McLain Ward of USA riding HH Carlos Z during the ATCP Pipelines Cup at the Spruce Meadows National on Thursday, June 4. (Mike Sturk photo)
Earlier in the day, McLain Ward jumped to victory in the $34,000 ATCO Pipelines Cup 1.50m aboard Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z. The competition saw 29 entries with five advancing to the jump-off.
Conor Swail (IRL) was first to jump the short course with Susan Grange’s Simba de la Roque, setting the pace with a clear round in 39.89 seconds to eventually accept the second place prize. Ward and HH Carlos Z soon beat their time by a margin in 39.54 seconds to take the win. Meagan Nusz (USA) and Amalaya Investments’ Leoville 2 had one rail down in 43.84 seconds to place third.
“Carlos is an unbelievably competitive horse. All he does is win, win, win,” Ward said of his mount. “Conor had a great round, but I felt Carlos was jumping well and it was worth taking a shot. We won by a sliver; it wasn’t very much.”
“I got to see Conor go, which was nice, and then I jumped one jump and went in,” Ward continued. “I knew Conor actually lost his footing a little bit turning to number three in the jump-off, and I thought that if I could catch that jump a little bit better it would be the difference, and it was.”
Ward and the 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chellano Z x Voltaire) have had incredible success since Hunter Harrison of Double H Farm brought the partnership together. Most recently, the duo won back-to-back grand prix at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows in New York. Those competitions, held on another large grass field, set Carlos up perfectly for immediate command of Spruce Meadows’ International Ring.
“We are lucky we have a great show at Old Salem Farm that is on grass, and myself and Beezie (Madden) and a lot of us use that as a great prep for Spruce Meadows,” Ward noted. “It is a national show, so it is maybe a little softer level, but high quality. That is a nice lead up to this.”
Carlos also placed third in Wednesday’s $34,000 Back on Track 1.50m and Ward now has plans to jump him in Saturday’s grand prix.
“That is the amazing thing about him. He can go in the 1.45m class on Wednesday full speed, then come back and jump the grand prix on Sunday afternoon and have a good chance,” Ward remarked. “He does some things that you would not think he should be able to do, but he is a real trier and a fighter. Like I always say to Mr. Harrison, he is a horse that on any day, he is worth getting dressed for.”
Source: Spruce Meadows
Final Results: $34,000 ATCO Pipelines Cup 1.50m
1. $8,500 HH CARLOS Z Zangersheide / G / 13 Chellano Z x Voltaire
MCLAIN WARD (USA) BREWSTER, NY Double H Farm: 0/0/39.54
2. $6,800 SIMBA DE LA ROQUE Schwaben / G / 9 Kannan x Allegreto
CONOR SWAIL (IRL) DARRAGH CROSS DOWN Susan Grange: 0/0/39.89
3. $5,100 LEOVILLE 2 Bavarian Warmblood / S / 15 Landor S x Wettruf
MEAGAN NUSZ (USA) HOUSTON, TX Amalya Investments: 0/4/43.84
4. $3,400 WILSON Dutch Warmblood / G / 12 Onze Fons x Monaco
BRENDA RIDDELL (CAN) CALGARY, AB Silverstar Farms: 0/24/67.29
5. $2,380 BELLE FLEUR 38 Dutch Warmblood / M / 9 Berlin x Gran Corrado
KENT FARRINGTON (USA) WELLINGTON, FL Haity McNerney: 0/Elim.
6. $1,870 ZIDANE H Dutch Warmblood / S / 11 Diamant de Semilly x Iroko
FRANCOIS ESTEVES (BRA) BRA Francois EstevesL: 1/75.14
7. $1,360 GAME BOY D Belgian Sport Horse / G / 9 Winningmood Van De Arenberg x Pavarotti V De Helle
OLIVIER PHILIPPAERTS (BEL) MEEUWEN-GRUITRODE Ludo Philippaerts: 1/76.10
8. $1,020 ANTON Warmblood / G / 11 Marlone x Orville
JAIME AZCARRAGA (MEX) MEXICO CITY Jaime Azcarraga & Family: 1/76.14
9. $1,020 VIVA COLOMBIA Oldenburg / M / 10 Couleur Rubin x Landor S
CONOR SWAIL (IRL) DARRAGH CROSS DOWN Ilan Ferder: 4/71.77
10. $850 LUCIFER V Westphalian / G / 9 Lord Pezi x Grandeur
JACK HARDIN TOWELL JR. (USA) CAMDEN, SC Jennifer Gates: 4/72.20
11. $850 BREITLING LS Warmblood / S / 9 Quintero x Accord II
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA) CAZENOVIA, NY Abigail Wexner: 4/72.40
12. $850 SRI ALADDIN Dutch Warmblood / G / 10 Quasimodo z x Burggraaf
MEAGAN NUSZ (USA) HOUSTON, TX Amalya Investments: 4/74.02