On the final day of the 'Continental' Tournament CSIO 5* at the Spruce Meadows Summer Series, the $210,000 CP Grand Prix drew a large crowd to watch top sport. They were treated to an exciting jump-off with McLain Ward (USA) taking the top spot on the leaderboard with Rothchild over Yann Candele (CAN) riding Showgirl and Eric Lamaze (CAN) on Powerplay.
Today's competition wrapped up the second of five weeks in the Spruce Meadows Summer Series, which continues with the 'Canada One' CSI 4* Tournament on June 26-29, featuring the $125,000 Imperial Challenge 1.55m on Sunday, June 29.
There were 35 entries in the $210,000 CP Grand Prix, and five of those moved on to contest the jump-off for speed. The course, a challenging one set by Anthony D'Ambrosio of the United States, had 14 numbered obstacles including a difficult line with the open water to an oxer, followed by a triple combination.
D'Ambrosio noted, “I thought it was a good results, a good challenge. There were several different ways to solve the problems out there. I put more emphasis on rideability and a little bit less on sheer scope. It was a good day of show jumping.”
Lamaze added, “I think it was a very technical course. It just came very quick at you. It was well-built. The horses just needed to pay attention today. That was the difference for people who had success, their horses were very attentive.”
First to go in the jump-off was Canada's Yann Candele and Showgirl, owned by Watermark Group. They set down a quick, clear round in 45.77 seconds, which would finish in second place.
“I know all of them, I knew they would be faster than me,” Candele stated. “The key was for me to stay clear. McLain tried to create some pressure and create some mistakes. He created the mistake for everybody else, that's why I got second. Everybody was faster than me today. With the big gallop, it's a little bit of an illusion. People think we're sometimes faster than we are. My turns were a little slow, and that's where I lose a lot of time. We don't know each other that long.”
Ward and Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farm, were next in. They sped around the shortened course, completing a great inside turn from an oxer to the “CP planks” and stopped the timers in 43.29 seconds to go into the lead.
Ward recounted, “I was lucky. Going first in the jump-off like that is tough, for Yann. I thought he took a pretty good route. His horse looked like it was slowing just a little bit as he was trying to press her on. Rothchild is a hot little horse. I felt if I could do the same track, it would be quicker and put the pressure on the ones behind me. I certainly think that I left enough room that if someone put in a hell of a round to beat it, it wasn't unbeatable. You put a little pressure, and people are trying very hard. A little mistake here and there, and once in a while things go your way.”
It was that CP planks jump that would play a big part in the last three competitors' rides. Lamaze and Powerplay, owned by Artisan Farms LLC, took down three of the top planks after their inside turn didn't go as planned. Their time of 43.29 seconds slotted them into third place.
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