Diego Perez Bilbao and Helios.

Wellington, FL – October 15, 2019 – The ESP Fall Series launched this past weekend at Equestrian Village with National A and Jumper 3* competition. Celebrating the victory in Sunday’s feature class, the $10,000 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 1.40m Open Stake was Diego Perez Bilbao of Wellington, FL and his entry, Helios, after galloping through the jump-off timers with a clear round in 37.976 seconds. Alejandro Karolyi of Wellington, FL had success in the class as well, capturing second place aboard Monica Carrera’s Lincourt Gino with a final time of 39.226 seconds and clinching third with Karolyi Showjumping Inc.’s Venitienne after a 39.634-second jump-off.

Following close behind Karolyi with a jump-off speed of 39.88 seconds was Taylor St Jacques of Glen Allen, VA, who rode her Qantar Des Etisses to a fourth-place finish overall in Sunday’s competition. Rounding out the top positions was Juan Hidalgo and Baltazar De Tivoli, owned by Cavalli Reale Stables, after they completed the second round in 44.07 seconds.

Andrew Christiansen designed the 1.40m course, challenging a total of 19 competitors, of which only six pairs completed the first round without faults. “I think the course was fair,” commented winner Diego Perez Bilbao. “It was very fair considering the number of horses that we had in the class and the level of the class for sure.” Perez Bilbao just returned to the Wellington area after traveling quite a bit this summer: “We were up in New York for a couple of months, and then we went to Tryon and Kentucky, and now here, so all around.” Perez Bilbao plans to remain in Florida for the rest of the ESP Fall Series and will be competing with Helios at WEF in 2020.

To view full results of the $10,000 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 1.40m Open Stake, click here.

To learn more, please visit www.pbiec.com.