Call it Chawke Value: James Chawke and Daido van’t Ruytershof Z saved the best for last in Friday’s CSI4* Qualifier—to no one’s surprise. Winning is what they do in the Fort Grand Prix ring.
Six pairs advanced to the short course over Gregory Bodo’s 1.50m track. First to return, Canada’s Amy Millar and Jagger HX set a speedy standard in 39.7 seconds but toed a rail in the double to finish on four faults. By the time Chawke and Daido took to the ring five pairs later, Katie Laurie (AUS) had taken the lead with a clear in 41.94 seconds, but left the door open. Daido galloped straight through it.
“I just did the numbers and she’s generally very quick, so I figured that if I could do those I’d be pretty close,” Chawke said of his jump-off strategy.
Chawke and the speedy 12-year-old Zangersheide stopped the clock at 39.77 seconds, securing the victory. Laurie and Django II slotted into second, while Nicole Walker (CAN) and Panter JVH claimed third in 42.18 seconds.
Partnered since 2024, Chawke has routinely experimented with Daido’s bridle to suit the mare’s sensitive nature—at one point forgoing both browband and bonnet.
“She is very sensitive, but you cannot put ear plugs in her, so we use the bonnet [to dampen sound],” he explained. “And then the bit I changed in Santa Anita last November [from a hackabit to a rubber pelham], and I’ve kept it since—she just seems to like it.”
Daido van’t Ruytershof Z has become something of a tbird specialist: four of her five career Grand Prix wins with Chawke have come at the Langley venue. But that’s less to do with the venue than the horse, he says—winning is just what Daido does.
“Really she wins a lot of places she goes,” he said with a smile, adding, “and she spends a lot of time at tbird.”
On Sunday, they’ll attempt to capture a fifth tbird title in the CSI4* $117,000 Grand Prix ahead of next week’s CSI4* Odlum Brown BC Open, where Daido will make her Nations Cup debut for Ireland.
Tickets for the week’s feature event are available exclusively at tbird.ca/tickets.
$62,500 CSI4* Qualifier 1.50m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
- Daido van’ t Ruytershof Z / James Chawke / IRL / James Chawke / 0/0 40.55
- Django / Katie Laurie / AUS / Katie Laurie / 0/0 41.94
- Panter / Nicole Walker / CAN / 0/0 Nicole Walker / 42.18
- Oaks Milky Way / Hilary Scott /AUS / Hilary Scott / 0/0 44/41
- Chino 29 / Lucy Davis Kennedy / USA / E V Equestrian LLC / 0/0 45.45
- Jagger HX / Amy Millar / CAN / Team Eye Candy and Millar Brooke Farm / 0/4 39.7
- Cayenne Z / Kyle King / USA / Kyle King / 4 76.62
- For Dilando PS / Rowan Willis / AUS / Just a Cheeky One / 4 76.71
- Replay Touch van de Stapelheyde / Kyle King / USA / The Chess Group / 4 79.1
- ZF Chacco Rio / Katie Laurie / AUS / Carissa McCall / 4 79.85
Photo credit: Kim Gaudry for tbird.
