Anya Bereznicki (CAN) refuses to bring her “princess” mare Diazella out for more than two classes per competition.
Less has proven to be more.
Bereznicki, 18, and her 14-year-old Holsteiner mare won the two classes they contested at tbird’s Canadian Premier, capturing the $15,000 MarBill Hill U25 1.40m Sunday after winning Friday’s U25 speed contest. The longtime partners comfortably topped a four-horse jump-off, crossing the timers of the 1.40m shortened track in 35.55 seconds. Sam Walker (CAN) and Hermelien finished second (36.89), with Emmanuelle Greenberg (USA) and Claire de Lune M, third (46.29).
“I knew I had competition when Sam was clear, because that is a fantastic horse and rider,” Bereznicki said. “I just wanted to win again. I wanted to give my horse the best chance that she could to get over the fences because she will never let me down.”
Bereznicki has had a good example to follow at tbird, as the young professional has been training for the past year and a half under World No. 5 and tbird’s winningest rider Conor Swail (IRL).
“I have a lot of faith in everything that Conor tells me, because he is just such a breath of fresh air to anything I’ve ever been told before by anybody else,” Bereznicki said. “He gives me so much confidence, and if we make mistakes, we kind of laugh it off and move on, and it’s always a positive, positive thing. I’m so, so happy and so grateful to have his help with everything.”
Her gratitude extends to her horse, who, over the course of the last five years, has brought her from 1.20m to her first international classes.
“She’s just unbelievable. She’s my best friend and I don’t know what I would do with her,” Bereznicki said. “[She’s] getting older, and she’s kind of the princess in my life, so I only will do a maximum of two classes a week with her from now on.”
Bereznicki plans to contest the CSI2* division at next week’s Odlum Brown BC Open.
$15,000 MarBill Hill U25 1.40m
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Diazella / Anya Bereznicki / CAN / Anya Bereznicki / 0/0 35.55
2. Hermelien / Sam Walker / CAN / Evergate Stables / 0/0 36.89
3. Claire de Lune M / Emmanuelle Greenberg / USA / Pumpkins Patch Farms II Inc / 0/0 46.29
4. Coco du Houlbec Z / Emily Fitzgerald / CAN / Emily Fitzgerald / 0/4 37.97
5. I. Zapo / Jarne Francken / USA / Greg Tomb / 0 84.92
6. C’Diam de Ste Anne / Jarne Francken / USA / Patti Kits / 4 80.58
7. VIP des Majuros / Carly Stevens / CAN / Grant & Susie Stevens / 4 80.93
8. Dento / Carly Stevens / CAN / Grant & Susie Stevens / 4 81.66
9. Vainqueur de Brekka / Anneke Power / USA / Anneke Power / 4 81.83
10. Barack / Reid Pankewicz / USA / Lynne Stephenson Beda Wachter / 4 83.74
For the first time in its history, Thunderbird Show Park is hosting two consecutive weeks of five-star show jumping. Competition will resume June 1–June 5 with the CSIO5*/CSI2* Odlum Brown BC Open, featuring the $235,000 Longines CSIO5* Grand Prix on Friday, June 3 and the $400,000 CSIO5* Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada on Sunday, June 5. Tickets are available now at tbird.ca.
Sunday was a good day to be named Nadal. Across the Atlantic, tennis legend Rafael Nadal won his fourth round match at the French Open; he seeks his 14th win in the tennis major.
At tbird, Conor Swail’s (IRL) Nadal Hero & DB won his second five-star event of the week; the 9-year-old chestnut stallion will likely jump his first five-star grand prix at next week’s Odlum Brown BC Open.
Swail and Nadal’s latest victory came in the $73,400 CSI5* Winning Round 1.50m. The uniquely formatted competition advances the top 10 combinations from an opening round of competition to a shortened course, in which the athletes return in reverse order of standing from the first round.
“We’ve had a good week. He’s jumped in two classes and he’s won both,” Swail said. “He’s very fast, and when you go faster, he goes higher. I get a great feeling, I must say. I’m very excited about him.”
Returning in the latter half of the winning round, Swail showed his competitors that his mount still had plenty left in the tank after topping Friday’s CSI5* Maui Jim 1.45m Speed. The duo blazed Peter Grant’s (CAN) shortened track, sweeping ahead of then-leader Daniel Coyle (IRL) by nearly four seconds (45.85 seconds).
