News
Ward wins GP Qualifier at Hampton Classic
Aug 30, 2015
McLain Ward could not be denied victory in the $50,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Qualifier at the 40th Annual Hampton Classic. As the seventh of 10 riders in the jump-off, Ward and HH Azur made a tight turn to the third fence that no one before him had attempted, slicing the leading time by more than 2 seconds.
Ward's time (39.88 seconds) even withstood the challenge of lightning-fast Irishman Shane Sweetnam, who, riding right after Ward, made the same turn on Chaqui Z but didn't keep his foot on the gas peddle and settled for second (41.26 seconds).
Ward and Sweetnam had to make that short turn because Daniel Bluman of Colombia, who rode right before Ward, had galloped aggressively throughout the course to wrestle from Ward the lead he'd already taken on Rothchild. Bluman and Conconcreto Believe finished in 42.14 seconds to hold on to third. Ward and Rothchild took fourth (42.56 seconds).
1 HH AZUR THUNDER VAN DE ZUUTHOEVE 103QN45 SBS Mclain WARD USA 0/0/39.880 12.500 $
2 CHAQUI Z CHACCO-BLUE 103JI82 Z Shane SWEETNAM IRL 0/0/41.260 10.000 $
3 CONCONCRETO BELIEVE UKATO 104BU51 KWPN Daniel BLUMAN COL 0/0/42.140 7.500 $
4 ROTHCHILD ARTOS Z USA42795 SBS Mclain WARD USA 0/0/42.560 5.000 $
5 ASIMODO G QUASIMODO Z 103AP21 KWPN Meagan NUSZ USA 0/0/43.000 3.500 $