Canada's Mario Deslauriers claims ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows
Shauna Cook leads Canadian sweep of top 5 in Moore & Co Jumper event
Canada's Mario Deslauriers and Bardolina 2 posted two clear rounds Saturday to take the Queen Elizabeth II Cup Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows.
In a jump-off with Mexico's Carlos Hank Guerreiro and Australian Katie Laurie, Deslauriers and the 12-year-old mare didn't put a rail down and topped the leaderboard with a time of 53.05 seconds.
Saint-Jean, Que., native Deslauriers said Bardolina 2 can be difficult to ride, but she was on her game Saturday in Calgary.
"Today, she jumped incredible," Deslauriers said. "She was straight like an arrow and she jumped beautiful."
WATCH l Canada's Mario Deslauriers captures ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup:
Deslauriers and Bardolina 2 were Canada's lone show jumping entry in the summer's Tokyo Olympics where the duo placed 22nd.
"She was very good I think in the medal round [there]," Deslauriers said. "She had two fences down that were very cheap, but overall she jumped super well.
"Before she came here, she had to do three weeks quarantine because I was over my limit when I came back from Europe.
"Really, I jumped her one time at home, she got in the truck and came here, so I think she's matured a lot. I can count on her. I don't need to practise so much any more."
Canada's Ben Asselin and Tiffany Foster finished in 11th and 13th, respectively.
Other Canadians in action were Jim Ifko and Hyde Moffatt, who failed to qualify for the jump-off.
The North American is the last of three September tournaments totalling $5.6 million in prize money.
Spruce Meadows resumed hosting international show jumping events after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Canadians claim top-5 in North American ring event
Shauna Cook led a top five consisting of Canadians at the Moore & Co Jumper - 1.20m event in the North American ring.
She went double clear with Balounito within 75.66 seconds in the first round and 43.07 seconds in the jump-off.
Her performance put her ahead of Taylor Roney, who also went clear with Kayenne Z for a time of 73.23 seconds in the first round and 43.20 seconds in the jump-off.
Tamie Phillips finished third, while Soshana Weiss came in both fourth and fifth positions with different horses.
Laurie won the Friends of the Meadows Jumper - 1.40 event earlier from Matthew Sampson of the United Kingdom. Canadian Samara Henrichs Prak finished third, ahead of fellow countrymen Phillips and Carla Diewert.
Other results
Earlier on Saturday, in the International Ring, Conor Swail of Ireland won the ATB Financial Cup by going clear twice with the Count Me In horse.
Swail set a 79.49 time in the first round and a 52.40 in the second one to steer clear of Katie Laurie of Australia, second, and Matthew Sampson, third.
Canadians Ifko and Brian Morton finished fourth and eighth, respectively. Foster, Deslauriers, Vanessa Mannix, Lisa Carlsen, Braden James and Moffatt, also from Canada, didn't qualify for the second round.
In March, Spruce Meadows cancelled its summer show jumping series for a second consecutive year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With files from CBC Sports
