Calgary, AB – July 11, 2013 – The ‘Pan American’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows kicked off on Thursday with featured competition including a win for French rider Adam Prudent and Vasco in the $6,000 Shell Energy Cup 1.45m as well as a victory for USA’s Kent Farrington and Zafira in the $35,000 G&C Farm Cup 1.50m.
The ‘Pan American’ Tournament runs July 11-14, 2013, featuring CSI 5* competition and $625,000 in total prize money. The week will continue with the $15,000 CIBC Cup and $33,000 Friends of the Meadows Cup on Friday, the $40,000 Friends of the Meadows Cup and $33,000 ASHCOR Technologies Cup on Saturday, and the highlight event, the $400,000 PAN AMERICAN Cup presented by ROLEX, to wrap up competition on Sunday.
The $35,000 G&C Farm Cup was the highlight competition on Thursday with 62 entries jumping a challenging course set by Peter Grant of Vancouver, BC. Jumping in the beautiful Meadows on the Green, nine entries went clear to advance to the jump-off and just three were able to clear the short course without fault. First in the order of go and therefore first to return for the jump-off, Kent Farrington and Haity McNerney’s Zafira set the pace with what would prove to be the winning clear round in 37.88 seconds.
Kent Farrington and Zafira. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.
Canada’s Tiffany Foster and Victor, owned by Torrey Pines and Artisan Farms LLC, finished second with a clear jump-off round in 39.61 seconds. Mexico’s Nicolas Pizarro and Polasko placed third with a time of 43.81 seconds. Reed Kessler (USA) qualified two horses for the jump-off, finishing fourth with Ligist with four faults in 37.80 seconds. Kessler was also fifth with Iron Works Partners’ Wolf S with four faults in 42.23 seconds.
Class winner Zafira is a nine-year-old KWPN mare by Nassau x Cappucino van Berkenbroek. Zafira is gaining some valuable experience showing in the big rings at Spruce Meadows this summer and Farrington is very pleased with the mare’s progression.
“Zafira is a green horse to come to Spruce Meadows,” Farrington remarked. “It started out a little hairy. A year ago in the fall she was just doing 1.35m. She was a little behind, so I have come here and just tried to give her really strong miles. I started in the 1.45m and that went a little up and down, but now having been here for a while, she is getting more comfortable and she has steadily been improving.”
“Jumping a division higher in the 1.50m and being able to win is a great last week for the horse,” Farrington smiled. “Today she jumped great. That was her first class this week, so to march right into a big class like that, I was thrilled with her.”
Zafira has made a big step up this year and Farrington hopes to see continued success with the talented mare.
“I think she is just right on track,” he noted. “My goal was to bring her here and to give her lots of mileage and hopefully she stepped up and jumped some good classes and that is exactly what she is doing. I think leaving here she will be a much better horse where she will be comfortable walking into a lot of different venues and jumping some different classes.”
Kent Farrington and Zafira in their round of honor after winning the $35,000 G&C Farm Cup. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.
Farrington has a nice string of horses right now and is letting Zafira decide for herself where she will fall in the line-up.
“Like all of them, I get them when they are young and sort of produce them along the way and see how good they want to be,” he explained. “I think she is already a nice grand prix horse. She is only nine years old and where she goes from there I don’t know. The horses will decide if they want to be a superstar or they want to be a good second horse or a grand prix horse or what they want to do, but that is sort of always the unknown. You don’t know until you do it, but so far she is progressing nicely and I am happy with where she is.”
Zafira will show again later this week and then Farrington will make the decision about whether she will go to Europe or continue on to the Hampton Classic Horse Show in New York at the end August.
Final Results: $35,000 G&C Farm Cup 1.50m
1. ZAFIRA: 2004 KWPN mare Nassau x Cappucino van Berkenbroek
KENT FARRINGTON (USA), Haity McNerney: 0/0/37.88
2. VICTOR: 2002 KWPN gelding by Elmshorn x Grandeur
TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Torrey Pines & Artisan Farms LLC: 0/0/39.61
3. POLASKO: 2003 Oldenburg gelding by Polytraum x Grannus
NICOLAS PIZARRO (MEX), Nicolas Pizarro: 0/0/43.81
4. LIGIST: 2000 Swedish Warmblood gelding by Levantos II x Robin Z
REED KESSLER (USA), Reed Kessler: 0/4/37.80
5. WOLF S: 2003 KWPN gelding by Numero Uno x Peter Pan
REED KESSLER (USA), Iron Works Partners: 0/4/42.23
6. SANCHA LS LA SILLA: 2003 SLS mare by Chin Chin x Polydor
DANIEL BLUMAN (COL), Daniel Bluman: 0/4/44.99
7. WANNICK WH: 2003 KWPN stallion by Heartbreaker x Joost
CHRISTINE MCCREA (USA), Candy Tribble: 0/8/41.49
8. FARFELU DE LA POMME: 2005 Warmblood mare by Vigo d’Arsouilles x Darco
JOS VERLOOY (BEL), Axel Verlooy: 0/8/43.90
9. CARLOS V.H.P Z: 2002 Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z x Voltaire
NICHOLAS DELLO JOIO (USA), EM Horses: 0/17/59.95
10. QUILEBO D TILLARD: 2004 Selle Francais gelding by For Pleasure x Quat Sous
ENRIQUE GONZALEZ (MEX), Enrique Gonzalez: 1/76.87
11. VERDI III: 2002 KWPN gelding by Hors la Loi III x Cantus
TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 1/77.39
12. COLASKO: 2005 Oldenburg stallion by Coleman x Granus
Nicolas Pizarro (MEX) Monica Burrillo Eguia: 1/77.62
Prudent and Vasco Show Early Speed for Victory in the $6,000 Shell Energy Cup
Thursday’s schedule began with the $6,000 Shell Energy Cup 1.45m competition, held in the All Canada Ring, with 32 entries jumping a course set by Cristina Larangeiro of Portugal. The one round speed competition saw nine clear rounds with a win for Adam Prudent (FRA) riding Katie Prudent’s Vasco, an eleven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Andiamo x Clinton. The pair took an early lead, seventh in the order of go, and could not be beat with their faultless round in a blazing fast time of 69.62 seconds.
