Canada’s Madelaine Riddle was third with Salvatore
Richard Spooner, the Master of Faster, was victorious in the $60,000 Bryan Anderson Memorial Grand Prix at Thunderbird Showpark, in Langley, B.C.
Spooner, of the United States, galloped to victory aboard his 14-year-old stallion Arthos R. He claimed the win with a blistering time of 46.65 seconds, besting the defending champion, Nicolas Pizzaro of Mexico, by just 2/10ths of a second. Pizzaro finished in second place with a time of 46.89 seconds.
Besting the field of 27 horse/rider combinations with seven advancing to the jump off, Spooner said, “I thought everyone at Rocky Mountain did such a great job, especially with all of the rain they received on Friday. The drainage that has been installed in the warm up ring was amazing. It was unbelievable that after all of the rain, they actually had to water the ring before the class. It blew my mind.
“I was also very impressed about how the ground held up in the Grand Prix ring as well. Combine all of that with a fantastic job by Werner Deeg to get a great result for an exciting jump off, and what else needs to be said?
“I was extremely happy with Arthos and felt that he really performed well ad was quite proud of how careful he stayed with that long gallop to the last jump.
“I have never shown here, but was so happy with Arthos and the rest of my horses and was glad to have put the event on my calendar.”
When asked about the success of the June Classic, Tournament Chairman John Anderson responded with a smile: “This week showcased what we are all about. Great sport, with fun to be had by all. I’m happy with the job our team did this week. When everyone at the tournament is sporting a smile, it means we’ve done our job well, and the entire team deserves the credit of a successful show.”
The next FEI events on the calendar for the team at RMSJ are scheduled at the prestigious Royal West in October, but National competition continues throughout the next few months at the beautiful facility nestled in the foothills of Southern Alberta, just south of Calgary.
More from Horse Sport:
