Spruce Meadows Masters - Thursday

Fierce competition continued at Spruce Meadows today, starting with the AKITA Drilling Cup. It was a full entry with 58 horse/rider combinations making their way around the Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) designed course.

There were seven who bested the 14 jumping efforts, moving onto the jump-off round. American Olympic Team Gold Medalist Will Simpson was able to use his position of last in the jump-off to his advantage. Simpson took care in studying the jump-off course and where he could cut time.

The four who had jumped double clear ahead of Simpson all finished in the 40 second range, giving Simpson little time to make up but the wily veteran was able to find a spot. “I had the advantage of going last after a lot of clear rounds in the second,” said Simpson after the AKITA Drilling Cup. “I saw the inside turn and took it and came over it beautifully,” explained Simpson.

That inside turn put the American across the finish line in 39.79 seconds, nearly a second faster than his closest competitor, and fellow American mate Ashlee Bond. That aggressive path gave Simpson a big win early in the week in the AKITA Drilling Cup.

AKITA Drilling Cup top 10

1-         Will Simpson                         USA                Black Cherry

2-         Ashlee Bond                          USA               GZS Cassira Z

3-         Michel Robert                        FRA                What’s Next

4-         Eric Lamaze                          CAN               Take Off

5-         Juan Carlos Garcia                ITA                 Moka De Mescam

6-         Beth Underhill                       CAN                Top Gun

7-         Marc Houtzager                    NED                Uppity

8-         Nicolas Pizarro                      MEX                Jerminal En Noir

9-         Cameron Hanley                   IRL                 VDL Rocksina HD

10-       Janne-Friederike Meyer         GER                 Chika’s Way

The final event of the day was CANA Cup, in which 46 entries took on a Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) test. The course featured 14 jumping efforts over a distance of 500 m and a time allowed of 75 seconds.

There were 10 horse/rider combinations that cleared the first round course to move onto the jump-off round. For one rider it was a bit of a late birthday present, Jaime Azcarraga (MEX) turned 50 yesterday and today he rode Presley Boy to victory.

Azcarraga wanted this win heading into the weekend after taking some time off. “I didn’t do much competing after the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, we were both a bit rusty,” said Azcarrraga.

The rust didn’t show for the pair who has been a team for the past 7 years, they eased around the jump-off course finishing in 38.80 seconds. Presley Boy will now rest until Sunday when they will look to continue the winning streak at the $1 million CN International Grand Prix.

CANA Cup top 10

1-         Jaime Azcarraga                   MEX               Presley Boy

2-         Daniel Etter                          SUI                Peu a Peu

3-         Daniel Deusser                     GER               Aboyeur W

4-         Morten Djupvik                     NOR               Bessemeind’s Casino

5-         Geir Gulliksen                       NOR               L’Espoir 7

6-         Roger-Yves Bost                   FRA                Ideal De La Loge

7-         Christopher Lowe                  CAN               Jackpot

t8-        Antonio Chedraui                  MEX                Don Porfirio

t8-        Angelique Hoorn                   NED                Blauwendraad’s O’Brien

t8-        Harrie Smolders                   NED                Exquis Walnut De Muze