Ottawa, Ontario – Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, edged nine-time Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, to win the $75,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix held Sunday, August 23, to conclude the CSI2* National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments in Ottawa, ON.
Olympic mastermind Leopoldo Palacois of Venezuela built a course that appeared innocuous at first glance, but soon proved to be much tougher than it looked as rails fell time and time again. Of the 29 horses that attempted the track, two were eliminated for refusals while an additional four riders opted to retire, including Millar with his first of two horses, Stedet’s Leroy.
Luckily, Millar had another shot with Redefin and proved that a clear round was possible. Millar’s Olympic Silver Medal teammate, Mac Cone of King City, ON, also produced a clear round with his Olympic horse, Ole, but incurred one time fault after stopping the clock in 93.10 seconds, barely exceeding the 93 second time allowed. Cone, who was celebrating his 57th birthday, finish in third position as only one other rider, Yann Candele, jumped clear to force a jump-off.
As both Millar’s horse, Redefin, and Candele’s mount, Pitareusa, are owned by Susan Grange of Cheltenham, ON, it was going to be a winning day for Grange either way, but the matter of the final placings was still to be decided.
Millar was the first to attempt the shortened jump-off track with Redefin, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. When two rails come down, Candele knew exactly what he had to do to. He started out fast enough with Pitareusa, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, but when the rails continued to stay in place, Candele slowed down to ensure that he jumped the remaining obstacles clear. The strategy cost Candele one time fault, but the win was his.
“I had a huge advantage because I saw Ian and he had two rails,” said Candele, 38, who formerly rode for his native France before receiving his Canadian citizenship in 2008. “I started out efficiently, and then I slowed down for the last three jumps to make sure that I was clear.”
Millar said his jump-off strategy was, “just to be fast and not put at the rails at risk, but to make it difficult enough for Yann and Pitareusa. It wasn’t speed that caused my trouble in the jump-off. I am really at a bit of a loss as to why we had our problems, but that is horses and that is sport.”
Luck did play a part in Millar’s qualification for the jump-off. In his approach to fence 12, Millar knocked down a rail at the front of the obstacle but as it was not the top rail and the height of the jump was not lowered, Millar was not penalized. Millar noted that over his entire grand prix career, which has spanned more than four decades, that unusual occurrence has happened, at most, half a dozen times.
Candele was surprised that more horses did not advance to the jump-off.
“I was expecting more clear rounds,” said Candele. “The course turned out to be way harder than when we walked it. I thought there would be eight to ten horses clear, and Leopoldo was talking about six.”
While Cone finished third with his one time fault, Candele took fourth place with the fastest four round riding Mustique, yet another horse owned by Grange. Fifth place went to Marie Hecart of France, the winner of Saturday’s $15,000 Modified Grand Prix, who also incurred faults riding Why Not for Ashland Stables.
The second and final week of the National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments was rated a CSI2* by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), which meant that in addition to substantial prize money, world ranking points were also on the line.
For more information on the National Capital Show Jumping Tournaments, including full results, please visit www.hayesco.ca.
$75,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix – Ottawa, ON
Rider Hometown Horse Faults Time
1. Yann Candele Caledon, ON Pitareusa 0:1 48.93
2. Ian Millar Perth, ON Redefin 0:8 42.55
3. Mac Cone King City, ON Ole 1
4. Yann Candele Caledon, ON Mustique 4
5. Marie Hecart France Why Not 4
6. Amy Millar Perth, ON Costa Rica Z 4
7. Marie Hecart France Ronaldo 4
8. (tie) Erynn Ballard Hillsburgh, ON Simply Ahorn 4
8. (tie) Beth Underhill Schomberg, ON Top Gun 4
10. Lauren Hunkin Kemptville, ON Larry 0146 8
11. Keean White Rockwood, ON Celena Z 8
12. Hugh Graham Schomberg, ON Executive Privilege 3E 8
13. Jonathon Millar Perth, ON Contino 14 8
14. Leslie Howard Westport, CT Hip Hop 8
15. Angela Lawrence St. Lazare, QC Unica 9
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