Three times a winner at Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Alex Matz wrapped up that trifecta with his first-ever Longines FEI World Cup qualifier victory Saturday night.
Alex is the 28-year-old son of U.S. Olympian Michael Matz, who won the same class at the Royal in 1977, and Michael’s wife, DD, who also rode on teams for the country. That pedigree demonstrates how show jumping success runs in the family, as Alex achieved the only double-clear in a five-horse jump-off. The course set by Oscar Soberon, making his Royal designing debut, foiled big name after big name.
Third to go in the tiebreaker, Alex was flawless with Ikigai in 34.68 seconds. That time would be bettered, but not his record over the fences. The USA’s McLain Ward and his Olympic mount, Ilex, toppled a pole but edged Matz on the clock by 0.10 seconds. Canada’s Tiffany Foster, the favorite of the capacity crowd of 6,500, had by far the fastest clocking in 32.81 seconds with the aptly named Electrique, but a rail at the final towering vertical put her second.
Ikigai, an 11-year-old KWPN chestnut stallion by Elvis ter Putte, had been out with an injury and underwent recovery for a year.
With “so much talent, the most talent of any horse I’ve ridden,” Ikigai was worth waiting for, noted Alex, who rode on the U.S. squad last month in the Longines League of Nations Final in Barcelona.
Alex Matz and Ikigai.
“I never thought I would have had the week that I had this week, The horse tried his heart out,” said Alex, who was named the show’s leading international rider. His other victories earlier in the week came with Cashew CR.
“Even if I was second, the horse performed so well that I would have been happy.”
Explaining her strategy, Tiffany said, ““I was trying to go as fast as I could, and the only part of the jump-off I watched was Alex’s turn to the last fence. I tried to replicate it, but I didn’t do it as well.
“This is Electrique’s first FEI World Cup™ class and her first big class indoors,” Tiffany said of the mare developed by U.S. Olympic medalist Kent Farrington.
“I think the world of her. She’s a real competitor. She loves to go fast and the faster you go, the faster her brain works and the faster her legs move,” added Tiffany, who received the trophy for being the show’s leading Canadian rider.
Defending champion Daniel Bluman of Israel finished seventh with Gemma W. That was good enough for him to move into the lead in the North American League standings with 37 points. American riders are close behind; Kristen Vanderveen is second with 36 point, followed by Kent with 30 points. They’re all trying to qualify for the final in Switzerland next April.
Click here for results
