(SPRUCE MEADOWS, Calgary, AB): “I came here to ride,” says Will Simpson, who captured the Cana Cup (Sec. II), the feature event on the International Ring Thursday afternoon.
With three horses clear in the 7 horse jump-off, it came down to speed, which Simpson and his Dutch Warmblood El Campeons Tosca had in spades.
“Tosca feels like I can do anything with her . . . add strides, take out. She’s small in height but big in heart,” says Simpson of his talented 10-year-old mare.
French rider Eugenie Angot continued her successful streak at the Spruce Meadows “Masters” by coming in second, only .74 seconds behind Simpson.
Twenty-three year-old Canadian rider Kelley Small celebrated a top placing in the International Ring with her third place win in the Cana Cup (Sec. II) on the Holsteiner gelding Calibur. “I couldn’t believe how fast he (Calibur) was, I never used to be able to go a round on him without a time fault,” says Small.
Canada’s Mario Deslauriers was all smiles as he greeted the media earlier in the afternoon, and why shouldn’t he be? His week at the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament is shaping up nicely. With his third place finish on Paradigm in the Finning Welcome (Sec. II) yesterday and now a major win in the today’s Akita Drilling Cup (Sec.I) on Naomi, Deslauriers has every reason to be proud.
Of course it didn’t come easy. This afternoon’s first international event was fraught with challenges, which saw only four of 36 riders going clear in the first round. Deslauriers’ victory was well earned, experiencing a scary moment in the jump-off where he seemed to lose his way.
“The plan was to keep on pace,” says Deslauriers with a grin. “It got a little tricky, but she left all the jumps up so it was okay in the end.”
The native of Bromont, Quebec and his 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare were last to go in the four-horse jump-off and the only combination to go clear.
“It’s always nice to go last,” he says. “I knew my (first) round was quicker than all the others, and she (Naomi) is naturally fast, so it’s a good feeling.”
The Spruce Meadows “Masters” continues tomorrow with the Encana Evening of the Horse, featuring the Encana Cup, the ATCO Electric Six Bar competition, a special performance by Dressage virtuoso Anky van Grunsven and a spectacular fireworks display set to special choreographed music by the Band of the Prince of Wales Division.
For more full results and schedule information, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.