Ryan Delivers One-Two Punch in $35,000 CSI3* Longines World Ranking Class at Live Oak International

Ryan Delivers One-Two Punch in $35,000 CSI3* Longines World Ranking Class at Live Oak International
Devin Ryan had no one to beat but himself when he entered the arena on his second ride of Friday's $35,000 CSI3* Longines World Ranking Class at Live Oak International, but he still managed to deliver an improved performance, stealing the top spot with his own Cooper on a time of 65.76.

Cooper beat his stablemate by less than a second, but Ll Show Jumpers' Eddie Blue's time of 66.53 was still good enough for second place.

Beating performance by less than a second, Ryan's first ride Eddie Blue had a time of 66.53 seconds, which was still good enough for second place.

"It's deceiving. He's such a naturally quick horse. I'm not surprised that he did it, but I wouldn't be surprised if I matched the time or was slightly under," Ryan admitted of Cooper. "Eddie is really a massive-strided horse. Cooper has a big stride, but he's a better adder and he's quick with his legs."

"For Eddie, I based [my plan] on [the Longines FEI World Cup™ Final]. They start out with speed as the first leg and then move on to jump-off rounds. I didn't want to go crazy here, but I want quick enough to prep for World Cup Finals," he continued.

Lauren Tisbo piloted the speedy Coriandolo di Ribano, owned by Tequestrian Farms, to a third place finish with a clear round in 67.41 seconds.

"He tends to be a little bit of an exuberant jumper, so it benefits him to carry a more prompt pace the first day. That's a better preparation for him than some other horses. That was his relaxed round," she commented.

Catherine Tyree sped to fourth place aboard Mary Tyree's Bokai, managing a time of 68.29 with no poles down.

"Bokai is very good at working up to pace. That's when he relaxes the most," she explained. "I really just wanted to go in and have a nice relaxed round. I didn't want to make him feel pressured in any way, and he jumped great."

Ryan, Tisbo and Tyree are all in the running for the upcoming Longines FEI World Cup™ Final, April 11-15, in Paris, France. Sunday's $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Qualifier Grand Prix will make the final determination as it is the last qualifying opportunity.