No one would catch the pair, with Coyle and Oak Grove’s Carlyle settling for second (49.2). Langley native Brian Morton (CAN) finished third with Crusador Z; the pair finished the short track in an identical time of 49.2 seconds, but a slightly slower first round time decided the tiebreaker.
“I was fortunate enough to see a few horses going before me. Daniel’s round, I thought it was very, very neat, but I felt that my horse could do a little better,” Swail said.
Rhythm was the key to victory, with Swail starting out with purpose and opening up the gallop to the final fence.
“We started off with a very good rhythm that carried us through [fences] two and three,” Swail explained. “I added one more stride [to the penultimate fence], and he was very good to me, and then I made a good run down to the last one, and he jumped that perfectly.”
Swail and his mount have only been paired for a few months, and Sunday concluded just the fourth international show of their partnership. Swail has quickly learned that he has a cool competitor on his hands—one that’s ready to step up.
“He’s a stallion, but he’s a good guy in the stall. He’s not too cheeky, he doesn’t nip or try and be too naughty,” he said. “He’s very, very levelheaded and very nice to ride as well. He’s quite casual and relaxed.
“He’s doing the [CSIO5* division of the Odlum Brown BC Open] next week, and I think I might do the [$235,000 CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix] with him actually, because [my other horse, Count Me In] is doing the [$400,000 CSIO5* Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada],” Swail added. “So, I might just jump him in it to see how he handles it; that’s good education.”
Langley, BC – May 29, 2022 – In a jump-off of 10 of North America’s finest riders, at first glance, it appeared as though the $218,000 CSI5* Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix at Thunderbird Show Park would be decided only after the lead had changed hands several times.
No one told Jordan Coyle (IRL).
Returning second over Peter Grant’s (CAN) shortened course, with the likes of Nayel Nassar (EGY), Beezie Madden (USA), Kent Farrington (USA) and brother Daniel Coyle (IRL) behind him in the lineup, Coyle and Elan Farm’s Ariso laid down a performance that simply could not be caught. In fact, even as riders took greater and greater risks on course, it wasn’t even all that close.
Coyle ran away with the opening five-star grand prix of the 2022 Major League Show Jumping season, crossing the finish timers in 45.89 seconds, nearly a full second faster than Nassar and his Tokyo Olympic mount, Igor van de Wittemoere (46.56). Daniel Coyle and Legacy finished third as the only other double-clear performers (46.81).
“Nayel on that horse is very, very, very fast. We had Kent, one of the best in the world, in my opinion, at everything. Daniel, I suppose you could say is not bad also,” Jordan said, alluding to his sibling rivalry. “I just felt like if if I could go as fast as [Ariso] can go, it would be pretty hard for everyone else to catch me, and lucky enough, it all worked out.”
Coyle has picked up right where he left off when it comes to MLSJ, which launched in 2021 with an innovative team competition and 10 new five-star events in North America. He and Ariso won the inaugural series’ finale at the Desert Horse Park in California (USA) in December. That victory marked Coyle’s first CSI5* Grand Prix victory, and it hasn’t taken him long to add another at the highest level of show jumping competition.
“People can say whatever they want about this, but when you’re going that speed, everything kind of has to come up for you. I was very lucky today,” Coyle said. “Everything came up, and in the warm-up today in between the first round and the jump-off, [Ariso] was jumping over the standards. So I was like, ‘Okay. Today’s the day that we go and try and have a win at this.'”
Coyle’s instincts were right, and he relied on them as he tackled the short course. Grant’s track offered a lot of room to gallop between the fences, and while some riders tried to beat Coyle with tight rollbacks and inside turns, he and his mount simply outran them. The technical strategy, stride numbers and all, were put aside.
“When I walk the courses, obviously I walk all the strides, but it’s very simple for me, because it’s [either set on a normal stride], or you slow down, or you go faster,” Coyle explained. “I think people get too technical with all the other things that happen in the middle sometimes. I’m sure it wouldn’t work for everyone, but it must work for me.”
