The 2015 ‘Canada One’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows concluded on Sunday, with an electrifying jump-off in the $126,000 Imperial Challenge and a win for Egypt’s Sameh el Dahan riding Suma’s Zorro. The pair topped an eight-horse jump-off, last to go, with a courageous gallop to the final fence. Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Chaqui Z finished second; Olivier Philippaerts (BEL) and Armstrong van de Kapel placed third. Also competing on Sunday, Juan Pablo Gaspar Albanez (MEX) jumped to victory in the $34,000 West Canadian Cup 1.50m with his mount, Puertas So What. Concluding the week, course designer Peter Grant (CAN) saw 35 starters in Sunday’s $126,000 Imperial Challenge. He yielded eight clear rounds to continue on to the tiebreaking jump-off where five competitors also cleared the short course without fault. First to go in the jump-off, Eric Navet (FRA) set the pace with a clear round in 43.84 seconds aboard Signe Ostby’s Jonkheer Z, to eventually finish fourth. Maggie McAlary (USA) followed with a steady clear round in 47.84 seconds riding Double H Farm’s HH Ciske van Overis to place fifth. Olivier Philippaerts upped the pace in 43.68 seconds with Ludo Philippaerts’ Armstrong van de Kapel next. Shane Sweetnam was faster, with a time of 43.62 seconds aboard Spy Coast Farm LLC’s Chaqui Z. Last to go, Sameh el Dahan and Suma’s Zorro set the final mark in the winning time of 42.39 seconds.
