Diane Creech and Robbie W Named Reserves for Canada's Pan American Games Team
/Caistor Centre, ON – June 19, 2015 – Diane Creech and Leatherdale Farms’ Robbie W have been selected as reserves for the Canadian dressage team for the upcoming Pan American Games in Toronto. The pair made a strong bid for the team, earning consistently high scores throughout the qualifying process.
Creech and Robbie W, a 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Rubin Royal, turned in a series of impressive performances at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, over the winter. They scored as high as 73.368 percent in the Intermediaire I and helped the Canadian team win silver at the Stillpoint Farm Nations Cup CDIO3*.
They closed out the qualifying season in May with two competitions in Canada, picking up two wins at the Palgrave CDI3* and scoring 73.105 percent in the Prix St. Georges at the Ottawa CDI3*.
Two big tour and two small tour combinations were selected for the Pan Ams team. Creech and Robbie W finished in third on the small tour ranking list, with their final average of 72.883 percent putting them less than .3 percent behind second place.
“It sure was a very close ending!” Creech said. “‘Perfect Robbie’ gave me his best effort – he is all heart. I am so proud of him.”
The support of Doug and Louise Leatherdale of Leatherdale Farms is essential to Creech’s success with Robbie W, and Creech is grateful for the efforts of her whole team.
“I have been so blessed to have the best owners possible in my life, supporting me,” she said. “Thank you to Robbie’s groom Chris Bacher for always being on my side, Chris Zizian for being the best farrier, my students for cheering us on and patiently waiting for us to come back, and Lars Petersen and Melissa Taylor for their great support and awesome coaching. And of course, thank you to my incredible family who always pull together and make it possible for me to leave.”
She added, “The race is over, and now we are moving on to the fun part: let the Games begin! Best of luck to all of the Canadian teams, especially to our dressage team!”
