By Canadian Press

Canada’s equestrian team golden and Paris-bound in eventing at Pan Am Games

Oct 29, 2023 | 3:33 PM

SANTIAGO, Chile — More Canadian riders and their horses are headed to the Olympic Games in Paris next year.

The eventing team’s gold medal Sunday at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, ensured Canada will send a full team to compete in what’s known as the triathlon of equestrian in 2024.

Canada’s team in Santiago had amassed 98 total medals by Sunday — 33 gold, 30 silver, 35 bronze.

Canada’s eventing team ranked second after dressage and third after the cross-country event at the Grenadier Regiment Riding School northeast of Santiago.

Michael Winter (El Mundo), Karl Slezak (Hot Bobo), Colleen Loach (FE Golden Eye) and Lindsay Traisnel (Bacyrouge) won Sunday’s show-jumping finale for gold and the Olympic berth.

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“It was definitely the most important part of our trip, getting that qualification, so we’re very happy to have done that,” said Traisnel.

Canada will enter full teams in both eventing and dressage in Paris after the dressage team’s bronze medal in Santiago.

Traisnel of Maidstone, Ont., was a bronze medallist in individual eventing Sunday. 

Loach of Dunham, Que., was Canada’s lone eventing rider in Tokyo’s Olympic Games two years ago. She posted two clear rounds Sunday.

“My horse is an exceptional jumper, so I knew that if I just did my job he would do his, and that is very confidence-inspiring going in,” Loach said. “The qualification was our goal today and the rest was just icing on the cake.”

Equestrian Canada will name an eventing team of three riders and their horses, plus an alternate, next year. 

Show jumping gets underway Tuesday. The top three countries in the team event not yet qualified earn Olympic berths. Canada is among eight countries chasing those spots.

Also Sunday, Isabelle Harris claimed judo silver in the women’s 63-kg division. 

“I wish I could have gone all the way and gotten the gold today,” Harris said. “I am still proud of the process because it was some really tough fights for the quarterfinals and semifinals.”

Her teammates Antoine Bouchard and David Popovici won bronze in men’s 73-kg and 81-kg respectively.

Canada’s whitewater canoe and kayak team collected three silver and two bronze medals.

Lois Betteridge earned double silver medals in women’s C1 and women’s kayak cross. 

Alex Baldoni was a silver medallist in the men’s kayak cross in which four boats race head-to-head down the course. 

His sister Lea Baldoni and Mael Rivard earned bronze in the women’s and men’s K1 respectively.

Rebecca Marino lost her bronze-medal match in women’s singles tennis 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Argentina’s Julia Riera.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2023.

The Canadian Press