Uma O’Neill won the CSI3* tbird Grand Prix
No Bridle, No Problem for O’Neill and Clockwise
Langley, BC – Two fences from home in the first round of the CSI3* tbird Grand Prix Saturday at Thunderbird Show Park, a clear round looked unlikely for Uma O’Neill (NZL) and Clockwise of Greenhill Z.
Heading toward the penultimate vertical, Clockwise‘s bridle slipped over his ears. The tack fell beneath his nose, but the stallion held onto his bit.
Instead of trying to pull up, O’Neill determinedly continued on, managing to steer right to the final oxer. The pair cleared the fence and returned without issue to the ingate, where the stallion was safely stopped, and his bridle was repositioned—not that he seemed to need it at that point.
The pair would go on to win the class, besting a five-horse jump-off in the final international Grand Prix of the 2023 Thunderbird Show Park season.
“It was very wet from the rain, and as I kept going around the [first round] course, I noticed that there was more and more bonnet sticking up above his ears,” O’Neill shared. “Over [the B element] of the triple [combination] I got a little concerned, and cantering to the Odlum Brown oxer, I thought the bonnet might be covering his eyes, and I wasn’t quite sure where his vision was, but he still felt amazing. I landed off the next jump, and the bridle went over his ears,” she continued. “He started to back off, but I kept my leg on, and he felt confident, so I decided to keep going. There was only one jump left, and he felt great.“
They jumped clear again in the second round, crossing the timers of Joey Rycroft’s (CAN) short course in 41.11 seconds. Jaehee Jeon (KOR) finished just behind the winning pair in second with Kadans van de Mispelaere (41.78s), followed by Kassidy Keith (CAN) and Havana, who had the time but also a single knockdown on their scorecard (4/40.57s).
CSI3* tbird Grand Prix 1.50m
Horse / Rider / Nationality / Owner / Faults / Time
1. Clockwise of Greenhill Z / Uma O’Neill / NZL / Uma O’Neill / 0/0 41.11
2. Kadans van de Misplelaere / Jaehee Jeon / KOR / Brother Fortune Equestrian Ltd / 0/0 41.78
3. Havana / Kassidy Keith / CAN / Kassidy Keith / 0/4 40.57
4. Kadans / Tiffany Foster / CAN / Artisan Farms LLC / 0/4 43.12
5. Un Diamant des Forets / Jim Ifko / CAN / Eventyre Farms Ltd / 0/8 39.95
6. NKH Carrido / Brooke Morin / USA / Strasburg Morin Inc / 3 91.74
7. Odysseus / Kyle King / USA / Patricia Vasey / 4 83.65
8. Capitale 6 / Charlie Jones / GBR / Morning Star Sporthorses / 4 86.19
9. SIG Chiari / Kyle King / USA / Kyle King / 4 86.28
10. Igali LN / Braden James / CAN / James James Sport Horses / 4 86.32
Full results here
Uma O’Neill (NZL) and Clockwise of Greenhill Z. Photo ©tbird/Kady Dane Photography
