Author: tbird

A day after topping the podium in the CSIOJ* Junior Nations Cup at tbird, Federica Fernandez (MEX) finished on top again in the CSIOJ* BB Equestrian Junior Grand Prix, the final event of the Odlum Brown BC Open’s international division for junior riders.

Fernandez, 16, and Seltique bested a compact jump-off field that saw just three riders execute a clear first round over course designer Peter Holmes’ (CAN) 1.40m track. Riding immediately before her, Eric Krawitt (CAN) produced the first double-clear effort and set a stiff standard, crossing the jump-off timers in 43.78 seconds. Fernandez’s plan to best Krawitt involved utilizing her horse’s big step to do one less stride to the final fence, but ultimately, she’d have to call an audible.

“My jump-off was pretty exciting. After seeing [Krawitt], I knew I had to make a good time,” Fernandez said. “I was going to take a stride out to the last jump, but I couldn’t, so I pulled and had an extra stride. [My horse] is just very quick.”

Fernandez finished in 43.48 seconds to take the win, just three-tenths of a second ahead of Krawitt. Fernandez’s teammate Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez (MEX) finished third after retiring in the jump-off.

“[Seltique] has a huge stride, which is always beneficial, and he also turns very quickly,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez has been paired with 16-year-old Seltique for two years, and according to JUMPR App, the pair jump clear 43% of the time at the 1.40m height. The Selle Francais gelding is owned by her father Federico Fernandez—a three-time Olympic veteran for Mexico. While Federica was jumping in Langley, Federico was competing across the Atlantic in Madrid (ESP).

“He started me in the sport when I was small,” Federica said. “It’s been fun. I really enjoy jumping together.”

$3,500 CSIOJ BB Equestrian Jr Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Seltique / Federica Fernandez / MEX / Federico Fernandez / 0/0 43.48
2. Chicago CM / Eric Krawitt / CAN / Eric Krawitt / 0/0 43.78
3. Yoga Santa Rosa / Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez / MES+X / Patricio Pasquel / 0/RET
4. Matahari Hl / Leila Diab / USA / Leila Diab / 4 78.02
5. George Z.G. / Andrew Lopez / USA / Andrew Lopez / 4 78.54
6. Dammam O.L. / Ava Wong / CAN / Highland Farms / 5 80.11
7. Con Rouet / Xaviera Maurer Buch / MEX / Salvador Oñate Barron / 6 81.64
8. Uruaapan la Nutria / Rodrigo Castañeda de la Rosa / MEX / Jose de Jesus Castañeda Bañuelos / 21 80.52

Langley, BC – Ireland is at home at Thunderbird Show Park.

Chef d’Equipe Michael Blake’s squad has made the podium in every Nations Cup event since 2017, and they recorded a second win in that span Sunday at Thunderbird Show Park, running away with the 2022 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada.

“Every result here is special,” Blake said. “It took me a year to figure out how to win, but we haven’t been off the podium. We’ve had mixed teams here. We’ve had to cajole people onto teams here. But this year we prioritized this event.”

The four-man squad of Daniel Coyle (Legacy), Andrew Bourns (Seatop Blue), Shane Sweetnam (James Kann Cruz) and Conor Swail (Count Me In) positively dominated the feature event of the Odlum Brown BC Open and the only qualifier in the country for the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Finals in Barcelona (ESP) this fall. Coyle, Bourns and Sweetnam each contributed a clear round for their team, which put Ireland so far ahead in the second round that team anchor Conor Swail—tbird’s winningest rider—did not have to jump a second time. Ultimately, the group finished on a total score of 5. Mexico rallied in the second round to finish second (13 faults), with Australia third (22).

“Obviously we have got good depth, and I’m so lucky to have such a good bunch of people,” Blake said. “It’s very easy to drive a good car, and we’ve got one here.”

