Hardin Towell of the United States conquered the $87,000 GroupBy Big Ben Challenge in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday, November 11, riding Lucifer V for owner Evergate Stables, LLC, to close out international show jumping competition at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography

Toronto, Ontario – Hardin Towell of the United States claimed a thrilling victory in the $87,000 GroupBy Big Ben Challenge on Saturday night, November 11, to close out the CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show, held as part of the 95th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in downtown Toronto, ON.

A sold-out crowd of more than 6,000 spectators packed the Ricoh Coliseum and were treated to show jumping sport at its finest as 23 riders challenged the final track set by 2016 Rio Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. Eight riders, including Kent Farrington and McLain Ward, currently ranked numbers one and two on the Longines World Rider Rankings, jumped clear to advance to the all-deciding jump-off. The night belonged to Towell, who blazed around the jump-off track with Lucifer V, breaking the timers in 38.37 seconds to snatch the win from Canada’s own François Lamontagne, 33, of St. Eustache, QC, who had stopped the clock in 40.92 seconds aboard Chanel du Calvaire.

Canada’s own François Lamontagne of St. Eustache, QC, took second in the $87,000 GroupBy Big Ben Challenge on home soil riding Chanel du Calvaire in the final international show jumping event of the CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography

“It was really special to show here this week,” continued Lamontagne, who also claimed the title of Reserve Canadian Show Jumping Champion on opening weekend. “It doesn’t happen often that there are so many people that come to watch show jumping, and the atmosphere was amazing tonight!”

New Zealand Olympian Sharn Wordley rounded out the top three with a double-clear performance in the Big Ben Challenge, crossing the timers in 43.61 seconds riding Barnetta, owned by Sky Group. The defending champion of the Big Ben Challenge, Kent Farrington, settled for fourth after posting the fastest jump-off time, 36.92 seconds, but at the expense of one rail for four faults riding Creedance for owner RCG Farm. A crowd favourite at the Royal Horse Show, three-time U.S. Olympic medalist McLain Ward took fifth place with four faults in 37.58 seconds riding his 2016 Rio Olympic partner, Double H Farm’s HH Azur, the same mount that carried him to the coveted Longines FEI World Cup^TM Final title in April.

$87,000 GroupBy Big Ben Challenge – Saturday, November 11

Rider / Hometown / Horse / Faults/Time

1.        Hardin Towell / United States / Lucifer V / 0:0/38.37

2.        Francois Lamontagne / St. Eustache, QC / Chanel du Calvaire / 0:0/40.92

3.        Sharn Wordley / New Zealand / Barnetta / 0:0/43.61

4.        Kent Farrington / United States / Creedance / 0:4/36.92

5.        McLain Ward / United States / HH Azur / 0:4/37.58

6.        Daniel Coyle / Ireland / Cita / 0:4/38.75

7.        Kelli Cruciotti / United States / Hadja van Orshof / 0:4/40.74

8.        Adrienne Sternlicht / United States / Cristalline / 0:8/39.02

9.        Conor Swail / Ireland / GK Coco Chanel / 1

10.      Shane Sweetnam / Ireland / Indra van de Oude Heihoef / 4

11.      Leslie Howard / United States / Donna Speciale / 4

12.      Beezie Madden / United States / Coach / 4

Full Results: http://www.longinestiming.com/#!/equestrian/2017/1418/html/en/longinestiming/resultlist_134.html

Source: Press Release by Jennifer Ward for Jump Media

Photos: Ben Radvanyi Photography