Judgement’s had a good run at Spruce Meadows this season, but he and Beezie Madden had to wait until the $50,000 Lafarge Cup today, July 8, for a big win. “He’s been great here all circuit, ”I think he missed placing in just one class,” but he’s just been close to winning,” Madden said.

Madden closed out the six-horse jump-off with a blazing round that shaved off more than a second from Nick Skelton’s time on Pandur. Skelton had gone first and laid down a challenge none could match until Judgement picked up his gallop. “The jump-off was good for me, because there was a lot of big galloping,” Madden said. “I think Nick’s horse is naturally faster, but he also has a shorter stride. It worked out well for me.”

Just behind Madden in the victory gallop was the young Sloane Coles, just 16, who has been competing in her first Spruce Meadows series this summer. She came to Calgary, Canada, for the six weeks to train with Madden and her husband John and compete Cloud Nine, the junior jumper she leases from Madden.

But Coles’ dance card quickly filled up with catch rides, and the tour culminated by riding the proven grand prix horse Resolute in the $50,000 Lafarge Cup and placing fourth with the fastest 4-fault jump-off. “This has just been so much more than I expected,” Coles said. “It’s like no other show. In the jump-off, I kind of thought to myself ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ There I was in the schooling area with Rodrigo Pessoa and Nick Skelton and all those top people. It was amazing.”

Coles picked up the ride on Resolute, normally ridden by Molly Ashe, just the week before. She showed him in a few 1.40-meter classes, then stepped up to the 1.50-meter classes this week. “He’s an amazing jumper. He likes you to leave him alone, and I get along with him really well,” said Coles.

After six weeks of competing with the world’s best in Spruce Meadows, Coles will go home to The Plains, Va., for a mere 12 hours before leaving for Germany. She’s due to spend three weeks there working and riding for Gilbert Boeekman, furthering her education.

And while Ashe gave up the ride on Resolute, there’s one horse she’s never giving up the reins of—Kroon Gravin. She and the bay mare made a huge splash a few years ago, winning the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational (Fla.) in 2001 and 2002, and then winning the selection trials for the 2002 World Equestrian Games. But after “Kroon” ran into soundness problems, Ashe bowed out of the WEG team. And Kroon seemingly disappeared off the scene.

But she’s back. Ashe patiently nursed Kroon through her injuries, and they’re back in the ring together. Kroon placed 14th in the Lafarge Cup with a first-round rail. “It’s hard for me to grasp that she’s back showing,” said Ashe. “It’s very emotional for everyone involved and for everyone who gave her a chance.”

Kroon never really went out of work. ”Ashe kept her with her on the road and in full care, with light flatwork, and patiently waited for the mare to be solidly sound again. “She’s a special horse. She’s not one you could kick out in a field and leave alone. She likes to be part of everything,” Ashe said.

“We’ve just been letting her tell us when she was ready to go again. I’d never take her to the ring if she weren’t comfortable. In my heart, it doesn’t matter to me if she jumps another jump or not, but I think she still has some stuff she wants to do. She’s a competitor—she loves it. I never gave up hope on her, but I treat each class like it either could be her last or could be the start of a whole new roll. I appreciate it so much.”

Richard Spooner is feeling many of the same emotions as he competes on his faithful veteran Robinson, now 17. Spooner admits that the end of Robinson’s career is approaching, and he proved in the $25,000 Pespi Challenge this afternoon that he’s got a few worthy successors. Spooner rode Quirino to shave more than a second off Rodrigo Pessoa’s seemingly unbeatable jump-off time. Pessoa rode Sigane van de Grundeval to second, and Cantate to third in the class.