Spruce Meadows Continental: Lamaze Shines in the Sun

After a first day of deluge on Thursday, Friday started off looking like it was going was going to go the same way, but by the afternoon the first FEI class, the AltaGas Cup, had been moved back outside to the Meadows on the Green Arena.

Daniel Bluman of Colombia, riding Fatalis Fatum. ©moranequinephoto.com

The AltaGas Cup provided an exciting jump-off with a first-time winner for Spruce Meadows. Daniel Bluman of Colombia, riding his own Fatalis Fatum, a 16 year-old Hanoverian gelding by For Pleasure, managed to knock off 0.335 of a second off of McLain Ward's jump-off time.  Ward rode Pjotter Van de Zonnehoeve, a 10 year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Plato owned by Louisburg Farm.  It was the first time a Colombian rider has won a class at Spruce Meadows.

McLain Ward and Pjotter Van de Zonnehoeve. ©moranequinephoto.com

By the 7PM start of the Scotiabank Cup, the sun was definitely a fixture in the sky.  Guy Thomas of New Zealand was the first to go in the jump-off and he had a clear round on Queen Charlotte B, a 13 year-old Swedish Warmblood mare owned by Willow Tree Farm.  

Guy Thomas and Queen Charlotte B. ©moranequinephoto.com

Then came Eric Lamaze and Hickstead who managed to carve over three seconds off of Thomas' time.  Hickstead, a 15 year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion only seems to improve with age.
 

Eric Lamaze and Hickstead. ©moranequinephoto.com

Lamaze and Thomas were the only riders with clear rounds and they finished in the two top spots.  McLain Ward, continuing with his excellent results of the past two weeks, finished in third place with four faults in the jump-off.  

 

RESULTS

$31,000 Scotiabank Cup - 1.50M