Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and H&M Harley VD Bisschop are easy on the eyes but hard on the competition at Spruce Meadows this weekend. The chiseled pair took home a nice piece of the Canadian pie Thursday afternoon when they bested a class of 44 to win the 1.60m CANA Cup with a cruising time of 41.25 seconds, a half second faster than closest rival, Steve Guerdat (SWI) and Cayetana.
“My horse is naturally quite quick so I tried to go as fast as I knew I could with him, without taking too many risks – and Harley really jumped great. I was especially lucky because when Kent [Farrington] goes clear he is usually unbeatable so it was lucky for me that he had one down.”
Nicola Philippaerts and Harley. PC: Spruce Meadows Media
Indeed, Kent was on a path to glory before bringing down a rail on his mare Gazelle, and he opted to retire and save the mare for the rest of the week.
He and fellow American Beezie Madden also found clear rounds on Voyeur and Darry Lou, respectively, but opted not to return for the jump-off.
Maikel Van Der Vluten of the Netherlands snagged the yellow ribbon with a more calculated time of 42.40 aboard his 15-year-old stallion VDL Groep Verdi TN. Pedro Veniss was the highest placed rider from the Western Hemisphere with a fourth place finish aboard For Felicia.
Plenty more good action headed your way from Spruce Meadows – Keep it locked on JN for all the noteworthy moments!
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