CSI 5*

Kyle King & Etalon Claim the Crown in $1,103,000 Vector Empresas CSI 5* at Club Hípico La Silla

Monterrey, Mexico – November 03, 2022 – Kyle King (USA) has been hungry for a win during this Major League Show Jumping season and it came in a big way on Thursday in the MXN $1,103,000 Vector Empresas CSI 5* 1.50m at Club Hípico La Silla. The site of his own team Roadrunners victory in 2021, King is back on form this year.

The win came for Etalon, King’s 13-year-old Royal Dutch Sport Horse Dutch Warmblood gelding (Otangelo x Concorde) owned by Christine Maclean and Brent Therrien. The gelding’s massive stride and will to win allowed King to best 20 jump-off contenders and start the week off with a victory.

Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Donatello 141 (Diarado x Lamoreux) claimed second place, doing so after two flawless rounds while stopping the jump-off timers in 34.85 seconds.

Helios teammate, Simon McCarthy (IRL) found himself on the podium for the second time during the opening day of competition. He and Gotcha (Stakkato x Cassini I) secured third place just eight-hundredths of a second behind the latter two.

Etalon has been jumping in great form so I knew he would be ready for this class. The [Major League] season has been a little rusty to this point. I’m very competitive and I have been very hungry. This level is a step up from national levels where I’m confident in almost any class I go in. These riders bring out top horse after top horse and ride incredibly. I’ll take any victory I can get here and keep building confidence.

Etalon is a very special horse. He’s my longest partner at this point in my string and he came from nowhere. He’s one of those horses that is always so rewarding. He started as a hunter then a sales horse and is now one of my steady campaigners and a great partner.

Action at MLSJ Monterrey resumes on Friday with the Banorte CSI5* 1.45m highlighting the schedule. MLSJ continues at Club Hípico La Silla in Monterrey, Mex, through November 6 and will return for phase 8 of MLSJ November 10-13.

Final Results – MXN $1,103,000 Vector Empresas CSI 5*

1) Kyle King (USA) & Etalon – 0 / 0 – 34.59

2) Ashlee Bond (USA) & Donatello 141 – 0 / 0 – 34.85

3) Simon McCarthy (IRL) & Gotcha – 0 / 0 – 34.93

Source: Press Release (edited) from MLSJ – Major League Show Jumping

Photo: © MLSJ / Ashley Neuhof