Patricio Pasquel (MEX) and Babel continued to add to their legacy Friday afternoon at Thunderbird Show Park, topping the $235,000 CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix at the Odlum Brown BC Open.
Pasquel, who bred Babel at his ranch in Mexico, has brought the 12-year-old chestnut gelding up through the ranks and has his sights set firmly on the upcoming Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. He’s coming into the event in fine form, topping a nine-horse jump-off in Langley. The experienced pair crossed the finish timers of Peter Holmes’ (CAN) shortened 1.60m course in 36.67 seconds. Teammate Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) finished second with Armani SL Z on a time of 37.31 seconds, while Nikolaj Hein Ruus (DEN) and brand new mount Cadillac finished third with a 41.13-second time.
“He was born in the house!” Pasquel exclaimed. “He’s been champion all over the ranks, and this is his second five-star grand prix win. He’s won already on several Nations Cup [teams]. I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Pasquel stuck to his plan after an eventful start to the jump-off. First to return, Lucy Deslauriers (USA) had an uncharacteristic fall from Hester in the double (with both recovering safely), while Nicolas Pizarro (MEX) and Carquilot pulled four rails for a 16-fault score. Third to return, Rodrigo Lambre (BRA) had just the final rail. It was Mexico’s Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado who put the first clear on the board, and from there the jump-off sped up, as the lead quickly changed hands from Hein Ruus to Garza Perez. The penultimate pair to contest the short course, Pasquel and Babel put up a time that simply couldn’t be caught, the strength of their long-standing partnership fully on display.
“It’s always an advantage to go at the end, but I had my plan, and I knew my horse is very fast,” Pasquel said. “If I just did my job, I knew we could be right up there, and I was fortunate enough to win.”
Garza Perez moved up one position after finishing third in the 2018 event, also with Armani SL Z. He was proud to have his horse back in top form after a short time off.
“I’m very happy with the result and happy with my horse,” Garza Perez said. “I love tbird. It feels like home. It’s one of those horse shows where, when the year starts, you pencil it in before any other show. The atmosphere and the people are top notch.”
Hein Ruus might have been the most jubilant of the podium, fist pumping after each of his clear rounds. The Danish rider has only been working with Cadillac, the youngest horse in the jump-off at just 9 years old, for a few months after recently taking a job as a stable rider for Spruce Meadows.
“He’s an amazing horse,” he said. “He hasn’t done many big classes. He did his first 1.40m in March. Every show lately has been a first for him and with me. He’s super intelligent, and every time I put a task in front of him, he executes.
“To be able to compete at this level, starting a new job, and having this horse doing so well so fast—I’m super happy with all the support I have. I have to pinch my arm when I wake up every morning.”
A total of five nations were represented in the jump-off, and tbird President and Tournament Director Jane Tidball expressed her delight in hosting such a diverse, high quality field.
“I just loved it,” she said. “I love all the people coming here from different nations. Our number one priority [at tbird] is the horse and having footing that’s good for the horses. Number two is hospitality: treating people right; and number three is raising money to make sure people can come back again!”
For Holmes, satisfaction came in putting together a course that suited seasoned veterans and up-and-coming pairs alike.
“You want the horses to leave the arena with heart and feeling like they can do it,” he said. “You want them to feel like they can gallop and jump. That’s the sport.”
Coyle Wins With One of His Own in $36,500 CSI2* Friends of tbird
Last to go in an 11-horse jump-off, Daniel Coyle (IRL) and Chs Krooze sped straight to the top of the $36,500 CSI2* Friends of tbird.
Coyle owns the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare outright, and the duo bested Denmark’s Nikolaj Hein Ruus (DEN) and Chili Pepper SM by nearly a second. The winning pair finished Holmes’ jump-off in 36.60 seconds. Hein Ruus’ time was 37.55 seconds, while Rodrigo Lambre (BRA) and Conandro finished third with a 38.68-second time.
“It was a very fast jump-off,” Coyle said. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have had to go so fast, but the class ended up getting faster and faster. My horse is incredibly fast and very careful, so I was lucky to have her at the end of the class to have a go at it.”
Coyle acquired the mare through a friend in Ireland, Peter Smyth, who campaigned her in the young horse divisions as an 8-year-old. Over the winter, Coyle gave her experience in the U25 divisions in Wellington before stepping up to open FEI company.
“I always try to have a couple horses of my own, but it’s nice to have one at the top of the sport,” Coyle said. “She’s special, as most mares are, but if they’re on your side, there’s nothing better, I believe! She gives her heart every single time.
Justin Prather ‘Aces’ $5,000 MarBill Hill U25 League
Justin Prather (CAN) began the day in the Fort Grand Prix Field with a victory in the $5,000 MarBill Hill U25 League, besting a five-horse jump-off with EZ Ace, whom his family’s Bradon Equestrian has owned since the gelding was 3 years old.
The duo crossed the timers of Holmes’ shortened track in 34.48 seconds. Carly Stevens (CAN) and Dento finished second (35.11 seconds), while Emily Fitzgerald (CAN) and New Boy de Logerie were third (37.21 seconds).
“This was a bit of a goal,” said Prather, 24. “There’s a really good U25 series at tbird, and the plan was to build up to this, try to jump clear and do the best we could.”
Richard Spooner (USA) bred EZ Ace. The 9-year-old is by Spooner’s former mount Ace, who jumped at the 2008 World Cup Finals. He is out of another former Spooner mount, Ezrah.
“There are a lot of horses by that stallion with ‘Ace’ [in their name]—Ace of Hearts, Ace of Spades, Ace of Diamonds,” Prather said. “I got two horses that didn’t get the deck, because there were no [names] left—EZ Ace and Ace Envy.”
While Ace Envy is now an event horse, EZ Ace is proving his merits in the show ring.
“He’s brave,” Prather said. “He tries hard, and he’s brave and clever. He has a lot of good qualities. I hope he does something pretty special.”
Running concurrent five- and two-star competitions, the Odlum Brown BC Open features four days of international competition. Leading up to the CSIO5* $400,000 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada, the weekend will feature one more five-star event with the $36,500 CSIO5* North West Rubber Cup 1.50m on Saturday, June 1. Two-star competition is highlighted by Saturday’s CSI2* $36,500 Jump for Uyradi’s Village Grand Prix, while child and junior competitors will get their moments to shine Saturday in the CSIOCh Children’s Nations Cup and CSIOJ Junior Nations Cup.
The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Canada gets underway Sunday, June 2, at 2:00pm PT. Tickets start as low as CA $5.00 and can be purchased at tbird.ca. All the action from the Fort Grand Prix Ring will also be streamed live on tbird TV. Those in Canada can watch Sunday’s Nations Cup competition there, while the international broadcast will stream exclusively on FEI TV.
For more information, visit Thunderbird Show Park’s website at tbird.ca.
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