Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and Caballito. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.
Ward and Wannahave Speed to Derby Victory, Dinan and Sandro Beat Large Jump-off Field in CN ‘Fast Track’ Derby
Calgary, AB – June 15, 2013 – There were three very different but all very exciting competitions today at the Spruce Meadows ‘Continental’ Tournament today. Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and Caballito captured the top prize as the only double clear in the $33,000 Talisman Energy Cup 1.50m. McLain Ward won for two days in a row, this time with Wannahave in the $33,000 McDaniel & Associates 1.45m Derby. Katie Dinan and Sandro scored another big win in the $10,000 CN ‘Fast Track’ Junior/Amateur Derby.
The ‘Continental’ Tournament CSIO-W 5* concludes tomorrow with the highlight competition of the weekend, the $200,000 CN Performance Grand Prix CSI-W. There is complimentary admission and parking for spectators during the ‘Continental’ Tournament.
The $33,000 Talisman Energy Cup 1.50m had 41 entries, and five went through to the jump-off. Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and Caballito, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Contendro x Argentinus, were the only double clear. They finished in 48.074 seconds for victory. Second place went to McLain Ward (USA) and Zander, who had four faults at the final jump and finished in 41.707 seconds. Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Wang Chung M2S were third with four faults in 48.882 seconds.
Rodriguez was able to keep Caballito together and clean in the jump-off despite his horse throwing a shoe after the fourth fence. “I totally felt that, and I was really aware in the turns after that, to help him not slip,” Rodriguez acknowledged. “I was trying to keep him as balanced as possible. I didn’t want him to slip in front of one of those tall jumps. I was being very cautious in the turns, even after he was clear.”
Rodriguez said he has been training with veteran rider Eddie Macken for sixth months, and it was advice from Macken that helped him win his first FEI-level competition at Spruce Meadows. “(Eddie) obviously has a lot of experience in those cases. If I would have been by myself, I would have tried to go fast. He told me in the gate, just try to go clear and hope that McLain has a rail,” he recalled. “I wasn’t so convinced, but I trusted him and he was right. I could have been third or fourth in that class, easy. It played out well.”
Having won the FEI World Cup qualifier in Thunderbird just a few weeks ago, Rodriguez felt that Caballito was ready for Spruce Meadows. After a day of practice, his horse felt more relaxed today and Rodriguez noted, “I really felt he jumped his best today.”
Having been competitive at the 1.45m level, Rodriguez felt comfortable with keeping him at that level. But, he related, “Since I’ve been training with Eddie, it looks like he may do a little bigger. He was fourth in a big four-star class in Wellington and it didn’t feel like a struggle at all. I changed my approach with him totally different. I trust him way more now. I have hopes for him to end up being a 1.60m horse.”
Ward and Wannahave Win with Speed
The $33,000 McDaniel & Associates 1.45m Derby had 24 entries, and six of those were able to clear the course without faults. The track, designed by Werner Deeg of Germany, featured 16 numbered obstacles and 19 jumping efforts, including the grob, open water, dry ditch combination, and jumping off a bank. Speeding around by six seconds faster than the next competitors were McLain Ward and Wannahave, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Manhattan x Ramiro Z owned by The Wannahave Group.
The early leaders were 17-year-old Kara Chad of Calgary, AB, and Stone Ridge Farms LLC’s Alberto II, who set the pace at 110.600 seconds, which would end up in second place. Third place went to Cameron Hanley (IRL) on Player du Quesnoy, who finished in 111.288 seconds.
Despite a fast pace through most of the course, including to and from the open water, Ward said, “I actually thought I slowed down in a couple places, to be honest with you. I’m a bit of a fast rider and I have to watch that I don’t overdo it. He’s pretty good on the naturals now after all of his experience last week in the derby. He has a big stride, so the beginning of the course suited him, where I could just set a gallop and go. That allowed me to slow down at the end with the grob and double ditches, which were really tight. It worked out well.”
Wannahave competed in his first derby last week in the Nexen 1.60m Derby. “The derby last week was quite big. He jumped a really good round but got confused at the bank and the grob,” Ward remembered. “This week there was no ‘A’ (element) at the grob, so I thought he handled that better. I think he’ll actually be really good at these classes with more mileage. He can do these naturals without a problem. If they jump the devil’s dyke and the bank, you’re halfway home.”
