Conor Swail (IRL) & Count Me In © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley
June 30, 2023 (Spruce Meadows) - Today’s feature competition was the 5* 1.45m competition on the North American Ring. Twenty-four horse/rider combinations took on the track built by FEI Course Designer Anthony d’Ambrosio (USA). Of those riders, only seven posted clear round and qualified for the jump off.
Of the seven, only six chose to take on the jump off track in hopes of making it to the winner’s circle. It was another battle of the Irish between Conor Swail and Darragh Kenny, but today it was Swail aboard Count Me In who would claim victory posting the fastest clear round in the jump off with a time of 37.57s.
Katie Laurie (AUS) & McCaw MVNZ © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley
The show jumping action started this morning on the North American Ring with the 2* 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier. The competition was this week’s qualifier for Sunday’s West Canadian Cup, presented by WCD CSI2* Grand Prix. Today, over 60 horse/rider combinations started the jump off competition hoping to make it to the winner’s circle or a minimum Sunday’s cut.
Twelve athletes passed all the first round tests and advanced to the jump off. Katie Laurie (AUS) has been on fire this week and aboard the grey McCaw MVNZ she picked up another victory this week posting the fastest clear round in the jump off with a time of 39.09s.
#503 Friends of the Meadows 1.10m
Allison Reid (CAN) & Ridgetop Contierra
© Spruce Meadows Media/Tony Lewis
#506 Friends of the Meadows 1.20m
Samia Staehle (USA) & Foxtrot Semilly
© Spruce Meadows Media/Tony Lewis
#510 Friends of the Meadows 1.30m
Charlie Jones (GBR) & Montserrat OS
© Spruce Meadows Media/Bart Onyszko
Conor Swail stops time © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley
Those pesky skinny jumps! © Spruce Meadows Media/Bart Onyszko
Meeting of the Minds © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley
Sunshine and great weather for show jumping © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley
A little pole bending in the North American Ring today © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley
Team Spruce Meadows Rider and Spruce Meadows Television Commentator Alexander Grayton (CAN) is all focus in the ring © Spruce Meadows Media/Bart Onyszko
Sometimes things don’t go as planned… but both horse and rider were okay © Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley