Aaron Vale (USA) was the final rider to make the cut for the second round of the CSI5*-W The Royal Winning Round Friday night at the Royal Horse Show. Making the most of the opportunity, he ended up the class winner.
Jumping first over the Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) shortened course, Vale and the 12-year-old gelding Gray’s Inn executed a flawless round that could not be matched by the rest of the field, crossing the timers in 32.13 seconds. McLain Ward (USA) and First Lady came closest to catching the winning pair but ultimately ended up just five-hundredths of a second behind (32.18 seconds). Marlon Modolo Zanotelli (BRA) and Eddie G Z secured third (34.07s).
The Royal Horse Show, which runs Nov. 6-15, is part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world. A nine-day showcase of equestrian sport, the show features a wide variety of disciplines, from international show jumping and dressage to national show hunters, indoor eventing, and an array of unique horse breeds. The marquee event, the CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto is set for Saturday, November 14.
“I went in [with the mentality of] throwing a fastball inside, make the batter back up, and the pitch hit just inside the corner of the plate,” Vale said.
In this Winning Round format, the top 10 riders from the first round, regardless of score, advanced to a shortened course on a clean slate. Vale snuck into the second round despite having a rail down over the first round track. He was determined to make up for the mistake, especially after speaking to his wife Mallory—who could not make the trip to Toronto while managing things at their home in Williston, Florida—between rounds.
“She’s at home, because our daughter is in school, and and we have a lot of things going on at home with the horses and our business. She makes all of this happen,” Vale credited. “On the phone, she just said, ‘You better go fast.'”
Vale and Gray’s Inn were completely in sync over the short course, gaining an edge through a particularly quick start, a flying fast final oxer, and an incredibly tight turn to the fourth fence, a delicate vertical.
“I jumped [fence] one, and I got that like I wanted. [Then] I turned, and I just went to the first distance I saw,” Vale detailed. “I took the six [strides to the following line], and I turned to that next vertical. I felt like I was nearly parallel with it, [but I thought], I think he’s going to jump it anyway!”
As the remainder of the field watched the round, chatter quickly spread among the warm-up that the effort would be tough to catch. One by one, that sentiment was proven correct. Last to jump, Ward made it a tense wait for the final results, but Vale had indeed done enough.
“When the top 10 come back on 0 [faults], if you’re clear [in the first round], you hate to get beaten by someone that had a rail down. That’s happened to me before, [with the roles reversed],” Vale expressed. “When you can win with a rail down in the first round, you’re certainly happy. I’m happy to get it tonight.”
Gray’s Inn has been in the Vale family for six years, with Mallory doing much of the gelding’s early development. She continues to ride him most days at home but has turned the competitive reins over largely to her husband. Together, Vale and Gray’s Inn have captured wins around the globe, in a variety of different venues and over different surfaces.
“He’s done a lot of good for us,” Vale said. “He’s a great horse in the barn, and my wife’s had fun with him. She’s letting me have fun with him, and my daughter might get to have some fun with him in another couple of years.”
Vale has now captured five-star wins at the Royal in two of the three years he’s attended the event.
“There’s a great crowd with great ambiance. The stands are full. At almost 11:00pm, the people are still here,” Vale said, eliciting a strong response from the crowd. “Toronto is lovely. We love it.”
Results here.
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