Ireland last won the event in 2018, and both Coyle and Swail were on that squad. In the years since, Coyle has placed among the top 10 individually at the European Championships, while Swail has risen to the fifth ranked rider in the world on the prestigious Longines rankings. Olympic veteran Sweetnam, riding exciting 9-year-old James Kann Cruz, and Bourns, with his family’s protege Seatop Blue joined the lineup for 2022 and produced the team’s best scores. Seatop Blue—scouted by Bourns’ family as a foal—produced just one of two double-clear rounds on the day, while James Kann Cruz had just a single time fault in the second round.

“My father is here, so it’s a real family affair,” Bourns said. “I have to say, [Seatop Blue] is just as part of the family as I am.“

“[James Kann Cruz] probably could go and jump anywhere, but he’s still only 9, [and] he still has his green moments,” Sweetnam added. “He’s experienced without being too much so, and I thought this would be a good place [to step up].“

For Bourns, avoiding complacency was the objective in the second round, when Ireland had two rails in hand. Mexico also added just one time penalty in the second round, but Ireland’s early lead was insurmountable.

“You’ve got to be careful—for me anyway—in the Nations Cup not to get too complacent in the second round. We had a great first round, but a lot of other teams got stronger in the second round,” Bourns said. “We had to come back just as strong.”

They didn’t let off the gas, and while it wasn’t the home team’s day, Canada’s fourth-place finish secured their qualification for Nations Cup Finals after their runner-up effort in Mexico in March. Mexico, who took a home win that day, also qualified, cementing themselves as divisions leaders.

“I thought America and Canada would bring the best they could up here,” Blake said. “This is very important. It’s the year of the [World Championships] for us, and this is a step well taken.”

A little rain on the expansive grass field that makes up tbird’s Fort Grand Prix Arena certainly didn’t hurt.

“If you knew it was going to be raining and on grass, I think Ireland would be a good bet,” said tbird President Chris Pack. “We’re very appreciative of all the teams that came, and especially Ireland, putting this as a priority.”

$400,000 CSIO5* Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ USA
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Legacy / Daniel Coyle / IRL / Ariel Grange & Daniel Coyle / (4)/0
1. Seatop Blue / Andrew Bourns / IRL / Andrew Bourns & QBS Equestrian / 0/0
1. James Kann Cruz / Shane Sweetnam / IRL /Gizmo Partners LLC / 0/1
1. Count Me In / Conor Swail / IRL / Mannon Farm, Sandy Lupton / 4/DNS
Total: 5

2. Pia Contra / Nicolas Pizarro / MEX / Alberto Lavalle, Jose Pablo Cortina Cordero, Rocio Paola Barriga Colsa / 4/0
2. Victor Finn Dh Z / Eugenio Garza Perez / MEX / David Gatza & Monica Garza / 4/0
2. Babel / Patricio Pasquel / MEX / Patricio Pasquel / (12)/(4)
2. Hortensia van de Leeuwerk / Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane / MEX / Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane / 4/1
Total: 13

3. Django II / Katie Laurie / AUS / Katie Laurie / 1/6
3. Eurostar / James Arkins / AUS / Arkins Pastoral PTY Ltd., MT Farming Pty Ltd / 0/0
3. Dandy / Matt Williams / AUS / Hd Horses, LLC / (12)/7
3. Billy Guilder / Rowan Willis / AUS / Peter Moore, Rowan Willis / 8/(14)
Total: 22

Heading into the second round of the CSIOJ Nations Cup, Team Mexico needed a rally. The four-rider squad of Sofia Michel, Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez, Federica Fernandez and Xaviera Maurer Buch sat behind both Canada and the United States on a score of 9, and Chef d’Equipe Mark Laskin needed to keep his squad focused.

“I was always told when I started riding Nations Cup that no matter what happened [in] the first round, the goal is to improve your score,” said the newly appointed Mexican Chef d’Equipe, who formerly held the same role for Canada.

So that’s what his riders did—emphatically. Showing a poise beyond their years, Michel, Legorreta Hernandez and Fernandez all produced clear efforts in the second round to finish the competition on their first round total and take a notable victory. Maurer Buch, who contributed a 1-fault score in Round 1 did not need to jump again in Round 2 as Mexico relegated the Canadians to second (12 faults), with the United States finishing third (16).

