Competition continued in the Meadows on the Green on Saturday at the Spruce Meadows 'Continental' Tournament with the $85,000 Talisman Energy Cup 1.50m. Richard Spooner rode Cristallo to victory and was second with Chivas Z. The 'Continental’ CSIO 5* Tournament concludes on Sunday with the $210,000 CP Grand Prix.
There were 55 entries in the competition, and they contested a course set by Anthony D'Ambrosio of the United States. There were just five in the jump-off after a tough first round with a skinny vertical at the end of the ring that caught many horses and riders.
Spooner and Cristallo, a 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Caretino x Cicero owned by Show Jumping Syndication Intl, were the first to find the key to a clear round and came back in the jump-off to set the pace. Slithering over each jump and flat-out galloping in between, they showed how it is done by going clear in 33.11 seconds.
McLain Ward (USA) and Dulien van de Smeets were next in, but a rail down in 36.36 seconds left them in fifth place at the end of the class. Richie Moloney (IRL), part of last night's winning Nations Cup team, gave a good try with Equinimity LLC's Alsvid in 35.30 seconds, which slotted into third place.
Spooner was next in with Chivas Z, a 15-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Cumano x Lord Gotthard. Spooner was just off his own winning pace in 33.71 seconds to finish one-two in the class. There was a late bid from the final competitor, Conor Swail (IRL) on Martha Louise, who was faster in 31.12 seconds, but they had a rail down in the combination for fourth place.
Spooner shakes his head and smiles when talking about his partner Cristallo, who is still extremely competitive and pulling him around the course at 16 years old. “How do you beat that horse? He's a freak of nature, an unbelievable animal,” he described.
While there was a long gallop to the last fence, Spooner felt he was faster from the skinny wall to the combination in the jump-off course. “Actually, I slowed him down (to the last oxer),” he revealed. “I was faster in the dash across to the combination. Because of his experience, I'm able to do what other horses really shouldn't and can't do into a combination like that. But he can kind of do that with one eye closed, just because he's done it so many times. That's one advantage of having an aged horse.”
Spooner has known Chivas Z since he was purchased as an eight-year-old by Ashlee Bond Clarke. “Every once in a while she would have me ride Chivas, if there was a problem or I needed an extra horse,” he said. “She moved on from Chivas and sold him to Simon Nizri. Then Simon was nice enough to sell him to me. I've always wanted the horse. I was finally able to afford him last year.”
After an absence from Spruce Meadows last year, Spooner is happy to show here again. As the fourth-ranked rider in the Spruce Meadows Top 20 Prize Money Winners (having now earned $2,348,596), Spooner is a fan favorite as well.
“It feels great being back in the winner's circle,” he remarked. “It feels fantastic to be back at Spruce Meadows. It's a special place, and it's a wonderful place for show jumping with nice, big fields, good footing, and good prize money.”
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