Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (Spruce Meadows Media Services)

Calgary, Alberta - Of the 37 entries in the competition and nine in the jump-off, it was Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo, a 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Clinton x Heartbreaker, who rose to the top of the competition in the $60,000 Great-West Life Cup 1.50m. They put down a clear round in a time of 42.10 seconds for victory. Second place went to Reed Kessler and Mika, who were clear in 43.31 seconds. Katie Dinan (USA) and Glory Days were third with no faults in a time of 43.78 seconds.

Madden smoothly executed an inside turn after the fourth jump, which set her up for a good line to the next skinny vertical. “I thought it would be faster,” she said. “I went in and looked at it when I went in, so I could see it from a horse and it for sure gave you a better line after the skinny so you didn't have to slow down so much, in order to make the turn after it. I know she turns left so well, that she would jump a little left after that and spin inside there, and I would end up being able to do that fast.”

Madden said that the first round course was hard for Via Volo “because a lot of the lines were steady,” but if she can “just keep hunting along, she's usually pretty fast.” She explained, “She has a big stride and the less I can fight with her, the better. She really handled it well. When I asked her to do something, she responded.”

While Via Volo can be quirky about her surroundings, she was all business today. “She's always looking around; she doesn't miss much,” Madden agreed. “For sure, she gets looking at things other than the fences sometimes and you have to try and keep her focus on the fence. Today she felt great. She was a little funny from (fences) one to two in the first round, but then she was right down to business.”

Results: $60,000 Great-West Life Cup 1.50m

1. CORAL REEF VIA VOLO:  1998 BWP mare by Clinton x Heartbreaker
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Coral Reef Ranch: 0/0/42.10

2. MIKA: 2000 Selle Francais gelding by Nidor Platiere x Rubis Rouge
REED KESSLER (USA), Reed Kessler: 0/0/43.31

3. GLORY DAYS: 2001 Swedish Warmblood gelding by Cardento 933 x Diamond Serpent
KATIE DINAN (USA), Grant Road Partners, LLC: 0/0/43.78

4. CRIPTONITE: 2001 Holsteiner gelding by Cento x Capitol I
ENRIQUE GONZALEZ (MEX), Enrique Gonzalez: 0/0/44.30

5. POWERPLAY: 2004 Holsteiner gelding by by Casall x Limbus
ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 0/0/44.57

6. DUNDEE VD DWERSE HAGEN: 2003 Belgian Sport Horse by Caesar vd Helle x Brownboy
CAMERON HANLEY (IRL), Eleonore Paschoude & Yves Bouvier: 0/0/47.47

7. NICE DE PRISSEY: 2001 Selle Francais stallion by Rosire x Amarpour
BRIANNE GOUTAL (USA), Remarkable Farms LP: 0/4/47.12

8. ZERLY: 2004 KPWN mare by Querlybet Hero x Carthago
CHRISTINE MCCREA (USA), Candy Tribble: 0/8/45.18

9. ROUNDTHORN MADIOS: 2002 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Condios x Clover Hill
LAUREN TISBO (USA), Tequestrian Farms, LLC: 0/12/45.65

10. D ATLANTIQUE ROYALE: 2003 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Darco x Kannan
FRANCOIS MATHY (BEL), Team Harmony & Francois Mathy: 1/77.12