British-born rider Stuart Black has withdrawn from the Canadian eventing team on the eve of the Pan American Games after being charged with domestic assault.
Stuart, 56, suffers from Crohn’s disease and has issued a statement saying that he stepped down for “medical reasons”. His decision to stand down as travelling reserve came just days after his arrest in Mono, Ontario for “assault under the Criminal Code”. He was granted bail at Orangeville court on 9 July and is scheduled to re-appear again on 27 August.
Stuart told the Caledon Enterprise newspaper: “This is not in my nature, I’m a good person. There is no misconduct on my part. Everything will be proven in court.”
Stuart’s selection was already controversial due his last-minute change of nationality.
Born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, he was shortlisted for the British junior team before his family emigrated to Canada in 1977. He represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome. In 1992 Stuart became the first Canadian to win a major three-day event abroad with victory at Rolex Kentucky on Van Perrier.
But after failing to be selected for the Canadian Olympic team for Athens 2004, he changed to US nationality and now lives in Texas. He applied to return to Canadian nationality last December in order to be eligible for the Canadian team at this year’s Pan-Am Games.
Equine Canada has confirmed that Selena O’Hanlon, also British-born, will be the new travelling reserve with Foxwood High. The team riders are:
- Colleen Loach riding Qorry Blue D’Argouges
- Jessica Phoenix riding Pavarotti
- Waylon Roberts riding Bill Owen
- British-based Kathryn Robinson riding Let It Bee
The eventing competition gets underway on 17 July. Canada does not to gain qualification for the Rio Olympics at the Pan Am Games. The country qualified at last year’s World Equestrian Games as a result of France’s elimination when Maxime Livio’s horse tested positive for a controlled medication substance.