Canadian Pacific Grand Prix of Las Vegas (Jumping)

The last event Ruth and I went to in Las Vegas was the Saturday night Grand Prix jumping competition. The $75,000 Grand Prix of Las Vegas sponsored by Canadian Pacific was an FEI jumping class open to all World Cup horses that did not advance to Sunday's Final, and to riders in the East and West Coast World Cup Leagues who had earned 20 or more World Cup points (however one does that).

The winner was presented with the inaugural "John Quirk Cup" established in memory of John Quirk, a west coast show jumping horse owner, breeder and magazine publisher who played a leading role in bringing the FEI World Cup Jumping Final to Las Vegas in 2000. He also wrote many of the very excellent articles explaining jumping in the World Cup program. His writing is spiked with humor, making some of the rather difficult explanations palatable, if not fully comprehensible (like how they score the World Cup... I won't even try...)

As always, I took a zillion photos, between balcony railings from where we sat high in the bleachers. Final results in captions. Only the first 12 places were "placed" (in the money: U.S. dollars). Photos in order of go. Penalty points are rails down plus time faults.

two refusals and you're out (sometimes the horses are smarter than the riders)

Darius de la Ferme Rose

14th

Calero

10th  ($1,875)

Agamemnon

Agamemnon was one of 3 horses to jump clear in the first round and make it to the jump-off that decided 1st, 2nd and 3rd places

Singular LS la Silla

4th   ($7,500)

Coral Reef Baloufino

18th

The Dude

21st (tied for last) with another rider who elected to retire before finishing the course

Tembla

7th  ($3,000)

Geledimar

17th

Bijou

16th

Ferro Dc

21st, tied for last after leaving the course before finishing. There can be many reasons: course too difficult for horse that day, too many rails down to make it worthwhile to continue, rider senses something off with the horse, who knows. These riders all take wonderful care of their horses and do not want to risk their injury or loss of confidence.

Romanee Cece

12th,  ($1,875)

Kiwi Iron Mark

Kiwi Iron Mark was the 2nd horse to jump clear and enter the jump-off

Air Force One

15th

Ragtime Rouge

11th  ($1,875)

Curtis

6th  ($4,125)

Semira de Saulieu

8th  ($2,250)

Rocketman

5th   ($5, 250)

Electric

19th

Czardas

9th  ($2,250)

Zanzibar

13th 

Babalou

The last horse to go in round 1 was the 3rd horse to jump clear and enter the jump-off

The Jump Off...  The jumps were in a bit different places so the balcony railings that kept me from taking photos of all but a few jumps in Round 1, now interfered with virtually all the jumps. My camera focused on the railing instead of the horse and the horse came out blurred.

Agamemnon, with our balcony rail through the rider

Agamemnon jumped first and went clear, placing him 1st... temporarily

Kiwi Iron Mark

For some reason, I did not get a photo of the reader board after Katie Laurie's jump-off. She went clear and slightly faster, 37.79 sec., than Alec Lawler on Agamemnon, 39.36 sec., so was 1st to win the John Quirk Cup and $18,750.

Babalou

Jumping last in the jump-off, Todd Minikus had one rail down for 4 faults and 3rd place.  $11,250.

A happy Katie Laurie from New Zealand, winner of the inaugural John Quirk Cup