Only six combinations qualified on Saturday for the jump-off of the 1.60m World Cup competition at Santa Anita Park in Los Angeles! In front of his home crowd, McLain Ward jumped to victory with Luc Henry’s homebred High Star Hero (I Am Moerhoeve’s Star (Zazu)).
McLain Ward and the 12-year-old sBs gelding High Star Hero secured the win in the $400,000 World Cup, stopping the clock at 33.99 seconds. The duo finished just ahead of Richard Vogel with the nine-year-old SF stallion Gangster Montdesir (Kannan, breeder: Haras Montdesir). Nina Mallevaey and Dynastie de Beaufour (breeder: Eric Levallois) followed in third place.
Mallevaey and the 12-year-old daughter of Diamant de Semilly pushed Laura Kraut and Bisquetta (Bisquet Balou vd Mispelaere) into fourth place. As the fastest four-faulter, Aaron Vale completed the top five aboard Carissimo 25 (Cascadello).
Jessica Springsteen jumps to victory
Earlier, Jessica Springsteen won the 1.50m CSI5* class with the 12-year-old Naomi van het Keizershof (Cardento). Together with Leon Otten’s homebred mare, Springsteen finished more than two seconds ahead of Natalie Dean and Pieter de Vleeschauwer’s homebred gelding, Pedro van de Barlebuis (Echo van ’t Spieveld).
“I went in fairly early in this class. Naomi jumped really well today. In the qualifier, luck wasn’t on our side, but even then she felt very good. That’s why I decided to really go for it today…” Springsteen said afterwards. “I won here last year, so this is definitely a lucky show for me…”
Third place went to Australia’s Hilary Scott with the nine-year-old KWPN mare Lola (Cardento).
