The legacy Susie Hutchison has left in the show jumping world is the stuff of legend, and it’s clear she isn’t a rider who rests on her laurels. A protégé of the late Jimmy Williams, Hutchison, 58, has returned week after week to lay down double-clear rounds with her partner Cantano.
Leading the victory gallop for the 15th time since the 11-year-old Holsteiner stallion’s (Cascavelle x Acord II) grand prix debut in 2008, Hutchison and Cantano earned applause and whistles from a crowd that was appreciative of their fast footwork. Hutchison finished a full 1.6 seconds quicker than the runner-up, Helen McNaught and Caballo.
The $50,000 Grand Prix of California, held in Del Mar on May 14 at the Showpark Ranch & Coast Classic, is the third grand prix the pair has contested in the past two weeks. During the first week at the Hunter/Jumper Week of the Del Mar National Horse Show, May 3-8, Hutchison and Cantano seemed slated to win everything they entered. Hutchison took the trophy for the best open jumper rider and won the $25,000 Surfside Grand Prix, a qualifying class for the $100,000 Grand Prix of Del Mar.
Although Hutchison didn’t win the $100,000 class, she was pleased with Cantano. She said they had a jump-off round where “everything fell apart in a hand basket,” as the second fence came down, and an overly sharp turn to a wall jump was too tight for Cantano to negotiate the 1.60-meter height. They had to settle for 11th place overall.
“Nothing’s for sure, and you just go on. You know he’s a great horse, and I can fix me much easier than you can fix the horse,” Hutchison said. “I certainly put all the blame on myself and none on the horse. He was great, and he is great. It was just one of those moments.”
Saturday’s 1.50-meter course was more technical than last week’s scopier $100,000 Grand Prix of Del Mar, according to course designer Leopoldo Palacios, who designed both. Among its challenges were a fuchsia-colored triple combination, wide oxers, skinny verticals and many small details. A particular challenge in the jump-off was the final fence: a very airy, upright vertical coming off a long approach where over-eager riders had knockdowns.
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Hutchison praised Cantano’s strong foundation in flatwork and said he can almost read her mind while she’s on course. “He’s wonderful with all of this now, and he just looks at it in a very positive way and reads the combinations and reads the jumps and the lines,” she said. “If I jumped a little strong like when I jumped in way too strong into the three-stride, and when he looked at the skinny, it’s almost like he’s on automatic pilot. He said, ‘Oh you jumped in a little strong. Now we have to slow down for the skinny.’ He almost does it himself, so that’s really fun.”
Cantano was imported in 2006, and veteran horsewoman Sandy Aston had her eye on him for her clients of 30 years, Jim and Pat Iverson of El Dorado 29. The Iversons purchased the horse with the intention of Hutchison campaigning him.
“Sandy’s got a great eye for a horse, and she always in her heart believed in this horse, and Sandy’s usually right,” Hutchison said.
Top 12 Results: Horse/Rider/Owner
1. Cantano/Susie Hutchison/El Dorado 29 (0-0, 36.563)
2. Caballo/Helen McNaught/Helen McNaught LLC (0-0, 38.122)
3. Archie Bunker/Hap Hansen/Linda I. Smith (0-0, 39.206)
4. Uwwalon/Michelle Spadone/Morgan Hill Partners (0-0, 40.195)
5. Kilkenny Randall Z/Kirsten Coe/Ilan Ferder (0-0, 40.543)
6. Cruise/Chris Pratt/Indigo Farms LLC (0-4, 36.807)
7. Radja Mercedes Benz/Eduardo Menezes/Eduardo Menezes (0-4, 38.092)
8. Little Annie/Mandy Porter/Rolling Oaks West LLC (0-4, 38.372)
9. Uitteraard/Alejandro Rodal/Alejandro Rodal (0-4, 40.328)
10. San Diego/Danielle Korsh/Danielle Korsh (3)
11. Bristol/Grey Fox Farms/Rusty Stewart (4)
12. Obe/Will Simpson/Anne Frankel (4)
