Luis Fernando Larrazabal Wins Palm Beach County Sports Commission CSI3* Grand Prix
Luis Fernando Larrazabal & Condara. Photo © Sportfot
Venezuelan Olympian Luis Fernando Larrazabal ended a week that will go down in his personal record book with an exclamation mark by winning the $120,000 Palm Beach County Sports Commission CSI3* Grand Prix, his fourth international victory in as many days. Riding his Paris Olympic mount, Condara, Larrazabal closed the third week of Wellington International’s Spring Series, presented by Florida Coast Equipment, with surreal perfection.
Larrazabal has been trading off wins between two horses and started his weekend with a top placing on Belle de Muze, owned together with Driss Ngadi, in the $32,000 Equine Tack & Nutritionals 1.45m Classic on Friday. He then returned to his Olympic and 2023 Pan-American Games partner in Condara for the Saturday grand prix on the grass derby field.
“This is like a dream come true; it’s still unreal,” said Larrazabal, 32, who has been based out of Wellington, FL for 15 years and added a national victory on Thursday to bring his weekly tally to five wins. “It’s difficult to win one class; imagine winning five. It’s for sure the best week of my entire career in international competition. To be honest, I was enjoying it while it lasted. [Weeks like this] are not normal, and I’m very happy and grateful for my horses and my team — it’s thanks to them that we’re able to make this happen.”
With a nearly perfect week in sight, Larrazabal was one of seven to jump clear in the opening round of the Erica Sportiello (BRA) designed course. He and Condara, a 13-year-old Mecklenburg mare (Conthargos x Catapult 7) owned by Victoria Heurtematte, returned last. To the enthusiastic ringside cheers from Larrazabal’s friends and family, they broke the final timer beam two seconds faster than their closest challenger.
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