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Times Advocate, 1998-01-21, Page 14Page 14 Times-Adtvcate, January 21, 1998 This Week in Sports... • Scores, scores and more scores - page 15 • Jr. D Irish riding high while Hawks can't find wings - page 16 Ailsa Craig's. Thompson set to ride in South Africa • Lindsay Thompson has been chosen by the Canadian Pony Club to compete South African Invitational Show Jumping Competition on March 21-22 Western Trillium Jumper '9-7 Re- serve Champion and the 3'9" Low juniper Champion atter her suc- cessful showing at the Western AILSA CRAIG : — Lindsay Fair show. Thompson also shows Thompson simply couldn't -pass up in dressage. cross country; stadium the opportunity of a lifetime. show jumping and Prince Philip - Thompson, 17, will .leave for Jo- Games competitions just to name a hanncshurg, South Africa on March few of the disciplines she practices 11 to represent_ the Canadian Pony with her horse, Spur of the Mo - Club .at the 'South African In- ment • (though his -.barn name • is vitational"Show Jumping Cotnpeti- Fruittic): Sbc also oaches several lion Ein MarcIr21-22.. • younger members• of the London She is one of a six -member learn Pony Club as a senior member. of '15 to 19 -year-olds -the Canadian A member of the Pony Club Pony Club is- sending to the inter- since '88, T hotnpsori has been rid- -national competition, the only one ing horses for. as • long as she can • for young riders (the competition is remember. Though -she likes show .held in a different country. each jumping, she prefers cross country year). Two of the other members but likes the everyday work the are from the Guelph Pony Club, -most. • one from.ihc Bluewater. Pony Club . "My favorite is the training to Of Sarnia, the Moose Jaw Pony get there," she said: "The progress Club w Saskatchewan and the and the succeeding after you've ;Spruce Ridge Pony Club. in B.l'. worked so hard to getthere." • Thompson:represents the: London Thompson is looking forward to Pony Cluh. meeting her teammates and the She is rated at the B2 level. the competitors from other countries second highest in the `Canadian and is tremendously excited about Pony Club system. Her goal is to the trip: reach the A level though "I have to The team's first stop on the way work to get there," Thompson said. to . Johannesburg after flying out In order Mr her application to'be. from Toronto on- March 11 is. in - part of the team to • he successful,- Amsterdam. They'll attend a show Thompson had -to submit a letter . jumping cornpetition at Ermelo, outlining why -she wanted to go•as - tour a veterinary college and pc- . well - as three letters of rcc- ruse the .Vincent Van Gogh Mu- - ommendation:- one from a coach, , scum, Anne Frank's house and a the show jumping chairperson of Dutch \Varmblood breeding. farm. -Westttrn Ontario region and the dis-• They'll touch down in Jo- • trict commissioner of the Pony - hanncshurg on March 15. Club: Obviously, Thompson's ap- The Canadian team members . ilication passed, the mustard with . win he billeted -with similar age she judges. - South African•Pony-Club members So why, does she waft -to go to,, and their families. Between when South Africa? • they arrive and' the competition, - "To bring home stories . for the Canadian members will ride a • younger members and learn about • number of horses. from a pool of another culture," -she said: -"And to ' suitable mounts in order to select represent the Pony Club. It's a once - their horses, for competition — in a lifetime opportunity. 'And ;be-' Fruittie will not be making the trip. cause I like show jumping." , Neither will any of Thompson's She has 'earned her spot with•thc- family that included mom Connie, Canadian team. She is the South dad Glen and brother Matthew. 