It appeared to be ladies’ night in the fourth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 North American League Western Sub-League when six of the seven riders to advance to the jump off were female competitors. Over the deciding, short course, Jenni McAllister (USA) and 10-year-old gelding Legis Touch The Sun ultimately proved that a big, scopey horse can excel in a small indoor arena, as they went on to capture the win in the $132,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Royal West.

Exactly one week after contesting the World Cup Qualifier at the Del Mar International Horse Show in California, McAllister traveled north, across the border, to try her luck over a track designed by Werner Deeg (GER). In an indoor arena, smaller than last week’s in her home state, she outshone a starting field of 21 horse-and-rider pairs with one of only two double clear rounds—and the winning time of 41.88 seconds.

“We bought him as a 5-year-old and knew right away he was something special,” the 47-year-old rider said of her mount. “He’s a competitive horse. He was still thinking of Thursday’s speed round tonight and was a little fresh at the start of the first round, but then he settled.”

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