Caitlin Zeigler becomes Spruce Meadows' youngest winner

Caitlin Zeigler and Valencia.
By Spruce Meadows Media Services

History was made at Spruce Meadows on Thursday (7 July 2011) when 16-year-old Caitin Zeigler (USA) became the youngest winner of an FEI event in the Spruce Meadows International Ring. Riding her 13-year-old mare Valencia, Caitlin bested an international field of 32 horse-rider combinations with a convincing double clear, and a three second margin of victory in a seven-horse jump-off in the 1.50m AON Cup.

 "This is really unbelievable, I really am speechless. Winning here against these riders is very special," said the teenager from Wisconsin.

With names like Madden, Spooner, Millar, Simpson and Lamaze falling behind her in the final standings, she took time to relish the moment.

"I guess I should be worried about my job," her coach Eric Lamaze, who finished sixth in the event with four faults in the jump-off and a slower time, joked.

Scholarship winner
Earlier this season, Caitlin Zeigler was recognized at Spruce Meadows for her commitment and dedication to the sport with and RSA scholarship. Clearly that dedication is paying off.

In the evening's final event Beezie Madden, for the USA, scored her first win of the season in the D-Line Cup. Beezie led off the jump-off field with her talented 13-year-old mare Coral Reef Via Volo, posted just one of two double clears and took the victory ahead of Canada's Jonathan Asselin riding Showgirl.

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef
Via Volo. By Spruce Meadows Media
Services

A relief
"This is a huge relief. It's about time. It has been a bit frustrating, but that’s sport," said Beezie, who has won over $2 million at Spruce Meadows. "She is a fantastic mare. It has just taken her awhile to settle in this year."

Spooner's double
The Pepsi Challenge 1.45 m led off competitions in the International Ring on Friday (8 July 2011) in the North American tournament.

Twenty, of the 49 entered, moved forward to the jump-off of German designer Werner Deeg's course. In the field, with entries representing nine nations, it was the USA's Richard Spooner aboard the 14-year-old Dutch mare Pariska, who proved to be unbeatable with a double clear. He was almost a full second ahead of his closest competitor Mario Deslauriers and Whistler, a nine-year-old Dutch warmlblood gelding.

Later in the evening, Richard cemented victory in the Lafarge Cup 1.50m Final Four.

Riding Apache, a 12-year-old bay gelding, he went along with seven others to  round two. The course proved to suit Richard and Apache’s need for speed and they laid down a clear round in a time of 44.02 seconds. He was two tenths of a second faster than McLain Ward, also of the USA, and his Dutch warmblood gelding, Pjotter van de Zonnehoeve.

Competitions will begin in the International Ring on Saturday at 11:00am where the riders will be vying for supremacy in the $80,000 TD Cup 1.50m and followed by the $200,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth Cup. Large crowds are expected with the attendance of His Excellency, the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston and the Right Honourable, Stephen Harper.