Show jumping heats up in Thermal with $1 million on the line
Who doesn’t need a little extra cash at this time of the year? And for someone in La Quinta tonight, that’s exactly what they’ll be getting if they win the $1,000,000 5* MLSJ [Major League Show Jumping] Coachella Cup Grand Prix.
“This is our fourth year running – and second year of the million in prize money,” said MLSJ co-founder Keean White. “This would be the biggest [amount of Grand Prix winnings] in the States.”
Running off with the loot will not be an easy task given the depth of talent that has appeared in California for this event. “We have 15 riders in the top 32 in the world this week so this is definitely the strongest field that California’s ever seen,” said Keean. “We have the best riders from around the world – we have riders from 19 countries competing. The Coachella Cup is turning into the biggest Grand Prix in America for sure.”
Among those looking to top the leaderboard where the best five riders have a stake in the $1million – with 45 percent of the pot going to the winner – is Ireland’s Conor Swail with Casturano, who is currently on winning form.
“He has been going very well lately,” Conor said yesterday afternoon of the 11-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding aka ‘Stan’ owned by Conall Murray. “He was second in the Gold Cup [in Traverse City] and he won the five-star [MLSJ $340.000 Grand Prix] in Tryon. He’s had a little break there and he feels good.
“We are jumping tonight in the team event to get him under the lights and then we go tomorrow in the Grand Prix. So good form – nothing to really worry about except what we have to do ourselves. He has to be his usual self and I have to do a good job as well so I’m looking forward to that.”
After the Tryon Grand Prix win, Conor was happy to break his duck in the MLSJ. “This means a lot,” he said afterwards. “I’ve jumped a lot of these grands prix and not to win one is frustrating, so it’s nice to get one and hopefully when there’s one there’ll be more.”
Those words proved prophetic when Conor and ‘Stan’ went on to win last night’s $200,000 MLSJ FEI 5* team competition alongside Trelawney Trailblazers’ teammates, Lillie Keenan aboard Kick On and Natalie Dean with Oasis Van De Bucxtale.
The course for tonight’s Grand Prix will be designed by Germany’s Olaf Petersen Jr. “What he’s going to do I don’t know,” said Keann. “But it’s going to be huge.”
A capacity crowd is expected for the sold out event – and next Saturday the La Quinta stadium will also be full. “We are completely sold out this Saturday,” said Keann. “And next Saturday we have the team final for Major League. So we have two Saturdays in a row that are for a million – it should be a packed house.”
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