Calgary, Alberta, Canada – June 16, 2019 – The sun was shining for the final day of the 2019 Spruce Meadows ‘Continental’ CSI 5*, presented by Rolex. The $390,000 Friends of the Meadows Grand Prix CSI 5*, presented by Rolex challenged forty-two horse/rider combinations through a big technical track designed by FEI Course Designer Michel Vaillancourt (CAN). The 540m track featured fourteen obstacles and seventeen efforts including the newly designed open water jump and liver pool at Meadows on the Green.

World number 1 Steve Guerdat (SUI) was the first clear round of the competition after twenty-nine riders before him failed to finish fault free. Six other clear rounds would soon follow including Canadians Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Mario Deslauriers (CAN).

Guerdat  (SUI) and  first to take on the jump off track putting pressure on the rest of the field with a clear round in a time of 38.67 seconds. Lamaze knew what he had to do when he stepped in to the ring on his Olympic medal winning mount Fine Lady 5. He laid down a clear round with a time three one hundredths of a second faster than Guerdat.

Mario Deslauriers (CAN) was also in it to win it but was two one hundredths of a second slower to finish in second place. Lamaze scored his second Grand Prix win of the 2019 Spruce Meadows Summer Series.

“Today’s jump off was really good – it really was anybody’s win.”- Eric Lamaze (CAN) on his second Grand Prix win of the 2019 Spruce Meadows Summer Series

Results – $390,000 Friends of the Meadows Grand Prix CSI 5*

Place / Rider / Country / Horse / R1 Penalties / R1 Time / Jump-off Penalties / Jump-off Time

1. Eric Lamaze (CAN) & Fine Lady 5 – 0 / 79.77 – 0 / 38.65

2. Mario Deslauriers (CAN) & Amsterdam 27 – 0 / 80.44 – 0 / 38.67

3. Steve Guerdat (SUI) & Venard de Cerisy – 0 / 80.34 – 0 / 38.68

4. Kent Farrington (SUI) & Creedance – 0 / 77.78 – 0 / 38.73

5. Philipp Weishaupt (GER) & Che Fantastica – 0 /  80.44 – 0 / 38.78

6. Rowan Willis (AUS) & Blue Movie – 0 / 79.78 – 4 / 38.91

7. Beezie Madden (USA) & Darry Lou – 0 / 80.75 – 4 / 39.01

8. Andrew Kocher (USA) & Carollo – 1 / 83.69

9. Brian Moggre (USA) & MTM Vivre Le Reve – 4 / 77.05

10. Manuel Gonzalez Dufrane (MEX) & Hortensia van de Leeuwerk – 4 / 79.46

11. Lucy Deslauriers (USA) & Hester – 4 / 79.70

For full results, please click here.

Source: Press release from Spruce Meadows Media

Photo: © Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk