A horse with a penchant for beer and Krispy Kreme donuts, and a 17-year-old stallion lands his biggest win just before he retires

Welcome to this week’s international showjumping news round-up in which we’ve been tickled pink by a winning grey with a penchant for beer and Krispy Kreme donuts and we watched one of our favourite showjumping horses, Classic Touch S, return to his remarkable winning ways. Is he the best horse we’ve ever seen? Only time will tell.

Hats off also to the outstanding 17-year-old stallion VDL Cartello, who landed an emotional milestone victory in Mexico for Irish rider Darragh Kenny on his final farewell tour.

Read on for a round-up of this week’s international showjumping news and results.

Showjumping news: beer, Krispy Kreme donuts and paddock hopping prove a winning formula

At the Royal Horse Show in Canada, held as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Kendal Lehari and the well-named gelding Audacious triumphed in the Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge, clearing a combination of cross-country and showjumping fences set by Captain Mark Phillips.

“It’s such a rush having that many people in there cheering you on, as well as my family and supporters,” said the 37-year-old rider, who beat Olympic eventer Boyd Martin (Catarina) of the US into second. “Everyone’s got your back and wants to see you do well.

“This is a really good showcase for our sport. Not a lot of people know much about eventing, so to be able to do it inside is so much fun.”

Audacious is a Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by Kendal’s mother, former eventer Gwen Lehari, since a three-year-old.

“If you Google the word audacious, that is him to a T,” said Kendal of the 11-year-old. “He jumps out of the paddocks, he loves beer and Krispy Kreme donuts, and he’s a character. Everything is a bit too easy for him, so something like this is fun because it keeps him focused. He likes performing for a crowd, so he has been eating it all up here.”

The five-star showjumping kicks off at the Royal Horse Show this week.

• Royal Horse Show results

Vogel has the Midas touch in World Cup thriller

The Longines FEI World Cup series moved to Lyon, France, this weekend, when Germany’s Richard Vogel soared to victory on the all-conquering stallion United Touch S, signalling to the crowd that it was the 12-year-old son of Untouched who should take all the credit.

“He was exceptional, even from the first round,” said Richard, in which he executed a daring short-cut to an oxer that proved pivotal when many riders were caught out by the tight time allowed. “I’m thrilled we could pull this off today.”

After a high-calibre 10-way jump-off over Grégory Bodo’s track, Richard secured an advantage over Harrie Smolders and his “once in a lifetime horse” Monaco NOP, who settled for second place.

Gregory Wathelet of Belgium now leads the Longines FEI World Cup standings ahead of Yuri Mansur, Kevin Staut and Steve Guerdat, with Great Britain’s Robert Whitaker just a couple of points behind after his win in Helsinki last week.

Friday’s Longines grand prix went to Victor Bettendorf (Foxy De La Roque), and Ben Maher and Point Break produced the only double clear to land Saturday night’s Equita Masters presented by Hermes Sellier.

“It’s a great source of pride to win against such an incredible field of riders,” said Ben.

• Longines Equita Lyon results

Showjumping news: Kenny’s veteran stallion secures emotional first grand prix

At the world famous La Silla venue in Monterrey, Mexico, Ireland’s Darragh Kenny secured the GNP Seguros CSI5* grand prix riding 17-year-old Holsteiner stallion VDL Cartello, who will be retired from the sport in Geneva next month. This exceptional grey has notched up so many good results during a glittering career, including earning a berth at the Tokyo Olympics, but surprisingly this is his first five-star grand prix victory.

“Somehow we’ve always missed out on a five-star grand prix win – I’ve never gone this fast with him,” said the world number 22 ranked rider.

“He made so many of my dreams come true at high levels, so to win a five-star grand prix on him towards the end of his career is very cool. He’s been an incredible horse for me and it’s been nothing but fun.”

Italian rider Emanuele Camilli took the runner-up spot with Odense Odeveld and Great Britain’s Sameh El Dahan finished third with WKD Aimez Moi, co-owned by Joanne Sloan-Allen.

This was the seventh leg of the Major League Showjumping (MLSJ) and in the team contest, the Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) Roadrunners extended their lead with victory on Saturday courtesy of Kaitlin Campbell, Erynn Ballard and new squad member Richard Howley of Ireland, who was in action on the nine-year-old Zodiac Du Buisson Z.

• CSI5* La Silla results

Mega showjumping pony lands grand prix double

Finally in this week’s showjumping news round-up we celebrate a mega pony with an insatiable will to win. Having secured victory in the FEI jumping ponies’ trophy at Herning a fortnight ago, 20-year-old Elando Van De Roshoeve and jockey Lieselot Kooremans, 12, of the Netherlands, made it two in a row with a superb performance in the next stage of the ponies’ World Cup in Lyon, France. Nine competitors lined up for the jump-off, including Great Britain’s Katie Bradburne (Westpoint Foreign Affair), who came home with four faults against the clock for fifth.

Elando won individual gold at the pony European championships with Jack Whitaker in 2016 and remains in the form of his life with the Dutch rider, who took over the reins from Noora von Bulow last year; fellow Brit Claudia Moore is another young rider to have enjoyed success with the outstanding gelding.

“In the first round, he was a little over-enthusiastic, too excited to jump perfectly,” said Lieselot, who has now secured her place in the finals in Mechelen. “There are so many spectators here that he lost his head a bit. Then, in the jump-off, he gave it his all.”

She describes Elando as “a sensitive pony at home and in the paddock” and “quite difficult” to ride.

“You have to really hold on to ride him because he can be a bit wild,” she said. “But once he’s on a course, he undergoes a sort of metamorphosis and does everything he can for his rider. We’ve been a genuine team for a year and a few months now, so I know I can ask him to do anything when we’re in the arena.”

• Equita Lyon results

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