Results from the ConocoPhillips Canada Cup

It was a vintage Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) course design, 17 jumping efforts, 580 metres in distance and it all had to be done in under 87 seconds. The course was every bit as hard as looked as it got the best of 40 of the 43 entries in today’s ConocoPhillips Canada Cup.

The first to master the course was Antonio Maurer (MEX), he was the eleventh in the ring and rode his gelding As Hyo Hugo perfectly. The proved that the course could be beat and for a while it looked as though they would be the only one’s to do it.

The next clear round came 21 rounds later from the young Sean Crooks (USA). Crooks took advantage of being able to watch so many other rounds and he beat the course handily with his Holstein mare, Cincinatti LA Silla. There would now be a jump-off of at least two.

The last person to join the jump-off pack was Canadian Mario Deslauriers and his Belgian Warmblood gelding, Urico. Deslauriers is coming off a career week at the Spruce Meadows “National” Tournament where he won the Nexen Cup Derby.

Deslauriers was the last to go in the jump-off. He first watched Maurer let go over the last fence and walk out of the ring with a four fault round, but a fast time of 43.54 seconds. He would have to be fast or perfect but preferably both if he was going to win the ConocoPhillips Canada Cup.

“You have to be careful when you’re the last to go and you have to go clean,” said Deslauriers. He was careful; finishing the jump-off with the only double clear of the competition. “I ride so much better when I’m sitting on great horses,” added Deslauriers after his win.

ConocoPhillips Canada Cup top 10

1-         Mario Deslauriers                 CAN               Urico

2-         Antonio Maurer                     MEX               As Hyo Hugo

3-         Sean Crooks                        USA               Cincinatti La Silla

4-         Jonathan Millar                     CAN               Vianco V/D Rampaarden

5-         Antonio Chedraui                  MEX               Don Porfirio

6-         Alejandro Karolyi                  VEN               Missisipi L.S

7-         Mario Deslauriers                 CAN               Diablo

8-         Rodrigo Pessoa                    BRA               Cazino

9-         Norman Dello Joio                USA                Notre Star De La Nutria

10-       Rodrigo Pessoa                     BRA               Champ 163

Next up for the Canadian is tomorrow’s $100,000 CN Performance Grand Prix. Deslauriers will be riding Paradigm, who he has already won the Nexen Cup Derby with. If the pair continue to perform as well as they have they will have a chance to join the great list of athletes who have already won the CN Performance Gand Prix.

Not among those names is Canadian Gold Medal Olympian, Eric Lamaze. The CN Performance is the one leg of the $1 million CN Precision Series that he has failed to win. With his stallion Hickstead, Lamaze will look to break that trend tomorrow.

Standing in his way will be two-time defending champions Beezie Madden and Judgement. The pair won the competition last year in what was one of the most exciting finishes in its history, as they so narrowly beat Mexican Jaime Azcarraga.

The CN Performance Grand Prix is the second leg of the CN Precision Series. Canada’s Ian Millar won the first leg, the CN Reliability Grand Prix, during this summer’s “National” Tournament. If Millar win’s tomorrow he will win an added $50,000 bonus for winning two legs of the Series. The CN Peformance Grand Prix is the final competition of the 2009 “Continental/Skyliner” Tournament. It will begin at 1:30 pm on Meadows on the Green.