American Young Riders Championships in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

In 2017 Utah came along and the Dutch warmblood gelding (by Jazz x Landwind II) opened doors to international Grand Prix level competition. They won the 2017 CDIO Under 25 Nations up in Wellington, which allowed her to travel across Europe to represent Canada at shows such as the CHIO Rotterdam (NED) as well as the CDI's in Waregem (BEL) and Crozet (FRA).

Broken Wrists

Mathilde required surgery to stabilize
the fracture in her wrists

On 10 February 2020 Mathilde's show season in Wellington, Florida, was cut short due to a riding accident.

While participating in a charity event for the Boys and Girls Club of Wellington, Mathilde fell off her horse and landed on her wrists, sustaining complicated fractures in both of them.

Mathilde had hoped to compete her now 13-year old Dutch warmblood Janosh (by Johnson x Dormello) in the small tour classes for the Wellington season, and introduce Fedor to Grand Prix level that year, but she only got to show Janosh once because of the accident.

She underwent surgery and required a convalescence of eight weeks, ending her season in Florida prematurely.

"It was a freak accident but it ended up happening at the right time," said Mathilde. "Shortly after that all the competitions were cancelled due to the corona virus. I took the summer to heal my wrists and get back into shape while operating our sales and training business in Montreal, Canada."

Fedor

Fully fit and healthy again, Mathilde has drafted new competition plans for the year and taken on a new ride, Fedor (by Johnson x Negro x Whinny Jackson).

The family acquired the gelding as a 6-year old in The Netherlands in 2016. He is bred by R. van Erp in Oss, The Netherlands.

Originally intended for her sister Laurence, the now 11-year old KWPN gelding Fedor exceeded expectations and the two sisters decided to swap horses.

"Our plan was for Laurence to take the ride on Utah and I was going to train Fedor in the meantime," Blais explained. "Fedor exceeded all the expectations and Laurence selflessly gave the ride to me to represent Canada at major shows and help me realise my dreams."

Mathilde is the 2017 Orion Cup winner, an award annually bestowed onto the most promising Canadian dressage athlete in the process of transitioning from the Young Rider level to Grand Prix.

She is coached by Canadian team rider Brittany Fraser-Beaulieau and dreaming big in this 2021 Olympic year.

"I have very high hopes for my future with Fedor," she said. "I believe he will be a top horse for Canada."