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Eduardo Menezes tops the Akita Drilling Cup at Spruce Meadows 'Masters'

Thursday, 05 September 2019
CSIO5* Spruce Meadows 'Masters' 2019

Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping Eduardo Menezes and H5 Quintol won the Akita Drilling Cup. Photo © Jenny Abrahamsson for World of Showjumping.

 

Text © World of Showjumping

 


 

As last to go in the jump-off in Wednesday's CSIO5* 1.60m Akita Drilling Cup at the Spruce Meadows 'Masters', Eduardo Menezes (BRA) and H5 Quintol (Quintender 2 x Cento) snatched the win from Conor Swail (IRL) and GK Coco Chanel (Clarimo x Lerano). 

“Just before I entered the ring Philippe Guerdat told me to go around the Liverpool to fence no. one and to take one stride out on the line from 1-2. Conor did ten and Philippe thought I could reach a nine, and so I did,” Menezes said about his tactics. “I really do feel at home at Spruce Meadows. But once you go inside competing against those guys, you better not feel too much at home because you will not win much then!” he laughed. 

Runner-up Swail said: “Coco Chanel loves this place, he excels every time he comes in to the ring and obviously that gives you confidence. He had a fantastic summer series here. Today was fantastic, he jumped a really, really good first round. Then in the jump-off we were second last to go and we made a good plan, and I thought the horse jumped well. Honestly, if I would do it again I don’t think I could do it faster, so when the last rider is in and beats you, you have to be happy for a second place. The horse did everything I asked of him, he jumped fantastic. You have to run as fast as you can run.”

“Actually, Coco’s last class was the World Cup in Vancouver and I was eliminated. For some reason, some rings he doesn’t like and some rings he does like," Swail said. "Thankfully this is the place he likes the most, and this is also the place with the most prize money, the best arena and the best spectators so I'll take that. Maybe I just give him a stall here and come back every year,” the Irish rider laughed.

A total of 45 horse-and-rider combinations went straight into the 1.60m high class. Seven moved on to the jump-off that turned out to be a race against the clock. Third place went to Italian rider Massimo Grossato with Lazzaro Delle Schiave (Acodetto 2 x Gluecksgriff) followed by Dani Waldman (ISR) with Lizziemary (Cabri d’Elle x Acord II) and Pieter Clemes (BEL) with Quintini (Quintender 2 x Cassini II).

“This is the best horse I ever rode in my life," Grossato said. "He is a new horse at this level and not many know about him, but today we have seen what he is able to do. He always takes his time over the fences, so we lost a lot of time in the air. It was not possible for me to be faster, but I’m happy to be third. I come 9000 km from here and my dream is to ride the Grand Prix on Sunday,” Grossato smiled. “In a jump-off like this you just have to be as fast as you can and to do as few strides as you can do. When I finished the course, I thought I was unbeatable," Grossato said laughing “and then I’m third!”

The winner Menezes concluded: “I try to compete against myself, even though it is not always easy. But of course, I use the information about what the others did when going in as the last rider. I’m trying to go as fast as I can and leave the fences up. If that leads me to finish first today, tomorrow second and some days 6th that is the nature of our sport. I don’t try to focus too much on that.”

 



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