The pulse has quickened at the Royal West in Week Two as the big names began gearing up for the weekend’s big prizes. On Wednesday Canada’s Erynn Ballard sharpened her game in the $45,000 GGT Footing/ Whittling Structures Classic 1.45 m with a dramatic win in an all-Canadian 11-horse jump-off. In what was an all-female winning podium, Ballard rode her chestnut 10-year-old gelding Appy Cara to a clear round that beat out Ali Ramsay on the bay 8-year-old mare Hermelien vd Hooghoeve by 1.82 seconds, also with a clear round. Third place in the tightly bunched field went to Vanessa Mannix on the bay 14-year-old gelding Nirvanan de Terlong) who rode clean as well. Other riders making the jump-off were Laura Jane Tidball (Prim’ de Lairaud), John Anderson (Terrific), Jill Henselwood (Farfelu du Printemps), Keean White (For Freedom Z, Carrera van de het Westleven Z), Ben Asselin (Plume de la Roque), Chris Sorenson (Bobby), Yann Candele (Granit S)