“There’s a lot of great team spirit [within Team Mexico],” Laskin said. “All of the senior riders are here to watch and support this morning, so I like that.”

They cheered on a historic squad, as the group was the first all-female team to ever represent Mexico in Nations Cup competition.

“I’m starting to get very familiar with everyone in Mexico,” he said. “I feel comfortable about it, and there are a lot of good riders. It’s kind of like Canada: They ride by the seat of their pants a little bit, but they also have a sprinkling of structure and good, good, solid foundation.”

$4,250 CSIOJ* Junior Nations Cup
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. BP First Editions / Sofia Michel / MEX / Sport Horses Sanchez-Cozar / 8/0
1. Yoga Santa Rosa / Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez / MEX / 0/0
1. Seltique / Federica Fernandez / MEX / Federico Fernandez / 8/0
1. Con Rouet / Xaviera Maurer Buch / MEX / Salvador Onate Barron / 1/DNS

2. Fay / Stella Chernoff / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch & Cattle Co. / 0/0
2. Dammam O.L. / Ava Wong / CAN / Highland Farms / 4/4
2. Decimus / Brooklyn Deacon / CAN / Brooklyn Deacon / 24/EL
2. Chicago CM / Eric Krawitt / CAN / Eric Krawitt / 0/4

3. Matahari HI / Leila Diab / USA / Leila Diab / 4/0
3. George Z.G. / Andrew Lopez / USA / Andrew Lopez / 4/8
3. Fast Lucca / Sahana Ganesan / USA / Sahana Ganesan / 9/12
3. Carlsson / Alexa Leong / USA / Alexa Leong / 0/0

Callie Schott (USA) has taken some time to get to know Teddy Z—not because she and the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding weren’t initially seeing eye to eye.

Instead, the established professional—a longtime assistant to Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden (USA) before taking up the job as professional at Southern Arches—was dealing with injury. Schott was out for nearly six months while recovering from shoulder surgery to repair her labrum, a chronic issue that came to a head during routine activity at her home.

“We got him in December, [and] then I had my surgery in March, so we hadn’t had him that long and then we had a little lull,” Schott said. “And then I think [during] the circuit in Florida, we became a good team together.”

The duo carried their forward momentum to tbird after some top 10 placings in three-star competition in Wellington (USA) in April, achieving the first Grand Prix victory of their partnership in the $37,200 CSI2* tbird Grand Prix. Ali Ramsay (CAN) and exciting 9-year-old Conrado finished second, with fellow Canadian and birthday girl Vanessa Mannix (CAN) and Catinka 25 third.

“I just feel like the more we get to know each other, [the more] we’re starting to be able to trust each other to really go for it.”

In a jump-off where risk didn’t often come with reward, Schott’s well calculated plan paid off with efficiency, a well executed inside turn, and a committed gallop to the last. The 13-horse jump-off produced just four double-clear efforts, with Schott’s the best of the lot.

“Beezie was watching the other [riders] and she was like, ‘You can do 10 [strides] to the last,’ and so I went for it.

“It feels unbelievable.”

$37,200 CSI2* tbird Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Teddy Z / Callie Schott / USA / Southern Arches LLC / 0/0 39.67
2. Conrado / Ali Ramsay / CAN / David Sport Horses Inc. Ramsay Equestrian Inc. / 0/0 41.48
3. Catinka / Vanessa Mannix / CAN / Vanessa Mannix / 0/0 42.48
4. Battlecry / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC, Kent Farrington LLC / 0/0 42.64
5. Picador / Jordan Coyle / IRL / Elan Farm / 0/4 36.74
6. Jiminy Cricket / Nayel Nassar / EGY / Evergate Stables LLC / 0/4 37.84
7. Contefina LVF / Ashlee Bond / ISR / Ashlee Bond Showjumping LP / 0/4 38.00
8. Cunningham / Christopher Lowe / CAN / Christopher Lowe / 0/4 44.61
9. H-Lucky Retto / Antonio Chedraui / MEX / P Dolfsma / 0/4 45.20
10. Scato van de Molenbrug Z / Jennifer Waxman / USA / Daniel Bluman, The Scato Group LLC / 0/8 41.01

Langley, BC – As the 12 combinations took on the jump-off of the CSIO5* tbird Cup Saturday at Thunderbird Show Park, the standard got faster and faster.

