On Sunday, she finally answered.
Egypt’s Sameh El Dahan and Sumas Zorro have been working their way up the leaderboard for the past two weeks at the Spruce Meadows’ Summer Series in Calgary, Alberta.
They were third in the 1.55m Bantrel Cup during the National tournament and second in the 1.55m ScotiaBank Cup of the Continental tournament.
On Sunday, they finally took over the top spot, winning the CSI5* CP Grand Prix 1.60m.
“From the beginning of the Summer Series, this mare has given me such a great feeling, she has been jumping with super class so I got the feeling we would have the clear round today,” said El Dahan of the 13 year-old Irish bred mare.
“I walked the course this morning and knew it would be quite tough. Leopoldo didn’t leave anything to chance—there were big oxers, tall verticals, short time allowed—but my mare can cope with all of that because she has that quality. She also has a big heart, she really tried her heart out at every jump and she really made it happen for me.”
Charlie Jacobs (USA) and Cassinja S were the only other pair to post a faultless first round. He and the 11-year-old mare caught a single rail in the jump off to finish second, for the second year in a row. Beezie Madden (USA) and her promising nine year-old Holstein gelding, Coach, incurred a single time fault to take third.