Aldergrove鈥檚 Hawley Awad and Jollybo, an 18-year-old British Sport Horse mare she co-owns with the Jollybo Syndicate LLC, were the highest-finishing combination for Team Canada at the F茅d茅ration Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy.

The pair posted the best performance of any team member Saturday and Sunday, but it wasn鈥檛 enough to achieve an Olympic berth.

Saturday, Awad and Jollybo were first Canadians on the course, turning in a strong, clean round, and bringing back knowledge of the course to share with her teammates.

鈥淚 was proud to go out first, for them to have that much belief in me to go around is something special,鈥� said Awad.

鈥淭o be on Jolly, she is absolutely amazing. I lost my rein coming down the slide. I literally came down the slide with one rein, any other horse would have run out, but she went straight. It鈥檚 that bond and relationship I have with her.鈥�

Chef d鈥檈quipe Rebbeca Howard agreed.

鈥淗awley certainly set out and did her job, that was a hard role for her being number three out,鈥� said Howard. 鈥淪he went out and showed us the course was very much jumpable.鈥�

With the pair jumping clean, getting through in the 9:50 optimal time was their obstacle for the day.

鈥淚 went as quick as I could,鈥� said Awad.

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鈥淎nd time is going to be tough to get if you are going to get it. If I could do it again, there is a couple spots I would ride a little different.鈥�

The pair finished in 47th place, the highest of all the Canadian pairs for the day.

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鈥淚鈥檓 really pleased with myself and my horse, to finish my fourth world championship on a clean round is pretty rad,鈥� shared Awad.

The world championships concluded on Sunday, Sept. 18 with the Canadian eventing contingent 12th in a field of 16.

The top-seven finishers in the team event qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.

Germany was victorious for the first time in 20 years, while U.S.A. took second, and New Zealand surprised the field to win bronze.

Awad and Jollybo were the top-ranked Canadian pair, finishing the competition in 56th place.

鈥淥bviously I鈥檓 extremely disappointed. That was not the plan. I鈥檝e been working really hard and Jolly鈥檚 been jumping great,鈥� said Awad.

鈥淚 think that course [yesterday] took a little bit of a toll with the terrain and the hills. She didn鈥檛 feel tired. She just wasn鈥檛 as sharp as she normally is.鈥