News

Emotional Victory for McLain Ward and Antares

Nov 5, 2012

It was a very emotional night at Alltech National Horse Show as McLain Ward piloted his top mount Antares F to victory during the Alltech $250,000 Grand Prix, benefitting the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. The win comes just days after the passing of his father, Barney Ward, who had been Ward's most important supporter. Ward rode through his grief to beat six others in the jump-off, as the first to compete on his speedy partner. Christine McCrea followed in second place aboard Romantovich Take One with the only other double clear effort, while the third place award went to Candice King and Whistler with a single time fault over the speed track.

Ward certainly made his father proud tonight. Seven riders found the key to Richard Jeffery's first round course during the World Cup Qualifying event. Ward was the first to do so with Antares F, owned by Grant Road Partners, and therefore the first to return for the short course. He was right on point with his Olympic mount, making a very sharp turn to a vertical-oxer double combination, and then opening up his gallop through the remaining obstacles. The strategy worked and they broke the beam at 48.48 seconds with all the rails in place, a score that would prove unbeatable.

Saer Coulter had time faults with Springtime, owned by Copernicus Stables. Although they cleared all the fences, their time of 56.81 seconds added two faults to their score for fourth place. Beezie Madden had one of the most exciting rounds with Abigail Wexner's Simon as she cut the turn to the vertical and took a different approach to the combination. Unfortunately they lowered the height of the triple bar later in the course for four faults in 49.50 seconds for fifth.

Lauren Hough also had a single rail at the double combination after a big stumble cutting one of the turns with Quick Study, owned by Laura Mateo. They clocked in at 50.99 seconds with four faults, which was good enough sixth place. Hillary Simpson rounded out the seven riders that advanced to the tiebreaker with Nopus Du Gue Joubert, owned by Quiet Hill Farm. The pair had errors at two fences for an eight-fault total.

Source: press release from Phelps Media Group Inc.