Thunderbird Show Park was originally on the 2021 MLSJ schedule, but travel restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic forced its cancellation. In 2022, the venue has reached a new milestone: For the first time in its history, it will host back-to-back five-star events, with this week’s CSI5*/CSI2* Canadian Premier followed immediately by the CSIO5*/CSI2* Odlum Brown BC Open, featuring the $235,000 CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix on Friday, June 3 and the $400,000 CSIO5* Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada on Sunday, June 5.
“It’s really great to see so many new faces here, but it’s even better to see [Jordan Coyle, Daniel Coyle and Nayel Nassar]. They’ve all won here before, and it’s nice that they’re back sitting beside me,” said tbird President Chris Pack. “We’re just really appreciative of the effort that Major League puts in to promote the sport and to be exciting. I think that showed not only in last night’s [team competition], but also in today’s [Grand Prix]. I think you can have great sport and some fun, too.”
The first class of the day Saturday invited CSI2* athletes back to the Fort Grand Prix Arena for the $37,000 Grand Prix CSI2*. With 41 entries coming forward, the field was competitive and Grant’s course was built for the occasion. With tricky elements challenging both horse and rider on course, rails fell everywhere across the track, even for some of the top competitors. But five were able to complete the first course fault-free and of those, it was Daniel Coyle in the winner’s circle again with Ivory TCS.
Sixth in the order, Coyle and Ariel Grange’s 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare followed their success Friday with a clear first round Saturday. Slightly past the halfway point in the order of go, Canada’s Tracey Epp joined Coyle and guaranteed a jump-off. With only a handful left, USA riders Kent Farrington, Callie Schott and Jennifer Waxman each etched their names onto the jump-off list.
As the jump-off got underway, Coyle set the bar high with a double-clear effort in 46.80 seconds, taking risky inside turns but leaving some speed on the table, knowing a double-clear would put pressure on the remaining four pairs. Perhaps his biggest threat, World No. 7 Farrington took to the course with Haity McNerney’s gelding. He used the 9-year-old Zangersheide’s natural speed to keep a quick rhythm around the track, but fell just short of Coyle’s time, coming home on a clear round in 49.53 seconds. Schott claimed third with Teddy Z with one rail down on course and a time of 50.43 seconds.
With two FEI wins in two days, Coyle is as confident as ever in Ivory TCS. “She is the most competitive horse you can find, first round and second round. Today, for instance, I was early to go and there were three already that didn’t make it around. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? This must be difficult enough.” But I knew I was on the best horse for something like that.”
On his plan for the course, Coyle remarked, “I was on high alert to be aware because it’s not so easy. To jump off, I had Kent [Farrington] after me, and a few faster ones. I thought, as first to go with only five horses, I had nothing to lose and I didn’t want them to come in and beat me. So I just left it out there.”
As for the future, Coyle sees endless promise for the mare, who boasts a 47% clear round rate on JUMPR App. “She has a heart of gold and always, always gives 100%,” he continued. “Plus, there’s lots of horses like that who give their best, but sometimes their best isn’t good enough. But this one, she has it to give. She’s like a little computer that you don’t switch on until you need it. You’re only warming up, and then boom, there she goes.”
Saturday’s Grand Prix wraps CSI2* jumping at tbird this week. The division picks up again next week with the Odlum Brown BC Open, featuring concurrent 2*/5* classes.
$37,000 Grand Prix CSI2*
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Ivory TCS / Daniel Coyle / IRL / Ariel Grange / 0/0 46.80
2. Landon / Kent Farrington / USA / Haity McNerney / 0/0 49.53
3. Teddy Z / Callie Schott / USA / Southern Arches, LLC / 0/4 50.43
4. Chicago / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 0/5 59.42
5. Scato Van De Molenbrug Z / Jennifer Waxman / USA / The Scato Group LLC / 0/8 54.35
6. CMS Garadice Shore / Karianne Boyce-Lockhart / USA / Karianne Boyce-Lockhart / 2/88.23
7. Cactus De Cosniere / Eric Krawitt / CAN / Eric Krawitt / 4/82.62
8. Costa Diam / Jordan Coyle / IRL / Elan Farm / 4/83.33
9. Gamble / Conor Swail / IRL / Asta Torokvei / 4/83.87
10. Cazaan / John Perez / COL / John Perez / 4/84.12
Tickets for Saturday’s MLSJ Team Event and Sunday’s MLSJ Grand Prix start at $10 and are available at tbird.ca.
