BROMONT, Canada--Kevin Babington of Gwynedd Valley, Pa., who rides for his native Ireland, won the CSI3* Assante Classic on Friday with Shorapur at the 2019 International Bromont at the Olympic Equestrian Park.

Kevin Babington on Shorapur.(Photo by Tom von Kapherr)Course designer Michel Vaillancourt did not make it easy for the riders.

With only 81 seconds allowed, the course that featured 13 obstacles for 16 efforts, including three double combinations, beat a lot of horses.

The distances, especially inside the combinations, combined with the height of the obstacles, resulted in many faults over fences.

In the end, six riders succeeded in avoiding penalties, but a time fault prevented Jill Henselwood and Eblesse as well as Hyde Moffat and Gisborne VDL access to the second round.

Only four made it to the jump-off.

 

CHRISTINE McCREA, the first rider to execute a clear round in the first phase with Jarcobond Van Den Oude Eik, scored a double clear in 40.37 seconds, but left enough margin for the other riders in the running: Kevin Babington and Shorapur, Jonathan McCrea and Aristoteles V as well as Andrew Kocher and Chacanntus.

Babington on Shorapur rode the second round with confidence, and their steady pace paid off, as they finished with a clear round in just under 35.15 seconds.