Chris Surbey of Calgary, AB finished as the top Canadian in the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, taking 18th place overall after three rounds of competition aboard Chalacorada.

Chris Surbey of Calgary, AB finished as the top Canadian in the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, taking 18th place overall after three rounds of competition aboard Chalacorada. Photo by Grayt Designs

Chris Surbey of Calgary, AB and Keean White of Rockwood, ON, did the maple leaf proud during the highly-anticipated Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final, held in Omaha, NE from March 29 to April 2, 2017. Both riders finished among the top 20 after four rounds of intense competition held over three exciting days.

The competition was fierce right out of the gate, with 37 of the world’s best riders squaring off during the opening speed round on March 30. Making his World Cup Final debut, Surbey started off on a strong note with Chalacorada (Chalan x Corrado I), a 15-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Linda Southern-Heathcott and Spruce Meadows Ltd. The pair stopped the clock in 65.09 seconds, but a rail added four time penalties, bringing their final time to 69.09 seconds to end day one in 23rd place.

White, 34, had two rails down with For Freedom Z (For Pleasure x Baloubet du Rouet), a 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Angelstone Partners. Their combined time, including the eight time penalties for the fallen rails, was 72.05 seconds, which was good enough to finish 27th. Omaha represented White’s second appearance at the FEI World Cup Jumping Final, having previously finished 24th overall in 2009 in Las Vegas, NV with Celena Z.

Advertisement