THE ELITE OF SHOW JUMPING GATHER AT SPRUCE MEADOWS

From young amateurs to seasoned pros, hundreds of show jumpers are at Spruce Meadows this week for the North American, hoping to take home a title and a cheque. Postmedia’s Michele Jarvie identifies five names to watch during the week:

KENT FARRINGTON (U.S.)

This American champion just keeps chalking up the wins. He was part of the U.S. team that won silver at the Rio Olympics and he’s already added seven trophies this year, including the Kubota Cup at Spruce Meadows on Wednesday. He appears to like the courses at Spruce Meadows, winning five times here in 2016 and six times in 2015. He’s a double winner of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Cup, in 2014 and 2016, and it’s a sure bet he plans on a repeat performance this year.

TIFFANY FOSTER (CANADA)

Foster grew up in B.C. but moved to Ontario to train with legendary rider Eric Lamaze. Her first major win came at Spruce Meadows in 2011 in the TD Cup at the North American tournament on a horse owned by Lamaze’s Torrey Pines Stable and Artisan Farms. She competed for Canada in both the London and Rio Olympics, and helped the Canadian team win gold at the 2014 Nations Cup at the Spruce Meadows Masters and at the 2015 Pan American Games. She trains part time in Florida with her partner, Kent Farrington, and she finished fourth in the Kubota Cup on Wednesday.

BEEZIE MADDEN (U.S.)

When you look at the list of past champions of big events at Spruce Meadows, Madden’s name appears repeatedly. She’s won at the National, the North American, CP International and the Masters. She’s second only to Eric Lamaze in prize money at Spruce, earning $4,143,586 over the years. She won the renowned Grand Prix of Aachen in 2007 and is a three-time winner of the prestigious Spruce Meadows ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Competing at the Grand Prix level since 1985, the three-time Olympian is continuing her steady efforts and her horses are in top form right now.

VANESSA MANNIX (CANADA)

Mannix grew up in Calgary in a well-known business family with a father and brothers who compete in polo. She dreamed of being a show jumper after watching competitions at Spruce Meadows as a child. She went overseas 10 years ago to study at Trinity College in Ireland. Now 28, she is still a student of sorts, under the tutelage of Irish show-jumping sensation Conor Swail. She’s a fast learner: she’s been competing around the world, including here at home where she won bronze at the RBC Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows’ National in June.

SAMEH EL DAHAN (EGYPT)

Coming from a family of doctors, Sameh El Dahan narrowly missed that career path himself. He did study medicine in Cairo but eventually decided to follow his passion for show jumping. It’s paid off. Now living in Northern Ireland, El Dahan won the Friends of the Meadows Cup in the 2016 Masters. He’s been on fire this spring with several second- and third-place finishes, capping i t with his first CSI 5* Grand Prix win at Spruce Meadows, at the National in June.