Spruce Meadows Masters - Sunday

Two one-hundredths of a second, that’s what winning the $1 million CN International came down to today on the final day of the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament. The record crowd of 73,736 was treated to spectacular show jumping on a perfect day.

There is no greater competition than the CN International and there were no better athletes in the sport than those competing here today. With Olympic, World and World Cup champions all on the same entry it was no surprise that the final would come to a hair.

Course designer Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) built a superb championship course that featured 17 jumping efforts, a distance of 600 metres and a time allowed of 90 seconds, in the first round. That first round course separated the 12 best of the day from the rest. Those 12 moved on to take on a whole new course in the second round.

Ben Maher (GBR) rode his 11 year-old gelding Robin Hood W around the 440 metre course just a touch slow. His finish time of 70.16 seconds put him over the time allowed and cost Maher a clear round.

That one fault round looked like it might hold until McLain Ward of the USA road Sapphire into the ring. Ward and the 14 year-old Belgian Warmblood mare were perfect coming home clear and putting themselves into first position.

It was to the cheer of his home country crowd that Eric Lamaze (CAN) came into the Spruce Meadows International Ring aboard his Olympic Gold Medal mount, Hickstead. The stallion had a heavy rub in the first round but he flew over the fences in round two. All eyes were on the clock as Lamaze came across the finish line clear, forcing a two horse jump-off.

The jump-off course was another Palacios test that would be battled by two of the best horses and riders in the world. Ward would make the effort first. With Lamaze and Hickstead behind him Ward knew his time would have to be quick. The finish time was 37.76 seconds, fast but would it be fast enough?

Canadian Olympic hero Lamaze has never shrunk under pressure and today was no different. He and Hickstead flew but the clock stopped two one-hundredths of a second short of first place, 37.78 seconds, Lamaze would settle for second place.

“She’s the fastest horse in the world, it worked out and he (Eric Lamaze) was nice enough to take a pull,” said Ward after winning $325,000 for first place in the CN International. Ward had been chasing this win for years and today he landed perfect, took off beautifully and made all of the right turns, everything aligned for the American on the final day of the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament.

Lamaze did not go home empty handed. A second place in this competition is something to be proud of. “I tried everything I could, in the end I wasn’t good enough but to be second in this competition is pretty great,” said the 2007 Champion of the CN International.

McLain Ward, champion of the CN International, wouldn’t take all of the credit for his tremendous win. “This is not an individual sport, this is a team sport. I am very lucky to have a great team,” said the champion. “We are only as good as two things, our horse and our staff,” added Ward.

CN International top 10

1-         McLain Ward                         USA               Sapphire

2-         Eric Lamaze                          CAN               Hickstead

3-         Ben Maher                           GBR                Robin Hood W

4-         Janne-Friederike Meyer         GBR               Cellagon Lambrasco

5-         Albert Zoer                          NED                Okidoki

6-         Cameron Hanley                  IRL                 Southwind VDL

7-         Michel Robert                       FRA                Kellemoi De Pepita

8-         Daniel Deusser                    GER                Aboyeur W

9-         Geoff Billington                    GBR                Rosinus

10-       Peter Charles                       GBR                Murkas Pom D’Ami