Kyle King made it a double double. The new Canadian captured his second international win of the day at Thunderbird Show Park’s Summer Fort Welcome, piloting his “heart horse” to victory in the $75,000 Steel Craft Doors CSI3* Grand Prix on Saturday.
Fresh off his win in the JustWorld International Winning Round 1.45m earlier in the day, King returned to the Fort Grand Prix arena and delivered another flawless performance to claim the feature class of the week. The first of four to return for Peter Holmes’ short course, King set a speedy standard aboard Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde.
“Some of the fastest people on the West Coast are here with James Chawke and Karrie Rufer coming behind me,” said King. “So going first, I figured I might as well let it all hang out and go as quick as I could.
“He was really good. He was very bold down to the double verticals. I think that’s where I was maybe a little quicker than the other ones.”
The pair stopped the clock in 38.10 seconds. Three more gave chase. James Chawke (IRL) and One Edition came closest to their time, settling for second in 38.75. Bryna Closson (USA) and Meteoric Rise took third in 39.71.
King credited the horse he calls “his dude” for the victory—a mount he nearly passed on not once, but twice.
“I think James and I pretty much took the same steps,” King said. “I took a big cut to the last one and [Hyde] twisted and tried like he always does. I’m really proud. He’s my favourite horse.”
The story of how King came to ride Hyde is one of reluctant persistence. The first time King saw the horse in Belgium, he refused to get on, put off by the Belgian Warmblood’s unconventional style and Thoroughbred breeding on the dam side (Vannan x Narew XX).
“I wouldn’t sit on him. My back was sore and I didn’t like his technique and he makes a little noise when he canters. And he wasn’t top fit then,” King recalled.
On a second trip, he remained skeptical, despite ample encouragement by friend Kirsten Rombouts.
“I stayed at their house for three days, which is above the barn, and I looked at his eye—he’s got that real sharp look—and thought, I’m not sitting on him,” King said. “Finally the last day, [Kirsten] basically forced me to sit on him. I jumped literally my first X and I said, ‘Done. This is the horse.'”
What changed King’s mind over that single jump?
“I’ve never really quite had a feeling like him—he’s like a feather,” King said. “He doesn’t make a sound off the ground. He lands lighter than he takes off. It is cool.
“He’s a little bit of an underdog type. He breathes a little funny and jumps his own style. He’s jumping better now, but yeah, I don’t know. There’s something about him. Kayenne Z is the queen [of my string] and this horse is my dude. He’s fun.”
Saturday’s win marks the third Grand Prix title for King and 9-year-old gelding this season. King now heads into the World Championships in Aachen, Germany later this month as the reserve rider for Team Canada—ready, as he put it, to “let it all hang out” if called upon.
$75,000 Steel Craft Doors CSI3* Grand Prix 1.50m Top 10
| Rank | Horse | Rider | Nation | Owner | Faults | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | REPLAY TOUCH VAN DE STAPELHEYDE | Kyle King | CAN | The Chess Group | 0 / 0 | 38.10 |
| 2 | ONE EDITION | James Chawke | IRL | Vanessa Mannix | 0 / 0 | 38.75 |
| 3 | METEORIC RISE | Bryna Closson | USA | Bryna Closson | 0 / 0 | 39.71 |
| 4 | STERN DEI FOLLETTI | Karrie Rufer | USA | Morning Star Sporthorses LLC | 0 / 8 | 43.74 |
| 5 | KANNANDINE | Braden James | CAN | Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd | 4 | 74.33 |
| 6 | CLEARBELLE 3 Z | Hilary Scott | AUS | Hilary Scott | 4 | 78.33 |
| 7 | NIJINSKY 10 | Reagan Tomb | USA | Greg Tomb | 4 | 80.04 |
| 8 | HAVANA | Kassidy Keith | CAN | Kassidy Keith | 4 | 80.54 |
| 9 | ODYSSEUS | Kyle King | CAN | Patricia Vasey | 4 | 80.92 |
| 10 | NOBLE | Jeffrey Fields | USA | Jacqueline Hendy | 4 | 83.67 |
Photo credit: Kim Gaudry Photography
