Clean rounds were hard to come by in tonight’s $50,000 Weston Canadian Open at the CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show in Toronto, Canada, but American legend Beezie Madden, (Cazenovia, NY), who can always be counted on in a footrace, came out on top yet again. She stopped the clock with Coral Reef Via Volo in a blistering time of 58.42 seconds.
Of the twenty to start this evening, just five were able to produce fault-free performances. Madden, who took individual bronze at this summer’s World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, had the unenviable slot of riding second in the order of go. Still, she was able to post a near ten-second lead over Canada’s Chris Sorenson, first in the ring tonight.
“I had a plan, and I think it all went according to plan, which doesn’t always happen,” said Madden. “I tried to attack a little in the ends and to the jumps off the corners, that’s where I think I was a little faster than some of the others.”