FRIDAY – Darragh Kenny Wins Canadian Utilities
Coming off a great first half of his Spruce Meadows tour, Darragh Kenny (IRL) rode to victory in the Canadian Utilities Cup 1.55m aboard Zero K.
Kenny, ranked #18 in the world, bested a strong field of jump-off contenders posting the fastest clear ride with a time of 40.72 seconds. Fellow Irishman Jordan Coyle held top spot with a time of 40.78 seconds with Jorisca until Kenny was able to shave off 6-100ths of a second; Canada’s Kara Chad rounded out the top three with Igor GPH.
“The ground here is absolutely spectacular,” said Kenny. “I was just saying into Anderson Lima [FEI course designer] this morning, I’ve been here a good few times and probably over the last 15 years I think it’s the best I’ve ever seen it. At the moment, the horses really seem to be popping.”
Canadian Utilities 1.55m
1. Darragh Kenny (IRL) & Zero K
2. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & Jorisca
3. Kara Chad (CAN) & Igor GPH
4. Katie Laurier (NZL) & Django II
5. Conor Swail (IRL) & Clonterm Obolensky
Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Zero K win the Canadian Utilities 1.55m. (Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley)
SATURDAY – Ireland Picks Up Another 5* Victory
Jordan Coyle (IRL) improved on his second-place result on Friday with a first-place finish in the Friends of the Meadows 1.50m riding For Gold.
Thirty-three athletes stepped through the iconic Clock Tower to challenge Mexican course designer Lima’s first-round track. Coyle and For Gold were one of just seven horse/rider combinations to jump clear and advance to the jump-off. Aboard For Gold, Coyle was over two seconds faster than Patricio Pasquel (MEX) who finished in second place with Gazelle SM. Top Canadian in the class was Mario Deslauriers riding Genial de B’Neville, placing 8th with a single time fault in the initial round.
Friends of the Meadows 1.50m
1. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & For Gold
2. Patricio Pasquel (MEX) & Gazelle SM
3. Conor Swail (IRL) & Qoreen Van’t Ruytershof
4. Sameh el Dahan (GBR) & Oscar-A
5. Charlie Jones (GBR) & Jacksonville Eurohill
SUNDAY – Matthew Sampson (GBR) and Daniel Win AON Grand Prix
Aboard a horse named Daniel, British rider Matthew Sampson relegated Daniel Coyle (IRL) and brother Jordan Coyle (IRL) to second and third place, respectively, in the $500,000 AON Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. The feature competition for the ‘Pan American’ CSI5* saw 26 horse-and-rider combinations tackle Lima’s tough1.60m track that included open water and a triple combination towards the end of the course.
Sampson was one of just four horse/rider combinations to advance to the jump-off; the two Coyles and fellow countryman Darragh Kenny were hoping to see the colours of Ireland atop the flag pole once again, but today was not their day.
Sampson, aboard Davenport Stud’s grey stallion Daniel, bested Daniel Coyle’s quick jump off-time of 43.86 seconds aboard Ariel Grange’s Incredible, stopping the clock in 43.72 seconds for the victory. Three Canadians placed top-10 in this class: Tiffany Foster and Electrique (6th), Mario Deslauriers and Costa Quick PS (8th) and Carly Campbell-Cooper with Baretino PS (10th).
Sampson’s win in the International Ring for Great Britain came 35 years to the day since the late Queen Elizabeth II visited Spruce Meadows on June 29, 1990. Next week, Sampson, along with the Coyle brothers, as well as a host of top show jumpers from around the world, will be seeking victory in the competition that honours Her Majesty, the ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the main event of the ‘North American’ tournament.
$500,000 AON Grand Prix
1. Matthew Sampson (GBR) & Daniel
2. Daniel Coyle (IRL) & Incredible
3. Jordan Coyle (IRL) & Chaccolino
4. Darragh Kenny (IRL) & Diaroubet
5. Vaclav Stanek (CZE) & Quintin
For full results click here.
~ with files from Spruce Meadows Media
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