But Daniel Coyle (IRL) admitted, his mount Oak Grove’s Carlyle isn’t always a fan of picking up the pace.

“He doesn’t like to go fast. He’s a strange horse that way,” he said. “You kind of have to not ask him to go too fast too soon.”

So, he waited to hit the gas until after the second element of Peter Holmes’ (CAN) shortened 1.50m track. And he never looked back.

Coyle and Ariel Grange’s 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding topped a swift standard set by Tanner Korotkin (USA) and Ideal to take the win in the program feature of the Odlum Brown BC Open’s penultimate day of competition. The pair crossed the finish timers in 37.16 seconds; Korotkin settled for second (37.29), with Mario Deslauriers (CAN) and Emerson, third (37.98).

“In one year, I’ve had more ranking class placings on him than any horse I’ve had,” Coyle said. \

Coyle, who for the past several years has spent his summer seasons working under the tutelage of Olympic, World Equestrian Games and European Championships individual gold medalist Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED), acquired Oak Grove’s Carlyle at the recommendation of Dubbeldam last summer. The pair topped Saturday’s jump-off with two exceptionally tight turns, one back to an oxer midway through the shortened track and the other to the final vertical. The track was so efficient, Coyle didn’t even attempt a forward leave-out taken by his competitors in the penultimate line.

With plenty of scope in reserve, the gelding is not phased or bothered by much; he simply prefers a more casual approach, both on course and in the barn.

“I thought maybe I [could] train him a little faster at home on the gallops,” Coyle said. “He just doesn’t like it. He loves treats. He loves going easy and being played with.

“I [ask him to go faster] nicely,” he said. “Then you can be really tight to jumps.”

$37,200 CSIO5* tbird Cup
Place / Horse / Rider / Team / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time / Jump-Off Time

1. Oak Grove’s Carlyle / Daniel Coyle / IRL / Ariel Grange 0/0 37.16
2. Ideal / Tanner Korotkin / USA / Castlewood Farm, Inc. & Sandalwood Farms / 0/0 37.29
3. Emerson / Mario Deslauriers / CAN / Wishing Well Farm, LLC / 0/0 37.98
4. Cherokee / Emma Marlowe / USA / Trelawny Farm, LLC / 0/0 38.03
5. Chardonnay / Robert Blanchette / IRL / RTS, LLC / 0/0 40.63
6. Vienna / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms, LLC / 0/0 42.95
7. Beneficial / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / CAN / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / 0/0 43.58
8. Holliewood / Shane Sweetnam / IRL / Triple S Group / 0/4 38.60
9. Enzo / Kyle King / USA / Seabright Investment Consultants, Inc. / 0/4 39.47
10. Brighton / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms, LLC / 0/4 40.27

Ashlee Bond (ISR) knew that she had done her homework right with Contefina LVF in the CSI2* Friends of tbird to kick off international competition Friday in the Thunderbird Jumper Arena.

Bond and the 10-year-old American Holsteiner mare bested a 19-horse jump-off by more than three seconds, crossing the timers of Peter Holmes’ (CAN) shortened 1.45m track in 35.41 seconds. Conor Swail (IRL) and Gamble finished second (38.62), with Daniel Rihan (MEX) and Tentacion LS La Silla, third (38.84).

“We know each other very well. I don’t really have to think when I’m on her,” Bond said. “I think that just makes these classes easier to win, because when you know your horse that well, it just gives you an advantage.”

