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16 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
Holly Jacks, Candy King compete for Team Canada at FEI World Championships in Italy By Kelly Waterhouse HILLSBURGH – It wasn’t the result she hoped for, but Holly Jacks and her British sport horse, Candy King did their country and community proud last weekend (Sept. 14 to 17), competing in the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Championships Eventing in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy as members of the Canadian Eventing Team. Team Canada ended the competition in 12th place, with Germany taking the lead position, and the United States and New Zealand rounding out the top three. Canada needed to make the top eight to secure a spot in the Summer Olympics in 2024. Yet, Jacks is grateful to have competed. “The experience itself was amazing, to have such great teammates. We ended up having to work really hard together to get a team finish,” Jacks said. Jacks was proud to be a member of the Canadian Eventing Team, which includes Hawley Awad and JollyBo, Colleen Loach and Vermont, Karl Slezak and Fernhill Wishes, as well as Michael Winter and El Mundo. “The support crew we had around was the best support crew I believe Canada has ever had,” she said. Making the team was a dream come true, years in the making, and yet just the beginning of what the 36-year-old competitor hoped would be a significant experience not only for her career, but for that of her 12-year-old ride, Candy King. “It’s been a lot of years of work, and I think that this is a really great horse for now, but also a really great horse for the future. And so, I think this will be a great experience,” Jacks said.
Candy King did not disappoint and Jacks is proud of her horse. “I think he was fabulous,” she said. “It was unfortunate that I couldn’t take the original routes that I wanted on cross country. But I think that at the end of the day, they needed me to ride as a teammate,” Jacks explained. “And I think that coming home with no jump penalties was what needed to be done on the day and I’m really proud of my horse for stepping up to do that for Canada.” Sending a Canadian team to Italy almost didn’t happen. “Three months ago, there was not enough money to send a World Championship team to Italy,” Jacks said. She credits Canada’s new High Performance Advisory Group (HPAG) of volunteers for raising $250,000 for the team to fund the trip to Europe. “Eventing in Canada was in a challenging place 12 months ago and this amazing group of volunteers has done an incredible job pulling together a program for us,” said Jacks. “I can’t thank the HPAG and our donors enough. We aspire to make this a world-class program and coming up with the funds to send a full team to the World Championships is a fabulous start. This group of volunteers has an amazing vision for our team and country.” That momentum she hopes will inspire not only more investment in the sport, but show young riders there is a future in it. “Your dreams have to start somewhere, right?,” she said. “As a kid, seeing people going to the World Championships lets the kids be able to dream and try to get there too.” Growing up in British Columbia, Jacks said she knew her future was
Dynamic Duo – Holly Jacks and Candy King represented the Canadian Eventing Team at the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Championships Eventing in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy from Sept. 15 to 18. Cindy Lawlor Photography
with horses. “I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything else,” she said. “The thought of being a team rider was
always a dream.” To earn her living with horses, Jacks has done “a little bit of everything,” from leading trails to gallop-
ing horses at Woodbine racetrack, riding for professional riders, teaching lessons, all before starting her own
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