Home win for Spruce Meadows rider Brian Morton in the Friends of the Meadows Grand Prix
It was a beautiful afternoon on the All Canada Ring for the CSI3* 1.50m Friends of the Meadows Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows.
Twenty-seven qualified horse-and-rider combinations from seven nations were tested in the first round of competition over a course designed by FEI course designer Leopoldo Palacious (VEN) and executed by FEI course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio (USA).
Only six riders jumped clear in the first round to advance to the jump off, including Canadians Brian Morton, Ben Asselin and Nicole Walker. Morton was first to tackle the jump-off course and put the pressure on those who followed by posting a quick clear ride in a time of 38.74 seconds with Crusador Z (Chacco-Blue x VDL Indorado). The pressure was too much for the remaining five competitors, with Ben Asselin coming close posting a time of 38.95 seconds and settling for second place with Luikan Q (Luidam x Kannan). Australia's James Arkins finished third with Joevaro N (H5 Elvaro x Equador), in a time of 39.07 seconds.
"You have to trust your plan that you walked (for the jump off). I knew I had the horse. When I felt her jump so good in the first round I knew I could take a shot at winning," Brian Morton said on his win.