Langley, BC – May 28, 2022 – The feature event of the 2022 Canadian Premier welcomed spectators to the Fort Grand Prix Arena at Thunderbird Show Park for the $200,000 Major League Show Jumping (MLSJ) Team Competition CSI5*. Eight MLSJ teams took turns jumping a challenging 1.50m track designed by Canada’s Peter Grant to vie for a podium finish. After three riveting rounds, it was Team Helios in the gold medal position as the first MLSJ Team Competition winner of 2022.
The format for the class, unique to MLSJ, see teams compete over three rounds of competition. In Round One, each team fields three riders back to back. The goal: keep the jumps up and stay above the cut line as the four teams with the lowest total scores advance to the second round. In Round Two, the top four teams field two riders apiece over a faults-converted speed course, meaning any rail down will add three seconds to the final jump-off time. The two quickest teams advance to the gold medal match, and the slower two, to the bronze medal match. The third round is a head to head jump off to decide the podium.
First in the ring to open the class was Team Lugano, who, despite their depth of roster, showed signs of greenness to the League, coming home on 24 faults after Hilary McNerney (USA), Vanessa Hood (USA) and Kent Farrington (USA) all jumped the track. The Roadrunners, with two returning MLSJ riders in Kaitlin Campbell (USA) and Kyle King (USA) plus one newcomer in Alberto Michan (ISR), started off strong with a clear round from Campbell, but each of the remaining two riders had 8 faults for a team total of 16 in 238.27 seconds.
The Spy Coast Spies recorded a clear round from Lacey Gilbertson (USA), but with Irishmen Shane Sweetnam and Jordan Coyle on 4 and 12 faults to add, respectively, they would tie the Roadrunners on 16, edging ahead with a quicker time of 220.20. The Trailblazers started out incredibly strong with Emma Marlow (USA) and Daniel Bluman (ISR) both recording clear rounds, but their fortunes turned when Nicky Galligan (IRL) tallied rails and time faults to put the team on a total of 15.
New MLSJ team ShowPlus Northern Lights put forth three riders for the home nation and accumulated 20 faults amongst Vanessa Mannix, Sean Jobin and Sam Walker. Team Helios had a positive start with a clear ride from Eugenio Garza (MEX) and 4 faults from Ashlee Bond (ISR), but Bliss Heers recorded 12 faults to put them in a three-way tie on 16 in 227.93 seconds.
Team Eye Candy, hungry for a win coming off their season finale victory in December of 2021, remained in contention as the two Irishmen, Paul O’Shea and Conor Swail, each came home on 4 faults and Jacqueline Steffens (CAN) accumulated just a time fault for a total of 9 faults, the best total score recorded. Alas, the Crusaders’ jumping abilities fell short of their canoeing at the team draw event. Callie Schott, Hunter Holloway and Nick Dello Joio all had two rails down for a total of 24 faults and the team slotted into eighth place with a slower time than Team Lugano.
With the Spy Coast Spies, Trailblazers, Helios and Eye Candy making the cut into round two, scores were reset to zero and the speed was kicked up a notch as teams put forth two of their riders to vie for the gold medal match. Helios sent in Garza with Victer Finn DH Z and Bond with Donatello 141, coming home on a total time of 108.18 seconds to set the bar. Rookie Gilbertson with Karlin Van’t Vennehof and veteran Sweetnam with Alejandro from Spy Coast Spies did what they needed to do and jumped home in a combined 103.58 seconds to take the lead.
For the Trailblazers, Marlowe and Cherokee recorded a clear but conservative ride in 60.51 seconds, prompting teammate Bluman to withdraw Gemma W, knowing he was not going to catch the two prior times and the team was already bronze medal match bound. Eye Candy sent forth powerhouses O’Shea with Squirt Gun and Steffens with Freaky, whose combined time was 112.26 seconds, relegating them to the bronze medal match and advancing the Spy Coast Spies and Helios into the jump-off for gold.
