Spruce Meadows Masters, Calgary, Canada
PROVING that showjumping is anything but formulaic, the 2024 running of the world's toughest grand prix, the $3m (£1.7m) CPKC International presented by Rolex, was won in dramatic fashion by the all-conquering Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei.
"It's a great feeling to secure a second win here," said Martin, who continues to forge an incredible legacy as only the third competitor after Rodrigo Pessoa (2000 and 2001) and Scott Brash (2015 and 2016) to land back-to-back grands prix in Calgary. "I didn't believe after my rail down in the jumpoff that it would be possible.
Luck was on my side." The Swiss rider was drawn first for a thrilling three-way showdown, which neatly featured a mare, a gelding and a stallion, two past winners and three exceptional horsemen.
He thought he'd thrown away his chances when toppling the seemingly straightforward brown oxer at fence four under the shadow of the trees.
"I was upset with myself for not giving Leone Jei the best chance because I over-rode the oxer I pushed him into the pole because I was thinking already about the leave out to the vertical after it, instead of allowing him to jump the oxer and use his big stride to get there on five strides. I was mad at myself because I had two of the best riders in the world coming after me."
THE BIGGEST AND BEST
THE baton was passed to Ireland's Darragh Kenny with Heathman Farm's VDL Cartello but they succumbed to the same fence. The 17-yearold stallion has all the scope but is not the quickest and a surprising two time-faults also appeared as he crossed the line.
Rarely does the time allowed play a factor in a jump-off but it emerged that coursebuilder Leopoldo Palacios had cunningly squeezed the time allowed and it proved to be a stroke of genius.
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