Who's at Spruce Meadows this week?
Sixty-six combinations are entered for five-star action this week in Calgary. Many of these pairs will be hoping to contest the AON Grand Prix, Presented by Rolex at Spruce Meadows on Sunday.
Sixty-six combinations are entered for five-star action this week in Calgary. Many of these pairs will be hoping to contest the AON Grand Prix, Presented by Rolex at Spruce Meadows on Sunday. Richard Vogel & Gangster Montdesir and Daniel Bluman & Corbie V.V. lead the Elo standings and sit more than ten points clear of the chasing pack. Below them, Daniel Coyle & Farrel carry a clear-round record that belongs in the same conversation. And Conor Swail arrives with two horses whose numbers look quite different from each other.
The form leaders, last 12 months at CSI5* and Major Championship 1.60m level
| Horse | Rider | Nat. | Elo | Starts | Clear % | Wins / Pods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gangster Montdesir | Richard Vogel | GER | 740 | 9 | 75% | 2 / 5 |
| Corbie V.V. | Daniel Bluman | ISR | 737 | 13 | 69% | 1 / 3 |
| Kick On | Lillie Keenan | USA | 728 | 7 | 22% | 0 / 0 |
| Phenyo Van Het Keysersbos | Richard Vogel | GER | 722 | 2 | 0% | 0 / 0 |
| Farrel | Daniel Coyle | IRL | 718 | 4 | 75% | 0 / 2 |
| Heartbeat W | Abdulrahman Alrajhi | KSA | 713 | 2 | 50% | 0 / 0 |
| Riesling Van De Gaathoeve | Mckayla Langmeier | USA | 713 | 1 | 0% | 0 / 0 |
| Clonterm Obolensky | Conor Swail | IRL | 712 | 8 | 13% | 0 / 0 |
| Casturano | Conor Swail | IRL | 708 | 10 | 50% | 1 / 3 |
| Genghis Khan | Cian O’Connor | IRL | 703 | 1 | 0% | 0 / 0 |
Richard Vogel and Gangster Montdesir
The top combination in the field on every headline metric. Richard Vogel & Gangster Montdesir carry an Elo of 740, with two wins and five podiums from nine classifications at CSI5* and Major Championship 1.60m level in the last twelve months. Gangster cleared in 75% of the rounds across those starts, against an average course clear rate of 24.6%. That gap between the horse’s clear rate and what the courses were producing is what the Elo reflects. Vogel also has Phenyo Van Het Keysersbos in the field at Elo 722, with two starts at this level.
Daniel Bluman and Corbie V.V.
Daniel Bluman & Corbie V.V. sit at Elo 737, backed by 13 starts at CSI5* and Major Championship 1.60m level with a 69% clear rate. That volume of consistent evidence at the top level is what puts this combination alongside Gangster Montdesir at the head of the field.
Daniel Coyle and Farrel
Four rounds is a small sample, but Daniel Coyle & Farrel have cleared in all four of their starts at CSI5* and Major Championship 1.60m level in the last year, with two podiums from those starts. Coyle also has Daydream in the field at Elo 622, with one start at this level.
Conor Swail, two entries
Swail brings two horses to this week's competition. Casturano (Elo 708) has 10 starts at CSI5* and Major Championship 1.60m level with a 50% clear rate and one win from three podiums. Clonterm Obolensky carries a higher Elo at 712, with eight starts at this level and a 13% clear rate. The numbers for both horses are in the table above.
Others to watch
Abdulrahman Alrajhi & Ventago (Elo 684) have 10 starts at this level with a 54% clear rate and three podiums.
Kyle King & Kayenne Z (Elo 675) have 13 starts at this level with a 33% clear rate, one win and three podiums.
Lillie Keenan & Kick On are third in the Elo standings at 728, with a 22% clear rate from seven starts at this level.
The Elo numbers put Vogel and Bluman at the front of the field. Coyle’s four-round record with Farrel is the interesting question going into Sunday. Who is on your podium?
All statistics cover CSI5* and Major Championship 1.60m level starts from the last 12 months only.