The bronze medal matchup featured the fighting Irish, Galligan versus Swail. Galligan galloped Javas Miss Jordan ferociously around the track in 52.56 seconds and put pressure on Swail. While typically cool and calm under pressure. tbird’s winningest rider caught an early rail aboard Theo 160 and couldn’t make up the time. The pair came home in 65.41 seconds, awarding the bronze to the Trailblazers.
All eyes fell on the matchup for gold between Helios and Spy Coast Spies. Heers and Goodbye were efficient around the track but the final two rails fell for a finishing time of 58.77 seconds. Coyle knew he and Picador had to be quick in case of a rail, which proved to be a good tactic as the last rail fell and his final time clocked in at 55.28 seconds, snatching the win for the Spy Coast Spies. In a plot twist at the final moment, the Spy Coast Spies were eliminated post-competition after a small amount of blood was spotted on Picador’s side by the FEI ground jury.
”Unfortunately, when Jordan Coyle came out of the ring, his horse had a small nick. The FEI rules are in place to protect the welfare of the horse. The [ground jury’s] decision was made with a lot of thought, and they took their time on it,” said MLSJ co-founder Keean White. “The horses always come first and we all play on a level playing field. We all know that’s the rule and when it happens, it happens. It doesn’t happen often.”
As a result, Team Helios took the win, and Spy Coast Spies were relegated to second. “I think we’re going to have quite a battle this year between Spy Coast and Helios,” he continued, “and I don’t think Eye Candy is going anywhere.”
“I think what Keean [White] and everyone at Major League has done has been really amazing,” remarked Garza. “I think it’s a format that works, a format that keeps it interesting. It’s not too hard on the horses and it just makes for a great class. We as riders, have been looking forward to this class the whole week. To cap it off with a win is pretty good.”
MLSJ Vancouver is the first of 10 stops on the 2022 MLSJ tour.
“Everyone at tbird had a Major League envy last year,” commented Chris Pack, President and Operations Director at tbird. “It was going to start here but with [Canada] shutting down we were just fans of it last year. Cheers to Keean [White] and Matt [Morrissey]. They have an innovative product that brings not only great horsepower but also a lot of excitement to the fans. We’re trying to build a fan base here and this is something that they can grasp and understand. We’re very proud to be part of it.”
CSI5* competition continues at tbird Sunday with the Winning Round 1.50m and MLSJ Grand Prix 1.55m. Tickets start at $10 and are available at tbird.ca.
Young riders had their second chance at scoring the top spot in their division in the $5,000 MarBill Hill U25 1.40m. Moved into the Thunderbird Jumper Arena to preserve the pristine conditions on the grass, 28 young athletes took on the 1.40m track, set in a speed format, and attempted to navigate the course clear and quickly.
As second to last in the order of go, Canada’s Anya Bereznicki and Diazella blazed around the track and took risks while keeping up the pace around every turn, crossing the beams in a time of 62.38. Second place honors went to Canadian Eric Krawitt and Chicago HD in 63.49 seconds, while fellow Canadian Carly Stevens rounded out the top three with VIP Des Majuros in 64.18 seconds.
Tickets for Saturday’s MLSJ Team Event and Sunday’s MLSJ Grand Prix start at $10 and are available at tbird.ca.
The luck of the Irish began early Friday with the $37,000 Grand Prix Qualifier CSI2*, welcoming 51 competitors and concluding with an all-Irish podium topped by Daniel Coyle and Ivory TCS. Riders were intentional while also practical, keeping their tracks efficient without dropping rails in attempt to qualify for Saturday’s $37,000 Grand Prix CSI2*. Coyle stepped on the gas pedal with one of his younger mounts in order to cover the ground quickly between elements and turned back sharply around the steep corners to save time. After crossing the finish line, Coyle clocked in at 65.92 seconds, which would hold the lead until the end of the class.
“I always thought she was an amazing, amazing little horse,” Coyle said of Ariel Grange’s 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. “But in the last year, she’s better than I even originally thought. The plan was to jump the two-star, then put her in the five-star next week. She’s a real one for the future for me.
“She’s a little bit of her own way,” Coyle continued. “She’s a bit sharp. Her legs are always everywhere when you need them to be and really fast. But when they’re so sharp like that, to be able to switch off and go back nicely, she does. So I think that’ll help her a lot in the end where she can have all the blood and all the madness when she needs it and then be nice and civilized also when she needs to be.”
