Nicholas Dello Joio of the United States made his CSI5*-W Royal Horse Show debut one to remember by claiming victory in the $138,000 Big Ben Challenge on Thursday night, November 10, as part of the 100th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.

It was a battle from start to finish as U.S. Olympic team silver medalist Kent Farrington and Landon, a nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Comilfo Plus Z x Quadrillo), were the first horse-and-rider combination to post a clear round over Canadian course designer Michel Vaillancourt’s challenging track. Colombia’s Roberto Teran Tafur ensured the packed house would be treated to a jump-off by also jumping clear before Canadian Olympians Mario Deslauriers and Amy Millar added their names to the list. Three-time Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil and Dello Joio, as last to go, made it a six-horse jump-off.

As the first rider back in the Coca-Cola Coliseum to tackle the jump-off, Farrington put the pressure on those still to come by producing a slick clear performance in 34.15 seconds. None could match his time until the final challengers, Dello Joio and Cornet’s Cambridge, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Balou du Reventon x Cambridge 8) owned by The Berry Group LLC, stopped the clock fault-free in 32.53 seconds. Farrington had to settle for second, while Deslauriers produced the fastest four-fault round riding Bardolina 2, a 13-year-old Holsteiner mare (Clarimo x Landos).

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