The course designer in the International Ring for ‘Masters’ competition this week is Venezuela’s Leopoldo Palacios. In Thursday’s feature CANA Cup 1.60m, Palacios saw 58 entries over his first round course, with eight moving on to the jump-off. Rio Olympic Team Gold Medalist Roger-Yves Bost jumped to victory with a naturally fast jump-off round in 41.24 seconds riding Quod'Coeur de la Loge. For the second day in a row, The Netherland’s Frank Schuttert took second place honors with Handelshuis Schuttert’s Winchester HS. The pair finished close behind in 41.54 seconds. Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya guided AM Horses SL’s Arrayan to third place honors with his time of 42.02 seconds. Speaking of Quod'Coeur de la Loge, a 12-year-old Selle Francais stallion (Ideal de la Loge x Tenor de la Cour), Bost stated, “I think this is the third time this horse has come to Calgary. He knows the place and he likes the grass arena. I rode his father here – Ideal de la Loge - I went to Nations’ Cup with the father and I hope he does the same. He jumped very good today for the two rounds and I am very happy.” Commenting on his jump-off, Bost detailed, “I needed to start good because the double was not so easy and after that I could just gallop. He has a big stride. I started with him when he was five years old. When I go to the jump-off I know right away that he is going to be good. “He jumped really well in the first round,” Bost added. “It was not so easy; the time allowed was really short today. You needed to gallop a little bit, but it was good. When you win it is always good.” Bost plans to jump Quod'Coeur de la Loge again in Saturday’s BMO Nations’ Cup, as well as in Sunday’s $2 Million CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Schuttert, after two top placings in a row with his mount Winchester HS, plans to give his horse two days off now before jumping Sunday’s Grand Prix. Speaking of Thursday’s round and how it compared to his finish on Wednesday, Schuttert noted, “My plan was a little bit the same as yesterday. I wanted to be fast for sure to end up in the front of the class. He is a naturally fast horse and he turns quick, so I rode the same jump-off as I did yesterday, and I am very happy that I was second again.” Commenting on Winchester, Schuttert added, “He has a little bit his own style. He has a lot of character. As soon as he comes into the ring he always fights for me and wants to do a good job. He has all the scope you could want and I think the most important thing is that he always wants to go for the clear round.” Third place finisher Sergio Alvarez Moya has only had his mount Arrayan for six months and was very happy with his finish on Thursday. “He has improved a lot in the last few months,” Moya stated. “He was a bit difficult to ride and not too easy to control in the first few shows. Definitely this ring suits him very well - he likes big fields and big jumps. Once I get into the jump-off, he is naturally fast. I probably lost the jump-off from one to two – I could have done one less stride – but the left side he does not turn as well as the right. Everything was tight, but Bost and Frank are very fast riders and they have naturally fast horses, so I am happy. It was a positive result.” While Bost’s strategy for the weekend is to jump the Nations’ Cup with his horse prior to Sunday’s Grand Prix, and Schuttert will rest his mount until Sunday, Moya has different plans. He will jump Arrayan in Friday night’s ATCO Six Bar competition with hopes that it will be good training for Sunday’s major event. “On Sunday that is going to be the biggest class I have ever jumped with him, and I am thinking the six bar could be a good exercise for him before the grand prix,” Moya explained. “It makes the horses think, and it is good when they understand that they have to stay quiet between jumps, and use their bodies. Normally he always thinks forward and it is hard for him to sit, so I think the six-bar could be good for him and we could maybe get a good result. Then I will give him a day off on Saturday and try our best on Sunday. I am very happy with how he jumped today. He always tries his best. I think the better the control gets for sure he is going to get faster and he will be able to jump everything.” Moya is competing at Spruce Meadows for the first time and shared his impression of the competition, stating, “I don’t think any rider that comes to Spruce Meadows doesn’t say that it is unbelievable. The facilities are well organized and everything is just amazing. It is for sure one of the best shows in the world.”
