Toronto, ON – Once again it came down to a footrace in the Ricoh Coliseum tonight, with Great Britain’s four-time Olympian, Michael Whitaker, taking the title in the $75,000 Ricoh Big Ben Challenge at The Royal Horse Show. This was the third year in a row Whitaker has taken this class on the always sold-out Saturday night at The Royal.
A field of twenty-two started the evening over the imposing course set by renowned American designer Anthony D’Ambrosio, course designer for the Rolex FEI World Cup Final in Las Vegas earlier this year. Surprisingly to each of the top three riders, eight managed to conquer the first-round track to advance to the jump off. Of those eight, half were clean in the jump-off and those four finished within two seconds of one another.
Whitaker won this class on the same horse last year, Wonami Van Den Aard, a relatively young horse at just nine years of age. Opting to take a longer route between the first and second fences in the jump-off, Whitaker chose to gallop hard down to the final oxer and the risk paid off.
“It all went according to plan,” said Whitaker after the class. “Of course the plan was to win!” he laughed. “We were all surprised there were eight clean to the jump-off, we thought three, maybe four. The jump-off didn’t really suit my horse because it was quite open, we’re better with twisty and more turns. But I was very pleased overall.”
Second-placed Kent Farrington (Chicago, IL), winner of last night’s Weston Canadian Open, was decidedly less enthusiastic following a slip on course in the jump off, causing him to add a stride to the Greenhawk oxer halfway through the course.
“My horse did great, I am just not happy coming second,” commented Farrington. “I was very pleased with him – my plan for the jump-off was just what I did, but after the double combination he slipped a little behind and I had to salvage the jump and add a stride at the last second. But I will for sure come back, for revenge!” he finished good-naturedly.
Third went to the winner of this afternoon’s Canine / Equine Challenge, Dermott Lennon of Ireland, who took home the Leading International Rider award. Lennon is one of the few riders this week never to have jumped courses set by D’Ambrosio, and was “shocked” at the number of clean rounds this evening.
“My horse was fantastic,” he enthused. “I thought the course walked quite hard, but I was the first clean and as such, had to go quick to set the pace in the jump off. As it turned out, first and second were just a little bit faster.”
Beth Underhill was the highest placed Canadian rider this evening with Top Gun, finishing in sixth, having knocked down the CN planks in the jump off. They finished on a score of four faults in 37.6 seconds. 2008 Canadian Champion Keean White slid in just behind her in seventh, having been the first to take the risk of going inside the Royal jump to get from the first to second fences in the jump off. It paid off – he finished in a competitive 37.85 seconds, but lowered the FEI jump for four faults.
$75,000 Ricoh Big Ben Challenge Results
Rider / Hometown / Horse / Score
1. Michael Whitaker / Nottingham, UK / Insul Tech Wonami Van Den Aard / 0.00 : 36.56
2. Kent Farrington / Chicago, IL / Up Chiqui / 0 : 37.47
3. Dermott Lennon / Ireland / Hallmark Elite / 0 : 37.97
4. Robert Smith / Warwickshire, UK / Talan / 0 : 38.22
5. McLain Ward / Brewster, NY / Phillipa / 4 : 37.46
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