The 'National' Tournament continues through Sunday, June 9. Weekend highlights include the $400,000 CN Reliability Grand Prix, CSI-W, on Saturday, June 8, at 2 pm and the $175,000 Nexen Cup 1.60m Derby on Sunday, June 9, at 2:30 pm.
Watch a video of Friday's highlights.
The $35,000 RBC Capital Markets Cup 1.50m was the feature event and was held in the winning round format. The top 25 placed horses from the Enbridge Cup on Wednesday qualified for today's competition. From the top 25, the top eight returned to compete over a shortened course to determine the winner.
Madden and Amadora, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Chin Chin x Indoctro owned by Abigail Wexner, were clear in the jump-off and able to set the winning time at 42.18 seconds, despite adding a stride to the last jump.
“For sure to the last fence I got a little Edward Scissorhands-ish there!” Madden laughed. “I thought I was going pretty good until after the double combination. I could have been a little faster to the coin (jump) and for sure a lot faster to the last.”
Second place went to Enrique Gonzalez (MEX) on Quilebo D Tillard, who were also clear in 43.79 seconds. Meagan Nusz (USA) and Dynamo, owned by Amalaya Investments, were third in a time of 49.47 seconds.
Madden is second in the All-Time Money Won List at Spruce Meadows, and her two wins today have helped inch her toward first place, currently held by Canadian Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze. Madden won this class last year with another mount, Mademoiselle.
Amadora has been in the Maddens' barn since she was five years old, and it has taken time to get the “sensitive” mare on a consistently winning track. “We knew she always had a lot of quality. She's been a little bit of a project,” Madden described. “Although she's very nice to ride, she actually has a lot of blood and a bit of a fight in her. When that fight went in the right direction, we knew we'd have a good horse. It's been an up and down road, but she's starting to get more consistent now. We can count on her.”
Enrique Gonzalez had an unfortunate fall outside the ring before the awards ceremony, so he was unable to attend the press conference.
Meagan Nusz was there and spoke about her plan going into the jump-off, “I knew the few before me had rails and I knew who was coming behind me. I thought if I could just put in a good, clean round, that would be good for me. This is only my second year to show in the International Ring. My main strategy was just to stay clean.”
Nusz has ridden Dynamo for almost three years and said when she brought him to Spruce Meadows last year for the first time, he “grew into himself.” She explained, “He was a completely different horse. He loves the grass, he loves Spruce Meadows, he loves the ribbon presentations, everything about it, which is great for me. He jumps awesome here and gives me a lot of confidence.”
Nusz will continue to show at Spruce Meadows before traveling to Europe, where she will represent the United States at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Final Results: $35,000 RBC Capital Markets Winning Round 1.50m
1. AMADORA: 2003 KWPN mare by Chin Chin x Indoctro
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/0/42.18
2. QUILEBO D TILLARD: 2004 Selle Francais gelding by For Pleasure x Quat Sous
ENRIQUE GONZALEZ (MEX), Enrique Gonzalez: 0/0/43.79
3. DYNAMO: 2003 BWP gelding by Skippy II x Lys de Darmen
MEAGAN NUSZ (USA), Amalaya Investments: 0/0/49.47
4. SANDOR DE LA POMME: 2002 SBS gelding by Vigo D'arsouilles x Darco
MCLAIN WARD (USA), The Wannahave Group: 0/4/41.13
5. ROUNDTHORN MADIOS: 2002 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Condios x Clover Hill
LAUREN TISBO (USA), Tequestrian Farms, LLC: 0/4/41.73
6. TIC TAC: 2003 Belgian Sport Horse stallion by Clinton x Darco
LESLIE HOWARD (USA), Jane Clark: 0/4/42.31
7. BLUE ANGEL: 2002 AES mare by Luidam x Ascendant
KENT FARRINGTON (USA), Robin Parsky: 0/4/51.18
8. DUNDEE VD DWERSE HAGEN: 2003 Belgian Sport Horse gelding by Caesar vd Helle x Brownboy
CAMERON HANLEY (IRL), Eleonore Paschoude & Yves Bouvier: 0/8/46.04
9. URAYA: 2001 KWPN mare by Farmer x Zeno
CHARLIE JAYNE (USA), Pony Lane Farm: 4/72.76
10. RUSH: 2001 Belgian Warmblood gelding by For Pleasure x Alme
BEN ASSELIN (CAN), Attache Stables: 4/75.69
Madden's First Win In ATCO Energy Solutions Cup
Beezie Madden and Wrigley (Spruce Meadows Media Services)
Second place went to Jonathan McCrea (USA) and Twisther, owned by Candy Tribble, who had a jump-off time of 39.27 seconds. Katie Dinan (USA) and Grant Road Partners' Glory Days were third in 39.61 seconds.
Madden said of the track, “It was a tough enough course with the time allowed factor. You needed a little speed in the first round. The jump-off, I didn't see anybody go, but my husband told me it was quite fast. I just tried to go as fast as I could. I think I was pretty fast from the triple bar to the double (combination), and then I was really fast over to the coin jump.”
While Madden just got the ride on Wrigley this year, she knows the mare quite well; former student Callie Schott used to ride the grey mare for her and husband John Madden's business, John Madden Sales. She described, “Wrigley started very late in her career. She's had two foals, I think. She wasn't even broke to ride until she was five years old. She is a little green for what she's done, but she's game.”
She went on to say, “She's brave and careful. She's a naturally fast horse too; she covers the ground pretty quick. You can run her and she stays careful. She has a funny mouth, but she's not really strong. Like I can not be afraid to run her over to the coin jump and she's going to slow down when I stop pushing. That's always a nice feeling.”
