WEEKEND UPDATE: Equestrian news roundup

Courtesy of Road to the Horse

ROAD TO THE HORSE

Chris Cox blew away the competition to win his fourth Road to the Horse title in Lexington, Kentucky. Cox scored 2,600, Jim Anderson 1,689 and Trevor Carter 1,656. Road to the Horse had a $100,000 purse this year, it’s richest so far.

The colt-starting competition takes three horse trainers and clinicians and puts them up against each other for the esteemed title of Road to the Horse World Champion.

Competitors choose a horse out of a group of 3-year-old untouched quarter horses. Competitors were judged not only on a final test of skill, but how they get that result, using natural horsemanship methods.

SHOWJUMPING

Photo by Mollie Bailey |  Chronicle of the Horse

McLain Ward won the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix, the finale to the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, on HH Carlos, a 13-year-old Zangersheide. Only three horses made the jump-off round: Ward, Georgina Bloomberg on Lilli and Daniel Bluman on Conconcreto Sancha LS. No one was able to leave all the fences up in the jumpoff, but Ward had the fastest time.

HUNTERS

Tori Colvin atop Vaillero, a 7-year-old Zangersheide, won the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Darcy Hayes riding Say When came in second. Mindful and Kelly Farmer, who won the opening round of the derby fell to 16th place overall.

AQHA

High point winners were announced from the Silver Dollar Circuit. High point overall senior horse was  Blazinmytroublesaway, ridden by Rusty Green and owned by Katie Green. Highpoint junior horse went to  Aint Gota Lot, ridden by Bradley Ost and owned by Belik Family Trust. The high point amateur was Huntin For Fun and Brittany Lofton Morgan.

EVENTING

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials cross-country will be a “very different” experience for riders, with the course being run in the opposite direction to normal. The change will see all the major combinations tackled in the opposite direction. Course designer Mark Phillips told Horse and Hound magazine that it was “time for the change” after three years of a similar course.

California Chrome in Dubai. Photo by Steven Cargill/racingfotos/Rex

HORSE RACING

Reigning horse of the year California Chrome was upset by Prince Bishop in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. California Chrome is now going to ship to Royal Ascot where plans are to race the 4-year-old colt in June.
Meanwhile, the road to the Kentucky Derby is in full swing.

• Materiality remained undefeated in winning th Florida Derby. Materiality,  by Afleet Alex, is trained by Todd Pletcher. Upstart ran second.
• International Star scored a come-from-behind victory in the Louisiana Derby. Stanford was second by a neck. War Story finished third.
  Mubtaahij easily won the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai by 8 lengths.