Bond’s Little Valley Farms bred both Contefina (Contefino 2) and her dam, Southern Girl (South Pacific). Bond and her father Steve have developed the mare from birth. Steve, an integral part of Bond’s operation, not only saddle broke “Fina,” but also continues to ride her regularly. The horseman has used his background in cutting horses to improve the mare’s turning.

“She is extremely fast,” Bond said. “I just think turn, and she’s right with me, and she doesn’t spend any time in the air. I think from his cutting horse days, [my dad] knows how to get a horse to move laterally really, really fast. He doesn’t do it to the extreme, because our horses aren’t built the same way as cutting horses. But he does it enough to where it helps me so much in the ring.”
According to JUMPR app, Bond and Contefina average less than a rail at the 1.45m height (3.83 faults) and jump clear 26% of the time.

“She’s got a big stride [and] covers the ground super fast,” Bond said, “so it was just kind of, ‘Risk it for the Biscuit.'”

$37,200 CSI2* Friends of tbird
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Contefina LVF / Ashlee Bond / ISR / Ashlee Bond / 0/0 35.41
2. Gamble / Conor Swail / IRL / Asta Torokvei / 0/0 38.62
3. Tentacion LS La Silla / Daniel Rihan / MEX / Daniel Rihan / 0/0 38.84
4. Coleur van Berkenbroek / John Perez/ COL / Daniel Rihan / 0/0 40.23
5. Hermelien / Sam Walker / CAN / Evergate Stables / 0/0 40.52
6. Clear Concept / Conor Swail / IRL / Asta Torokvei / 0/0 41.5
7. Carnlea Premier Balou / Robert Blanchette / IRL / RTSC, LLC / 0/0 42.16
8. Cascalretto / Vanessa Hood / USA / Take Two LLC / 0/0 42.23
9. Good Limit / Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia / MEX / Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia / 0/0 43.5
10. H-Lucky Retto / Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia / MEX / Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia / 0/0 45.37

Cat Ninja gave Jacqueline Steffens (CAN) her fist individual five-star victory in December at Thermal (USA). The duo added a second Friday at tbird in the CSIO5* West Coast Cup.

In a class with 10 clear first rounds, just three combinations could execute a second clear effort over Peter Holmes’ (CAN) shortened 1.45m track. Smart decisions and efficient riding landed Steffens at the top of the podium, as she and her mount crossed the timers in 46.57 seconds. Bliss Heers (USA) and Goodbye finished second (47.25), with Alberto Sanchez-Cozar (MEX) and Union de la Nutria, third (48.61).

“I had the benefit of going relatively late in the jump off, and I had seen that a lot of the horses had been struggling a little bit,” Steffens said. “So going into it, my strategy was to be efficient and to be on it but to give her a good ride and not take any wild risks. It worked out for us today.”

Steffens has been partnered with Cat Ninja for three years, but the last 12 months have been the pair’s best. The duo topped a speed track for their first five-star victory in December. While always aware of the mare’s talent, Steffens has worked to improve her mount’s ride-ability, softness and responsiveness to her leg aids. The progress has come as a result of flatwork.

“I’ve been riding her for three years now, so we’ve had a good amount of time to build a partnership,” she said. “She’s really fun. She really tries hard, she’s quick, she’s scopey, [and] she’s a pleasure to ride.

“I think [the improvement] has been incremental,” she continued. “I wouldn’t say there was like a breakthrough moment, but bit by bit it’s gotten better.”

Steffens will represent Canada with her mount Freaky in Sunday’s Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada.

“It’s always really meaningful to me to be able to ride for my country,” she said, “so getting to do that for the first time in Mexico meant a lot to me, and being able to do it here now on home soil is very exciting.”

