A 59-year-old show jumper from Florida scooped up $130,000 Sunday in 91原创.
Margie Goldstein-Engle, a 10-time American Grandprix Association Rider of the Year, rode away a big winner this weekend at Thunderbird Show Park.
Riding her big bay stallion, Royce, she won Friday鈥檚 Nation鈥檚 Cup, then earned herself another win Sunday 鈥� again with Royce in the Atco Nations Finale.
It was a 鈥渂eautiful day and the perfect setting鈥� for Goldstein-Engle鈥檚 win, said Tbird media person Emily Penn, who claimed that described the 105-pound Florida rider as having 鈥渞ode a perfect first round, and then came back for a second clear round in the jump off.鈥�
With a class of 31 starts, Goldstein-Engle was 23rd in for the first round.
Nicolas Pizarro was the first clear in the class after both Keean White and Jennifer Gates had faults.
Next to join Pizarro in the jump off was Eugenio Garza Perez, as he managed to navigate the tricky expectations of the course.
Heather Caristo-Williams had a successful ride on her horse after some antics at the Nations Cup, finishing with just one time fault.
Canadians Ian Millar and 91原创鈥檚 own Tiffany Foster both rode in the class, Millar finished with eight faults and after two rails Foster decided to retire.
鈥淎nd there wasn鈥檛 another clear until Engle came in at 23rd. But she wasn鈥檛 the last to go clear, the Irish were in it, and Connor Swail, Daniel Coyle, and Andrew Bourns all went clear. Last in the ring was Mexican rider, Antionio Maurer who made it seven in the jump off,鈥� Penn explained.
The first-round course really used the space of the grass ring, with room for big gallops but also some serious questions, she elaborated.
鈥淧eter Holmes had perfect planning and with a tight five stride to a one stride with a very wide oxer coming out, it was a tough ride that created lots of rails. Riders needed to back their horses off enough to fit the five, but not too much that they didn鈥檛 land so close off the first jump in the combination that they couldn鈥檛 clear the wide oxer coming out,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hat same line to combination was featured in the jump off, creating even more expectation for the horses in their ridability to come back off a long gallop, roll-back to the line,鈥� Penn said.
Pizarro was first back and set the tone with a clear round.
He was followed by Perez who had one rail and a time of 42.14.
From there it became a battle of speed. Goldstein-Engle was third in and lay down a 鈥渇antastic鈥� ride with a time of 38.70.
鈥淯sing Royce鈥檚 big stride, she galloped the bigger stretches, but balanced him back perfectly for the 1.60 verticals that were just waiting for a horse to flatten out. Engle had to wait as the three Irish team riders all went out to beat her time. But they just couldn鈥檛 catch her. Swail put in another quick, accurate ride, but just not quick enough, he timed in at 39.11 for a second-place finish. Coyle also another clear round but still not fast enough, he took third with 39.47. Bourns and Maurer finished up the class but no one came close to Engle鈥檚 time.鈥�
And with that, it was another win for the American rider and her mount Royce, taking the win, the accolades, and $130,000.
Results:
Royce - Margie Goldstein-Engle, U.S.A.
Flower - Conor Swail, Ireland
Cita - Daniel Coyle, Ireland
CHS Inception - Andrew Bourns, Ireland
Galileo de Laubry - Antonio Maurer, Mexico
La Petite Fleur - Nicolas Pizarro, Mexico
Victer Finn DH Z - Eugenio Garza Perez, Mexico
Luebbo - Jamie Barge
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