Emanuel Andrade and Wilco. Photos copyright Mancini Photos.
Wellington, FL – November 3, 2014 – Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP), management company of the world-renowned Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), hosted its Fall Finale Horse Show this weekend on October 31 – November 2, 2014, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. The show hosted its $25,000 ESP Fall Finale Grand Prix on Sunday with a win for Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade and Wilco, Andrade also finishing second aboard Nokia de Brekka.
Thirty entries contested the first round course set by Hector Loyola, where 13 went clear to advance to the jump-off. Seven combinations jumped double clear over the short course, and Andrade completed the two fastest clear rounds. He and Wilco stopped the clock in 42.74 seconds for the win. With Nokia de Brekka, a brand new horse that he has only been showing for two weeks, Andrade took the second place prize in 44.59 seconds. Tom Foley and Sweet Oak Farm’s Petrushka III placed third in 44.79 seconds, and Catherine Pasmore and Pasmore Stables LLC’s Z Canta were fourth in 45.02 seconds.
Andrade represented Venezuela in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France this summer and spent some time showing in Europe before returning to the states. He was excited to do so well with his horses on Sunday.
“It was a big day. I was in Europe for two months and then I come back and I am doing very good here, so I am very happy. I love this horse show,” the rider acknowledged. “The course was nice. It was technical. It was difficult, but I really liked it.”
He jumped first with Nokia de Brekka and then improved on that time with Wilco. The winning 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Nabab de Reve x Fedor) is usually Andrade’s 1.60m horse and the rider was surprised at how fast he went.
“The class was difficult, but the jump-off was very difficult,” Andrade stated. “I went fast with my first one and then faster with the second one. Nokia is fun. He is very small, but he is so fast. Wilco is a really good horse. He is a bit german. He is a big horse with big scope and a big stride. That was new for me because I have always been with smaller horses. You didn’t think he could go that fast, but he was really good and I am really happy with the results. He was amazing.”
In addition to his grand prix victory, Andrade also won the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake earlier in the week, repeating his victories from the Fall II and Fall III Welcome Stakes. This time the win came with Nokia de Brekka, a 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Quick Star SF x Apache d’Adriers). Nine out of 19 entries jumped clear to advance to the jump-off where the pair had the fastest double clear round for the win.
“He has a lot of scope and he likes to go forward to every jump, that is the way he likes to jump,” Andrade said of Nokia. “He is like a little toy that you can go really forward with and win the 1.45m class.”
The 2014 ESP Fall Circuit will continue with two more weeks of competition featuring $10,000 Welcome Stakes on Sunday, November 9, and Sunday November 16. The ESP November “Regional” and Jumper 3 horse show runs November 8-9 and counts for both PBCHA & ESP Circuits. The ESP “Regional” Pre-Charity and Jumper 3 competition runs November 15-16. To view the prize list and for more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
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