McKayla Langmeier (USA) made her mark at Spruce Meadows today as the Under-25 champion against 35 horse/rider combinations in the U25 Canadian Utilities Winning Round. 

It was a great start to Thursday on the Meadows on the Green turf with the up and coming stars of show jumping taking on the FEI test designed by Canada’s Peter Grant. The impressive entry of riders were representing countries from around the globe including Japan, Mexico, Ireland, USA and Canada. 

The Spruce Meadows U25 Series has been scheduled throughout the Summer Series of Tournaments seeing top level competition in each event at each of the CSI 5* Tournaments. This morning’s event was no different, with a larger roster of athletes than ever before featured on the Order of Go. 

Finishing on top for this week’s edition at the ‘Pan American’ tournament, presented by Rolex was McKayla Langmeier(USA), on only her second trip ever to Spruce Meadows. This young talent aboard the big 9 year old chestnut gelding, Iliano Vant Dabelendreet (Ogano Sitte x Skippy II), a partnership that only just came together earlier this year. Langmeier commented “He is a brand-new partner for me, I got him just at the beginning of the Wellington Equestrian Festival this year, so we’ve just been playing around and getting used to each other. With a new partner it’s always a learning curve especially when it comes to finding the perfect balance of tack.” McKayla continued, “This was a very big win for me – everything just sort of came together today. I’ve been showing him in FEI competition since the beginning in the 1.45m, I tried bumping him up to the 1.50m during the ‘Continental’ Tournament but we moved back down for this week so I’m not sure whether this will change things - I’ll have to wait and see.”  

Following behind in second and third also representing the Stars and Stripes were Lucy Deslaurier and Alex Matz. Deslaurier, no stranger to the Spruce Meadows champion’s podium, rode top mount Hester (Wandor van de Mispelaere x Palestro vd Begijnakker) to the second-place finish with a great round just 0.5 seconds behind the winning time. Following close behind for third was first time visitor to the Spruce Meadows Summer Series was Alex Matz who will undoubtedly be back in the Spruce Meadows spot light soon after such an impressive performance.