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Darious V Getting Better and Better!

July 11, 2004

Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Alberta --- Eclipse Communications, exclusive to Alberta Equine ...On-Line – Canadian Mac Cone and the 13 year old Selle Français gelding Darios V were last into the competition and delivered a clear round, becoming the thirteenth member of the jump-off squad in today’s 1.5m Sun Life Financial class. Riding last again in the jump-off, the pair had another clear round and posted the fastest time of 38.83 seconds to secure first place and a $23,000 share of the prize money. An ecstatic Cone saluted the enthusiastic spectators as he and Darios galloped out of the ring. More than one person shed a tear as the Canadian anthem played for their victory in the International Ring. Grand Prix competition at the four summer tournaments (National, Continental, Canada One and North American) had been dominated by American riders and horses.

“We started out really good back in Toronto at Palgrave. He came here and had four rounds without a rail and then came out Sat. (at the National) for that first observation trial and he was just really flat. He had a little bit of a virus in Toronto before we came and I think he was just shaking that a little bit as well as just not having enough time to get a bottom on him. He was out of jumping for six months. He got injured here at the Masters last year (strained tendon) and didn’t start jumping again until April So, we only had a month of jumping before we went to our first competition.”

“I know what a wonderful horse he is. Everyone got to see it again today.”

“We (owner Mark Laskin & Cone) were hoping he’d qualify. But, our biggest enemy was time. We knew we could have him ready in times for the Games (Olympics in Athens in August) but we didn’t know if we could have him ready for the selections. That was my biggest fear and that’s exactly what happened. By August I could really have him ready because he’s getting better and better. Ian (Millar) deserved to have it (the lone Canadian show jumping berth).”

By the time the first third of the class had completed the course, only one competitor, Gabriella Salick (USA) on Sandstone Cellina, had managed to put in a clear round.

Guy Goosen (GBR) on Stuart also managed a clear round, forcing a jump-off. Laura Kraut (USA) and Miss Independent then joined the ranks, as did Ian Millar (CAN) and In Style. At that point, the numbers in the jump-off began to swell. The “Mexican Magician” Jaime Guerra and Powerpoint posted a clear round followed by Canada’s Jonathan Asselin and Luxgood. Richard Spooner (USA) and Quiron 3 became the seventh team to go clear. Casadora ridden by Lauren Hough (USA), Lutopia ridden by Molly Ashe (USA), Octavius with Jeffrey Welles (USA), El Campeons Cirka Z and Nicole Shaninian-Simpson (USA), Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and Harry Potter and finally Darios V and Canada’s Mac Cone made it a thirteen-way contest.

Class Results:

Submitted by:
Ceci Flanagan, APR
Eclipse Communications
Calgary, AB
eclipse1@telusplanet.net

Pl. #  Horse        Rider               Flts. Time   Prize $
------------------------------------------------------------
1  541 Darios V     Mac Cone (CAN)      0    38.834  $23,000
2  55  Lutopia      Molly Ashe (USA)    0    40.120  $13,500
3  513 Harry Potter Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA)0    40.590  $ 8,500
4  185 El Campeons  Nicole (USA)        0    42.823  $ 6,500
           Cirka Z     Shahinian-Simpson
5  203 In Style     Ian Millar (CAN)    0    43.875  $ 4,500

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