Olivia Sweetnam Captures WEF Equitation Championship

Olivia Sweetnam & Efendi. Photo ©Sportfot

Rising equitation stars took to the International Arena at Wellington International on Thursday evening for the coveted WEF Equitation Championship, presented by Arion Sellier, during the KASK-sponsored Week 11 of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). As Wellington International gears up for Rolex Finale week of the winter season, kicking off on March 26, all eyes were on junior riders as 40 qualified rising stars took to the big ring.

The win was earned by 16-year-old Wellington-based Olivia Sweetnam, who opened competition with a high-score of 95 in the first round. She coupled it with a 91.5 in the second round aboard Efendi for owner Ashland Farms. Following in the footsteps of her sister’s 2024 runner-up finish, Baylee Rowan, 15, of Little Compton, RI, took second on Quantum, owned by Missy Clark. Adriana Forte of Water Mill, NY rounded out the top three riding Heritage Farm’s Candescent.

“I am so proud of myself and my horse, and a bit relieved to be honest. I was very nervous going into this,” said Sweetnam, who is trained by Ken and Emily Smith of Ashland Farms, and Danny Arendt of her family’s Sweet Oak Farm. “I’ve been working on staying focused during important finals and championships, and I hope I can produce more results similar to this.”

Andy Christiansen (USA) designed the equitation track, over which the top 12 were called back in reverse order for a second round. Four riders returned — without stirrups — for further testing: Sweetnam, Rowan, Forte, and J. J. Torano, 14, of Wellington, FL, on Favorite Edition Z. Their test included showing off at a hand gallop, a trot fence, counter canter on both leads and halt after the last fence.

“I was nervous going into the final test because I felt like there was a lot of pressure on me,” said Sweetnam, who returned last in the test. “I’m not weak without stirrups, but I’m not the strongest either. I tried to focus on what was best for my horse and my plan and it all worked out.”

After the three rounds, Olivia — daughter of Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam — was crowned winner from two judging panels made up of Panel 1: Michael Tokaruk and Karen Healy and Panel 2: Tammy Provost and Caitlin White.

Grace Carucci Finds Mr. Right in $10,000 Amateur USHJA National Hunter Derby

Grace Carucci experienced the highlight of a lifetime Thursday of Week 11 at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), shortly after coming out of the ring on top in the $10,000 Amateur USHJA National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Ethel M Chocolates. She not only won the class, but she found out that she now owned the horse she sat on.

“He’s a horse that has been for sale in the barn and is the sweetest guy,” she said about her winning partner, Mr. Right. “When I came out of the ring today, my mom told me that she bought him for me, which is absolutely mind-blowing.”

Jumping around the “hunt and go” style course on the derby field designed by Ken Krome, Carucci, who hails from Sheldon, SC, earned scores of 86 and 87 for the respective phases, earning a total of 173. With 68 entries in the order, she had to wait a while to find out she was the winner, but in her mind, she’d already won in a much bigger way.

“I started crying when I walked out of the ring because I sometimes cry when I’m proud of my horses,” Carucci said of her emotions when walking out of the ring, before the news was broken. “I’ve mostly had a lot of young horses, so I get to experience so many new accomplishments for them. I looked at my trainer [Lisa Rex] and said, ‘I’m crying and he’s not even mine.’ And then my mom walked over and said, ‘Surprise!’”

Philippa Ammann and Balousock B.B.S. Are Best in $10,000 Junior USHJA National Hunter Derby

While Grace Carucci won the Amateur section on a horse that is only now officially hers, Philippa Ammann of Wellington, FL took top honors on a horse she’s owned for quite some time in the $10,000 Junior USHJA National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Ethel M Chocolates. With Balousock B.B.S., she took scores of 90 and 88 for the win against other top junior competitors.

“We’ve had him forever,” she said of Balousock B.B.S. “He was the first horse our family ever bought. He’s part of the family, for sure. I train with Nick Pongracz and Jacob Pope at Hickory Ridge, and Jacob used to ride him. Now he’s almost 16 and he had so much fun out there today.”

Balou, as the horse is called in the barn, has been partnered with Ammann since he was only 8 years old, so the two know each other quite well. That helped as they navigated the expansive derby field, a change in environment for many of the hunters.

“He really loves the field,” she went on. “He’s very brave, so he didn’t look at any of the jumps. I think he jumps better over some of the bigger, spookier ones, so he was awesome. He handled it like a pro.”

The Swedish Warmblood gelding has a history competition in the jumpers but switched gears quite nicely for Ammann. The jumper mindset helps the pair to be able to show off in a field setting.

“Because he’s getting older, we have only done him in a couple weeks of junior hunters at the 3’6” height earlier in the season,” Ammann reflected on Balou’s schedule this year at WEF. “He’s had a couple weeks off since WCHR during week six, and he hasn’t been showing, so we had this as one of the goals to do this season.

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