15. By Craig Bradford T A Reporter• - in the Top Jumper. Above: Ailsa Craig's Lindsay Thompson won't be able to bring her mount, Spur of the Moment (known as Fruit - tie around the barn) to the South African lnvitational_'Shbw, Jumping Competition on March 21-22. Bottom: Thompson in action on Spur of the Moment at a show last season. "l- think she's ready for it," Con- . nie, a lab technician at Exeter's South Huron Hospital, said. "She's very responsible and has worked hard. Lindsay is also very modest." Glen looks after the family farm on Cladeboyc Dr._ north of Ailsa Craig and grows cash .crops and raises farrow to finish sows. - Both of Thompson's parents are worried about South Africa's polit- ical unrest and potential . for vi- olence, but arc glad for the pres- ence- of a .trusted chaperon: Dr., John Baird, the father of member Annie Baird and a noted veter nar-•• fan and world traveller (he's orig- igally. from - Australia).. Thompson will also have to be immunize -Wm ward off malaria and other diseases native to South Africa. As for the future, Thompson isn't sure what career she wants to pur- sue besides it must involve horses. $he thinks she'll apply for animal sciences at the Uni- versity of Guelph af- ter graduation. She also.wants to Own more horses some day and _continue coaching. Thompson has - been 'able to leak- her love of horses into her OAC school work at North Middlesex District High School in Parkhill. For her chemistry class she completed a project where she designed a geriatric feed for horses. "Older horses need more energy, Tess calcium more vitamin C and E and more protein," she said. In the next ycar or two Thomp- son plans on working towards her A Pony Club level, tryout for the Young Riders Club (a prestigious Tho advice have a club for the 'best riders under 21) and move up to event pre -level competition. That's providing Fruittie, a 7 - year -old Quarter -Arab -Hanoverian - Thoroughbred cross, continues his fast progress: "Fruittic is unique," Thompson said. "1 just found him in a field in Exeter in May' -'95 (after seeing him in,the Horse Trader). He had only been ridden a couple times and he was kept as a pct." Thompson has trained him through„the Pony Club -ranks up to B2 after only a ycar. "He learns realty quick and he's very keen,” she said. "He wants to work." . Why does Thompson love horses so much? "They're more like a friend than an animal," she said. "They trust you and 1 trust them, They're so powerful and athletic and so smart." Hcr- great love of horses h:is meant Thompson has had to give up some other pursuits, hut she has, no regrets. "I'm so busy with niy,.horses," she reflected. "i want - .cd to play school'sports. But ifs no fig deal. i love my horses." Thompson has this advice for younger riders that want to follow in her and Fruittic's hoof prints:: "If you have a goal. f?o for it." By the way: many of Thomp-, son's friends, especially her Pony Club cohorts, call her Toad: Hcr dad gave her the nickname because it takes her so long to get motivated in the morning. mpson's ? "If you goal, go for it." Cregan and Taylor win Masters rolloffs By Ron Dann ZURICH Bluewater S Pin Bow I c r s ' Association Booster Club Director Erie Taylor from Lucknow and Zurich Association's vice-president Bev Cregan, Exeter, each won their respective division of the Bluewater Master Bowlers' Association five -game rolloffs Sunday at Clinton. Taylor won his division by bowl- ing a hot 1,396 total scratch pinfall and also beat his 236 personal aver- age by 216 pins while Cregan won her division as she bowled 98 pins above her 199 average. Listowel's Chad Ward took the men's pins over average title. All three bowlers now advance to the next round February 7 at Cambridge. Zurich Association League executives advance Tony Bedard, Jim Lewis and Karen Campbell, representing Zurich Association leagues, will be competing in the Ontario Five -Pin Bowlers' Association (O.F.P.B.A.) three -game, pins over average,. Provincial League Executive Championships Saturday in their own divisions, Bedardin presi- dents,' Lewis, secretaries and Campbell, treasurers., The pre -draw for lane and position for each bowler will be completed by the O.F.P.B.A. Tournament committee. All winncrs will advance to the National Championships April 25 at Ottawa. Scorecard Holiday Classic winners advance Bowlers who qualified in their league rounds of the Scorecard Holiday Classic in Bluewater Zone Association.centres of Clinton, Listowel, Lucknow, Molesworth and Zurich Associations in December now advance as teams of five bowlers each, to the three game, pins over average. house rounds of the Scorecard Holiday Classic tournament to he held between January 11 and February 8. The Zurich Association rolloff is scheduled for 10 a.m., February' 1 at Town and Country Lancs. Winning teams will advance to the Regional