Watch! Carlos Hank Jr. Wins In Del Mar

Interview Carlos Hank Jr. After Winning
$35,000 LA Saddlery Grand Prix of the Pacific

Carlos Hank Jr. and Quantador Take Top Honors in the $35,000 LA Saddlery Grand Prix of the Pacific.

Del Mar International Welcome Week Ended with an Exciting Down to the Wire Jump Off in Sunday’s Grand Prix

Del Mar International Welcome Week came to a thrilling close on Sunday afternoon with the $35,000 LA Saddlery Grand Prix of the Pacific. The week’s finale event drew 34 entries to Del Mar Horsepark’s grand prix field to tackle Bernardo Costa Cabral’s first round course, which required 15 jumping efforts including one triple combination and one double combination.

The course flowed nicely with only a few time faults and refusals, but a tight rollback to the liverpool at fence nine caused many horses to have a rail down, and the two combinations proved tricky as well.

Eight horse and rider combinations successfully went clear in the first round and advanced to the jump off. First to ride was Enrique Gonzalez aboard his Chacna. They were quick but knocked fence 13 to end with four faults. Next up was Eric Navet and Signe Ostby’s Basimodo, followed by Michelle Parker and Cross Creek West’s Vancouver 45. Both pairs were quick but each had a rail to finish on four faults.

Karl Cook took to the field with a different approach from the previous riders. He piloted Signe Ostby’s Caillou 24 to a slower, more deliberate trip around the tough track and was rewarded with a clear round on the 10 year-old grey Holsteiner gelding. Next, Ali Nilforushan rode his Clarinius to a respectable four fault finish, and then both Chris Pratt aboard Carnutelebryere and Josephina Nor Lantzman aboard Chello Z went clear but were unable to catch Karl Cook’s time.

Last to ride the short course was Carlos Hank Jr. and his own Quantador. “I had an advantage, as I was last to go,” said Hank. “I had seen quite a few rounds before me and I knew there were a few clear, but they had left some space. So I decided to go for it.”

Going for it paid off, as Carlos Hank Jr. piloted the grey Westphalian gelding to a fault-free round and crossed the buzzers almost a full second ahead of Karl Cook, earning the blue ribbon and the lion’s share of the $35,000 purse.

Hank as effusive about his mount, Quantador: “He’s 9 years old, and I’ve had him since he was 7. We’ve been showing in Europe, and he was great all summer. And now we are here all fall competing and he’s been great so far here too.”

Carlos Hank Jr. trains with Eduardo Menezes and Enrique Gonzalez in San Diego.

Watch Carlos’ entire clear first round below.