Jonathan Asselin, Angela Covert-Lawrence, Tiffany Foster and Emily George will form the Canadian Show Jumping Team for the Nations’ Cup in Buenos Aires, ARG, from November 23 to 27, 2011.

The team will first compete at an event held at the Club Hipico San Jorge Village from November 17 to 19 before the Nations’ Cup is held during the CSIO4*-W Buenos Aires at Haras El Capricho from November 23–27, 2011.

Canadian Olympian Asselin, 52, of Calgary, AB, will ride Makavoy, Attache Stables’ eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding.

For the second year in a row, Covert-Lawrence, 35, of St. Lazare, QC will ride Utan, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by the Eastwood Group.  At last year’s event, Covert-Lawrence and Utan were the only horse-rider combination to jump two clear rounds in the Nations’ Cup.

Foster, 27, of Schomberg, ON, will ride Victor, a nine-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Torrey Pines Stable and Artisan Farms.  Foster recently made her Canadian Show Jumping Team debut at the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament in September where Canada placed second.

Making her Canadian Show Jumping Team debut in Argentina is George, 26, of Calgary, AB, riding Julie and Rick George’s Quidam’s Ramiro, a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding.

“I’m excited about our prospects in Buenos Aires this year,” said Mark Laskin of Langley, BC, who will act as the Canadian Show Jumping Team chef d’équipe.  “I feel that with Tiffany, Angela, Emily and Jonathan and the roll that they have all been on, we have a great chance to win the Nations’ Cup, solidify our leading position in the North American League, and once again qualify for the FEI Promotional League Final in Barcelona.”

This Argentinean show jumping tour is made possible through Sport Canada’s ‘Own the Podium’ program, a national sport technical initiative designed to help Canada’s summer and winter athletes achieve podium success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A Nations’ Cup is the only competition in show jumping where riders, in teams of four, compete as a country.  The top three scores from each team are counted towards the final result of the two-round competition.

There are only two Nations’ Cup events held annually in North America — the $75,000 FEI Nations’ Cup at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, and the $350,000 BMO Nations’ Cup at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in September.

Complete details about the competition may be found at http://www.haraselcapricho.com/.