Brianne Goutal (USA) and Cloverleaf Farm’s Uata made a great effort in 70.68 seconds to finish in reserve. Leslie Howard and Peter Howard’s Lennox Lewis 2 had the first clear round of the class in 73.22 seconds to place third. Belgium’s Francois Mathy and Opus PSG cleared the course in 74.20 seconds and finished in fourth place.
Adam Prudent and Vasco. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.
“Vasco is a new horse that I just purchased before Calgary, so I have had him for six weeks now,” Prudent said of his winning mount. “He has come up quite well. We started him out in the 1.30m and now he is winning in the 1.45m. He has had results in every division since I have moved him up. He was doing 1.45m, 1.50m in Europe, but this is the first time I have shown him at this height and he is doing great.”
Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam was the only rider to top Prudent’s time, completing the course in 67.10 seconds aboard Spy Coast Farm LLC’s Cyklon 1083, but four faults left the pair out of the ribbons. Prudent explained that his speed with Vasco came easily.
“I just let him open up his stride,” Prudent stated. “I didn’t even really try to go fast. He is just a naturally fast horse I think and it worked out for the best.”
“He is a very careful horse, very scopey, a great horse all in all,” Prudent added. “He is very calm. Once you start jumping he becomes a little hotter and goes towards the rail, but he is a very easy horse to deal with. I haven’t shown him on anything but grass so far, but he loves the big open fields and he loves opening up his stride.”
Prudent and Vasco will head back to Europe after this week’s competition where they will compete in Dinard and then Valkenswaard.
“He is a sale horse, so if he is not sold after that I might go to Arezzo for two weeks and then there is a month tour in Morocco that I might take him to. He will definitely step up. He is a horse that I bought to possibly do 1.60m. He has a lot of potential and a lot of scope.”
Adam Prudent and Vasco in their victory gallop for the $6,000 Shell Energy Cup. Photo © Spruce Meadows Media Services.
The ‘Pan American’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows will continue on Friday with the $15,000 CIBC Cup 1.40m and $33,000 Friends of the Meadows Cup 1.60m in the Meadows on the Green Ring. For more information and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Final Results: $6,000 Shell Energy Cup 1.45m
1. VASCO: 2002 KWPN gelding by Andiamo x Clinton
ADAM PRUDENT (FRA), Katie Prudent: 0/69.62
2. UATA: 2001 KWPN mare by Heartbreaker x Zuidhorn
BRIANNE GOUTAL (USA), Cloverleaf Farms: 0/70.68
3. LENNOX LEWIS 2: 1999 Oldenburg gelding by Laureatus x Weizenkorn
LESLIE HOWARD (USA), Peter Howard: 0/73.22
4. OPUS PSG: 2000 Holsteiner gelding by Contender x Landego
FRANCOIS MATHY (BEL), Francois Mathy: 0/74.20
5. ACORADUS: 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding by Acorado I x Solos Candtinus
ALEC LAWLER (USA), Torben Jensen: 0/79.25
6. CASTELLA: 2003 Holsteiner mare by Unknown x Unknown
SARAH MOSS (CAN), 1697378 Alberta Ltd: 0/80.00
7. SANTA CATARINA LS LA SILLA: 2001 Warmblood mare by Santo Domino La Silla x Cor de la Bryere
BRETTON CHAD (CAN), Stone Ridge Farms LLC: 0/80.49
8. LUCKY LORD 20: 2002 Bayern gelding by Lux Z x Lord Z
JENNIFER GODDARD (USA), Ahlmann Sportpferde Gmbh: 0/82.66
9. ALFI: 2003 Argentine gelding by Unknown x Unknown
MICHELLE NAVARRO-GRAU (PER), Michelle Navarro-Grau: 0/82.79
10. CANDY GIRL: 2002 Holsteiner mare by Coranado x Lorentin I
ALEXANDER GRAYTON (CAN), Grayton Farms Ltd: 1/83.50
11. HH WILCO: 2003 KWPN gelding by Nabab de Reve x Fedor
QUENTIN JUDGE (USA), Double H Farm: 1/86.28
12. NEWTON DU HAUT BOIS: 2001 French Trotter gelding by Cumano x Quat Sous
CAMERON HANLEY (IRL), Eleonore Paschoude & Yves Bouvier: 2/87.42
Based in Calgary, Canada, Spruce Meadows is the brainchild of the Southern family who built a Show Jumping complex at the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains. It was in 1976 that the first Spruce Tournaments were held, with annual spectator attendances reaching over 50,000 by the end of the decade. Today, Spruce Meadows boasts one of the greatest outdoor equestrian venues in the world and offers an incredible experience for riders and fans alike. Spruce Meadows focuses on the organization and hosting of show jumping tournaments of unmatched quality for junior, amateur and professional athletes in a manner that reflects basic family values in a clean, green and welcoming environment that celebrates the horse and encourages the breeding and training of quality sport horses and the teaching and development of athletes. For more information on Spruce Meadows, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Photos © Spruce Meadows Media Services. They may only be used in relation to this press release and with photo credit.