Second place in the class went to Coyle’s brother, Jordan Coyle and Costa Diam, whose time was two seconds off his brother’s, coming home in 68 seconds. Daniel Coyle commented about the sibling rivalry, “Years ago I would have said, ‘I don’t care, whatever.’ But now I’m of the conclusion that once the helmet’s on nobody’s related.” Third place went to Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and Sexy Beast in a jump-off time of 71.69 seconds.
CSI2* athletes will compete again Saturday in the $37,000 Grand Prix CSI2*.
$37,000 Grand Prix Qualifier CSI2*
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Ivory TCS / Daniel Coyle / IRL / Ariel Grange / 0/65.93
2. Costa Diam / Jordan Coyle / IRL / Elan Farm / 0/68.00
3. Sexy Beast / Paul O’Shea / IRL / Eye Candy Jumpers / 0/71.69
4. Eothymm De Kergane / Sam Walker / CAN / Tal Milstein / 0/73.11
5. Castle OJ / Andrew Bourns / IRL / Andrew Bourns / 0/73.62
6. Veyron / Ben Asselin / CAN / Attache Stables / 0/73.86
7. Greya / Kent Farrington / USA / Kent Farrington LLC / 0/74.15
8. Ashton Dakota / Rowan Willis / AUS / Rowan Willis / 0/74.35
9. Teddy Z / Callie Schott / USA / Southern Arches, LLC / 0/74.48
10. Eurostar 1 / James Arkins / AUS / James Arkin / 0/75.32
Beginning Friday’s competition for the CSI5* athletes, 21 pairs took on the $8,800 Maui Jim 1.45m Speed CSI5* in the Fort Grand Prix Arena. Over an 11-obstacle track designed by Grant, Rawlins and Wong, speed was the name of the game, a game that Ireland’s Conor Swail understood well. Aboard a newer mount, Nadal Hero & DB, Swail cruised around the course omitting strides in lines and taking direct approaches from fence to fence, even cutting inside the decoration mid-ring to shave off precious seconds and take home the victory.
Swail’s time of 65.58 seconds early on in the order put on the pressure that riders following could not catch. While some picked up the pace in an attempt to unseat Swail, rails fell as a result and ultimately no pair could reach within four seconds of Swail’s time, even with rails down. Swail clocked in nearly nine seconds faster than the second place finisher, fellow countryman Nicky Galligan and Hermione De L’Hodez, who crossed the timers in 74.11 seconds. Canada’s Alicia Lewis and Beneficial placed third coming home in 74.37 seconds.
“I haven’t really actually ran him that fast before, and he was getting more careful and more quality, so it looks like he’s going to be able to win for me more than once, thankfully,” Swail remarked on the 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion. “I’m lucky enough that I have [Vital Chance De La Roque] and [Count Me In] that are doing all the great stuff at the higher level. So it’s nice that he’s just coming up underneath. There’s no pressure on him.”
At the 2021 Canadian Premier, Swail, tbird’s winningest rider, was ranked 79th in the world. Upon returning to the venue in 2022, he is ranked fifth worldwide after a stellar year across all levels on all his mounts.
“I’m on a great roll and my horses are healthy; I think that’s obviously one of the main things,” Swail shared regarding his success this year. “If you can keep them healthy and keep them competing, that just gives you plenty of chances. Every week I go to a show, I have a great opportunity to do well.
“It’s a beautiful ring to ride in,” Swail commented on the Fort Grand Prix Arena at tbird. “The people here are very friendly. They do anything they can to accommodate you. The grass ring is absolutely fabulous. The horses love jumping in it. The facilities are just fantastic. I think the horses are happy here and they jump well here. Every horse that I’ve ever been here with loves jumping on that field.”
Nadal Hero & DB has an impressive 49% clear round rate across 55 international starts according to the JUMPR App. Newer to the higher ranks, his clear round rate at 1.45–1.40m is 56%, hinting at a promising future as the young horse continues to jump bigger classes.
Saturday evening at tbird will play host to the $200,000 MLSJ Team Competition CSI5* and Sunday afternoon features the $218,000 MLSJ Grand Prix CSI5*.
