Flying Horse photo

Salvador Onate and Charro celebrate the win with friends and family in the $30,000 Red, White & Blue Grand Prix July 3 in San Juan Capistrano.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Salvador Onate of Mexico is finding his first year on the American circuit most enjoyable.

Riding Charro, Onate exhibited speed and precision to top 33 other entries and win the $30,000 Red, White & Blue Grand Prix on July 3.  Course designer Anderson Lima of Brazil had set a technical track with 16 efforts as well as a tight time allowed. Six pairs successfully rode without fault in the first round, four going double clear. Going 29th, Onate had the advantage of seeing the track.

“When I was walking the course, I thought it would be a difficult run to make a clear round,” Onate said. “I had to focus on the strides, because there were many options. I had the opportunity of watching a couple of riders do it, and then I took my options.”

The course in the first round featured multiple challenges, including two combinations, a water jump, and a tight turn to a tall vertical. The second pair to attempt the course, the previous week’s grand prix winners Antonio Maurer and Callao (owned by Francisco del Rio), were the first fault-free pair, and remained the only clean until Susan Hutchison and El Dorado 29’s Cantano blazed through the course without fault at almost ten seconds under the time allowed. The crowd roared, animated by her tempo and the guarantee of a jump-off.

Flying Horse photo

Salvador Onate and Charro show speed and precision.

Lane Clarke and Granville’s Casseur de Prix (owned by Granville Equine), winners of the first grand prix in the Blenheim June Series, received a hearty welcome from the crowd. Though they had no jumping faults and appeared to have a good pace, the pair finished with a heartbreaking time fault when they stopped the clock just three-tenths of a second over the time allowed.

The tight turn to the CardFlex jump, fence six of the first round, was a trouble spot for many of the riders. Fences 11b and 11c of the second combination on the course also caused multiple jumping faults. Regarding Lima’s design, his first in California, Onate commented, “I liked the course a lot. Lima designed a great course, and I hope he comes back next year.”

With a smile Onate added, “This is my first year here and hopefully I can come back, too.”

Maurer returned on his second of three mounts, Francisco del Rio’s As Hyo Hugo, and turned in a beautiful clean round. Immediately following Maurer, Duncan McFarlane on Simone Coxe’s Mr. Whoopy navigated the course without fault to join the jump-off group.

A dozen entries, beset with refusals, eliminations and jumping faults, went before up-and-coming grand prix rider Tina DiLandri aboard Avargo finished the first round clean. It was DiLandri’s second mount, and they were the twenty-seventh pair to gallop on the field. There were now five duos to return. Salvador Onate and Charro entered the ring as DiLandri exited, turning in a fantastic clear round just under the time allowed and then there were six coming back.

Maurer and Callao returned to the ring and finished with a double clear round in a quick 39.012. Hutchison and Cantano raced around the course, and even managed to kick it up a notch during the long gallop to the final jump. Though they appeared to jump it clear, a rail fell as they landed and the pair ended with four jumping faults in 35.972.
Duncan McFarlane and Mr. Whoopy attempted the course next, and though they seemed to have the speed to challenge Maurer, they dropped a rail at the penultimate obstacle and finished with four faults in 38.199.

Maurer piloting As Hyo Hugo followed McFarlane and turned in another double clear performance, but Maurer’s more conservative approach to the track ended with a time of 40.575. Tina DiLandri and Avargo also turned in a double clear round in 40.220 and were sitting in second place as the final couple of Salvador Onate and Charro entered the ring.

The crowd grew silent as Onate and Charro cleared each obstacle, and when the time of 38.774 was announced, the stands erupted – the duo had won the grand prix by less than one second.
“I just figured I had to go as fast as I could, if I wanted to win it,” Onate beamed. “And that’s what I did, and the horse jumped great, so it worked out. I’ve been riding Charro since October of last year. He jumped the World Cup with Antonio Maurer last year.”

The horse show excitement doesn’t end this weekend in San Juan Capistrano – the inaugural Surf & Turf Jumper Classic will be held July 8-10. Blenheim EquiSports then takes the show jumping action down to Del Mar, presenting the Showpark Festival Series at the Del Mar Horse Park in July and August, beginning with the Showpark Summer Festival from July 20-24, the Showpark Racing Festival from July 27-31, and the Showpark August Festival from August 3-7.

More show results: See website http://bit.ly/107ARWB