| GlenCarry Stables
Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, & Crosses for Hunters, Jumpers, & Dressage |
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By Ted Wyman, The Brandon Sun (Brandon, Manitoba, Canada)Saturday, April 3, 1999The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair could have been renamed 'The Karen Cudmore Show' Friday night. In what was quite simply one of the most dominant performances in Winter Fair history, Cudmore pulled off a rare triple play, winning first, second, and third prizes in the prestigious Royal Bank Cup at the Keystone Center. Cudmore, a light horse show regular from Omaha, Nebraska, rode three horses almost flawlessly to take home $10,000 in prize money. Cudmore's sweep of the top three places is believed to be a first for the Winter Fair and is considered to be extremely rare in the jumper division. "It was the ultimate experience," said Cudmore, who took first place aboard Galypso, second place on Conejo and third on her most experienced horse Raphael. "Everything came together tonight. All my horses peaked. "It hasn't even sunk in yet. Maybe after I go back to the barn and hug the horses and feed them carrots, it'll hit me." Cudmore negotiated the challenging Royal Bank Cup course beautifully all three times during the preliminary round. Christy Scrymgeour of Calgary aboard Waldo was the only other rider to even qualify for the jump-off. Scrymgeour knocked down a rail during her ride in the jump-off, so that left Cudmore with a golden opportunity. She ran clear with Conejo, owned by her husband Blair, and finished in a time of 42:00. Then she ran back to the barn, hopped aboard Galypso, and proceeded to run clear in a time of 39.14. Galypso is owned by her in-laws, Glen and Carol Cudmore of Crescent, Iowa. The victory came on the couple's 40th wedding anniversary. "I was most excited to have my father-in-law and my husband walk in with those three horses, because I am so proud of all of them," said Cudmore, who also won $3,500 in the Simplot Canada Cup Tuesday. "It was not all me tonight. I made mistakes but the horses covered for me." Cudmore admitted her feat was rare. It is not overly uncommon to see a rider come in first and second or first and third in an event, but to place first, second and third is unusual, especially such a high-calibre competition. It's not even that common to see one rider enter three horses in a class. "Every so often somebody will have a hot day and jump up and be first and second, " said Cudmore. "Beth Underhill has done that here before the Grand Prix. I've had a first and second before, but this is different. You just don't expect it, frankly." Cudmore, who entered the evening with a head cold and a sore back, had to ride six times within 90 minutes and only knocked down one rail (aboard Raphael in the jump-off). "After I went clean the first time, my adrenaline just went way up and I forgot about everything," she said. "I was not tired at all even after six rides. It was very fulfilling." Cudmore will attempt to add to her money winnings tonight in the top event of the week -- the Brandon Sun Grand Prix. ***** Christi McQuaker of Ontario, who has family in Virden, won the $2,800 top prize in the Atco Cup open jumper class Thursday night. McQuaker won a jump-off aboard Fly By Night with a time of 35.85. Jay Hayes of Calgary, who competed for Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, placed second aboard Raven (36.50), and his daughter Lauren Hayes came in third aboard Avalanche (36.74). Courtesy of The Brandon Sun.
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