Dr. Sam Shaw, Vice President, Natural Gas Policy Development, Encana Natural Gas presenting the winners’ cheque to Kent Farrington. (Spruce Meadows Media Services)
The $100,000 Encana Cup saw 34 horse/rider combinations move through the course designed by Leopoldo Palacios (VEN). Over the 575 meter course with 16 jumping efforts, 4 combinations moved through to the jump off. Kent Farrington (USA) saw his 7th FEI victory at Spruce Meadows this year alone riding his 11 year old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Uceko. With this victory, Farrington sits as a favorite the $1,000,000 CN International this Sunday. The Chicago native is also one of three riders that are in play to take home the CN Precision Series bonus of $50,000, after winning a previous CN Grand Prix this summer. “The CN International is the one you are always working for” commented Farrington. “I’m looking for consistency in my horses, and Uceko has shown to me that he has what it takes to get there.”
After rolling out the floodlights, 11 horse/rider combinations manoeuvred their way through the ATCO Electric 6 Bar. The first round saw 6 of those riders take down one of the jumps that stretched to 1.66 meters tall. When the last fence in the grid moved up to 1.99 meters, both Robert Whitaker (GBR) and Harrie Smolders (NED) cleared the massive jumps, Whitaker aboard the 9 year old Holstein Gelding Catwalk IV, and Smolders riding Exuis Walnut de Muze, a 13 year old Belgian Warmblood mare. While this is Smolders first appearance at Spruce Meadows in 2012, Whitaker was a force to reckon with in the International ring during the Spruce Meadows Summer Series. “This summer was great for Catwalk” Whitaker commented. “This venue is great to work on him with, with all the crowds and lights and things.”
The weekend continues at Spruce meadows, with the Suncor Winning Round scheduled for 11:00am, followed by the BMO Financial Nations Cup at 2:00pm.
Encana Cup – Top 10
1-Kent Farrington USA Uceko
2-Hans Dieter Dreher GER Magnus Romeo
3-Shane Breen IRL Cos I Can
4-Juan Carlos Garcia ITA Prince De La Mar
5-Harrie Smolders NED Regina Z
6-Christina Liebherr SUI LB Con Grazia
7-Abdullah Al Sharbatly KSA Larkhill Cruiser
8-Christian Ahlmann GER Aragon
9-Beezie Madden USA Simon
10-Eric Lamaze CAN Coriana Van Klapscheut
ATCO Electric Circuit-Six Bar – Top 10
1-Robert Whitaker GBR Catwalk IV
1-Harrie Smolders NED Exquis Walnut De Muze
3-Shane Breen IRL Balloon
4-Shane Sweetnam IRL Diktator Van De Boslandhoeve
5-Carla Diewert CAN Vaquero