Alex Matz (USA) and Ikigai - winners of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League - Toronto (CAN). © FEI/Mackenzie Clark
When Alex Matz (USA) received a last-minute call informing him that he had made the field for the highly selective Royal Horse Show in Toronto (CAN), he wasted no time accepting the invitation. The decision was handsomely rewarded Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd, as he rode Ikigai to the top of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto—the first World Cup victory of Matz's career.
Matz, 28, bested a five-horse jump-off, producing the only double-clear effort of the night over Oscar Soberon's (USA) short course. The winning time was 34.68 seconds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) and McLain Ward (USA) finished second and third, respectively, each adding a single rail to their scorecards. Foster claimed the runner-up spot with Electrique (4/32.81), while Ward was third with Ilex (4/34.58).
"I don't think it's sunk in yet. I'm really proud of my horse, proud of my team, and I'm really honored to be in this position with two incredible riders behind me and so many good riders in the field."
-Alex Matz (USA)
While the competition was stiff, no athlete came into the event with a hotter hand than Matz, who had already recorded two victories at the venue before he entered the arena for World Cup competition. Fresh off his first senior championship at the Longines League of Nations (ESP), the son of Olympic silver medalist Michael Matz was brimming with confidence and rode like a far more seasoned professional than his years would allow. With only Ward and Foster following him in the jump-off, he put the pressure on his more experienced rivals with a forward, efficient track and a bold turn to the final vertical.
"I knew I had to give it my all," Matz said. I had really fast riders behind me. Sometimes I try to go too fast and make mistakes, so I didn't want to do that. My horse is in great form, and fortunately everything stayed up."
Ward got the first chance to chase Matz's target and was well mounted with Ilex, who helped him earn a fifth Olympic medal when anchoring Team USA to silver in Paris (FRA). Ward's plan was to use his horse's large stride to his advantage, but an aggressive angle to the second fence resulted in 4 faults.
"This is actually [Ilex's] first international indoor show. I'm very happy that he handled it well," Ward said. "He's not the fastest horse, so I knew I had to take some risks. I thought that was a place that I could do it, and I maybe over-sliced it."
That left it all up to Foster, who came forward last with the exciting 10-year-old mare, Electrique. The pair executed the majority of their jump-off flawlessly and were up by nearly two seconds on the clock when Foster turned tightly back to the final fence. This time, the rail fell.
"Sometimes I go too slow...so I was trying to go as fast as I could," Foster said. "The only bit of the jump-off I'd been able to watch was Alex's turn to the last fence. I tried to replicate it, but I didn't do it as well."
Coming Back Stronger
Matz has been partnered with 11-year-old Ikigai for more than three years, acquiring the chestnut stallion from his former employer, Jos Lansink (BEL). Their introduction began a trend of exceeded expectations.
"I went to Jos, because he said he had quite a special horse, and I didn't really believe him," Matz confessed. "Then I sat on him, and it was like nothing I'd ever sat on."
Matz quickly became a believer in his horse, and their partnership started strongly. However, an injury sustained in the spring of 2023 sent Ikigai to the sidelines for nearly a year. This fall, the pair has turned a corner, producing their biggest and most consistent results yet.
"He's come back better than I could have ever, ever imagined. I'm really proud of him, because I've probably told everybody how good of a horse he is, but I think a lot of people didn't believe me until recently. Now, he's proved it."
-Alex Matz (USA)
Defending champion Daniel Bluman (ISR) finished seventh with Gemma W but took over the lead in the North American League standings with 37 points. Kristen Vanderveen (USA) moved into second (35 points), followed by Kent Farrington (USA) with 30 points.
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