It has been two days and two major victories for Richard Spooner (USA) at the Spruce Meadows ‘Canada One’ Tournament in Calgary, AB, Canada. Following a win with Cristallo on Thursday, Spooner jumped to top honors with brand new mount Uraguay in Friday’s $33,500 Duncan Ross Cup 1.50m. Eric Lamaze (CAN) also got a win on Friday with new horse Fine Lady 5 as well as taking second place honors aboard Check Picobello Z in the $33,500 Westjet Cup 1.45m. The ‘Canada One’ Tournament runs through Sunday, June 29, concluding with the $125,000 Imperial Challenge 1.55m.
Cristina Larangeiro of Portugal set the course for 28 entries in the Duncan Ross Cup 1.50m with six starters advancing to the jump-off and five double clear rounds. Richard Spooner and Legacy Stables LLC’s Uraguay blazed through the short course in 33.45 seconds for the win.
Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and Postage Stamp Farm LLC’s Prof de la Roque finished second in 34.05 seconds. Egypt’s Nayel Nassar and Lordan placed third in 35.75 seconds, and USA’s Quentin Judge and Double H Farm’s HH Donnatella finished fourth in 36.31 seconds. Paige Johnson (USA) and Salamander Farm’s Cambito completed the fifth double clear round in 39.67 seconds.
Uraguay, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Nairobi x Colino), is a brand new ride for Spooner, but the duo proved a promising partnership with a bold jump-off round and a huge effort to the final jump on course this evening.
“It was pretty exciting actually because Sandy and Bob Mockoviak were here, and it was the first time that they had ever seen me ride one of their horses and they just flew in,” Spooner noted. “That was pretty exciting to go clear, and then to really risk everything in the jump-off and risk again going to the last jump because that was crazy long, and he did it. I don’t know how he jumped from that far away. The wall and that corner were coming up pretty quick, but I was so happy with him.”
Spooner first rode Uraguay in Florida just before the start of the Spruce Meadows Summer Series in June and has only shown the horse two weeks before this competition.
“I don’t know much about him,” he admitted. “He is super careful; he is fantastically careful. He is very fast, and he is a real trier. He is also just beautiful to ride. He is lovely, and he has a fantastic mouth. Todd Minikus rode him before me and Mario Deslauriers before that and Albert Zoer before that, so I am lucky getting to follow up some pretty top riders. I am happy that I can do him justice.”
After a fantastic evening, Spooner has chosen to compete Uraguay in this week’s feature class on Sunday, and looks forward to seeing what they can do at the next level.
Source: Spruce Meadows
Final Results: $33,500 Duncan Ross Cup 1.50m
1 URAGUAY: Dutch Warmblood / G / 13 Nairobi x Colino
RICHARD SPOONER (USA), Legacy Stables LLC: 0/0/33.45
2 PROF DE LA ROQUE: Selle Francais / G / 11 Kannan x Damiro
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Postage Stamp Farm LLC: 0/0/34.05
3 LORDAN: Warmblood / G / 10 Lordanos x Landor S
NAYEL NASSAR (EGY), Nayel Nassar: 0/0/35.75
4 HH DONNATELLA: Belgian Warmblood / M / 11 Toulon x Mr. Blue
QUENTIN JUDGE (USA), Double H Farm: 0/0/36.31
5 CAMBITO: Holstein / G / 10 Caretino x Contender
PAIGE JOHNSON (USA), Salamander Farm: 0/0/39.67
6 SUMAS ZORRO: Irish Sport Horse / M / 10 Ard Vdl Douglas x Unknown
SAMEH EL DAHAN (EGY), Joanne Sloan-Allen & Sameh El Dahan: 0/4/35.33
7 HEROS DE PAPIGNIES Z: Zangersheide / S / 10 Heartbreaker x Ahorn Z
KIRSTEN COE (USA), Paillot Equine Consulting: 1/75.35
8 CALVIN KLEIN: Swedish Warmblood / G / 10 Cardento x Feliciano
JONATHON MILLAR (CAN), Millar Brooke Farm: 1/75.42
9 ARISTOTELES V: Dutch Warmblood / S / 9 Padinus x Lux
JONATHAN MCCREA (USA), Candy Tribble: 1/75.62
10 ZARA LEANDRA: Dutch Warmblood / M / 10 Metropole x Ahorn
PABLO BARRIOS (VEN), ZL Group Inc: 4/70.01
11 PICCOBELLO DU VAL DE GEER: Belgian Warmblood / M / 15 Kannan x Skippy II
JORDAN MACPHERSON (CAN), JEM Stables: 4/71.01
12 TRIPPLE X III: AES / S / 12 Namelus R x Cantango
TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Torrey Pines Stable: 4/71.54