Making their Canadian Show Jumping Team debut, Ben Asselin, Francois Lamontagne, Tamie Phillips and Jenn Serek will form the Canadian Show Jumping Team to compete at the Nations’ Cup in Buenos Aires, ARG.

The team will first compete at an event held at the Club Hipico San Jorge Village from November 1 to 4 before the Nations’ Cup, which is being held during the CSIO2*-W Buenos Aires at Haras El Capricho from November 7-11, 2012.

Asselin, 18, of Calgary, AB, will ride Rush, Attache Stables’ 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding.

Riding Undergroud des Hauts Driots, Ferme Lamontagne’s eight-year-old Belgian Sport Horse stallion, will be Lamontagne, 28, of St. Eustache, QC.

Phillips, 39, of Strathmore, AB, will ride Lerche 37, her own 10-year-old Holsteiner mare.

Calgary, AB, native Serek, 29, will ride Eleonora, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by the Shin Shin Group.

“I’m excited to be going to Argentina with this group of riders, and am optimistic about repeating our last year’s win in the Nations Cup down there,” said Mark Laskin of Langley, BC, who will be the Canadian Show Jumping Team chef d’équipe. “Each of the riders has had an extremely successful year and deserves the opportunity to represent Canada for the first time on our senior national team.”

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 www.haraselcapricho.com

The Spanish Tour is supported by Chef d’équipe Mark Laskin and Stable Manager Darren Roberts; off-site support is also provided by Jumping Coordinator, Jennifer Mahoney, Jumping Program Support, Ashley Raaymakers as well as Team Manager, Karen Hendry-Ouellette.