Girls Take It to the Wire in Battle of the Sexes
The final match race between Luis Larrazabal riding Asconos Girl Z and winner Jessica Mendoza aboard Noble Tropicana. Photo ©Sportfot
Wellington, Fla. – January 3, 2026 — The opening “Saturday Night Lights” event of the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) started off with a redemption win for the girl’s team in the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes, presented by LeMieux, under the sparkling lights of Wellington International.
Breaking a three-year win streak for the boys, the girls pocketed their eleventh Battle of the Sexes title in the event’s 16-year history. In a tie-breaking match race between Jessica Mendoza and Luis Larrazabal, the girls emerged victorious. The team was led by captain Kelly Soleau and her roster that included Mia Bagnato, Alexis Bodo, Kyla Makhloghi, Samantha Mackenzie, Caroline Mawhinney, Mendoza, and Kelly Taggart.
The runner-up squad consisted of team captain Charlie Jayne and included veterans Christian Coyle, Daniel Geaney, Alex Granato, Larrazabal, Tony Stormanns, Söhnke Theymann, and Michael Tokaruk.
The Battle of the Sexes consists of three phases. The first is a Table C faults-converted speed course where the riders are matched and compete one at a time over the course. The rider with the fastest time gains a point for their team. Following the first phase, the score showed a dead heat with both teams tied on four points.
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