It’s probably safe to say that Eric Navet of France has made a full recovery from his injuries, following his victory riding Catypso to take the $75,000 CSI4*-W Steel-Craft Doors Cup at the Thunderbird Show Park Summer Fort Festival in Langley.
Navet, a three-time Olympian and winner of the 1990 World Equestrian Games (SWE), was out of commission for much of the summer while recovering from surgery to repair two broken metatarsal bones in his foot.
Catypso also took some time off.
The 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding only resumed jumping two weeks ago.
Horse and rider came home in the Friday jump-off in 38.03 seconds to take the win over Eve Jobs (USA) and Venue d’Fees des Hazalles (38.55 seconds).
Shawn Casady (USA) and Highpoint Farm’s Campitello finished third (41.14 seconds).
“Catypso was kept fit, but he didn’t really exercise on fences,” Nevet said.
“He didn’t jump a single fence until two weeks ago. I did not expect him to get back in the game quite so fast and win right away, so I am very, very proud of him.”
The pair’s gallop to the final vertical proved to be the key to victory.
“I thought I was a little bit slow in my roll back [to the final line]. I wish I could have done one less stride, so I wasn’t sure I’d be fast enough to win,” Navet said. “After the second to last [fence], the oxer, I went full speed to compensate and to save the time that I lost in the rollback. It happened that it was enough to win today!”
Navet will jump Catypso in the week’s feature event today (Sunday), the $145,000 CSI4*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Vancouver, presented by Facet Advisors.
The first leg will take place at Thunderbird Show Park at 2 p.m.
READ MORE: Coverage from last year
READ MORE: Grand Prix at Thunderbird show park sold out again
