TORONTO, Canada--Alex Matz of Coatesville, Pa., on Cashew CR won the $85,680 Centennial Cup speed class at the Royal Horse Show on Friday evening, Nov. 8, during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
Alex Matz on Cashew CR (Photo by Ben Radvanyl Photography)The win in Friday’s one-round speed competition was the second win for Matz, 28, in his second appearance at the Royal Horse Show after also leading the victory gallop in Wednesday’s Strength & Speed Challenge.
Despite going early in the Centennial,, third in the order of 22 competitors, Matz made quick work of Oscar Soberon’s course in front of an enthusiastic crowd, finishing in 51,76
There was a long list of notoriously quick riders still to come, but no one came near Matz' time.
"Thee were a lot of fast riders and riders I look up to going after me," said Matz. "But I was lucky and my time held up."
“I knew if I gave Cashew a chance I’d be very competitive, but there were a lot of really fast people behind me so I had to give it my all and, luckily, it went my way,” said Alex Matz. “He’s a phenomenal horse. He always wants to jump clear and he’s a fighter. I don’t think I will ever have another horse like him.”
"This was his last class for this year," said Matz, who will ride Ikigai in Saturday evening's World Cup qualifier.
FOR THE second night in a row, Irish Olympian Daniel Coyle on Incredible finished just short of the winning time, finishing as the runner-up in 52.79 seconds, a full second behind Matz..
Alex Matz on Cashew CR Ray. Stanton, far right, President and Chair of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair accompanied by his son Will and wife Stacie (Photo by Ben Radvanyl Photography)Former Canadian Show Jumping Champion Sean Jobin on Coquelicot vh Heuvelland Z was third, clean in 54.75 seconds, three full seconds behind Matz.
“We try to keep things simple and make sure he is happy and healthy," said Matz of Cashew, whose barn name is Monkey. "He knows his job, and if I ride well, that gives him the best chance to shine.
“There’s really not much training that goes into Cashew anymore,” said Matz, who receives guidance from his father Michael Matz, a three-time U.S. Olympian and winner of a team silver medal in 1996, the same year Alex was born.
“My horses have been jumping incredibly here at The Royal,” he said. “The crowds are fantastic, and this is one of my favorite shows. It’s an honor to compete here, an honor to have him as a horse, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Six went clean in the Centennial, with McKayla Langmeier on Chadina fourth in 55.14, Antonia Pettersson Häggströmof Sweden on Tom Hanks fifth in 56.85 and Jordan Coyle of Ireland on King Kannan GP sixth in 57.00
International show jumping competition culminates on Saturday, Nov. 9 with the $272,000 FEI Jumping World Cup Toronto, a qualifier for the 2025 FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland, next April.
