VaultCanada names vaulting team for WEG 2010

Two vaulters from Alberta and two from British Columbia will represent Canada at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

Jeanine vanderSluijs of Olds, Alberta and Hannah Marland of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta will be joined by a sister and brother from Chilliwack, BC, Alisa Schmidt and Colin Schmidt. Marita Hoppe from the Okotoks area near Calgary, Alberta will be chef ‘d equippe for the Canadian vaulting delegation.

The Games will be an especially memorable event for Jeanine, who recently became a Canadian citizen and will represent her new country at the world championship level for the first time. Jeanine started vaulting recreationally at the age of six in her birth country, the Netherlands. Now age 22, she competed at her first CVI in 2005 and was the Alberta Senior Women’s Champion from 2005-2007. She was named Canada’s first Division A women’s champion in 2009. Besides vaulting at international level, Jeanine is the head coach of the Meadow Creek Vaulting Club. “I feel extremely honored to be representing Canada at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games” says Jeanine. “This will be the first time for me competing at a WEG and I am looking forward to the experience of the games. I am very excited to compete there and being a part of Team Canada!”

Hannah, age 18, sums up the feelings of the Canadian team when she says “I feel very honored to be one of the four Canadians representing our country at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. It is an exciting opportunity to have the Games so close to home, and to compete in them for Canada is such an honor!’”

Hannah was five-years-old when she started vaulting with the Cheam Vaulters in Chilliwack. In 2003, she moved with her family to Rocky Mountain House, Alberta and became the Alberta Junior Women’s Champion in 2004 and the Alberta Senior Women’s Champion in 2008. Her first CVI, at the age of fourteen, was in Saratoga, California. She has since competed at many international events including the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany and the 2008 World Vaulting Championships in Brno, Czech Republic. Hannah trains with and coaches the Spruce Valley Vaulters in Rocky Mountain House.

Alisa, age 24, began vaulting at just four years of age and has been both the Junior and Senior Women’s Provincial champion for BC. Her first FEI competition was CVI Saratoga, California in 2000 at the age of 14. At CVI Saratoga in 2004 she became the first Canadian female vaulter to ever win gold at an FEI event. She has since represented Canada at several FEI competitions and championships including CVI Sydney, Australia in 2008 where she had the top score by a foreign vaulter. In 2008 she became Canada’s first Division AA National Women’s Champion. Alisa trains with and coaches the Cheam Vaulters in Chilliwack, BC. Alisa is thrilled about having the opportunity to represent her country at the first WEG on North American soil. “An honor like this only comes along once in a lifetime.”

Colin, age 31, began vaulting at the age of 11 with the Cheam Vaulters in Chilliwack, BC. He was the men’s provincial champion in BC for many years and in 2008 became Canada’s first Division AA National Men’s Champion. His international career began with CVI Saumur in 1994. He has since represented Canada at many CVI’s, world championships and the past four WEG events. In 2006 he won bronze at CVI Sao Paulo, Brazil and in 2008 he competed at CVI Sydney and became the first Canadian male vaulter to ever win gold at an FEI event. In June 2010 he won the silver medal for Canada, the host country at CVI Chilliwack, BC. Colin is also the head coach of the Cheam Vaulters. In 2005 his contribution to coaching was recognized by Horse Council BC as he was named the BC Equestrian Coach of the Year. Reflecting on the opportunity to compete in Kentucky, Colin says “the WEG this year is going to be the first time that North Americans can compete at a World Championship on their own horses, or on horses that they have had a long term relationship with. This home turf advantage has always been the privilege of the European countries in the past and it is a great feeling knowing that it’s our turn this time!”