Mac Cone of King City, ON, won the $32,000 Caledon Cup Open on Friday, September 25, at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament from September 23-27 at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON. Photo by Cealy Tetley, www.tetleyphoto.com

September 25, 2009 – Palgrave, Ontario – Olympic Team Silver Medalist Mac Cone of King City, ON, rode away the winner in the $32,000 Caledon Cup Open Welcome, Presented by Peel Maryborough and Aviva, on Friday, September 25, at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament running September 23-27 at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON.

A total of 32 horses started the competition with seven posting clear rounds to advance to the jump-off over the course set by Bernardo Cabral of Portugal. Erynn Ballard of Hillsburgh, ON, jumped the first round clear with Sorbette, but incurred one time fault for exceeding the 81-second time allowed, leaving the pair in eighth place.

In the jump-off, Cone was the only rider to again leave all the obstacles in their place to take the victory riding Ole, his partner at the 2008 Olympic Games where Canada won the Team Silver Medal. The win marked two in a row for Cone and Ole as the pair had also won the $50,000 World Cup Grand Prix one week earlier in Lexington, KY.

“It’s fantastic, it makes life worth living,” said Cone, 57, of Ole’s recent return to the grand prix ring. The 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, owned by Sara Houstoun and Larry Evoy, sustained an injury at last year’s Olympic Games and only started jumping at the grand prix level again in July. “I have a lot to be thankful for, but Ole is something extra-special to be thankful for. He is a wonderful animal, and I owe him a lot. I think he is a better horse now than he was at the Olympics.”

Cone, who operates Southern Ways Stable in King City, ON, appreciates having a world-class facility in the Caledon Equestrian Park in his community, saying, “It is nice to sleep in your own bed and compete 25 minutes away from home. Southern Ways comes here to compete four to five weeks of the year, and the show organizers do a great job. God willing, we’ll get the Pan American Games here for 2015.”

Finishing second behind Cone was another Canadian Olympian and local resident, Beth Underhill of Schomberg, ON. Underhill was the first rider back for the jump-off with Cantero Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Iron Horse Farm. The pair had the second-to-last fence down, but their quick time of 39.52 secured second place.

Karen Cudmore, a native of Victoria, BC, also had a rail down mid-way through the jump-off course to place third with Southern Pride, an 11-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by her husband, Blair Cudmore.

Nine-time Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, had the first and last jump down on course to finish fourth with Susan Grange’s Redefin while Angela Covert-Lawrence of St. Lazare, QC, also had eight faults with her 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, Unica, to take fifth place.

Hugh Graham of Schomberg, ON, had 12 faults with the Canadian-bred Executive Privilege 3E, owned by KingRidge Stables, to place sixth while Lauren Hunkin’s Larry 0146 refused a jump while attempting a tight turn, resulting in 24 faults for seventh place.

Competition continues at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament with Saturday’s $10,000 Omnivex Modified Grand Prix at 3 p.m. while Sunday brings the grand finale, the $100,000 Caledon Cup Final, at 2 p.m. Featuring the best of the best, Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, will be looking for victory, but will face stiff competition from his 2008 Olympic Silver Medal teammates, Cone and Ian Millar, among others. In addition to offering $30,000 in prize money to the winner, the $100,000 Caledon Cup Final also acts a World Cup Qualifier for the 2010 World Cup Final to be held in April in Geneva, Switzerland.

Alongside world-class show jumping competition, the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament will feature family entertainment such as the Horse Sport Performing Dogs, the Birds of Prey exhibition, and the Foxbury Farm Horseless Horse Show judged by Connor Jessup, star of TVO’s popular ‘The Saddle Club’ television show. Families can also enjoy the Home Depot Kids Workshop where children can build their own toolboxes, a jumping castle, and face painting.

For more information on the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, please visit www.equiman.com. Follow the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CdnSJT.

Rider/Hometown/Horse/Faults/Time
1. Mac Cone King City, ON Ole 0:0 38.55
2. Beth Underhill Schomberg, ON Cantero Z 0:4 39.52
3. Karen Cudmore Victoria, BC Southern Pride 0:4 39.75
4. Ian Millar Perth, ON Redefin 0:8 38.58
5. Angela Covert-Lawrence St. Lazare, QC Unica 0:8 42.11
6. Hugh Graham Schomberg, ON Executive Privilege 3E 0:12 38.42
7. Lauren Hunkin Caledon, ON Larry 0146 0:24 69.06
8. Erynn Ballard Hillsburgh, ON Sorbette 1
9. Hyde Moffatt Brantford, ON Denver 1
10. Kim Farlinger Ottawa, ON Bay Street 1