PHOTOS: Ward Tops Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier

McLain Ward of Brewster won the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier by less than one-tenth of a second over Ashlee Bond of Hidden Hills, Calif. at the on Friday. 

Ward went fourth out of the nine that made it to the jump-off riding Antares F, owned by Grant Road Partners. He went clear in a time of 39.83 seconds.

“I knew there were a couple of fast riders coming in behind me in Darragh Kenny, Ashlee Bond, and my student Katie,” Ward said.  “But I was going to try and lay down a tough round and thankfully it was.” 

Ward’s student Katie Dinan, 17, of New York City nearly beat her teacher.  he and Vancouver, owned by Grant Road Partners, beat Ward’s time with 39.73 seconds, but had a rail down at the last fence for four faults, dropping her to seventh place.

Any horse and rider combination that completed the course in the Qualifier can compete in the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup Qualifier on Sunday. Ward has won it the last two years and a record five times overall.

“I try to make it just another day at the office but that‘s just not reality.  I am a competitive person,” Ward said.  “I don’t really think about the pressure of winning another year, I just think of the pressure day in and day out that I like to win. There are not many things I enjoy more than winning and there’s not much more that I dislike than losing. We try to keep progressing and doing better and better.”