Saudi Arabian rider Abdulrahman Alrajhi wins ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows
Alrajhi and his horse Ventago captured the grand prix Saturday with a spotless second round, claiming roughly $300,000 in prize money.
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Abdulrahman Alrajhi of Saudi Arabia captured the biggest victory of his career Saturday when he and his 13-year-old horse Ventago won the ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup grand prix at Calgary's Spruce Meadows, pocketing roughly $300,000 in prize money.
Alrajhi and Ventago were one of only two riders to go clear in the first round; in the second round, Alrajhi was spotless, eliminating any possibility of a jump-off. Daniel Bluman of Israel and his horse Corbie V.V. took third, while Ireland's Daniel Coyle and Farrel claimed second.
The North American tournament is Alrajhi's second time competing at Spruce Meadows, having attended last year. He said the course was "amazingly built" and that even the biggest fences suited Ventago's powerful stride.
"Honestly, I think Spruce is a totally different sport here," Alrajhi explained. "It's not like another show." He credited the venue's influence on his horses' development — last year, he brought a horse named Heartbeat that struggled in grand prix events across the circuit but improved dramatically after Spruce, eventually winning multiple competitions and placing on podiums in six grand prixs.
Alrajhi, ranked 52nd on the Longines FEI rider list, attributes his trajectory to strong support from the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation and the Olympic community, which provides quality horses — a crucial ingredient in a sport where talent alone isn't enough.
Ventago, whom Alrajhi considers "one of the great horses in the world," was green at the last Olympics but came close to a medal. Alrajhi acquired him at 10 years old and stepped him up to grand prix level.
The next test for both is the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, in August.