The course designer in the International Ring for ‘Masters’ competition this week is Venezuela’s Leopoldo Palacios. In Thursday’s feature CANA Cup 1.60m, Palacios saw 58 entries over his first round course, with eight moving on to the jump-off. Rio Olympic Team Gold Medalist Roger-Yves Bost jumped to victory with a naturally fast jump-off round in 41.24 seconds riding Quod'Coeur de la Loge. For the second day in a row, The Netherland’s Frank Schuttert took second place honors with Handelshuis Schuttert’s Winchester HS. The pair finished close behind in 41.54 seconds. Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya guided AM Horses SL’s Arrayan to third place honors with his time of 42.02 seconds. Speaking of Quod'Coeur de la Loge, a 12-year-old Selle Francais stallion (Ideal de la Loge x Tenor de la Cour), Bost stated, “I think this is the third time this horse has come to Calgary. He knows the place and he likes the grass arena. I rode his father here – Ideal de la Loge - I went to Nations’ Cup with the father and I hope he does the same. He jumped very good today for the two rounds and I am very happy.” Commenting on his jump-off, Bost detailed, “I needed to start good because the double was not so easy and after that I could just gallop. He has a big stride. I started with him when he was five years old. When I go to the jump-off I know right away that he is going to be good. “He jumped really well in the first round,” Bost added. “It was not so easy; the time allowed was really short today. You needed to gallop a little bit, but it was good. When you win it is always good.” Bost plans to jump Quod'Coeur de la Loge again in Saturday’s BMO Nations’ Cup, as well as in Sunday’s $2 Million CP International Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Schuttert, after two top placings in a row with his mount Winchester HS, plans to give his horse two days off now before jumping Sunday’s Grand Prix. Speaking of Thursday’s round and how it compared to his finish on Wednesday, Schuttert noted, “My plan was a little bit the same as yesterday. I wanted to be fast for sure to end up in the front of the class. He is a naturally fast horse and he turns quick, so I rode the same jump-off as I did yesterday, and I am very happy that I was second again.” Commenting on Winchester, Schuttert added, “He has a little bit his own style. He has a lot of character. As soon as he comes into the ring he always fights for me and wants to do a good job. He has all the scope you could want and I think the most important thing is that he always wants to go for the clear round.” Third place finisher Sergio Alvarez Moya has only had his mount Arrayan for six months and was very happy with his finish on Thursday. “He has improved a lot in the last few months,” Moya stated. “He was a bit difficult to ride and not too easy to control in the first few shows. Definitely this ring suits him very well - he likes big fields and big jumps. Once I get into the jump-off, he is naturally fast. I probably lost the jump-off from one to two – I could have done one less stride – but the left side he does not turn as well as the right. Everything was tight, but Bost and Frank are very fast riders and they have naturally fast horses, so I am happy. It was a positive result.” While Bost’s strategy for the weekend is to jump the Nations’ Cup with his horse prior to Sunday’s Grand Prix, and Schuttert will rest his mount until Sunday, Moya has different plans. He will jump Arrayan in Friday night’s ATCO Six Bar competition with hopes that it will be good training for Sunday’s major event. “On Sunday that is going to be the biggest class I have ever jumped with him, and I am thinking the six bar could be a good exercise for him before the grand prix,” Moya explained. “It makes the horses think, and it is good when they understand that they have to stay quiet between jumps, and use their bodies. Normally he always thinks forward and it is hard for him to sit, so I think the six-bar could be good for him and we could maybe get a good result. Then I will give him a day off on Saturday and try our best on Sunday. I am very happy with how he jumped today. He always tries his best. I think the better the control gets for sure he is going to get faster and he will be able to jump everything.” Moya is competing at Spruce Meadows for the first time and shared his impression of the competition, stating, “I don’t think any rider that comes to Spruce Meadows doesn’t say that it is unbelievable. The facilities are well organized and everything is just amazing. It is for sure one of the best shows in the world.”