Erin Ballard and Appy Cara winner on the second night of the Calgary leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League $45,000 GGT Footing/Whiteline Structures Classic 1.45 m at Royal West, Calgary, AB, Canada. Photo Credit Katy Whitt Photography
October 28, 2015, Calgary, Alberta: The pulse has quickened at the Royal West in Week Two as the big names began gearing up for the weekend’s big prizes. On Wednesday Canada’s Erynn Ballard sharpened her game in the $45,000 GGT Footing/ Whittling Structures Classic 1.45 m with a dramatic win in an all-Canadian 11-horse jump-off.
In what was an all-female winning podium, Ballard rode her chestnut 10-year-old gelding Appy Cara to a clear round that beat out Ali Ramsay on the bay 8-year-old mare Hermelien vd Hooghoeve by 1.82 seconds, also with a clear round. Third place in the tightly bunched field went to Vanessa Mannix on the bay 14-year-old gelding Nirvanan de Terlong) who rode clean as well.
Other riders making the jump-off were Laura Jane Tidball (Prim’ de Lairaud), John Anderson (Terrific), Jill Henselwood (Farfelu du Printemps), Keean White (For Freedom Z, Carrera van de het Westleven Z), Ben Asselin (Plume de la Roque), Chris Sorenson (Bobby), Yann Candele (Granit S).
Cynthia Brewster-Keating, Christof , Christof, Pedro Cebulka and Erin Ballard and Appy Cara of the $45,000 GGT Footing/Whiteline Structures Classic 1.45 m at Royal West, Calgary, AB, Canada. Photo Credit Katy Whitt Photography
In the afternoon’s feature event, the $25,000 Salentein Wines Canadian Hunter Derby 3’6”, Brent Baliski riding Viogolo Z took home top honours with 106.00 points. Darcy Hayes aboard CrushIn captured second place second with 104.5 points. And in third was Ashton Belcher aboard Contifax.
In the afternoon’s $10,000 Hunter Derby 3’.0”, Canada’s Rodney Tulloch took top spot aboard Glory Bound. In second was Shannon Haney and her mount Erek. Third place ribbon was won by on Michelle James Picasso.
