James Chawke (IRL) is still learning about his 10-year-old Zangersheide mare, Daido van’t Ruytershof Z (Dieu Merci van T&L). After winning Wednesday’s CSI3* tbird Speed 1.45m, Chawke shared that he thought the quick-footed bay would make a useful ranking horse.
But she might have even more in the tank.
Chawke and his horse added a second international victory to their week’s tally Sunday at tbird, besting a six-horse jump-off in the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Grand Prix 1.50m.
The winning time was 36.84 seconds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) finished second with Electrique (38.66s), followed by Sarah Lottis (CAN) and Rhapsody (41.55s).
“She did that easily enough,” Chawke said of Daido van’t Ruytershof Z. “We bought her with the idea that she would at least do [ranking classes]. She jumped her first four-star here in May, and she had a couple down, but nothing [major]. I feel like she can do that for sure.”
Lottis was the first to replicate a clear effort over Peter Holmes’ (CAN) jump-off track, and she put enough pressure on her competitors. Chawke, however, was well aware of who followed him in the order and knew he’d need to create a bit of a margin to give himself a chance at victory. Utilizing his mount’s footspeed, he set off with purpose, ultimately crediting his victory to his ride between the first two fences and his gallop to the final obstacle. Only Foster, fresh off an appearance at the Paris Olympic Games, could get within even two seconds of the winners.
“[My strategy was to] just to go as fast as I could. I knew just having those couple [riders] behind me, like Tiffany [Foster] and Katie [Laurie], that they were going to be very fast,” Chawke said.
“I was quite fast from [jumps] one to two, and then obviously the gallop home. But no matter what, she’s just naturally so quick,” he added.
Chawke is making up for lost time after a quieter summer, when an injury sidelined him for eight weeks. The Summer Fort Welcome marked his return to ring riding, with little rust to shake off. While healthier, having fresh horses is a strategy that he is is happy to employ again.
“I’ll show both [Diado van’t Ruytershof Z and Nacara van Berkenbroek Z, who finished ninth] again next week,” he said, “and then maybe we’ll have a break again and maybe come back here in September.”
But she might have even more in the tank.
Chawke and his horse added a second international victory to their week’s tally Sunday at tbird, besting a six-horse jump-off in the CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Grand Prix 1.50m.
The winning time was 36.84 seconds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) finished second with Electrique (38.66s), followed by Sarah Lottis (CAN) and Rhapsody (41.55s).
“She did that easily enough,” Chawke said of Daido van’t Ruytershof Z. “We bought her with the idea that she would at least do [ranking classes]. She jumped her first four-star here in May, and she had a couple down, but nothing [major]. I feel like she can do that for sure.”
Lottis was the first to replicate a clear effort over Peter Holmes’ (CAN) jump-off track, and she put enough pressure on her competitors. Chawke, however, was well aware of who followed him in the order and knew he’d need to create a bit of a margin to give himself a chance at victory. Utilizing his mount’s footspeed, he set off with purpose, ultimately crediting his victory to his ride between the first two fences and his gallop to the final obstacle. Only Foster, fresh off an appearance at the Paris Olympic Games, could get within even two seconds of the winners.
“[My strategy was to] just to go as fast as I could. I knew just having those couple [riders] behind me, like Tiffany [Foster] and Katie [Laurie], that they were going to be very fast,” Chawke said.
“I was quite fast from [jumps] one to two, and then obviously the gallop home. But no matter what, she’s just naturally so quick,” he added.
Chawke is making up for lost time after a quieter summer, when an injury sidelined him for eight weeks. The Summer Fort Welcome marked his return to ring riding, with little rust to shake off. While healthier, having fresh horses is a strategy that he is is happy to employ again.
“I’ll show both [Diado van’t Ruytershof Z and Nacara van Berkenbroek Z, who finished ninth] again next week,” he said, “and then maybe we’ll have a break again and maybe come back here in September.”