Set in the idyllic rural landscape outside Georgetown lays Halton Place Farm, the location this past weekend for the Canadian Country Classic.

Situated on what used to be a hog farm, the squeals of pigs have now been replaced by the sounds of horse nays. Set on two hundred hectares, the showground comes alive every summer for the equine competition season.

During the Canadian Country Classic this past week, 74 of the best young horses in Canada met to contest the Canadian Young Jumper Development Series Finals.

Canadian International course designer Danny Foster created a course for the event intended to test their agility, scope, carefulness and style to ultimately place the best of the best at the top of the leader board.

The sun was shining and the temperatures a bit on the cool side which made a perfect setting for the Championships. There were nine entries in the four year olds, 28 in the five year olds, 17 competing as six year olds and 20 in the Seven/Eight year old division.

Every one came to try and win one of the three championships up for grabs in each of the different divisions.

Each age group had the Ontario, Eastern, and Canadian Championships in their sights and competition was fierce.

The field of competitors included Olympians Jay Hayes and Hugh Graham, Canadian team riders Frankie Chesler Ortiz, Yan Candele and Erynn Ballard. Venezuelan team rider Juan Ortiz, Columbian team rider Roberto Teran, French International rider Johannes Letimonier were also in attendance along with many local favorites.

The first day of competition hosted the Ontario Finals.

The score was taken by adding together the horses' results from the five best Ontario competitions throughout the year added to the weekend event. The four year old Ontario honors went to Stevie Wonder a Canadian Warmblood bay gelding by Stolzenberg owned and bred by Mill Creek Stables of Cambridge, On.

The five year old Ontario honours went to Eli, a Canadian Warmblood gelding by El Bundy also owned and bred by Mill Creek Stables.

Both horses were ridden by Frankie Chesler Ortiz and to say the least this young lady had quite a week.

Adding to Stevie Wonder's Ontario win were the honours of the Eastern Canadian Championships, the National Championships as well as the Best Canadian Bred.

Chesler-Ortiz went on to pilot Sher-Al Farm's five year old Dutch gelding Masquerade by Calvino Z to the Eastern and National Championship awards.

When asked what was next for these young horses Frankie said, "These are all real quality young horses and I am proud of each and every one of them. They will be going to the 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida the 'World Series of Horse Shows' where I expect these superstars to continue their winning ways".