Canadian Dressage at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games is a ‘good news - bad news’ story
Aachen, DE – August 22, 2025 – Ashley Holzer with the darkly handsome stallion, Gambol, co-owned with Dr. Diane Fellows, and Evi Strasser with striking chestnut gelding, Quantum Tyme, owned by her own Good Tyme Stables, are more than ready to carry the Canadian colours in the Dressage Competition at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Team coach Norbert van Laak said, “I am really pleased (with the training program). It started well and all of the horses have progressed.
“Ashley and Evi did well (in competition) in Austria and Jacquie (Jacqueline Brooks) performed very well in the Kur,” he said, referring to Brooks’ second place finish with a score of 69.550% at the Pompadour CDI3* held July 20 – 23 in Pompadour, France. Holzer, Strasser and Brooks were part of Canada’s Silver Medal Team at the 2003 Pan American Games.
The fourth member of the team that traveled to Europe in July is Cindy Ishoy and her dark bay gelding, Proton. Ishoy was the highest placed Canadian, with Proton, at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and was the Canadian representative at the World Cup Finals in Amsterdam earlier in 2006.
Unfortunately, just prior to moving the horses from their training facility in The Netherlands to Germany, two of the Grand Prix horses, Brooks’ Gran Gesto and Ishoy’s Proton, suffered sports injuries. Although neither injury will be significant in the long run, it is enough to exclude them from the Games, leaving Canada without a full team and consequently being represented by Holzer and Strasser as Individuals.
Alan Young, DVM, veterinarian for the Canadian team, said (of the injuries), “They happened at an inconvenient time. Both horses are improving but are not good enough to compete.” Gran Gesto has a small abscess in his hoof and Proton’s injury would be “similar to a rotator cuff injury in a baseball player,” Dr. Young said, uncomfortable but certainly not career ending… unless over stressed.
Dressage Team Chef d’Équipe, Kim Goodyear, said “It is really bad luck. I feel sorry for the riders. They have all been together for eight weeks as a team and every one is feeling the disappointment.”
“Both Ashley and Evi are professionals,” Goodyear continued, “and although they are disappointed, they are looking ahead to the competition.”
Holzer and Strasser are scheduled to ride their first Grand Prix tests on Wednesday morning, August 23rd, at 11:30 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. respectively (local time).
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