The competition during the penultimate day of the Del Mar Summer Classic I concluded with an exciting showdown in the $100,000 Great American Insurance Group CSI2* Grand Prix. The event was the finale of international two-star action during the week and welcomed athletes from eight nations, including the United States, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, and Sweden. After a nail-biting jump off, the USA’s Shawn Casady emerged victorious with Morning Star Sporthorses LLC’s Cool Quarz (Quarz ASK).
A top field of 35 horse-and-rider combinations contested the first round of Marina Azevedo’s (BRA) technical track, but the world-renowned course designer built to challenge the talented combinations, and ultimately only three pairings produced fault-free efforts. Five duos suffered one unfortunate rail down across the starting round that kept them from the short course, while time was also a factor with multiple entries incurring time faults. Casady’s challengers in the jump-off included fellow American Skylar Wireman, as well as Columbia’s Camilo Rueda, but his blazing time of 42.23 seconds effectively closed the door on the competition.
“I thought the course designer did a great job today,” expressed Casady. “It was a challenging course, but not impossible. From the beginning to the end it was very consistent in the questions it was asking. I was a little surprised by the lack of clear rounds.”
While Casady’s partnership may not have been the most long-standing in the field, he credits much of his success with Cool Quarz to the gelding’s desire to perform.
“He’s a super talented horse who is top-quality and has a huge heart and loves his job,” he explained of the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Quarz x San Patrignano Cassini). “He is just an absolute dream to ride. He’s a horse that really enjoys it and he’s eager to be out there; he gives me a feeling that he’s looking at the rails.”
For Casady, the victory is made sweeter by the HITS Del Mar venue.
“I love being here in Del Mar,” he expressed. “The grass field is phenomenal, and I think it’s one of the best show environments in the country as far as how unique it is.”
p>Wireman claimed the runner-up position as she clocked in just over a second behind Casady in 43.98 seconds with Shayne Wireman’s 18-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Catoki x Chambertin), Citoki. While Rueda had a better time, stopping the clock in 43.79 seconds, an unlucky rail dropped him into third place with Lucero Desrocher’s 10-year-old Canadian Warmblood gelding, My Boy Blue.
The final day of elite sport during the Del Mar Classic I will resume on Sunday, August 25, highlighted by the hunters as the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby takes center stage. International show jumping returns to HITS Del Mar during Del Mar Summer Classic II on Thursday, August 29, with the week’s featured classes including the $39,000 Voltaire Designs CSI2* Welcome, benefitting World Central Kitchen, and the $100,000 SummitMax CSI2* Grand Prix.