Madden said it was nice to win already, and she feels good about showing Simon in tomorrow's $400,000 CN Reliability Grand Prix CSI-W 5*. The 'National' is their first competition back after they won the FEI World Cup Finals in April.
Final Results: $35,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup 1.45m
1. WRIGLEY: 2003 KWPN mare by Padinus x Burggraaf
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), John Madden Sales, Inc.: 0/0/38.72
2. TWISTHER: 2000 Dutch Warmblood stallion by Farmer
JONATHAN MCCREA (USA), Candy Tribble: 0/0/39.27
3. GLORY DAYS: 2001 Swedish Warmblood gelding by Cardento 933 x Diamond Serpent
KATIE DINAN (USA), Grant Road Partners, LLC: 0/0/39.61
4. NEWTON DU HAUT BOIS: 2001 French Trotter gelding by Cumano x Quat Sous
CAMERON HANLEY (IRL), Eleonore Paschoude & Yves Bouvier: 0/0/40.49
5. CARRABIS Z: 2003 Zangersheide stallion by Canabis Z x Grannusso
RICHIE MOLONEY (IRL), Equinimity LLC: 0/0/49.64
6. MARTHA LOUISE: 2004 Swedish Warmblood mare by Maloubet de Pleville 1039 x Wolfgang
CONOR SWAIL (IRL), Susan and Ariel Grange: 0/4/37.10
7. PALOUBET: 2001 Selle Francais gelding by Baloubet Du Rouet x Voltaire
WILTON PORTER (USA), Sleepy P Ranch LLC: 0/4/37.84
8. POWER PLAY: 2004 Holsteiner gelding by Casall x Limbus
ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Artisan Farms, LLC: 0/4/43.64
9. APARDI: 2005 Dutch Warmblood stallion by Corland x Kannan
DANIEL BLUMAN (COL), Ricardo & Alberto Simhon: 0/4/46.34
10. BARANUS: 2003 Oldenburg gelding by Balou de Rouet x Centauer Z
IAN MILLAR (CAN), The Baranus Group: 0/8/41.53
Lucas Porter and Phinas Race to Mercer Junior/Amateur-Owner Victory
In his biggest win yet at Spruce Meadows, 15-year-old Lucas Porter of Bartonville, TX, raced through the jump-off on Phineas, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Lamentos x Quattro B owned by Sleepy P Ranch LLC, to win the $10,000 Mercer Junior/Amateur-Owner 1.40m. He beat 27 entries in the competition and six others in the jump-off for victory in 38.943 seconds.
Beatriz Franco Sol (MEX) and Melody de la Fosse set the early pace in 39.085 seconds, which would hold up for second place. Third place went to Catherine Tyree (USA) and Don't Go, who stopped the timers in 39.573 seconds.
Porter recounted, “I knew Beatriz who was leading did nine (strides) from (fences) one to two, which was a turn. With his stride, I could do a fast eight (strides). That's where I made up my time. Other than that, I basically matched her. She was so fast.”
Porter “inherited” Phineas from his older brother Wilton, who rode him for two years. Porter and the bay gelding started together in the Low Junior Jumpers and moved up the 1.40m level. They were selected for the U.S. team at the FEI Junior Nations Cup in Wellington this past March.
“He's just been awesome,” Porter described. “He's extremely careful, really fast, and he has a little bit of a short stride, but that makes the lines quick. I can do quick adds. He sometimes gets a little spooky, but you just have to ride him through it and he gets over it. Once he's in the ring, he goes into a different mindset and is all focus.”
Porter credited his trainer John Roche for his biggest win at Spruce Meadows in the three years he's been coming here. “He's been an amazing help. I've won a couple times, but not as big of a class as this one. It's pretty amazing. I didn't actually think I was quick enough in the jump-off, but I guess my kick through the last really did it.”
Final Results: $10,000 Mercer Junior/Amateur 1.40m
1. PHINEAS: 2002 Oldenburg gelding by Lamentos x Quattro B
LUCAS PORTER (USA), Sleepy P Ranch LLC: 0/0/38.94
2. MELODY DE LA FOSSE: 2000 Selle Francais mare by Dandy Du Plape x Guillaume Tell
BEATRIZ FRANCO SOL (MEX), Beatriz Franco Sol: 0/0/39.08
3. DON'T GO: 2002 Oldenburg stallion by Come On x Raphael
CATHERINE TYREE (USA), Catherine Tyree: 0/0/39.57
4. PENINSULA APOLLO: 2001 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Bolivar x Unknown
JENNIFER WHYTE (CAN), Bryte Enterprises Ltd: 0/0/38.94
5. S&L WHAT NOU: 2003 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Numero Uno x Voltaire
ASHLEY BAKER (USA), Ashley Baker: 0/0/40.19
6. ALBERTO II: 2003 Holsteiner gelding by Acorado x Cassini I
KARA CHAD (CAN), Stone Ridge Farms LLC: 0/4/37.03
7. AUSTRAL: 1999 Argentine gelding
JACOBO MARTINEZ (MEX), Jacobo Martinez: 0/6/44.35
8. ACORADUS: 2004 Danish Warmblood gelding by Acorado I x Solos Candtinus
ALEC LAWLER (USA), Alec Lawler: 1/80.34
9. PENINSULA WOOPER: 2003 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Radisson x Naturel
JENNIFER WHYTE (CAN), Bryte Enterprises Ltd: 1/81.14
10. SIMBA: 2004 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Sam Sam x A'khan Z
CARLY KIST (CAN), Rockpointe Equestrian: 1/82.35