Wannahave stretches over the open water with McLain Ward (Spruce Meadows Media Services)

Clagary, Alberta - The $33,000 McDaniel & Associates 1.45m Derby had 24 entries, and six of those were able to clear the course without faults. The track, designed by Werner Deeg of Germany, featured 16 numbered obstacles and 19 jumping efforts, including the grob, open water, dry ditch combination, and jumping off a bank. Speeding around by six seconds faster than the next competitors were McLain Ward and Wannahave, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Manhattan x Ramiro Z owned by The Wannahave Group.  The early leaders were 17-year-old Kara Chad of Calgary, AB, and Stone Ridge Farms LLC's Alberto II, who set the pace at 110.600 seconds, which would end up in second place. Third place went to Cameron Hanley (IRL) on Player du Quesnoy, who finished in 111.288 seconds.

Despite a fast pace through most of the course, including to and from the open water, Ward said, “I actually thought I slowed down in a couple places, to be honest with you. I'm a bit of a fast rider and I have to watch that I don't overdo it. He's pretty good on the naturals now after all of his experience last week in the derby. He has a big stride, so the beginning of the course suited him, where I could just set a gallop and go. That allowed me to slow down at the end with the grob and double ditches, which were really tight. It worked out well.”

Wannahave competed in his first derby last week in the Nexen 1.60m Derby. “The derby last week was quite big. He jumped a really good round but got confused at the bank and the grob,” Ward remembered. “This week there was no 'A' (element) at the grob, so I thought he handled that better. I think he'll actually be really good at these classes with more mileage. He can do these naturals without a problem. If they jump the devil's dyke and the bank, you're halfway home.”

Ward got the ride on Wannahave through his friend Missy Clark, who trains Wannahave and Sandor de la Pomme, another new mount, with John Brennan at their farm, North Run. “I started riding the horses at the end of Florida (in April). Missy is a great friend of mine and we've done some great things over the years, going back to Sapphire and the Harrisons. It's a pleasure for me to work with her,” he related.

Ward described Wannahave as a “big, scopey horse” with “a big jump.” He remarked, “He's a little hard to sit to. But that's a good thing too. He has a very easy stride, you just have to kind of keep it all together. If you let it unravel, that's where you get a pole down.”

This was their first FEI-level win together, and Ward was happy to have it happen in a derby competition. “It takes a special character and a brave horse, but I think it's good for the horses. I think it was a good course. It's a good part of the sport,” he said.

Second place finisher Kara Chad was very happy in her best top level finish at Spruce Meadows. The talented young rider, who was a part of the Developing Rider Tour for Canada last year, said she was “a little surprised,” when she found out she was winning.

“I thought I was efficient, but I wasn't running around like a speed class. Then there was McLain, it's hard to beat him. He told me in the line-up (that) I have many years to come, so not to worry about it, and I took that advice,” she smiled. “It was my first derby with him. He has a very big personality and is cocky in some ways, which is what makes him good. Although he's a big horse, he's very controllable and adjustable. I've been working toward getting up to these results. I'm happy that I finally got in there.”

Final Results: $33,000 McDaniel & Associates 1.45m Derby

1. WANNAHAVE: 2003 KWPN gelding by Manhattan x G. Ramiro Z
MCLAIN WARD (USA), The Wannahave Group: 0/104.776

2. ALBERTO II: 2003 Holsteiner gelding by Acorado x Cassini I

KARA CHAD (CAN), Stone Ridge Farms LLC: 0/110.600

3. PLAYER DU QUESNOY: 2003 Selle Francais gelding by Ogano Sitte x Nabab de Reve

CAMERON HANLEY (IRL), Eleonore Paschoude and Yves Bouvier: 0/111.288

4. CANTANDO LYNGRIIS: 2001 Holsteiner stallion by Cassini I x Zarewitsch XX
DANIEL BLUMAN (COL), Daniel Bluman: 0/113.240

5. RADIO CITY:  2001 Holsteiner mare by Liatos x Carthago
WILTON PORTER (USA), Gotham Enterprizes: 0/113.892

6. CATHARINA 9: 2004 Mecklenburg mare by Cellestial x Monsum
LAUREN TISBO (USA), Tequestrian Farms LLC: 0/116.140

7. THE PUGILIST: 2004 Warmblood gelding by Ard Vdi Douglas x Freddies Star

JOS VERLOOY (BEL), Axel Verlooy: 4/112.620

8. COULETTO K JAMES: 1996 Hanoverian gelding by Continue x Zeus

KATHERINE DINAN (USA), Grant Road Partners: 4/115.293

9. FALCO VAN DE CLEHOEVE: 2005 Warmblood gelding by Quickfeuer van Koekshof x Fellini

FRANCOIS MATHY (BEL), Ingrid Normar: 4/115.815

10. COLGATE: 2003 Holsteiner mare by Concorde x Calando I

PABLO BARRIOS (VEN), Pablo Barrios: 4/119.068