The Pasquel family had three opportunities to claim the win in the penultimate event in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 North American League Western Sub-League at Guadalajara CSI4*-W with the three brothers Francisco, Patricio, and Gerardo entered in the 28-rider field. And in the end, the odds worked in their favor as it was ultimately the middle brother, Francisco Pasquel, who took top honors in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Guadalajara.
An inviting course, designed by Germany’s Olaf Petersen, Jr., featured 13 obstacles with 16 jumping attempts. The first rider in the ring, Mexico’s Federico Fernandez, recorded just four faults from an early, unlucky rail. Quickly following, Mexican rider Miguel Maron Kahwagi promptly delivered the first clear round.
The early success in the class’s order, with time seeming to be of no issue, may have lulled the following riders into feeling a false sense of security in the ease of the course as the rails began to drop, most notably at the triple and double combinations. There was no shortage of 4-fault rounds with 11 horse-and-rider pairs crossing the timers with a single rail down. Only three other riders joined Maron Kahwagi for the jump off: Francisco Pasquel (MEX), Patricio Pasquel (MEX), and Antonio Chedraui Eguia (MEX).