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Canadian Olympian Belinda Trussell of Stouffville, ON has been chosen as the flag bearer for the Canadian Equestrian Team (CET) at the Opening Ceremonies for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014, which are being held in Normandy, FRA, from August 23 to September 7.
“This is a huge honour, and I am so excited and proud to carry the Canadian flag into the Opening Ceremonies,” said Trussell.
The Opening Ceremonies will be broadcast live on FEI TV beginning at 8:30 p.m. Central European Time. Following the parade of nations, 21,000spectators in d’Ornano Stadium will be treated to an amazing show featuring more than 300 artists, including 100 riders, who will perform 30 scenes divided into three acts to show that “all roads lead to Normandy.”
“Being chosen as flag bearer for one’s country is a tremendous honour. It is both a recognition of one’s athletic achievements and sportsmanship on the field of play, as well as a representation of the patriotic pride of an entire nation,” said the Chef de Mission of the CET, Kerri McGregor. “I can’t wait to see Belinda leading our talented contingent of athletes into the stadium, and I know that she will wave the maple leaf high and hard to the cheers of all the Canadian fans who will be watching both here in Normandy and at home on Canadian soil.”
Trussell, a very accomplished member of the CET, has represented Canada at numerous major games, including the 2004 Athens Olympics, as well as both the 2002 (Jerez, ESP) and 2010 (Lexington, USA) World Equestrian Games in the discipline of dressage. In this year’s Games, Trussell will be paired with her long-time partner Anton, whom she also rode in the Lexington Games.
“I could not believe I was chosen,” added Trussell. “I love my sport, and I will hold the flag with pride. This is an opportunity that I will never forget.”
For a complete schedule of the events at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy, please visit www.normandy2014.com. For a list of all the riders representing Canada at the Games, visit the CET section of the Equine Canada website.
The FEI World Equestrian Games are held every four years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle. The eight FEI disciplines are all included on the competition schedule. The inaugural Games were hosted in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990. Since then, the Games have been staged in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez (ESP) in 2002, Aachen (GER) in 2006, and Kentucky (USA) in 2010.
