The winning Canadian team at the Longines FEI Nations Cup™ of Mexico 2018. Ph. ©FEI/Anwar Esquivel.
The Canadian foursome that included Jonathon Millar, Laura Jane Tidball, Jenn Serek, and Keean White led the way after Sunday’s first round of the three-nation contest, but their eight-fault total only gave them a single-fault advantage over the USA carrying nine, while Mexico’s 21-fault first-round effort put paid to their chances.
However in a brilliant second-round rally, Patricio Pasquel, Luis Alejandro Plascencia and Jose Antonio Chedraui Eguia did themselves proud with faultless runs to ensure they added nothing more to the host nation tally.
When impressive American pathfinder Alex Granato produced his second clear of the competition with the bouncy bay gelding Carlchen W (Chacco-Blue x Continue, that kept the pressure on the Canadian leaders. But single errors from both Soleau-Millar on Cacharel (Vingino x Clinton) and Ali Wolff on Casall (Casall x Capitol I), and two mistakes from Jennifer Gates on Pumped Up Kicks (Levisto x San Juan), moved the US on to a final total of 17 faults.
“We had a great group, they all contributed to our score and to our victory.”
And this meant that although Tidball on Concetto Son (Concetto Famos x Drosselklang II) and Serek on Wicked (Berlin x Diamant de Semilly) each left a single fence on the floor second time out, anchorman White on For Freedom Z (For Pleasure x Baloubet du Rouet) could stay in the clubhouse because even without his help Team Canada would finish with just 16 on the final scoreboard.
Millar was delighted with his 10-year-old gelding Daveau (Zento x Glennridge). “He didn’t do the Nations Cup in Ocala because it came too early in the season, but it’s been a really fun process working with him so far and now he’s coming into his own. He gives a thousand percent in the ring, he’s a real fighter and a dream to ride – I couldn’t be more proud of him!” he said. And he was proud and happy for his American wife too. “This was her first Nations Cup, and it was exciting and rewarding that we could do this together today, even on two different teams!”
His Chef d’Equipe, Mark Laskin, is already looking forward to the third and final leg of the North/Central America and Caribbean League which will take place on home turf in Langley next month, and he was very pleased with today’s team effort. “We had a great group, they all contributed to our score and to our victory,” he said.
Full results, here.
Source: Louise Parkes /FEI