$37,200 CSIO5* West Coast Cup
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Cat Ninja / Jacqueline Steffens / CAN / Eye Candy Jumpers / 0/0 46.57
2. Goodbye / Bliss Heers / USA / Bridgeside Farms, LLC / 0/0 47.25
3. Union de la Nutria / Alberto Sanchez-Cozar / MEX / Sport Horses Sanchez-Cozar S.A. de C.V. / 0/0 48.61
4. Costa Diam / Jordan Coyle / IRL / Elam Farm / 0/4 43.91
5. Ideal / Tanner Korotkin / USA / Castlewood Farm, Inc. and Sandalwood Farms / 0/4 45.00
6. Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z / Sean Jobin / CAN / 0/4 46.02
7. Feyon / Kaitlin Campbell / USA / SWS Training & Sales / 0/4 47.15
8. McCaw MVNZ / Katie Laurie / AUS / Carissa McCall / 0/12 59.17
9. Lutz / Ali Ramsay / CAN / Ramsay Equestrian, Inc. / 0/24 71.10
10. Count Me In / Conor Swail / IRL / Mannon Farm & Sandy Lipton / 0/WD

Langley, BC – The list of five-star grand prix victories for World Kent Farrington (USA) is lengthy.

But the World No. 7 recorded a new milestone Friday at Thunderbird Show Park, when the Olympic silver medalist recorded his first five-star grand prix victory at Thunderbird Show Park, riding his own Orafina to the top of the CSI5* Longines Grand Prix.

The victory, which came over an eight-horse jump-off, also marked the first at the level for Farrington’s talented mount. Last to contest Peter Holmes’ (CAN) short track, the pair jumped straight to the top of the class, crossing the timers in 42.04 seconds. Jose Alberto Mirtinez Vazquez (MEX) and Quinley finished second (43.92). Katherine Strauss (USA) and Cincinnati Kid took third (44.74) as the only other combination to execute a double-clear performance.

“Orafina is a very special horse,” Farrington said. “I started working with her about two years ago, and she’s very careful. She’s obviously extremely fast, [but] she’s a very particular horse. She’s so easy to ride, but she’s really an incredible athlete and starting to come into her own.

“This is our first five star win, and I’m so very proud of that today. It was a great first round and a great jump off.”

Weather played a role on the day, with storms forcing the feature class of Friday’s Odlum Brown BC Open program to be moved from the Fort Grand Prix Arena on the grass to the Thunderbird Jumper Arena on sand. In the first half of the class, five clear rounds were produced in relatively quick succession, but only three more pairs would add their names to the jump-off list as conditions cleared.

“My hat’s off to management here for making do with what they had to work with. Luckily, they have a great sand arena here in addition to their great grass arena,” Farrington praised. “So we were able to move it. I think for the best competition [and] for the safety of all the horses and riders that was the right move.”

Tight rollback turns, a wide liverpool oxer and a gallop lane to the final fence defined a technical jump-off. One by one, athletes focused on turning to shave precious seconds off the clock, but Farrington also had footspeed on his side to accompany his willful mare’s carefulness. The duo remained ahead of the curve from the moment they crossed the start timers.

“She’s hyper aware of everything going on around [her], so that’s not always the most comfortable ride,” Farrington said. “But I think that those [types of horses] are the exceptional athletes that we have in our sport.”

Over the course of the last five months, Farrington has calculatedly stepped his mount up to her first five-star grand prix events, and the mare has been knocking on the door of a win, including a runner-up finish at the level in Wellington (USA). At Windsor (ENG) last month, the pair again finished among the top 10. According to JUMPR app, they produced a clear effort at 1.60m with a 69% success rate. The key to success has required a bit of give and take.

“I think part of making the most of her athletic abilities is finding a way to work with her, some compromises in the controls and in the riding. That’s how we get the best performance as a team,” Farrington said. “I think the future looks bright [for her]. She’s a great talent, and I think she has a great will to win and to please. We’ll see where it goes, but she’ll let me know what she wants to do. I have no doubt about that.”

