Langley, B.C. – Aug. 25, 2019 – Sunday afternoon brought the return of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League, with the West Coast Sub-League officially kicking off the 2019/2020 season. The $145,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver CSI4*-W, presented by Celebrity Cruises, was set to be an action-packed class under sunny skies at Thunderbird Show Park. Rocketing to the top of the leaderboard was Daniel Coyle (IRL) with Ariel Grange’s Farrel, gaining valuable points in league standings and walking away with the lion’s share of the prize money.
Set by Peter Holmes (CAN), the 13-obstacle, 1.60m course allowed riders to use their horse’s stride as they covered the full span of the Fort Grand Prix Ring. Of the 40 horse-and-rider combinations to pass through the starters, only five were clear to advance to the jump-off.
The first round proved difficult for many, as the first clear round became elusive round after round. Third to go in the order, amateur rider Laura Hite (USA), was clear over the jumps but caught one time fault, eventually landing her in sixth place. Faults were accumulated mostly at jump two, and the second-to-last fence, a tall vertical going away from the gate.
It wasn’t until 29 combinations later that the first clear round was found, with Richard Spooner (USA) becoming the first to post a zero score on the board. Spooner’s round was followed by clears from Coyle, Harrie Smolders (NED) and Hocus Pocus de Muze, Beezie Madden (USA) and Darry Lou, and last to go Kelli Cruciotti (USA) with her mount Hadja van Orshof.
Second to go in the jump-off, Coyle opened Farrel up across the field, stopping the timers in 37.32 seconds. Cruciotti gave it her all with her own Hadja van Orshof but stopped the clock just behind the lead in 42.26 seconds to land them in second place. Smolders and Hocus Pocus de Muze, owned by Evergate Stables, pulled an unlucky rail in the jump-off, ending on four faults and a time of 37.41 seconds to finish out their day in third place.
Sunday’s class wraps up three weeks of competition at Thunderbird Show Park and begins the chase to be one of the 11 coveted riders from the North American League who get a ticket to the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 15-19, 2020. The American Gold Cup is up next, as they host the $210,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ New York CSI4*-W on Sunday, Sept. 15, which is the kick-off of the Eastern Sub-League.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Daniel Coyle – $145,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver CSI4*-W winner
On Farrel:
“I’ve had him since the end of his 6-year-old year so I know him really well. He jumped the Nations Cup here at the start of the summer and was fantastic. I think, give him another year’s time and he will be a real top horse – not that he isn’t right now, but he’s still a little green. This was a real track today and he proved himself to be a real horse for the future.”
On his plan:
“I try not to change my plan. You watch and then figure out what you need to know and then not get caught in what everyone else is doing – it’s more about what you’re going to do. And that was just my strategy, so when I went in the ring I knew what I was going to do and not what everyone else was.”
On the second to last jump:
“Well actually, I had a very lucky rub on the second to last jump and I have had a little luck I suppose. It was a lot on the left rein to go right away from the gate and maybe some horses switched off a little bit for a second because it was definitely not the hardest jump on the course but came down the most I would say so that’s probably what it was for me.”
On the jump-off:
“He’s strange in that way because in the jump-off usually he jumps better which is strange but when you start galloping he starts to look a little quicker and jump a little higher. And I know that from the last few years that I’ve had him because that third jump [today] did come down a lot and I really rode him at it and he jumped it probably as good as he could that second time. When you know them a little more it’s a lot easier, especially when they’re younger jumping this level.”
Harrie Smolders – Third place
On Hocus Pocus de Muze:
“It’s quite a new horse for our string. We have a great string, and it’s actually the first time that I’ve had him in a world cup qualifier. The horse did amazing this week – he was clear for the first two days and today again. I gave it a go in the jump-off and we had that fence down.”
On showing at Thunderbird:
“I think as you said, you feel always welcome here. Also today we had a fantastic crowd, super atmosphere.”
On the course:
“I’m not really sure why [so many had the second to last down]. I actually thought the bridge would be harder. They maybe thought it was a straight-ahead jump, but it was maybe the color.”
RESULTS
$145,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Vancouver CSI4*-W
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1. Farrel / Daniel Coyle / IRL / Ariel Grange / 0 | 80.18 / 0 | 37.32 sec
2. Hadja van Orshof / Kelli Cruciotti / USA / Kelli Cruciotti / 0 | 79.37 / 0 | 42.26
3. Hocus Pocus de Muze / Harrie Smolders / NED / Evergate Stables LLC / 0 | 79.86 / 4 | 37.41
4. Darry Lou / Beezie Madden / USA / Abigail S Wexner / 0 | 76.53 / 4 | 38.34
5. Quirado RC / Richard Spooner / USA / Show Jumping Syndications Int’l / 0 | 79.23 / 10 | 55.98
6. Calypso v/d Zuuthoeve / Laura Hite / USA / Laura Hite / 1 | 83.26
7. Donatello / Ashlee Bond / ISR / Little Valley Farms / 4 | 75.19
8. Samson II / Zazou Hoffman / USA / Woodacres Stables LLC / 4 | 75.54
9. Primo Troy / Andrew Welles / USA / Itasca Group LLC / 4 | 75.66
10. Colorado / Luis Pedro Biraben / ARG / Gugler Sport Horses GmbH & Co.KG / 4 | 76.87
11. Diablo VII / Rowan Willis / AUS / Lucinda Huddy & Rowan Willis / 4 | 77.03
12. Pappa Ante Portas / Eugenio Garza Perez / MEX / David & Monica Garza / 4 | 77.25