$8,800 Maui Jim 1.45m Speed CSI5*
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Nadal Hero & DB / Conor Swail / IRL / Conor Swail / 0/65.58
2. Hermione De L’Hodez / Nicky Galligan / IRL / Nicky Galligan / 0/74.11
3. Beneficial / Alicia Lewis / CAN / Alicia Lewis / 0/74.37
4. Igor Van De Wittemoere / Nayel Nassar / EGY / Evergate Stables / 0/77.53
5. Santa Rosa Yalta / Nicolas Pizarro Suarez Martinez / MEX / Ana Sofia Leggoreta Hernandez / 0/0 79.25
6. Count Me In / Conor Swail / IRL / Conor Swail / 0/81.08
7. Martialis / Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane / MEX / Andres Gonzales De La Parra / 4/69.50
8. Contefina LVF / Ashlee Bond / ISR / Ashlee Bond / 4/70.61
9. Holliewood / Shane Sweetnam / IRL / Triple S Group / 4/71.87
10. Dublin / Patricio Pasquel / MEX / Patricio Pasquel / 4/73.67
Langley, BC – May 27, 2022 – International competition resumed Friday at Thunderbird Show Park as athletes braved the rain to jump for significant prize money and coveted qualification for the weekend’s biggest classes. The Fort Grand Prix Arena held three FEI classes, all of which brought thrilling sport to spectators. The day concluded with the $73,400 CabanaCoast 1.50m Jump-Off CSI5*, which was topped by Nayel Nassar and Igor Van De Wittemoere.
The star-studded class, set in a jump-off format, invited each of the 37 athletes to attest the first-round track, set by Peter Grant (CAN), Meghan Rawlins (CAN) and Peter Wong (MAS) and consisting of 12 numbered obstacles with 15 total jumping efforts. Though the course presented challenges and swept across the expanse of the grass arena, both horses and athletes were prepared for success as 20 combinations navigated the first round fault free.
The first to execute a clear first round was Israel’s Ashlee Bond. Ireland’s Paul O’Shea guaranteed a jump-off with the second clear round just a few rounds later. Still to etch their names onto the coveted jump-off list were USA’s Kent Farrington, Nick Dello Joio, Karl Cook, Bliss Heers, and Tali DeJong; Canada’s Jim Ifko, Vanessa Mannix, Hyde Moffatt, and Ben Asselin; Israel’s Daniel Bluman; Mexico’s Nicolas Pizarro; Ireland’s Conor Swail, Shane Sweetnam, and Nicky Galligan; Australia’s Rowan Willis and Egypt’s Nassar.
Sixteen of the 20 clears opted to return for the short course to battle it out for the top spot and the lion’s share of the prize money. Bond set the pace early, returning to the ring with her Olympic mount, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding, and setting the time to beat at 45.36 seconds. The ensuing rounds would prove Bond left very little on the table, as several pairs clocked in with double-clear efforts just shy of her time, despite their best efforts to turn sharply and gallop across the long runs between fences.
It wasn’t until Nassar, who came in third to last to jump off, that the target Bond set was beaten. Nassar guided the 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, owned by Evergate Stables, neatly around the rollback turns and opened the small horse’s stride as wide as he could to gallop home and cross the timers in 44.26 seconds, snatching the lead and placing Bond into second. As the class drew to a close, Nassar took the win, Bond claimed second and third place went to Swail and Theo 160 in a jump-off time of 45.55.
“‘Igor’ has natural foot speed, so the goal is always to just get him in that rhythm and keep him there, instead of trying to push him out of it and then shorten him back up. So the plan worked out today.”
Nassar and his Olympic partner have been together since 2020. “The first six months were a little complicated,” he explained. “He’s a very sensitive horse with a lot of blood. We just had to put the pieces together on the flat work, try to work on our trust, and get him to relax a little bit. And since then, he’s really stepped up and been my best horse. He’s the one I rely on for the biggest classes that I jump. He was the one I relied on in Tokyo last year. So this was actually a nice walk in the park for him.”
According to Nassar’s own JUMPR App, his top mount boasts an all-time clear round rate of 43% over 197 international starts, 110 of which have been with Nassar in the irons. At the 1.50m height, the pair have placed in the top 10 in 47% of the classes they’ve jumped.