$235,000 CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Team / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time / Jump-Off Time

1. Orafina/ Kent Farrington / USA / Kent Farrington, LLC / 0/0 42.04
2. Quinley / Jose Alberto Martinez Vaqeuz / MEX / Jose Alberto Martinez Barone / 0/0 43.92
3. Cincinnati Kid / Katherine Strauss / USA / Katherine Strauss, LLC / 0/0 44.74
4. Bonita vh Keizershof Z / Ali Ramsay / CAN / Ramsay Equestrian, Inc. / 0/4 42.85
5. Zaia di San Giovanni / Mac Cone / CAN / Chadburn Holdings, Inc. / 0/4 44.08
6. Armentos / Kaitlin Campbell / USA / SWS Training & Sales / 0/4 47.47
7. Nadal Hero D&B / Conor Swail / IRL / Mannon Farm / 0/8 41.75
8. Django II / Katie Laurie / AUS / Katie Laurie / 0/8 47.92
9. Gisborne VDL / Hyde Moffatt / CAN / Ariel Grange / 2 88.05
10. Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet / Karl Cook / USA / Signe Ostby / 4 81.63

Robert Blanchette (IRL) and Carnlea Premier Balou kicked off the day with a win in the $1,000 CSI2* tbird Welcome 1.40m, the 8-year-old gelding’s international debut.

According to JUMPR App, Blanchette jumps clear 60% of the time in international classes at the 1.40m height, finishing in the top 10 55% of the time since 2015. In that span, he has averaged just 2.6 faults across all mounts at the level.
The 2022 Odlum Brown BC Open, featuring the $235,000 CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix and the $400,000 CSIO5* Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada, continues Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5. The Longines Grand Prix is Friday’s highlight and will get underway at 4:00pm PT, while Nations Cup competition will bring the week to a close Sunday at 2:00pm PT. Tickets for both events are available at tbird.ca.

World No. 7 Kent Farrington (USA) used the $8,800 CSIO5* Happy Welcome 1.45m as a training opportunity for rising talent Chato Lou.

“He’s a younger horse I have coming up. He’s naturally very fast,” Farrington said. “I’m actually trying to train him a little bit to learn to keep his keep his mind under control and keep the ride-ability at speed. So that’s more or less what I was doing today. And he’s making good progress.”

The 9-year-old Chacco Blue gelding proved to be a quick study, running away with the first five-star class of the Odlum Brown BC Open. The pair crossed the timers of Peter Holmes’ speed track in 60.81 seconds—a nearly five-second winning margin. James Arkins (AUS) finished second (65.06 seconds), with Manuel Gonzales Dufrane (MEX) and Hortensia van de Leeuwerk third another three seconds back (68.94).

Thursday marked Chato Lou’s first international victory; Farrington has had the athletic bay since the gelding’s 7-year-old year and has slowly developed him through the grades—a skill the horseman has honed for years with success with a rather “simple” formula.

“I try to be very pragmatic and kind of have no ego in approaching the horses. I put them in the classes I think they’re ready for,” he said. “The horses tell me when they’re ready to move up, the horses also tell me if they need to take a step back. You know, I really just let the horses make all the decisions. I think if you can approach that without your own ego or your own agenda that’s going to override what the horse is telling you, it’s it’s easier to make the right call.”

$8,500 CSIO5* Happy Welcome 1.45m
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time

1. Chato Lou / Kent Farrington / USA / Amalaya Investments & Haity McNerney / 0 60.81
2. Joevaro N / James Arkins / AUS / James Arkins / 0 65.06
3. Hortensia van de Leeuwerk / Manuel Gonzales Dufrane / MEX / Manuel Gonzales Dufrane / 0 68.94
4. Ideal / Tanner Korotkin / USA / Castlewood Farm, Inc. & Sandalwood Farms / 0 68.96
5. Biloba des Chaines / Hunter Holloway / USA / Equivarandas Lda. / 0 69.74
6. Javas Miss Jordan / Nicky Galligan / IRL / Nicky Galligan / 0 70.10
7. Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet / Karl Cook / USA / Signe Ostby / 0 71.31
8. Armentos / Kaitlin Campbell / USA / SWS Training & Sales / 0 71.60
9. Dandy / Matt Williams / AUS / Hd Horses LLC / 0 71.64
10. Antidote de Mars / Bliss Heers / USA / Bridgeside Farms LLC / 0 72.91