Christian Kukuk Is Twice a Winner in Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix
Christian Kukuk & Checker 47. Photo ©Sportfot
German Olympic champion Christian Kukuk won the Rolex Finale at Wellington International for the second consecutive year aboard Checker 47 during the final ‘Saturday Night Lights’ of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season. In front of a sold-out crowd of more than 10,000 fans, the pair repeated history in the $750,000 Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix.
“This is a story you can’t imagine,” said Kukuk, 35, who spent the morning of the Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix welcoming his first child to the world. “This day is always going to be a very special memory for her birthday. I am the happiest man on the planet tonight.”
Together with his wife and fellow equestrian athlete Veronica Tracy, Kukuk’s daughter Lilah was born only hours before he took to Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) Rolex Finale track in the International Arena at Wellington International.
From a field of 40 qualified riders that included six of the world’s top 10 ranked athletes, eight advanced to the tie-breaking jump-off. The pathfinder in both rounds was Israeli Olympian Ashlee Bond, who finished third aboard Donatello 141 with the first time to beat of 40.41 seconds. She was pipped by U.S. Olympic team silver medalist Laura Kraut riding Bisquetta to finish as the runner-up in 39.49 seconds.
“I knew Laura was fast and that I had to try everything,” said Kukuk, who also won the NetJets CSI4* Grand Prix at WEF earlier in the season. “It went well and then suddenly, I had too many [strides] to the last. I thought for a second that I had lost it but looked to the screen and saw I got lucky in that moment.”
Alise Oken and Lady Lex Conclude WEF by Winning Vogel CSI2* Grand Prix
After a strong season, Alise Oken (USA) topped off her Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) circuit with a victory aboard a promising younger mount in the $62,500 Vogel CSI2* Grand Prix. At just 9 years old, Lady Lex carried her to the win in a competitive field on the final Sunday of WEF 12 in Wellington, FL.
Nineteen pairs jumped clear over Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) first-round course, so Oken knew the pace was going to be quick. Going up against far more seasoned pairs, the time to catch was already quite fast, but Oken took it up a notch faster.
“In the jump-off, it was a lot of open galloping and when she gets going she is a rocket,” Oken explained of how she used Lady Lex’s speed. “She has a massive stride. I left out in the first line and in the last line; the leave-out was eight [strides] but I was slow in eight. She is so fast across the ground, so I think that’s where we got the win today.”
They came home in a time of 36.32 seconds, which was only a hair faster than the time posted by second-place finisher Niamh McEvoy (IRL) aboard Sevilla van de Berghoeve Z, owned by GBBS International. The Irish luck continued through third place, with Simon McCarthy rounding out the podium aboard Gotcha, owned by Rock Ridge Farms.
From the moment Oken first sat on Lady Lex, owned by Hi Hopes Farm, LLC, she felt a connection.
“I bought her at the end of year 8-year-old year last year,” she said of the Dutch Warmblood mare (Entertainer x Eldorado V/D Zeshoek). “My fiancé saw her jumping in Rotterdam and was really impressed with her. I tried her and we just clicked. I love how game she is. She always looks for the fence and wants to go. I love the blood and the mentality she has — I’m really excited about her future.”
Wellington International
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