$73,400 CabanaCoast 1.50m Jump-Off CSI5*
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Igor Van De Wittemoere / Nayel Nassar / EGY / Evergate Stables / 0/0 44.26
2. Donatello 141 / Ashlee Bond / ISR / Ashlee Bond / 0/0 45.36
3. Theo 160 / Conor Swail / IRL / Team Philippaerts / 0/0 45.55
4. Gazelle / Kent Farrington / USA Robin Parsky / 0/0 46.12
5. Damzelle Ste Hermelle / Lacey Gilbertson / USA / Seabrook LLC / 0/0 47.10
6. Cornet’s Cambridge / Nick Dello Joio / USA / The Berry Group LLC / 0/0 47.33
7. Billy Guilder / Rowan Willis / AUS / Rowan Willis & Peter Moore / 0/0 48.56
8. Un Diamant Des Forets / Jim Ifko / CAN / Eventyre Farms Ltd. / 0/0 48.87
9. Javas Miss Jordan / Nicky Galligan / IRL / Nicky Galligan / 0/0 48.96
10. Pia Contra / Nicolas Pizarro Suarez Martinez / MEX / Nicolas Pizarro Suarez Martinez / 0/0 50.35
Opening FEI competition Thursday morning was the $1,000 Two Phase 1.40m CSI2* with Maddy Riddle (CAN) and her mount Cato Minor J, a 15-year-old Westphalian, capturing the rider’s first ever FEI victory.
Fifty-eight horse-and-rider combinations tested the Peter Grant-designed track. Featuring 12 numbered obstacles in total, the course allowed riders to navigate the first seven obstacles with clear efforts in mind, then the final five obstacles were designed as the speed phase. Riders who opted to continue the course picked up the pace and galloped from fence to fence, covering the entire expanse of the arena in the second phase.
Navigating the first phase flawlessly, the Alberta native kicked into gear after fence seven and used her gelding’s natural footspeed and massive stride to cover the ground efficiently without taking any unnecessary risks. Crossing the timers in 31.64 seconds, the amateur rider finished only one one-hundredth of a second quicker than the second place finisher, Mexican team veteran Patricio Pasquel and Alicia, whose second-phase time was 31.65 seconds. Ireland’s Conor Swail finished third with Gamble in a time of 31.84 seconds.
“He’s a relatively new horse for me,” Riddle commented. “I got him last year and showed him in a handful of classes, then he actually had an injury and was off for the rest of the year. So I’ve really only jumped him in about seven or eight classes. A really good friend of mine sold him to me. She knew when she had the horse that he was a good match for me. From the moment I sat on him I knew that ‘Cato’ was going to be a good one for me.
“He likes to throw his head around and play,” continued Riddle. “For me, I just get along with that. I don’t mind it when they want to play a little bit. If they’re playing, I think they’re having a good time and then I’m having a good time; it’s supposed to be fun.”
CSI2* competition continues Friday with the $37,000 Grand Prix Qualifier CSI2*, where riders will try their hand at qualification for Saturday’s $37,000 Grand Prix CSI2*.
$1,000 Two Phase 1.40m CSI2*
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Cato Minor J / Maddy Riddle / CAN / Maddy Riddle / 0/0 31.64
2. Alicia / Patricio Pasquel / MEX / Patricio Pasquel / 0/0 31.65
3. Gamble / Conor Swail / IRL / Asta Torokvei / 0/0 31.84
4. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Cheryl Keith / 0/0 31.91
5. Caya / Shauna Cook / CAN / Sheilagh Kelly / 0/0 31.96
6. Dante 108 / Arash Rahmati / IRI / Solmaz Golamhosseini / 0/0 32.08
7. Golden Eye / Matthew Williams / AUS / First Joy Holdings, LLC / 0/0 32.25
8. Dandy / Matthew Williams / AUS / HD Horses LLC / 0/0 32.43
8. The Freshman / Ben Asselin / CAN / Attache Stables / 0/0 32.55
10. Joevaro N / James Arkins / USA / James Arkins / 0/0 33.14
Tickets for Saturday’s MLSJ Team Event and Sunday’s MLSJ Grand Prix start at $10 and are available at tbird.ca.
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