Vanessa Mannix (CAN) set off for the first fence of the CSI3* $100,000 ATCO Cup with purpose. That tone would carry her throughout the entire course.
And after making the podium on three other occasions at the Summer Fort Classic, Mannix broke through with an impressive win. She and veteran mount Catinka 25 rode to victory in the event’s feature class. Samantha Buirs-Darvill and Baton Rouge finished second, just ahead of Robert Blanchette (IRL) and Chardonnay.
“I have to say, I came into the ring really committed to riding forward,” Mannix said. “I made a great plan with my trainers, James Chawke and Conor Swail. I watched the first two go [in the jump-off], but not too closely. I was committed to my plan.”
Seven combinations advanced to the shortened course of Peter Holmes’ (CAN) track, which offered a certificate of competency for riders to earn eligibility for future championships. That designation came with requirements, including two 1.60m verticals. The course had technical elements but played fairly, giving tremendous experience to many combinations stepping up to the level. The veteran combinations, meanwhile, showed their class.
First to jump-off, Brian Morton (CAN) and Cadillac put the pressure on with a strong clear performance, but the pair left the door open. Mannix capitalized. Brimming with confidence, she and Catinka 25 shaved strides off Morton’s ride and navigated a most efficient track, always on a galloping pace. While Buirs-Darvill and Blanchette would come close, neither could match Mannix, with Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Ben Asselin (CAN) bringing down rails on course.
“I wanted to get eight strides up the first line, which I think established a great rhythm, and then I just kept it smooth,” Mannix said.
“Catinka felt so confident all week, and today, I knew if I galloped up to each jump, she’d be with me every step of the way.”
Mannix has been partnered with her 12-year-old Oldenburg mare for more than four years; the duo jumped their first three-star competition at tbird in 2017.
“Catinka is such a special horse,” Mannix said. “She’s so incredibly smart. I’ve had her since she was seven, and she’s 12 now. I feel like we have such a depth to our relationship and understanding with each other. We started out in the Low and Medium Amateur [divisions], all the way up to her first 1.45m, her first ranking classes, her first [FEI] Grand Prix, and I rode her in my first Nations Cup last year.”
Mannix will jump her string again at Thunderbird Show Park next week in the CSI3* Summer Fort Festival.
“It’s too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Mannix said. “It’s an incredible show. I’m so happy to be here.”
Last to go in the jump-off for the $15,000 MarBill Hill U25 League 1.40m Grand Prix, Ava Wong knew exactly what she would need to do to take home a victory. Just one other rider had produced a clear round over Peter Holmes’ (CAN) shortened track, and that rider, Kassidy Keith, was fresh off a win in the previous day’s speed event.
When Wong crossed through the finish timers and realized she had won, the pure elation that quickly spread across her face said it all.
“I was smiling for I-don’t-even-know-how-long afterward,” Wong said. “I didn’t have the best day yesterday, and I really, really wanted it today. I saw Kassidy Keith before me, and she’s always really fast. Crossing those timers [and realizing my time], I was just so happy. I could not be prouder of my horse. It’s the best feeling.”
Wong attributed her win to efficiency. “In the first round, I did eight in the first line, and then I did seven [strides] in the jump-off. That definitely helped,” she said. “I was really efficient in the turns, especially after the oxer. [Kassidy] did six [strides] in the last line before I went in the ring, and I did seven [strides], and it was a bit of a quieter seven. I was worried about the time after that, but I was efficient in the turns.”
Wong has been partnered with the veteran Concelo for more than three years, and the grey gelding has been an outstanding partner, bringing his rider from the 1.20m to the 1.40m and her first grand prix events. In 2018, they represented Canada in the children’s category of the North American Youth Championships. Her goal for 2022 is to return to NAYC in the junior category.
“He’s taken me everywhere,” Wong said. “He’s been teaching me a lot about the grand prix ring, and he’s given me lots of miles and experience. He’s a great horse.”
Competition at Thunderbird Show Park resumes Wednesday, August 25 with the Summer Fort Festival CSI3*, featuring the $100,000 CSI3* Volvo Canada Cup 1.50m on Saturday, August 28 at 2pm PT.
Tickets for the $100,000 CSI3* Volvo Canada Cup 1.50m are on sale now at tbird.ca/tickets. All classes from the Fort Grand Prix Arena will be live streamed on tbird TV.
$100,000 CSI3* ATCO Cup 1.50m
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Catinka 25 / Vanessa Mannix / CAN / Vanessa Mannix / 0/0 39.03
2. Baton Rouge / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / CAN / Samantha Buirs-Darvill / 0/0 39.98
3. Chardonnay / Robert Blanchette / IRL / RTS LLC / 0/0 40.93
4. Cadillac / Brian Morton / CAN / Spruce Meadows Ltd / 0/0 39.98
5. Vienna / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms, LLC / 0/4 39.73
6. Hamilton / Tiffany Foster / CAN / The Hamilton Group / 0/4 42.1
7. Veyron / Ben Asselin / CAN / Attache Stables / 0/8 41.06
8. Chicago / Tracey Epp / CAN / Tracey Epp / 1 81.05
9. Gamble / Conor Swail / IRL / Asta Torokvei / 4 72.10
10. Theo 160 / Conor Swail / IRL / Conor Swail 4 75.71
$15,000 MarBill Hill U25 League 1.40m Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Concelo / Ava Wong / CAN / Ava Wong / 0/0 39.41
2. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Cheryl Keith / 0/0 40.23
3. Witja / Isis Landsbergen / CAN / Isis Landsbergen / 0/4 38.32
4. Crown Royal / Hayley Mercer / CAN / Hayley Mercer / 0/12 41.24
5. Fay / Stella Chernoff / CAN / Stump Lake Ranch & Cattle Co. / 4 76.31
6. Cesandro / Peyton Ortt / USA / Katherine Ortt / 4 78.83
7. Casino de Vincy / Jenna Whitehead / CAN / Laura & Brent Balisky /4 79.67
8. Lestat OLD / Ashley Arnoldt / CAN / Jennifer Arnoldt / 4 79.68
9. Vainqueur de Brekka / Anneke Power / USA / Karianne Boyce-Lockhart / 4 81.03
10. LCC Diamond Dazzaler / Lia McHardy / USA / Caledonia Stables / 4 82.6
More from News:
