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World Cup LA Reflections 🏆 Not All Heroes Wear Capes

  • Writer: Catie Staszak
    Catie Staszak
  • a few seconds ago
  • 5 min read
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McLain Ward (USA) and High Star Hero won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Los Angeles at Santa Anita Park. Photo by FEI/Shannon Brinkman


There are certain riders that you just associate with winning. McLain Ward is one of them.


After all, he boasts two Olympic gold medals (and another three silver); a gold medal from WEG; three Pan Am gold medals; and of course, a victory in 2017 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals in Omaha (NE). I had the incredible privilege of being there to witness that moment, and the goosebumps I felt stick with me.


So much so, that McLain got saved in my contacts as McLain “McWinning” Ward. I never changed it.


But this season on the North American League has been filled with a bit of bad luck for Ward. His top horse Imperial was injured before the season even got started, leading him to call up less experienced partners. “Four fault-itis” ensued at Traverse City and Toronto. An agonizing and uncharacteristic time fault kept him out of the jump-off at Washington.



McLain Ward made a pretty eye-oping comparison in the press conference.


"Hero is a very talented horse—very careful, very sensitive," Ward explained. "I remember back to the days of Rothchild: I said, 'This is our best horse [right now], and he has a lot of good qualities, and we're going to have him dig in here,’ and he's risen to the challenge."


Here’s a reminder of just some highlights on the incredibly, incredibly special Rothchild’s record:


  • He gave McLain his first individual gold medal with a victory at the 2015 Pan American Games

  • Part of the bronze medal-winning team from the 2014 World Equestrian Games (They were fifth individually, just missing out on the famed, now-gone-away-with top four horse switch, which led us all to think, What if?)

  • Won the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto - twice

  • Won the Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon - twice

  • 2015 USEF International Horse of Honor


It’s safe to say that we should probably keep watching to see what High Star Hero does next.


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I'm a sucker for an underdog, and Rothchild embodied that mentality in our sport. Hardly over 16h, he did everything he wasn't supposed to thanks to an indelible spirit and the belief of his team. My profile on the gelding, originally published in Noelle Floyd magazine, was honored at the American Horse Publications Equine Media Awards in 2018.


Saturday was not a night of individual sport.


Though circuits like the Longines Global Champions Tour and Major League Show Jumping have vastly increased the number of opportunities for jumping athletes to compete in team formats—and for athletes of different nations to be teamed up—show jumping is largely an individual sport, and the World Cup is an individual championship.


But on Saturday night, McLain and Richard Vogel were on the same team.


It’s not a sight you see incredibly often. Richie was leading the class, and when McLain walked up to the ingate for his turn in the jump-off, Richie walked up alongside him, giving him insight into how the short course rode.


As Ward crossed the timers ahead of his friend and colleague, Richie gave him a rousing applause. What sportsmanship.


"We all want to be our best. We want to win. But we want to win because we slightly are better than the other guy. I think most of the time you'll see that everybody's helping each other. I think that's the beauty of sport."

-McLain Ward


Richie first started spending more time in North America last year and made his stateside base within McLain’s camp. McLain, of course has quite a few students at the level, including Lillie Keenan, Adrienne Sternlicht, and Stella Wasserman. But it’s a little different with Richie. You can’t help but get the sense that in this case, the two are learning from each other (After all, Richie is currently the World No. 6, with McLain World No. 11 on the Longines World Jumping Rankings). There’s a bit of youthfulness to McLain when he’s with Richie, which is good, because I was rather concerned when McLain said in the press conference that this season’s World Cup Finals in Fort Worth, TX, would likely be the last time in his career he’d get to jump the championship in his home nation. 


The Winning Call : McLain Ward & High Star Hero


Stat of the Class: Did You Overlook Jump 1?


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The first fence on course fell nine times Saturday night. Nearly 30 percent of combinations that had rails began their course with 4 faults at the very first jump. 


It was far from the tallest or widest fence on course, and it just was a single, long-approach oxer, so what made it so technical?


The dark black and white jump filler contrasts heavily with the light-colored natural rails, which can be distracting, especially under the lights. But most significant about this jump was its placement. It was offset at just the right angle from the rail. Many jumped the fence at too great a right-to-left track, their eyes looking toward the next fence and thinking about a tight time allowed. In the process, many athletes overlooked this first, otherwise simple-looking jump. 


Horse of the Class: Gangster Montdesir

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Richard Vogel (GER) and Gangster Montdesir. Photo by FEI/Shannon Brinkman


Richie Vogel may not have won the class, but his horse Gangster Montdesir couldn't have been more impressive. Richie has used the North American League as an opportunity to develop less experienced horses, while his top horses remain in Europe (See: United Touch). 


And Yes, 9-year-old Gangster Montdesir is inexperienced. But he doesn’t act it.


"I'm really amazed by how my horse jumped...It's only our fourth show together. He seems to get better and better from show to show, and every question we ask him, he has the perfect answer."

-Richard Vogel


I was positively swooning over this horse.


If the North American League Finished Today...Here's who would earn a ticket to Fort Worth for the Finals:


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Why don’t you see Richie Vogel or Nina Mallevaey on these lists? They are designated as Western European League riders and receive crossover points when competing on the North American League. You can view the WEL standings here.


Next Stop: Thermal


The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League continues with Leg 5 at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, CA on January 31. 


Tune in live on FEI.tv on Saturday, January 31 at 6:30pm PT.



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