Ward got the ride on Wannahave through his friend Missy Clark, who trains Wannahave and Sandor de la Pomme, another new mount, with John Brennan at their farm, North Run. “I started riding the horses at the end of Florida (in April). Missy is a great friend of mine and we’ve done some great things over the years, going back to Sapphire and the Harrisons. It’s a pleasure for me to work with her,” he related.
Ward described Wannahave as a “big, scopey horse” with “a big jump.” He remarked, “He’s a little hard to sit to. But that’s a good thing too. He has a very easy stride; you just have to kind of keep it all together. If you let it unravel, that’s where you get a pole down.”
This was their first FEI-level win together, and Ward was happy to have it happen in a derby competition. “It takes a special character and a brave horse, but I think it’s good for the horses. I think it was a good course. It’s a good part of the sport,” he said.
Second place finisher Kara Chad was very happy in her best top level finish at Spruce Meadows. The talented young rider, who was a part of the Developing Rider Tour for Canada last year, said she was “a little surprised,” when she found out she was winning.
“I thought I was efficient, but I wasn’t running around like a speed class. Then there was McLain; it’s hard to beat him. He told me in the line-up (that) I have many years to come, so not to worry about it, and I took that advice,” she smiled. “It was my first derby with him. He has a very big personality and is cocky in some ways, which is what makes him good. Although he’s a big horse, he’s very controllable and adjustable. I’ve been working toward getting up to these results. I’m happy that I finally got in there.”
Katie Dinan and Sandro Continue Winning Ways
The $10,000 CN ‘Fast Track’ Junior/Amateur 1.40m Derby had 34 entries attempt a long derby course, and there were 18 that proceeded on to the jump-off. There were eight double clear in the lengthy jump-off course, but the fastest of those were Katie Dinan and Sandro, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Larino x Casimir owned by Grant Road Partners. They finished in 50.89 seconds.
Second place went to Wilton Porter (USA) on Neolisto van het Mierenhof, who stopped the timers in 51.38 seconds. Clementine Goutal (USA) and Kelline Fonroy were third in 51.86 seconds.
Dinan agreed that the “longer than normal” course for a derby along with a jump-off “played a factor.” She continued, “Sandro has a pretty good engine and is always ready to go, but even for him in the jump-off I felt like I wasn’t really at my fastest. You have to stay focused and ready to jump. It wasn’t that there was one difficult jump; it’s just that there were a lot of jumps and horses were getting a little tired at the end. I went seventh and I was really happy that my time held up.”
In her jump-off ride, she described, “He was so good in the first round to the grob that I knew I could make good time there. I turned very quickly down to that. I tried to be very prompt in the beginning. I did nine (strides) in the last line, but it worked out for me because Sandro has a very fast canter, so even if I’m not doing the most extreme leave-outs, I can be pretty fast.”
Dinan said that Sandro is very happy in his role as a 1.40m amateur horse, and he has helped her improve her riding on all of her horses. “He’s been a great horse for me. It’s great to have a horse in the barn that can come out on any given day and you know if you ride well, you have a good chance of winning. That’s great as a confidence builder,” she said. “In the last year and a half as I’ve moved up with other horses into bigger classes, (and) things get more difficult and your results aren’t as consistent as you’d like, it’s really nice to have a horse that maybe isn’t doing the biggest class at the horse show, but is always there.”
She added, “From a riding perspective, you try to learn how to go faster and be a more competitive speed rider. He’s been a great horse for me to learn that on. I feel comfortable on him and I feel like I can take risks on him that I might not necessarily take on other horses. He’s 14 and I want him to stay happy. I want to keep his energy level up. Maybe he could jump a little bit bigger, but he feels great at that height.”
The ‘Continental’ Tournament concludes tomorrow with the $60,000 Great-West Life Cup 1.50m the highlight competition of the week, the $200,000 CN Performance Grand Prix CSI-W, at 2 pm in Meadows on the Green. For more information on Spruce Meadows and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Based in Calgary, Canada, Spruce Meadows is the brainchild of the Southern family who built a Show Jumping complex at the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains. It was in 1976 that the first Spruce Tournaments were held, with annual spectator attendances reaching over 50,000 by the end of the decade. Today, Spruce Meadows boasts one of the greatest outdoor equestrian venues in the world and offers an incredible experience for riders and fans alike. Spruce Meadows focuses on the organization and hosting of show jumping tournaments of unmatched quality for junior, amateur and professional athletes in a manner that reflects basic family values in a clean, green and welcoming environment that celebrates the horse and encourages the breeding and training of quality sport horses and the teaching and development of athletes. For more information on Spruce Meadows, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
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