UPPERVILLE, Va.--Alex Matz on Cashew CR was again unbeatable at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, winning on Friday, June 6 for the second day in a row, this time in the $62,500 FEI 4* Upperville Welcome Stakes.
Alex Matz on Cashew CR (Photo by Erin Gilmore)Matz was clean in the jump off in a swift time of 36.75 seconds, winning by almost two full seconds over 12 in the jump-off from a starting field of 33.
Katie Dinan on Atika des Hauts Vents was second, clean in 38.54 seconds, and Sloane Coles on Ninja JW Van de Moerhoeve was third, clean in 38.83 seconds.
"I know him so well, he gives me all the confidence in the world because of his talent and competitiveness," Matz saidof Cashew whom he has ridden for 11 years. "It feels like it's my class to lose on a horse like that. He's naturally very fast, so I simply have to guide him, and he usually takes care of the rest."
Matz paid particular attention to Aaron Vale’s jump-off on Styles, where Vale successfully navigated two inside turns to take the early lead in the class.
“I was really impressed with Aaron’s round; I didn’t think I was going to be able to do the inside turns, but I knew I had to do everything I could to try to beat him,” he said. “The risks I took paid off, and I got lucky!”
While Vale did make a couple of very tight inside turns, in one the almost ran into another fence and had to pull back sharply, with that taking so much time that he eventually ended up sixth in 39.24, behind Mark Bluman of Colombia on Concare PS, clean in 38.85, and Jacob Pope, clean in 38.91.
During the course walk, torrential rain descended over the showgrounds, delaying the start, but it didn’t affect Matz’s plan for the class.
"Credit to the team here at Upperville," he said. "The ring drained tremendously, the schooling ring was good and the show management did a great job."
