“Yann Candele and Mill Creek Sweet Dream enjoyed a successful 2003 World Cup season.” Photo credit – Cealy Tetley

Yann Candele and Mill Creek Sweet Dream Secure World Cup Final Invitation Cambridge, Ontario – Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON, is pleased to announce that Yann Candele and Mill Creek Sweet Dream have secured an invitation to the 2004 World Cup Final to be held April 21-25 in Milan, Italy. Candele, a native of Normandy, France, enjoyed a successful season in the Canadian World Cup League to earn an invitation from the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) to the annual indoor World Cup Final. Candele’s invitation comes in addition to the two invitations offered to Canadian riders, League winner Ainsley Vince of Milton, ON, and runner-up Ian Millar of Perth, ON. “After doing so well nationally, it is really exciting to see our young grand prix horses earning their way onto the international stage,” notes Phil Henning of Mill Creek Stables. “I am very proud of Yann, he is such a great athlete. The horses seem to realize their full potential and perform at their best under his guidance.”

Competing with two Mill Creek Stables horses, Mill Creek Marco Taere and Mill Creek Sweet Dream, Candele won three of the four World Cup Qualifying events he contested on the Canadian calendar. In June, Candele won the $60,000 National Bank World Cup Qualifier at CSI-W Bromont, QC, riding Mill Creek Sweet Dream and, in July, topped a seven-horse jump-off field riding Mill Creek Marco Taere to claim the $50,000 World Cup Qualifier at the CSI-W Caledon Equestrian Festival in Palgrave, ON. In the $75,000 World Cup Qualifier, Presented by LG Electronics, held at the CSI-W Tournament of Champions in Newmarket, ON, in September, Candele claimed his third victory riding Mill Creek Marco Taere and also placed third with Mill Creek Sweet Dream.

Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, ON, imported both horses as five-year-olds. Candele has been training Mill Creek Sweet Dream, now a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare whose sire, Ohio Van De Padenborre, is by the influential French stallion, Quidam de Revel, since she first arrived in Canada. His partnership with Mill Creek Marco Taere, a ten-year-old chestnut Belgian Warmblood gelding by Darco, began in 2002 when Candele took over the reins from Eric Lamaze with whom Candele is based.

Candele, 32, will use the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, to prepare for the 2004 World Cup Final in April. Held for the first time in Milan, Italy, the event will mark Candele’s World Cup Final debut. Although Candele won the Japanese League to qualify for the 1992 World Cup Final in Del Mar, California, he was unable to compete due to the restrictive quarantine requirements for his stallion. Candele first represented France in Nations’ Cup competition at the 2001 Spruce Meadows Masters tournament in Calgary, AB, riding Mill Creek Chardo.

“I have ridden on junior and young rider teams for France, but the Nations’ Cup at Spruce Meadows is the only time I have ridden on a senior team for France,” explains Candele. “Even though I will be competing as an individual at the World Cup Final, it is very exciting to be representing my country. It is my goal to be in the top twenty and qualify for Sunday’s final round, I think that would be a good accomplishment.”

With numerous horses now competing at the grand prix level, Mill Creek Stables continues to develop a large string of up-and-coming young prospects. Of note are Kaiser de la Cour, a selle francais stallion by Verdi who was recently crowned the Five-Year-Old National Champion of the Canadian Young Horse Jumper Development Series, and Versace, a six-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion ridden by Candele.

Henning is a proud supporter of Canadian show jumping and was recently recognized for his valuable contribution with the Jump Canada Owner of the Year Award. In 2003, Mill Creek Rosalinde, a nine-year-old black Hannoverian mare by Ramiro’s Son II, competed at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, under Lamaze and also represented Canada in September in the $250,000 BMO Financial Group Nations’ Cup at the CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament. Mill Creek Raphael, a 13-year-old Hannoverian gelding by Raphael whom Henning generously donated to Equine Canada earlier this year, was named to the 2000 Sydney Olympic team and represented Canada at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, before winning his second Canadian Show Jumping Championship title with Lamaze in 2003.

Located in Cambridge, ON, Mill Creek Stables is one of Canada’s largest sport horse breeding and sales barns, offering prospects in a variety of disciplines to suit all budgets. For more information, please visit www.millcreekstables.com, call tel: 519 740-1121 or e-mail: phenning@millcreekstables.com

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