Canada’s Erynn Ballard pulled off another extraordinary first-second 5* finish in tonight’s 1.50m RBC Capital Markets Cup, her second one-two placement atop the leaderboard in a matter of two weeks.
Ballard, currently the second-ranked female show jumping athlete in the FEI World Rankings, placed first in the jump-off round with prized gelding Gakhir, coming in at 36.88s. Her final ride with Libido Van’t Hofken (Nabab de Rêve x Heartbreaker), at 37.47s, saw her nab second spot as well, beating a starting field of 35 other riders, six of whom were up against Ballard in the jump-off.
The placements were a flip-flop on Ballard’s one-two placement in last week’s ‘Continental’, presented by Rolex, where she took top spot with Libido, and came second with Gakhir, in The Mustangs 1.55m competition. Today’s win, during the ongoing ‘National,’ presented by Rolex, was hailed as ‘virtually unprecedented’ at this level of competition, let alone to happen in such close succession.
It was only last month that Ballard claimed her first-ever CSI5* Grand Prix victory, at Langley, B.C.’s Thunderbird Show Park. “I think that I’m so lucky,” a beaming Ballard told us following tonight’s event. “There is nothing that makes you more confident than winning, and I have certainly been on a roll.
“Every time I go in now, I think that I have the chance to win, and it makes me that little bit faster and a little bit more competitive.
“And also, when you’re already winning, and you go last in the jump-off, you can give it all.
“So maybe along the way I'm teaching myself something about being faster. Maybe I'm teaching my horses a little bit more about being faster. It’s just all coming together.
“When you're on a roll, ride the wave. There's nothing better. Confidence is a great thing.” On stage, Nayel Nassar followed into a third aboard ESI Ali (Stakkato Gold).
Ph. © Mike Sturk
Ballard, currently the second-ranked female show jumping athlete in the FEI World Rankings, placed first in the jump-off round with prized gelding Gakhir, coming in at 36.88s. Her final ride with Libido Van’t Hofken (Nabab de Rêve x Heartbreaker), at 37.47s, saw her nab second spot as well, beating a starting field of 35 other riders, six of whom were up against Ballard in the jump-off.
The placements were a flip-flop on Ballard’s one-two placement in last week’s ‘Continental’, presented by Rolex, where she took top spot with Libido, and came second with Gakhir, in The Mustangs 1.55m competition. Today’s win, during the ongoing ‘National,’ presented by Rolex, was hailed as ‘virtually unprecedented’ at this level of competition, let alone to happen in such close succession.
It was only last month that Ballard claimed her first-ever CSI5* Grand Prix victory, at Langley, B.C.’s Thunderbird Show Park. “I think that I’m so lucky,” a beaming Ballard told us following tonight’s event. “There is nothing that makes you more confident than winning, and I have certainly been on a roll.
“Every time I go in now, I think that I have the chance to win, and it makes me that little bit faster and a little bit more competitive.
“And also, when you’re already winning, and you go last in the jump-off, you can give it all.
“So maybe along the way I'm teaching myself something about being faster. Maybe I'm teaching my horses a little bit more about being faster. It’s just all coming together.
“When you're on a roll, ride the wave. There's nothing better. Confidence is a great thing.” On stage, Nayel Nassar followed into a third aboard ESI Ali (Stakkato Gold).
Ph. © Mike Sturk