Todd Minikus Flies to Victory in $60,000 CN World Cup Grand Prix

Todd Minikus of the United States flew to victory riding Flier in the $60,000 CN World Cup Grand Prix held Wednesday, November 10, at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON.

From the original starting field of 23 riders, only five advanced to the jump-off over the course set by Olympic master Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela. Minikus of Wellington, FL, was one of only two riders to post double clear rounds in the jump-off, stopping the timers a full two seconds ahead of second-placed finisher Eric van der Vleuten of the Netherlands. The $60,000 CN World Cup Grand Prix victory marked the second of the day for Minikus who also won the $15,000 International Jumper Challenge earlier on Wednesday riding Gardenio.

“Flier lives up to his name, there is some hang time in the air so you really feel like you are flying,” noted Minikus, 42, who was showing at the Royal Horse Show for the third time in his career. “Leopoldo is considered the premiere course designer, and the course he built was big and tricky enough. If he doesn’t get you in one place, he gets you in another.”

Last to challenge, van der Vleuten repeated his faultless first-round performance riding Audi’s Jikke, but his time of 41.79 seconds kept him in second place.

Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker took third place after having a rail down in the jump-off with Portofino. The lone Canadian to advance the jump-off, Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, also had four faults riding Special Ed, a ten-year-old Oldenburg gelding, to place fourth. The first rider to contest the jump-off course, Margie Engle of Wellington, FL, had the fastest time in the jump-off, but paid the price by incurring 12 faults to finish in fifth place overall.

Nine riders had four faults in the first round to tie for sixth place including Canadian athletes Mac Cone of King, ON, newly-crowned Canadian Show Jumping Champion Ian Millar of Perth, ON, and 21-year-old Keean White of Cambridge, ON.

The $60,000 CN World Cup Grand Prix also marked the close of the Canadian League World Cup season. Topping the point standings was Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, while Henselwood finished second, earning Canada’s two invitations to the 2005 World Cup Final in Las Vegas, NV, next April. Millar, White and Kelley Small of Ottawa, ON, tied for third position in the standings.

On Thursday evening at the Royal Horse Show, the focus turns to the beauty of dressage with the Canadian League World Cup Dressage Final, used to determine Canada’s sole representative at the 2005 World Cup Final in Las Vegas, NV. Tickets for all Royal Horse Show performances can be purchased through Ticketmaster at tel: 416 872-7777 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca. For more information on the Royal Horse Show, including complete schedules and results, please visit www.royalfair.org or call tel: 416 263-3400. Live results from the show jumping competition can also be found at www.equiman.com.

$60,000 CN World Cup Grand Prix – Final Results

Rider Hometown Horse Faults Time
1. Todd Minikus Wellington, FL Flier 0:0 39.70
2. Eric van der Vleuten The Netherlands Audi’s Jikke 0:0 41.79
3. Michael Whitaker Great Britain Portofino 0:4 39.75
4. Jill Henselwood Oxford Mills, ON Special Ed 0:4 40.42
5. Margie Engle Wellington, FL Animagus 0:12 39.52