Alex Matz and Aaron Vale win on opening day of the Royal Winter Fair FEI jumpers
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- By Staff Writers
TORONTO, Canada--Alex Matz on Cashew CR won the $32,250 Strength & Speed Challenge and Aaron Vale on I.Adermie R4 won the $43,86 International Challenge on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Vale went halfway through the speed class over a course set by Oscsr Soberon and finished in 52.04, taking almost two seconds off the time of the previous leader Daniel Coyle of Ireland on Farrel, who had set the time to beat of 53.65.
McLain Ward on First Lady went right after Vale and almost caught him, but he lost a split second when making a very tight turn in front of a fence and First Lady had to pause momentarily to make the turn.
Ward finished in 52.31 to eventually finish second, with Coyle third and McKayla Langmeier on Chadina fourth in 53.87.
"I showed here once before, in 1986 as a junior, and I won a class, and 38 years later, I've won again," said Vale.
In the Strength & Speed, the first competition of the CSI5*-W division, riders jumped eight fences and, if they went clean, immediately advanced to the speed portion of the course.
Taking a daring inside turn in the speed phase won the class for Matz, 28, putting him into the early lead with a time of 32.69 seconds.
Conor Swail of Ireland on Gamble was second in 33.56 seconds,,and making his Royal Horse Show debut, Germany’s Richard Vogel, currently seventh in the Longines World Rankings, placed third on Phenyo van het Keysersbos in 34.72 seconds.