The 2018 Spruce Meadows Pan American CSI5*, presented by Rolex, hosted over 1000 horses at Spruce Meadows with 250 of them being international-level sport horses. The grounds and rings were busy over the last four days as the Meadows on the Green alone took over 700 show jumping rounds.
The winner’s circle was well-represented throughout the week in FEI competition by the Americas with the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico all watching their nation’s flag raised on the champion’s flag pole at the Meadows on the Green. Australia also got a win Saturday morning in the Friends of the Meadows cup 1.50m with Rowan Willis jumping a clear jump off round in a time of 40.45s.
The final competition of the week was the Pan American Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Forty-two horse/rider combinations started the Grand Prix to take on the track laid out by FEI course designer Louis Konickx (NED). Only three would go clear in round one to move onto the jump off – Mario Deslauriers (CAN), Lucy Deslauriers (USA) and Erynn Ballard (CAN). Mario Deslauriers started of the jump off and posted a clear round to put the pressure on daughter Lucy Deslauriers and Canadian teammate Ballard. Both Lucy Deslauriers and Ballard had the time to win, but both would take a costly last fence rail to place second and third respectively.