Sorensen shoots for coveted spot on Pan Am team
Nationals last chance for officials to see horse and rider in action
Whatever happens at the Spruce Meadows National tournament this week, Christian Sorensen knows one thing about the state of show jumping in this country.
“Canada’s in a very unique position right now,” said the 32-yearold Calgary-born rider prior to competing in Friday’s $35,000 Encana Cup. “Which we haven’t been in years. We have a ton of depth. We have a lot of great riders, a lot of great horses. Funding from Own the Podium has made a massive impact on the depth of the pool.”
And for Sorensen, who has a legitimate chance to be the fifth and alternate rider for Canada at the Pan American Games in July, that depth could either be a good thing or a bad thing when it comes to his situation.
“It’s not an easy team to get on, I guess, is the answer,” Sorensen said, smiling from his perch in the All-Canada warm-up ring. “Certainly, we’re shooting for it. We certainly hope we will (make the team). We have the horsepower for the top level, which is not an easy thing to do … whether we have a shot or not, that’s a question for the (Canadian) chef d’equipe (Mark Laskin). But it’s definitely something we’re driving at.”
With a horse like Bobby, a 13-year-old black Dutch Warmblood, it’s easy to see why.
Having taken the initiative to enter big classes and commit to the largest, challenging and most prestigious events in the world, Sorensen and his mount competed at the World Cup final in Las Vegas. They also have experience competing for Canada at the 2014 Nations’ Cup in Aachen, Germany, where Canada placed fourth. He was also part of the group that placed first at the Nations’ Cup in Mexico.
For those reasons — Bobby’s proven ability, consistency and experience — Sorensen believes the rider and horse combination would be a perfect fit for Canada.
“We’re knocking on the door,” Sorensen said. “We went to World Cup finals this year and we hope the (Canadian team) selectors see we’re reaching for new levels and trying to climb the rungs. I don’t think you do that by picking easy spots. (Bobby) is fire-tested here and in Aachen and the World Cup finals and doesn’t let down … I think we’re close. I think we’re where we need to be.”
With the National being the last chance for team officials to observe horses and riders, Sorensen plans to “come out swinging” in Saturday’s $400,000 RBC Grand Prix.
It’s a 1.60-metre class — which happens be the same specifications as the Pan American Games — and Sorensen knows perfection is expected.
“You need a horse that has the power to jump that level, the intelligence to jump that level, and the ride-ability to jump that level,” said the Caledon, Ont., resident, who spends much of his year on the road with his wife Whitney, an amateur rider.
“They have to be careful ( horses). One rail (down) is too much … our margins are very, very small.”
And those small margins in the horse and rider’s performance at the National could be the difference in his name being called by Equine Canada on June 13 as one of the five Canadian team members.
“I think being on the Pan Am Games team would certainly be any young rider’s goal. It wouldn’t be a lie — we’re certainly shooting for that,” said Sorensen, who is up against riders like Jonathon Miller for the fifth and alternate position.
“Spruce Meadows is the perfect last testing ground for any championships. First of all, it’s home base, it’s Canada and it’s the highest level in the world. This is kind of our last hurrah for the selectors to see the horses perform.”