Abigail McArdle and Cade. ph: Winslow Photography LLC
On Sunday, October 1, 2017, USA’s Abigail McArdle and Cade won the $50,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix 1.45m at the Split Rock Jumping Tour’s Columbus International CSI2* in Ohio.
“I am really happy and a bit emotional. I’ve had this horse for four years and he is my personal mount, owned by my father,” said McArdle. “I love his attitude. Today he just wanted to go clean no matter what and he was totally game in the jump off. I had to give it my best go to be as fast as I could, and it all worked today.”
Fifty six entires competed for the lion’s share of the earnings, with McArdle and Cade, a 15-year-old gelding by Heartbreaker, besting a jump-off field of nine to finish 1st in a time of 37.87s.
“Abby has gotten a lot of experience this year riding different horses,” said USA’s Katie Prudent. “She works with my son Adam in his sales business, and Abby rides a lot of the sale horses. When you ride a lot of different horses and have different experiences it gets the rider in the groove. I thought she rode fantastic this week and Cade is her good old, faithful boy that she has had for several years. The horse just jumped unbelievably, and I am so happy for her.”
Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade and Reus De La Nutria were the only other horse and rider combination to leave all the fences intact. The duo finished in 38.88 seconds for 2nd place.
Argentina’s Alexis Trosch and Opaline Z finished on four faults in 37.78s for 3rd place.
The full results will be posted here.