Jordan MacPherson Claims $35,000 Grand Prix

August 6, 2013 · 0 Comments

Schomberg’s Hugh Graham was clear through the first round on Distant Star 3E, but got edged out by a fraction of a second in the jump-off to take second place in the $20,000 Ram Equestrian Grand Prix at Caledon Equestrian Park.

By Bill Rea
Captain Canada probably put it best Saturday.
“The only thing better than winning is watching your student win.”
Those were the words of Olympic medalist Ian Millar after he was just squeezed out of first place in Saturday’s $35,000 CSI2* RAM Equestrian Grand Prix at Caledon Equestrian Park. He was bested by his student Jordan MacPherson of Toronto.
It also provided a good test for the Palgrave facility. It’s run by Equestrian Management Group (EMG), which is busy with the efforts to get the park ready to host the equestrian events at the 2015 Pan Am Games.
Millar said he was pretty impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“I’m so proud of what the EMG Group is doing,” he declared. “This is going to be the best facility that I’ve ever seen at the Pan Ams.”
“That’s what we’re shooting for,” commented EMG Managing Partner Craig Collis. “That’s the point.”
Millar is also enthused at the plan for indoor arena facilities at the site. That will mean indoor events can be held locally leading up to the Royal Winter Fair in the fall.
“With that flexibility, it’s a game-changer,” Millar declared.
“This is beyond significant, what’s happening here,” he added.
Five riders were able to pass the test set by two-time Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela, successfully negotiating the first round track to advance to the all-deciding jump-off. There was almost a sixth. Beth Underhill of Schomberg turned in a clear round, but took a fraction of a second too long to do it, ending up with one time fault with her entry, Viggo.
Millar, a 10-time Olympian, led off by guiding his 2012 London Olympic mount Star Power to a second clear round in a time of 36.70 seconds. His early lead would be short-lived, however, as his student MacPherson followed with Piccobello du Val de Geer, her partner of the past three years. A fast pace and tight turns soon saw MacPherson flying through the timers in 34.50 seconds, slicing more than two full seconds off Millar’s time.
“Ian went before me and set the track,” said MacPherson, 23. “I watched him go, and knew what I had to do – pick up the pace, and keep going!”
MacPherson was nervous as three riders were still to follow. Colombia’s Roberto Teran was on the pace until two rails fell near the end of the shortened track to leave him fifth in the overall standings with Tam Tam Hero, owned by ARK Partners. Jill Henselwood, Millar’s silver medal teammate at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was clear but a time of 38 seconds saw her finish in fourth with New Idol Z, a nine-year-old grey Zangersheide mare owned by Juniper Farms. Ainsley Vince of Burlington was the final challenger, but a time of 37.89 seconds with her grey mare, Darling, left her third in the final placings for The Darling Group.
“It’s a fast horse and she knows her job,” MacPherson said after accepting her red ribbon.
Millar said he’s riden 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, as has his daughter Amy. But it quickly became clear there was a synergy between MacPherson and the horse.
“We thought she’d be a fantastic horse for Jordan,” he remarked. “This horse was better for Jordan than anyone else.”
Jay Hayes from Orangeville had taken top spot the previous week in the $20,000 Ram Equestrian Grand Prix at Palgrave on Riva, but they didn’t have the same good fortune Saturday. One railing came down during their round, and with four jumping faults, they had to settle for seventh place.
Chris Sorensen of Caledon East had two mounts in the event. He picked up four jumping faults on Wriomf to come in ninth, behind Vince on Frieda. Sorensen also competed on Bobby, but they knocked down two railing for eight faults and a 12th place finish.
Belfountain resident Yann Candele was competing aboard Carolla Z, and they finished in 11th place with four faults.

King riders excel at grand prix

If you can’t be perfect in a jump-off, at least be fast.
Jay Hayes of Orangeville demonstrated that as he took top spot in the $20,000 Ram Equestrian Grand Prix at Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave recently.
Atop his nine-year-old mount, Riva, he was one of two combinations to turn in clear rounds and make it to the jump-off.
Schomberg’s Hugh Graham went first in the second round aboard Distant Star 3E, but he knocked down one fence and drew four jumping faults. Hayes and Riva drew the same number of faults, but they put on the speed, and completed the course in 42.63 seconds, shaving less than a second off the time Graham posted.
The victory meant a $6,000 pay day for Hayes.
Graham also took third place on Feature Attraction 3E, but four faults in the first round kept them out of the jump-off.
Fourth place went to Ryan Roy of King City on Limbo 124, and fifth place was taken by Lanie Thomas of Schomberg on Albion.
Woodbridge resident Elliott Stone was also competing on his mount Stanley Stone. They completed the course with a fast time of 77.92 seconds (second only to Hayes on Riva), but they picked up 12 jumping faults in the process.
Hayes was well-mounted for the effort. Riva’s mother was Diva, who Hayes road in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. As well, Riva’s father was Rio Grande, who Eric Lamaze had been slated to ride in Sydney before he was dropped from the team.
The equestrian park is currently a work in progress, in anticipation of hosting events in the 2015 Pan Am games.
Hayes pointed to the conditions in the ring.
“There footing here is exceptional now,” he said. “The horses really respond to it.”