Watch! Jason McArdle Win

Interview With Jason McArdle After Winning A Very Quick $24,000 1.20 Jumper Classic At Del Mar International

As one of the highlight classes of the Del Mar International Welcome Week, the $24,000 1.20m Jumper class drew a big field of juniors, amateurs, and professionals eager for a chance to earn their share of the prize money. Fifty-two horse and rider combinations took to the Grand Prix field at Del Mar Horsepark to tackle Bernardo Costa Cabral’s course, which required 15 jumping efforts in the first round, including three double combinations.

The first round course saw both time and jumping faults, with the narrow vertical at fence nine causing many horses to fault, and a double to a five-stride to another double combination proving challenging as well. Still, twenty-two riders went clear and within the time allowed of 75 seconds to advance to the jump off.

The exciting short course included a tight inside turn from jump four to thirteen, followed by a double combination and ending with a gallop to the final oxer. It proved technically demanding, with many of the quickest riders incurring faults. In the end, the fastest horse and rider combination also left all the fences standing to earn the blue ribbon.

It was the second champion title this week for Jason Mcardle and Da’s Mooi Man, who also won the $5,000 1.20m Jumper class on Friday. Da’s Mooi Man is a 9 year-old bay Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Fairbanks Valley Farm in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Jason Mcardle has had the ride on the stallion since 2012.

Less than a second behind Mcardle’s time was Karl Cook on Banba. The 16 year-old gray Irish Sport Horse mare is owned by Signe Ostby in Redwood City, CA. Her quick ground speed helped the pair take the lead early in the class and end as reserve champions.

Rounding out the top three was Quidam’s Rubina with Josephina Nor Lantzman in the irons. Quidam’s Rubina is a 13 year-old bay Holsteiner mare owned by Raleigh Bacharach of Pacific Palisades, CA. It was a great week for this pair as well, as they placed second in Friday’s $5,000 1.20m jumper class out of 46 entries.

Watch Jason’s entire clear first round and jump-off below.