Kyra Holmes, an 18 year old member of the Maple Pony Club, represented the Central Ontario Region at the National Show Jumping Championships at Birds Hill Provincial Park in Manitoba, over Labour Day weekend, placing sixth. Kyra has just started the Veterinary Tech program at Seneca College.

This was a true national competition, with entries from coast to coast. Except for the host Manitoba Region, all the other Regions were limited to one entry each. All competitors rode borrowed horses, selected the day before the actual competition from a pool of 20 animals

The Championships used a flat class, a gymnastics course and a jumper equitation class to identify four finalists on Day 1 and the morning of Day 2. Riders were marked not only on how their mounts jumped, but also on their equitation (riding technique), and even on their tack and turn-out. On the afternoon of Day 2 the four finalists each jumped the same course four times - once on the horse they had used in the previous classes and once on each of the other finalists' horses. The Champion was Taryn Grey, representing the Saskatchewan Region.

Kyra has submitted a brief report about her experience at this event, which has been added to the latest CORBits.

For more details e-mail Bob Inglis, Central Ontario Regional Communications Chair, or call him at 416-493-1223 (office) or 416-491-4230 (home).