Those who remember the equestrian events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics or fans of the film “Seabiscuit” no doubt recognised the new World Cup venue in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains.
The grandstand and the VIP area were packed with spectators eager to see if some of the world’s best could conquer Anderson Lima’s track set on the infield of the historic Santa Anita racecourse.
The 40-combo start list included all four members of this summer’s USA Olympic team. But only one made it through to a challenging jump off full of both looping turns and long gallops.
Pathfinder Ashlee Bond, competing for Israel, knew she couldn’t afford not to take risks with Donatello 141. But with two fences down for 8 points, the door was wide open for the seven who followed.
Ireland's Cian O'Connor aboard Iron Man
Likewise, Harry Charles of Great Britain and Sherlock ran into trouble and elected to retire. And Shawn Casady of the USA picked up 4 points with Cool Quarz, putting them out of the running for the prize giving.
American Kaitlin Campbell and Castlefield Cornelious were the first double clear of the evening. But would their time of 49.17 seconds be enough to hold off the remaining pairs?
Their lead didn’t last long, as Vanessa Mannix of Canada and Kingston crossed the Longines beam in 46.31 seconds, only to be topped moments later by Daniel Bluman at 42.87 seconds.
Cian O’Connor turned in a beautiful round aboard Iron Man, but at 44.68 seconds, it wasn’t enough to beat Bluman, and they slid into second for the moment.
That left only Karl Cook and Caracole — the former ride of France’s Julien Epaillard — to test the limits of Lima’s jump off course.
The Mexican course designer, who predicted the final class would be fast and said: “I think it’s going to be great sport tonight,” wasn’t wrong.
The ultra speedy mare, known for covering ground with tremendous ease, cut every turn as tightly as possible and carried Cook across the finish line in a blistering 41.19 seconds for the win.
Israel's Daniel Bluman on CorbieV.V.
“She’s amazing — she’s just so game, so committed,” said Cook of Caracole. “Every moment on her is a pleasure.”
What the athlete referred to as the “pressure cooker of the Olympics” ultimately produced amazing results, as they’ve been having a fantastic year since Paris.
Cook’s strategy in the jump off? “Avoid the problem spots and just let Caracole run!”
In the end, Mannix had to settle for fourth, followed by Casady, Campbell, Bond, and Charles.
Saturday’s performance kept Bluman at the top of the overall league rankings, chased by Americans Kristen Vanderveen and Kent Farrington.
The North American League will enjoy a bit of break for the holidays, resuming competition in 2025 at Thermal, California. Meanwhile, the Western European League has plenty more excitement in store this year, with the next leg at Madrid on December 1.
Catch all the action live on FEI TV!
Words by Patricia Salem
Images from FEI/Shannon Brinkman
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