round March 22 at a location to be established by the O.F.P.B.A. leading to the Provincial Scorecard Holiday Classic Championships April 25 at Ottawa. Bluewater Association Level One certified coaches will be appointed - Carpet bowling January 19 3 game winners Don Maguire Don White 2 wins, 1 tie Marshall Dearing Susi Underhill 2 wins Ray Smith • Audrey MacGregor Wilmar Wein Stan Roth Wilma Davis 27 22 x 24 24 23 22 21 !i J . Vin), TM/ VERY -1- Y? lee could be at list for diabetes. A„ATIIA,, ASS(,r,AT,O', n'AIJI t '. ( At/AWE/ME ,•,•,r1( IATI1IN (1(, (11411(. TI (All 1 800•BANTING Call Sports Reporter Craig Bradford with your sports tips (519) 235-1331 • Fax (519) 235-0766 Lovie skates to gold medal LONDON — Grand Bend figure skater Sarah - Rae Lovie added another gold medal to her grow- - ing collection by winning the .Gold Ladies free skate at the Great Lakes'Winter Skating Com- petition on Sunday. The North Lamhton High School student topped nine other skaters from throughout thc..re- gion: Lovie, 15, skates with the Zurich Figure Skating Club. . Lovie next competes in the H.O.M.E. competi- tion in Woodstock op Friday, a provincial qualifi- er.- Sarah-Rae Lovie Exeter curlers win `B' side EXETER— An Exeter team won the 'B' .side of the Holiday Inn Mixed zone playdowns at Exeter Curling Club on the weekend. The team members are _skip Jim Lone, vice Jim DpBlock, second Bill Urquhart and lead Dean Ribcy. The Exeter team -lost only one game, a 7-6 contest to Palmerston, the' eventual honspiel champions. Bonspicl organizer Bill Brock said six teams compctedin the event. Lone's team now advances to the. Holiday Inn Challenge (provincial championship) on Jan': '30. 31 and Feb. I at Trenton's Brighron Curl- ing Club. ' Exeter hosts thc,high schotSl'zone -playdowns.:. the same-. weekend. Brock said 24 teams are i;'xpecicd to descend upon .,Exeter for the event. - • South Huron Drag Racers unite EXETER — About 22 drag racers from the Exeter area have joined together to, help, promote their passion. ' The South Huron Drag Racers first met as a group in November, its president John Struyke of Exeter said. The reason Struyke founded the group was to better promote their sport in this area. "Our aim is to fill the bleachers at all tracks," he tsaid of their eventual goal. The group's executive is made up of Struyke and secretary Teresa Haugh and a 'treasurer will be ap- pointed soon. Struyke noted that of Grand Bend Motorplex's' 2,Qpo or so opals. th ,nearly 30 from the Exeter a at: divisions' top three '97 fin- is a 'tr*up6=pro champ Peter Van- derBurgt and street stock champ Steve Ro'y, both from Exeter. Struyke said the group plans to stage events and would like to organize more car shows. He also hopes to solicit more sponsors for drivers to cut the high cost of racing. The business name and logo would appear on the car or bike they sponsor and likely on the trailer the racers use to transport their car/bike to the track. "It's an altemative way to advertise," Struyke said. South Huron Drag Racers members meet once a month to talk racing and to come up with ideas to promote their sport. The next meeting is Feb. 18, 7 p.m., at the Ranch House Inn. Struyke said the club is open to anyone In South Huron who drag races, is a member of a pit crew or is a drag racing fan, Membership costs $10, enough to cover administra- tion fees. Club members get a 5-10 per cent bonus at 15 local businesses including many auto -related ones. Exeter's Haugh Tire went even further: they of- fer South Huron Drag Racers tires at cost and free Installation. Struyke races an '80 Yamaha XS bike in the super bike division and finished third at Grand Bend Mo- torplex in '97. The drag racing season opens in mid- April. - by Craig Bradford 7,e et. FISHING AND A ' OUTDOOR SHOW Where you'll find everything from fishing tackle to outdoor wear to resorts! Fri. Jan. 30 - Sun. Feb. 1 Prices General Admission $6.50 Seniors - $4.00 (Friday only) Children (5-12) - $3.00 Children under 5 - FREE Date & Times Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 Friday/Saturday Noon - 9 p.m. Sunday Noon -. 5:00 p.m. Western Fair Grounds, 900 King St., London 1-800-619-4629 ext. 228 or 519-438-7203 ext. 228 Sponsored by: CFPL•TV Take a trip over to the .r*iTH RY Annual Treasure Hunt Wearl'ouse ',ale and save up to 75% r .