Pedro Muylaert and Prince Royal Z MFS. Photos © Sportfot.
3’3″ Hunters Featured during WCHR Week
Wellington, FL – February 17, 2017 – Brazil’s Pedro Muylaert and Prince Royal Z MFS led the $130,000 Grand Prix CSI 3* on Friday night, February 17, at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL. Competing in the Global Arena at Equestrian Village at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), Paul O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu finished second, and Jimmy Torano (USA) riding Day Dream placed third.
Richard Jeffery (GBR) set the course for 44 starters in Friday night’s grand prix. Four entries advanced to the jump-off, where O’Shea and Muylaert were the only two to clear the short course without fault.
Muylaert and Stenio da Silva’s Prince Royal Z MFS cleared the course in 37.27 seconds to take the win. O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu stopped the clock in 37.59 seconds to earn second place. Torano and Day Dream were faster in 36.94 seconds, but incurred four faults at the second to last fence in the jump-off. Hardin Towell (USA) also had a fast time in 37.12 seconds riding Evergate Stables’ New York, but dropped three rails on course to finish fourth.
“My plan was to go fast, but not too fast, because I knew there were not too many in the jump-off,” Muylaert said of his winning round. “My plan was to go clear and fast enough to be in the top three, and I could not imagine that we would win.”
Prince Royal Z MFS is a ten-year-old Zangersheide stallion (Prince de Revel x Ramiro Z) that previously jumped in the 2016 Olympic Games with Uruguay’s Nestor Nielsen Van Hoff before changing hands to Muylaert this year.
“This is a new horse for me. I bought him one month ago, and he came straight away for the season,” Muylaert explained. “This is the first week I have shown him, so I am really happy. He is a very good horse, and I have a lot of confidence with him. He has a lot of heart.”
The rider (30) has traveled to Wellington to compete in the Winter Equestrian Festival for three years, and dedicated his win to the late Andres (Chepito) Rodriguez of Venezuela, who passed away tragically in 2016.
“My history coming to Wellington began with a very good friend, Chepito. He was like my brother,” Muylaert acknowledged. “I started coming here with him, and today, this victory is for him because I am here because of him. Everything is for him now. The experience here is super; it is beautiful. Normally, I compete in Brazil, so here is a little different for me, but I am very happy to be here.”
O’Shea has ridden Skara Glen Stable’s Machu Picchu, a ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Silverstone x Matterhorn) since the end of the horse’s seven-year-old year and has seen great progress.
“When he was seven he won three grand prixs with his previous rider, and when he was eight he won a 1.50m in Dublin at a five-star show, so he has always been pretty consistent and very successful,” O’Shea detailed. “He has not actually knocked a fence yet this year, so I am really happy with him. I tried to go fast tonight, but I was not fast enough. I could have been quicker to the second fence, but other than that I think I did what I could do.”
Torano and Day Dream won the $216,000 U.S. Open FEI Grand Prix CSI 3*, presented by Rolex in September under similar surroundings in a small arena under the lights at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show. The nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zento x Heartbreaker) has been with Torano since he was six, and is also developing well this winter.
“My biggest thing was the rideability, which I think I have gotten down now,” Torano said of his mount. “I really took a shot (in the jump-off). Maybe I overdid it to the second to last jump, but he is an inexperienced horse. He has never really galloped at a big jump like that off the turn, but he was great. I can count how many rails he has had since I have had him. He is a very careful horse, and I hope for a big future with him.”
Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza was presented the week six Leading Lady Rider Award by Sharon Loayza, on behalf of Martha Jolicoeur of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Also competing on Friday, Samuel Parot (CHI) and Couscous van Orti won the $6,000 Illustrated Properties 1.40m on the Derby Field at Equestrian Village. Claire Schreder (USA) and Ceahorse LLC’s Luca Toni 18 were the winners of the Hollow Creek Farm U25 1.40m competition.
3’3″ Hunters Featured during WCHR Week
Martha Ingram of Nashville, TN topped the Adequan® Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 3’3″ division aboard Fonteyn, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC. Ingram and the 2004 German Sporthorse mare clinched the championship title by winning all three over fences classes and placing third under saddle.
“She’s amazing!” Ingram said of the mare that formerly evented under the name RF Amber Eyes. “We’ve had her for about three years. She’s so sweet, spunky, and just wants to do everything right.”
Ingram commutes to WEF from Furman University and considers WCHR week one of her favorite weeks.
“The rounds take a little longer because the International [Arena] is so big,” she explained. “You go in and see yourself on the screen, which is weird, but it’s an awesome feeling.”
Lindsay Maxwell captured the reserve tricolor ribbon. The rider from Beverly Hills, CA piloted her own coming 11-year-old gelding, Kingston, to a win under saddle, as well as second and two third place finishes over fences.
Arriana Boardman of New York, NY rode her own Adelina to win the championship in the Osphos® Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3″ 36 & Over division. Adelina, a 2008 Westfalen mare, formerly competed in the jumpers before being purchased by Boardman. The pair won two over fences classes, earned third place in the handy round, and fourth under saddle.
“She didn’t know anything about the hunters,” Boardman explained. “I was drawn to her intent expression and incredible jump. She’s so smart that she picked it [the hunters] up very quickly. It just gets better and better with her.”
With wins in the under saddle and handy round, Becky Gochman of Palm Beach, FL secured the reserve title aboard Last Man Darling, an 11-year-old Mecklenburg gelding owned by Gochman Sport Horses, LLC.
The UHealth Junior Hunter 3’3″ division saw 46 competitors and was awarded in a California split. Caroline Ratigan of Berwyn, PA and Elly Ficca of Charlotte, NC were both named champions of the division. Ratigan rode her own Trust to win the under saddle and an over fences class, while also collecting a fourth place ribbon in the handy round.
“I’ve been riding him for about a year,” said Ratigan of her 2008 Oldenburg gelding by Linton. “He’s incredible. At first, he didn’t have a lot of personality, but now it’s coming out. Hopefully, I can keep him forever.”
Ficca and Quatrain, owned by Laura Critz, won two over fences classes to earn the championship award. The pair also won tricolor ribbons in the division during weeks one and four of WEF. Ficca counted on two hands the number of shows she’s done with the 13-year-old gelding by Quatro.
“He’s really brave,” Ficca said of her mount. “Showing in the International Ring was pretty scary and intimidating. The jumps are really full. The horses look at them more and jump bigger over them.”
Ficca shared her trainer Jack Towell’s final words before entering the arena, saying, “Jack always says that I have a good eye, and he tells me to trust it.”
Week six of the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival continues on Saturday with more hunter and jumper action on both sides of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular is the highlight event in the International Arena on Saturday night. For more information and full results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.