James Chawke and Daido van’t Ruytershof Z entered the Fort Grand Prix Arena with a slightly new look on Sunday, but they produced the same result as the week prior—a Grand Prix victory.
In a King Edward-esque tack modification, the pair were absent a brow band from their bridle in the CSI3* ATCO Cup. Chawke said it was game day experiment for the developing partnership.
“She’s not liking something,” he explained. “She didn’t like the bonnet, so we took that off, and we’re just playing around with things to see what she likes the most.”
The results suggests she likes to win—almost as much as Chawke.
Five pairs found a clear path around Joey Rycroft’s first round 1.50m track to advance to the jump off.
First to return for the short course, Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster and Battlecry set a quick standard in 31.4 seconds. It held until the final pair entered the ring. Chawke and Daido van’t Ruytershof Z, winners of last Sunday’s CSI3* Steel-Craft Doors Grand Prix, shaved nearly a second off to stop the clock at 30.69 and claim their second Grand Prix title in as many weeks at tbird.
“I thought if I did roughly the same steps as [Tiffany], I should be close,” said Chawke. “My horse is very quick across the ground and probably has a smaller stride.”
Foster and Battlecry were relegated to second. USA’s Kyle King and SIG Chiari finished third in 31.44, just four hundredths of a second behind.
“She was incredible,” continued Chawke. “She’s been so good, very consistent. She tries so hard.”
It’s a partnership that has come together quickly. Chawke picked up the ride on the 10-year-old Zangersheide mare in the spring. In 15 FEI starts, they’ve jumped to five podium finishes, including their back-to-back Grand Prix wins at tbird this August. But ask Chawke what the secret to their early success has been and he’ll simply say “she’s just very good.”
“She’s a lot of quality. She’s very quick. She wants to do the right thing. So I mean, that’s why—she’s a very good animal.”
Also good is Chawke’s consistency. The Irishman has finished on the podium in every international class he entered at this week’s Summer Fort Classic. In addition to the Grand Prix, he was second in the CSI3* George & Dianne Tidball Legacy Welcome and won the CSI3* The Keg Qualifier with Nacara Van Berkenbroeck Z.
$75,000 USD CSI3* ATCO Cup
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Daido van’t Ruytershof Z / James Chawke / IRL / James Chawke / 0/0 30.69
2. Battlecry / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/0 31.4
3. SIG Chiari / Kyle King / USA / The Chi Group / 0/0 31.44
4. Rhapsody / Sarah Lottis / CAN / Kevin Lottis / 0/4 33.37
5. Hamilton / Tiffany Foster / CAN / The Hamilton Group / 0/4 37.32
6. Luikan Q / Ben Asselin / CAN / Attache Stables / 4 76.57
7. Odysseus / Kyle King / USA / Patricia Vasey / 4 77.66
8. Cera Caruso / Katie Laurie / AUS / Carissa McCall / 4 78.19
9. Bloom Du Plessis / Zazou Hoffman / USA / Zazou Hoffman / 4 79.62
10. Chic D Emma Z / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / CAN / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / 4 79.89
Tiffany Foster and Com Es Ta. (tbird/Kim Gaudry)
Foster Finds the Winning Formula in CSI3* Kubota Canada Winning Round
When Tiffany Foster (CAN) brought Com Es Ta into the Fort Grand Prix Arena for the CSI3* Kubota Canada Winning Round competition, she decided to let the mare loose.
Foster set out to use the Summer Fort Welcome and Summer Fort Classic at tbird to test some new “theories” with the 10-year-old Oldenburg mare. She outfitted Com Es Ta with a new bridle and even changed up her style of riding to best support the mare’s stride and natural speed.
Things came together Saturday evening, as Foster secured her first international victory with the mare. Besting the 10 combinations that returned for Joey Rycroft’s shortened course, the pair’s winning time was 37.82 seconds.
Ben Asselin (CAN) and The Freshman made the best run at the winning duo but came up just short (37.23s). Carly Stevens (CAN) and ESI Jet Set finished third (39.25).
“I was pretty fast to the tbird oxer [midway through the short course],” Foster said. “I didn’t even have to pull my reins to get that turn. I just turned my head and she turned like a little fish. I think that was probably where we got [Asselin].”
In the Winning Round competition, the top 10 combinations advance to a jump-off-like shortened course, all with a clean slate. That opens the door for riders who may incur faults in the first round to advance, so long as they are within the top 10 combinations. But in this case, 12 jumped clear in the first round, meaning two combinations that jumped clear were left on the sidelines. It set the stage for a competitive finish.
“She’s an extremely fast horse—just naturally, her canter stride’s really quick, and she’s quick across the jump. She’s a competitive horse,” Foster said of Com Es Ta. “Her right turn usually isn’t her best turn, but today she was right with me and sort of picked up on all the good [distances].”
Foster and Com Es Ta’s partnership has offered both success and inconsistency. Owners 5 Roosters purchased the mare as an 8-year-old, but shortly thereafter, an injury put her on the sidelines.
“So, it took me a little bit to kind of get going with her, [but] I had a good run with her in Florida this year,” Foster shared. “She was third in one of those big 1.50m classes [at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL], and then we kind of hit a little bit of a rough spot. I really wanted to use Thunderbird of try some new theories, new bridle, new way of riding her. I think she likes it.”
After representing Canada at the Paris Olympic Games, Foster is planning and placing the younger and up-and-coming horses in her string for the future. For Com Es Ta, there’s infinite possibility.
“I think one of her best qualities is how competitive she is. I think she’s also very scopey, but I think she’s a super fast horse,” Foster shared. “I’d like to see where she ends up, but I think I’m going to slot her in as a bit of a speedster for a little bit. I think that will just grow confidence for both of us, and hopefully we can go that fast over big jumps, too.”
$10,000 USD CSI3* Kubota Canada Winning Round
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Com Es Ta / Tiffany Foster / CAN / 5 Roosters / 0/0 37.82
2. The Freshman / Ben Asselin / CAN / Attache Stables / 0/0 38.23
3. Esi Jet Set / Carly Stevens / CAN / Susan Stevens / 0/0 39.25
4. Carmela Z / Vanessa Mannix / CAN / Vanessa Mannix / 0/0 39.82
5. Almquist / Locklyn Williamson / CAN / Graham Williamson / 0/0 42.94
6. Caipirinha de Reve / Alicia Gadban-Lewis / CAN / Alicia Lewis / 0/0 47.22
7. Montserrat OS / Charlie Jones / GBR / Stone Ridge Farms LLC / 0/5 37.46
8. Connador / Stella Chernoff / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch and Cattle Co Ltd / 0/8 40.14
9. Nadja V/H Dingenshof / Lauren Meyes / USA / Myers Group Investments LLC / 0/8 40.99
10. Maria 111 / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / CAN / Bryony Reid / 0/12 38.61
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