Mare Power at the Longines World Cup & Heaps of Other Equestrian Entertainment Midweek at the Royal

Mare Power at the Longines World Cup & Heaps of Other Equestrian Entertainment Midweek at the Royal

By Kim MacMillan

All photos by Shelley Higgins/Copyright MacMillan Photography

It’s hard to describe the importance of the Royal Winter Fair to someone who hasn’t been there before. This year our associate photographer Sarah Miller is accompanying me to attend her very first Winter Fair for two days and it will be fun to watch her reaction to the animals, the shopping, the horse show and the many delightful epicurean treats available.

But first, thanks to Shelley Higgins, our Canadian correspondent and, her student intern Carly Wulf, we have coverage of last night’s $132,000 Longines World Cup class at the Royal. McLain Ward,  Brewster, NY, riding HH Azur, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder Van De Zuuthoeve x Sir Lui). The course was designed by Richard Jeffery of Great Britain and was a large and technical track with no vertical lower than 1.60 meters. “Every fence came down at least once and I was happy with the result,” said Jeffery. “I wanted it to be a real World Cup class, and I built for that. McLain showed us tonight with that horse what a future the sport has.”

Ward and Azur, owned by Francois Mathy and Double H Farm, topped the field of 22 by jumping clear in the first round and besting a two-way jump-off against Dermott Lennon of Ireland on Loughview Lou Lou, a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Judith Sossick. Lennon and Lou Lou went first in the jump off and pulled one rail allowing Ward to be more conservative with his speed going clear but incurring one time fault.

Ward began riding HH Azur last winter and has high hopes as the Rio Olympics approach next summer. “It’s a bit of a dream,” said Ward of the mare. “I would say she’s the horse of a lifetime if I hadn’t had Sapphire. To get a second one like this is pretty incredible and I hope I do her justice and manage her well. Every time the horse goes in the ring she’s better, higher, faster. The only time she has a fence down is if I have a terrible error. We knew after Florida that she was everything we thought she was and she’s only gotten better this summer,” he said. Everything she does now will be working backwards from Rio.”

Third place went to another mare, Woklahoma, ridden by Roberto Teran of Colombia and owned by ARK Partners, LLC.  They were the fastest of the four-fault rounds.

Charlie Johnstone, CEO of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, said it was a privilege for the Royal Horse Show to host a leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League, “To host the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto added to our credibility and stature in the industry. The World Cup is such an iconic event. We are honored to have these riders put on such a great show for us here tonight. What has surprised me the most is the emotional connection that people have with The Royal. The commitment to continue that really is something special.”

See the complete World Cup results below.

$132,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto – Wednesday, November 11

Rider                           Hometown                     Horse                          Faults               Times

1. McLain Ward       United States          HH Azur                          0:1                     47.58
2. Dermott Lennon      Ireland                 Loughview Lou Lou     0:8                     42.04
3. Roberto Teran         Colombia              Woklahoma                  4                          73.65
4. Nicola Philippaerts  Belgium               H&M Forever D Arco Ter Linden  4    73.95
5. Beezie Madden       United States        Breitling LS                  4                          74.65
6. Callan Solem           United States        VDL Wizard                 4                          75.88
7. Jonathon Millar       Perth, ON             Star Power                   4                          78.02
8. Erynn Ballard          Tottenham, ON    Appy Cara                    4                          78.35
9. Lisa Carlsen             Okotoks, AB         Worlds Judgement     8                          74.20
10. Sharn Wordley      New Zealand          Barnetta                        8                          77.42
11. Georgina Bloomberg United States    Caleno 3                        8                          78.29
12. Laura Kraut           United States          Deauville S                   8                          78.84

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Tonight the Royal hosts the Dressage Invitational and many other horse show classes including draft horses, antique coaches and more. Find the results at http://royal.showmanagementsystem.com/. For more information including live webcasts from the Royal Horse Show visit http://www.royalfair.org/horse-show.

More updates from the Royal Winter Fair this weekend. We plan to watch horses and more horses, shop until we drop and taste the many wonderful “fair food” options. Shelley says there are new flavors of goat cheese this year – yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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