At Spruce Meadows, Canada, last week the superstars of the showjumping world gathered to contest the sport’s richest ever competition, the $5m (£2.7m) CPKC International presented by Rolex, won this year by Scott Brash riding Hello Jefferson.
Considered one of the premier grands prix on the global circuit, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the toughest to win, with Olympic course-builder Leopoldo Palacios always challenging horses and riders to the max across this three-round contest.
Plenty of healthy discussion often surrounds the size of the obstacles – which can exceed 1.60m in height and range from water ditches to open water and walls – while the technicality of the lines, the natural undulations and time allowed are also brought into play.
But debate intensified following this year’s grand prix when no horse and rider combination managed to jump a double clear.
Faults accumulated in round two of the grand prix
Scott Brash revealed that when he’d walked the course on the morning of the competition, he’d thought it was extremely tough. But from a starting line up of 36 athletes, 11 remained faultless in round one, while a further three jumped clear but with a time-fault apiece. Four failed to complete.
Nothing startling there.
However, in round two, not one of the 12 high-calibre competitors could jump clear over a slightly shortened course of 12 numbered fences – one less than the 13 numbered obstacles in round one.
The last line of Spruce Meadows’ famous double of ditches (10a and b) to the flimsy bicycle vertical on a short four strides, followed by a dog-leg to the final oxer at fence 12 caused the most problems and total faults accumulated in round two ranged from four to 14, with with last year’s winner Martin Fuchs and his experienced partner Leone Jei eliminated after falling at the first fence. Both walked away unscathed.
The two combinations who progressed to the jump-off – victor Scott Brash with Jefferson, who went on to jump clear in round three, and US contender Kyle King riding Kayenne Z – hit one rail apiece in round two. Scott assessed that Hello Jefferson had “misjudged the b element a bit” at the double of oxers-over-ditches where he toppled a pole.
So when does too many faults become a problem? How does it reflect on the sport if horses and riders don’t clear the fences? Or does it add to the spectacle and prestige to make achieving a double clear so elusive?
Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson clear Spruce Meadows’ distinctive water jump.
Spruce Meadows showjumping courses: “We like our comfort zone – that’s not what we have here”
Of course, these kind of discussions are nothing new and in no way limited to Spruce Meadows – Laura Kraut won the recent grand prix at Dublin as the sole rider to jump clear in round one of the competition. Similarly, a small handful of riders at most jump clear each year in the Hickstead Derby.
Steve Guerdat, who finished third in this year’s CPKC International at Spruce Meadows having added a time-fault to his four faults in round two, revealed in the post-competition press conference that he’d been critical of Leopoldo Palacios in the past.
“Around 14 years ago, I complained in the press conference about Leopoldo and that what he was doing was too tough – the show had to change something,” said Steve, the 2012 Olympic champion and past winner of the CPKC International grand prix.
“Thank God Leopoldo didn’t listen to me, because the truth is that as athletes or people, sometimes we don’t like to be challenged. We like our comfort zone. This is not what we have here at Spruce Meadows. So I would say that, thanks to the team at Spruce Meadows, I became a better rider.”
When asked beforehand about the course he designed for Sunday’s CPKC International, Venezuelan course builder Leopoldo Palacios, who has been building at the Spruce Meadows Masters since 1996, said: “I believe and hope the course will be very tough, which is very normal here.
Beezie Madden (USA) and Darry Lou clearing one of the distinctive fences in the CP International at the Spruce Meadows Masters 2019. (Mike Sturk – Spruce Meadows Media Services).
“There won’t be too many differences from my usual designs, however I will use some features that I haven’t used before,” he continued. “I will be including two big water jumps – one of them a big Liverpool with two poles as a vertical, which will be followed by a left turn to the other Liverpool. This will be the first time that I’ve used this feature and I believe this is the perfect time to use it. I try to include different features in my designs every year – this helps to keep things interesting.
“As we no longer have the bank, I will use a line [of fences] under the trees, which I think will be very nice.”
Leopoldo Palacios: “Tougher and more demanding than at the Olympics – but welfare is at the forefront of all we do”
“I’ve tried to make a grand prix for the occasion,” Leopoldo summed up. “But I believe the courses here are tougher and more demanding than at the Olympics.”
He also added that: “No other grand prix in the world is like this – the results do the talking.
“Spruce Meadows is one of the most challenging places to come, but it’s also the ethos of Spruce Meadows to always put the welfare of the horse at the forefront of everything that we do.”
The CPKC International grand prix at Spruce Meadows remains one of the pinnacles in showjumping achievements. While not every horse will be suited to the world famous Calgary venue’s unique obstacles, undulations and intense atmosphere, Scott Brash, like countless other highly accomplished and skilful winners before him, has proved that doing your homework is one of the keys to mastering Leopoldo’s mighty challenges.
But are times changing? The debate continues.
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