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VIDEO: 91原创鈥檚 Mark Laskin returns to show jumping with Team Mexico

Top international competition continued at Thunderbird Show Park
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Team Mexico won the Junior Nations Cup at Thunderbird Show Park with 91原创鈥檚 Mark Laskin as the newly appointed Mexican Chef d鈥橢quipe. (Photo by tbird, Quinn Saunders/Special to 91原创 Advance Times)

Top international jumpers were battling it out at 91原创鈥檚 Thunderbird Show Park Friday and Saturday, with 91原创鈥檚 Mark Laskin returning to familiar surroundings to oversee a come-from-behind win by Team Mexico.

On Saturday, Laskin, the newly appointed Mexican Chef d鈥橢quipe of Team Mexico (who formerly held the same role for Canada), engineered the Junior Nations Cup victory by the four-rider squad of Sofia Michel, Ana Sofia Legorreta Hernandez, Federica Fernandez and Xaviera Maurer Buch over Canada and the United States.

鈥淚 was always told when I started riding Nations Cup that no matter what happened [in] the first round, the goal is to improve your score,鈥 said Laskin.

And that is what his riders did.

After falling behind Canada and the U.S., Michel, Legorreta Hernandez and Fernandez all produced clear efforts to take a notable victory by the first all-female team to ever represent Mexico in Nations Cup competition.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of great team spirit [within Team Mexico],鈥 Laskin commented.

鈥淎ll of the senior riders are here to watch and support this morning, so I like that 鈥 it鈥檚 kind of like Canada, they ride by the seat of their pants a little bit, but they also have a sprinkling of structure and good, good, solid foundation.鈥

READ ALSO: 91原创鈥檚 Laskin Resigns as Canadian Show Jumping Team Chef d鈥橢quipe

Laskin made headlines last November when he resigned his position as Equestrian Canada鈥檚 technical advisor 鈥 jumping, which includes acting as chef d鈥橢quipe for the Canadian show jumping team at major games and Nations鈥 Cup team competitions, citing lack of a contract and 鈥渋nterference鈥 by Equestrian Canada leaders who, he said, lack understanding of the sport.

Equestrian Canada said a review of Laskin鈥檚 job was underway when he resigned.

Also on Saturday, Ireland鈥檚 Daniel Coyle won the tbird Cup.

Friday at tbird, the U.S.A鈥檚 Kent Farrington recorded a new milestone when the Olympic silver medalist recorded his first five-star grand prix victory, riding his own Orafina to the top of the Longines Grand Prix.

鈥淥rafina is a very special horse,鈥 Farrington said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 so easy to ride, but she鈥檚 really an incredible athlete and starting to come into her own.鈥

Weather played a role on the day, with storms forcing the feature class of the Odlum Brown BC Open program to be moved from the Fort Grand Prix Arena on the grass to the Thunderbird Jumper Arena on sand.

Also on Friday, Cat Ninja gave Canada鈥檚 Jacqueline Steffens her second individual five-star victory of the season at tbird in the West Coast Cup.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Thunderbird Show Park in 91原创 hosts the opening of the Major League Show Jumping season


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