Jimmy Torano just missed taking the U.S. show jumping title in 2003 by a dropped rail. But this year, on June 8-12, he didn’t drop a single rail on his way to the win in the $150,000 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship during the HITS On The Hudson show in Saugerties, N.Y.

Torano, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., came into the final phase of the three-day championship, at the top of the standings with Marcel. The dark bay, 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood had posted two double-clears in the qualifying legs, the opening match and the intermediate match, earlier in the week.

“When I jumped the first round on the first day, my horse was so good. He really felt like he was on to do it. And then, for sure, when he jumped the round on Friday, I thought I really had a shot to win this,” Torano said. “I just had to keep him fresh for Sunday.”

At the start of the finale, Torano was 6 points ahead of his nearest challenger, Jeffery Welles on Armani. Torano knew what he had to do to stay on top, so he opted for a conservative, somewhat slower approach to the final nine fences.

“I had a rail to give, so I took my time and wanted to just jump clean,” said Torano.

He and the 12 other competitors who made it to the last day faced a demanding trek to the blue ribbon. Course designer Steve Stephens laid a challenging route in a sprawling sand arena, and he reversed the track for the second round on Sunday.

“This is the way they laid things out in the World Cup Finals, but I did it because this is what a national championship is all about,” Stephens said. “As the course [for the first round of the finale] goes on, it gets stronger. The course has a completely different feel because everything is going in a different direction.”

An Imposing Course

The thing that worried most riders was Stephens’ tall verticals. Kent Farrington and Madison, the winners of the intermediate round on Friday, withdrew on Sunday. Michael Walton, the winner the first day on Free People Onze Fonze, went off course in the first go Sunday and carried a 33-point penalty into the second leg of the finale. Only Welles on Armani came home clear in Sunday’s second round, as Torano garnered 1 time penalty in his cautious trip.

Welles, who co-owns Armani with Bill and Sandy Kimmell, wasn’t discouraged by the track. “You never know the final day; it is like the World Cup Finals because things can change around quite a bit,” said Welles, who was second on the 10-year-old in the Budweiser American Invitational (Fla.) April.

“I was very pleased with my horse who had one fence down in the first round today and came back to jump fantastically in the second go,” Welles added.

Although Welles thought the courses in the first legs of the competition were not as difficult as they should be for a national event, “On Sunday they were much more real and up to standards,” he said. “I think [the championship] was a great way to prepare us to get ready for other championships later in the year.”

Conserving Energy

Although Marcel was ready to give Torano all the 17-hand horse had, “I knew I really had to place him just right at [the tall verticals],” said Torano. “I didn’t want him to get there and die off the ground, especially in the second round.”

Torano’s wife, Danielle, who finished fourth on Gibson, had dropped a rail at fence 5 when she did the line in seven strides.

“I added a stride there to be sure I had my horse together and able to jump off his hindquarters,” said Jimmy.

Jimmy didn’t get to see any other horses because he was schooling Danielle, who had already won the high amateur-owner jumper classic that morning in the same arena on her old standby, three-time National Amateur-Owner Jumper of the Year, Lojana.

“I showed [Gibson], but I gave him to her when we sold her stallion, Quinault [who won the high amateur-owner classic with her at last year’s show],” said Jimmy. “I thought he would suit her, and he actually was a little small for me.”

Marcel wasn’t troubled by anything on the course. “It just rode so easily for my horse,” said Jimmy. “He did give a little rub to [the triple combination] on 3B, and I think that helped me for the rest of the course. I guess you could say I got a little lucky.”

The mid-afternoon air was heavy with humidity, and the heat was oppressive. Jimmy was hoping his gelding would not run out of gas. He had imported Marcel from Europe last December and showed him on the Florida circuit during this winter.

“So he hasn’t had to deal with heat this year,” said Torano, who thought the horse didn’t have enough time in this country to become accustomed to the climate. “I just jumped him four times before the first class and only once before the last.”

But the 11-year-old bay rose to the occasion, bringing Jimmy home with all the rails up, and only 1 time penalty. Jimmy buried his face in his horse’s neck and then pumped the air with his fist to celebrate his victory.

There was only one matter of business for Jimmy after the championship, and it was making good on a promise he made to his groom, Victor Briseno. “I had told Victor, if I won the class, I would give him my Rolex watch I had on. I made the same deal with his brother, Gerardo, a few years ago at Upperville [Va.], when I won the grand prix there,” he said.