Scott Brash and Hello Jefferson won the record $5 million purse ($3.62 million USD) Sunday in the CPKC ‘International’ CSI5* Grand Prix, held as part of Spruce Meadows’ 50^th anniversary celebration. 

Brash topped a two-horse jump-off against U.S. combination Kyle King and Kayenne Z with Lady Pauline Harris and Lady Pauline Kirkham’s 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Cooper Van De Heffinck—Hovis, Irco Mena). The British rider, who was also celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his groundbreaking 2015 Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping win, took one-third of the total prize pot with the win.

The tracks for the CPKC ‘International’ were designed by Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela. The first-round course featured 13 obstacles and 17 jumping efforts, including two open water elements. Athletes had to clear all the efforts and cross the finish line in a time allowed of 80 seconds.

The top 12 pairs of the first round returned for a second round in reverse order of merit. King and his 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Kannan—Alexsandria, Canezaro) were the only pair from the U.S. to contest the second round; Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25 missed the cut by mere tenths of a second after being the slower of two, 1-fault performances in the opening round.

The second-round course featured another 12 obstacles and 15 efforts that challenged the contenders. No one jumped clear, so determining a winner came down to a jump-off between the only 4-fault rounds, Brash and King. 

Watch Brash’s winning round, courtesy of ClipMyHorse.tv:

Watch King’s second-placed round, courtesy of ClipMyHorse.tv:

Brash was first and posted a clear, quick round in the jump off with a time of 46.97 seconds, putting the pressure on King. King was up on the clock when a rail at the penultimate fence cost him the top spot.

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat and Venard De Cerisy, who won this class at the 2021 ‘Masters,’ had to settle for third place thanks to a rail and 1 time fault in the second round.

“Me winning 10 years ago, it was just incredible; you can’t really write it,” Brash said. “And, the venue seems to get better every year. And, what a fantastic place to be able to showcase the top end of the sport.”

King took to social media to thank his mare, “Kaya,” and his team for their impressive second-place performance.

“No words for today. Kaya, you are one in a million,” he wrote on Instagram. “Couldn’t ask for a better partner to help me achieve my dreams. Your heart and try is second to none.”

Guerdat recalled how, years ago, he complained to Palacios that his Spruce Meadows courses were too difficult.

“It was a probably 13, 14, 15 years ago, and I complained in the press conference … about Leopoldo and what he was doing, and that it was too tough, and you had to change something, and the show had to change something,” Guerdat recalled. “And thank God, Leopoldo didn’t listen to me. Because the truth is, you know, as, athlete or as people, sometimes we don’t like to be challenged. And we like [our] comfort zone. And this is not what we have here. And I would say that thanks to the team and thanks to Spruce [Meadows], I became a better rider.” 

As the new Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping live contender, Brash will have the opportunity to continue his journey at CHI Geneva in December.

See complete results here.