Friday welcomed back the FEI Ruby and Diamond Tour in the Grand Prix Stadium at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, CA, for the Ruby Speed Stake, sponsored by Ariat, and the Diamond Speed Stake, sponsored by The Equine Platform.
Ali Ramsay (CAN) and Lutz landed in first place in the $40,000 Diamond Tour Speed, sponsored by The Equine Platform, with a speedy trip halting the timers at 69.7 seconds. Keean White (CAN) and Vampyr van de Rib (Roccossifred x Gratianus), owned by Alexandra Millar, completed the speed course in a time of 70.15 seconds to grant them second place. While Katelyn Denby Edwards (USA) aboard Mountain View West Farm LLC’s Escapado S (Whitesnake x Elcaro) were awarded third for their time of 70.34 seconds.
Course Designer Alan Wade (IRL) had 40 pairs challenge the Diamond Speed CSI3* course with eight finishing with clear rounds. “I think speed rounds are a little easier to keep him [Lutz] focused because you’re just running and going for it; he has less time to focus on other things,” Ramsay noted. “For me too, maybe, because I’m focusing on the track and rather than in a big class where there are more technical aspects to it,” she admitted.
“I think as long as he is focused and not distracted by everything else going on, then he can be unstoppable.” Ramsay shared of the 2009 Westphalian gelding (Lordanos x Pilot) she has owned since last April, “He is very spooky so we just try to keep his head in the game but he is super athletic, he’s a really cool horse,” Ramsay explained.
Ramsay used the off-week between Week IV and V to prepare for the FEI Diamond Tour, “It was nice to have the off-week before the FEI week here because the horses were able to have some time off and we were able to have time to get back into the groove as opposed to just showing,” Ramsay explained. “It gets a bit hard here when you’re just on and off showing and you don’t have much time to train, just flatwork and poles, so it was nice to go back to basics a bit on the off week.”
The pair were also crowned the winners in the $100,000 HorseFlight Grand Prix during Week I of Desert Circuit and are currently in the running to compete in the $250,000 Invitational Grand Prix. ”I have too many horses to go home with on my trailer, so I really need to win that Stephex truck. Then I don’t have to sell anymore horses,” Ramsay joked.
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