Wray went head-to-head with 25 athletes from six provinces and four Regions across Canada (Atlantic, Ontario, Prairie and British Columbia), who were invited to compete for the national title after qualifying through their Regional Final.
Riding in the final for the third consecutive year, Wray’s 2016 partner was Contact, a seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Makim Holdings Inc. Together they aced the initial jumping round, which featured 12 jumping efforts, including multiple bending and broken lines, a triple bar, a one-stride combination and a skinny wall which proved to be the bogey fence for the field of riders.
“I was very happy with the first round,” said Wray, who has been coached by Canadian grand prix rider, Erynn Ballard of Looking Back Farm, for the past three years. “We talked it out a lot and everything went as planned. Erynn just does her job so well and I love riding with her.”
Her smoothly executed round secured Wray’s spot as part of the top eight invited back to a flat phase. The group were asked to perform a variety of commands from the judge, including a canter-to-halt transition, three steps of rein-back, and a reverse of direction at the sitting trot.
Wray’s poise, position and skill were on display during the flat phase, allowing her to move on once again, this time to a final jumping test for the top four riders. After the announcer relayed the test instructions, Wray had just a few minutes to memorize the shortened course, which included jumping from a trot, counter-canter and hand-gallop. The highlight of Wray’s winning test was her counter-canter to the skinny wall, and she proved to be the only one to land the counter-canter at the previous jump and hold it all the way around the short end of the ring.
“It feels so great (to have won),” said Wray, who will also be competing in the CET Medal National Final and the 1.20m Junior Jumper division at this year’s Royal Horse Show. “Connor’ is the best horse. I am so lucky. He just started in equitation this year. He’s young and I didn’t expect any of this out of him; it’s been awesome. He’s a very good horse.”
Following Wray in the ribbons in second place was Emma Seger of Toronto, ON aboard her own Cohiba. Third place went to Megan Champoux of Aldergrove, BC and Brighton, owned by Denise Kinvig, while Allie Sullivan of Vancouver, BC took fourth with David Robinson’s Aphrodite M.
