Tag Archives: ESP Fall Series

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

Nayel Nassar and Igor Van De Wittemoere Win $137k Noltrex®Vet Grand Prix CSI3*

Leave a comment

Nayel Nassar and Igor Van De Wittemoere ©Sportfot.

Wellington, FL – Nov. 21, 2021 – The ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* reached its pinnacle on Sunday as 30 riders competed for the top spot in the $137,000 Noltex®Vet Grand Prix CSI3*. Course designer Héctor Loyola (PUR) tested the entries with a technical pattern of jumps, of which only two mastered to advance to the jump-off. No strangers to the winner’s circle and recent competitors at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Evergate Stables, LLC’s Igor Van De Wittemoere finished in spectacular form as the only double-clear duo to top the class.

Competition immediately followed in the International Arena with the $25,000 Elite Horse Transport Grand Prix. The National Grand Prix attracted a field of 20 competitors, with just four pairs placing double-clear rounds. The final pair in the jump-off, Sharn Wordley (NZL) and Valentine Car, owned by Fernando Cardenas, stopped the clock at 43.99 seconds to secure their names at the top of the leaderboard.

Competing over 1.40m fences in the $2,500 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Noltrex®Vet, only three partnerships advanced to the jump-off, and just a single entry was able to finish the class without any faults at all. Leading the way was Coco Fath of Fairfield, CT and Hillside Farm LLC’s Exokit Sitte thanks to a double-clear winning time of 45.05 seconds. Due to their victory on Sunday and a third-place finish in an earlier divisional class, Fath and Exotik Sitte were also awarded the overall championship honors.

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Competitions, Equestrian Sport Prod., Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

David O’Brien and El Balou OLD Finish on Top of $37k Assets Risk Management 1.50m CSI3*

Leave a comment

David O’Brien and El Balou OLD ©Sportfot®.

Wellington, FL – Nov. 19, 2021 – A wet second day of the ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* couldn’t dampen the competition that was seen in the $37,000 Assets Risk Management 1.50m CSI3* at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Course designer Héctor Loyola (PUR) set an apt challenge for the class, with six of the 23 entries advancing to the jump-off, which trimmed the number of double-clear pairs down to only three. Jumping to the top of the leaderboard by just six-hundredths of a second, David O’Brien (IRL) and Chansonette Farm LLC’s El Balou OLD wrapped the contest as the class victors, a promising win ahead of Sunday’s $137,000 NoltrexVet® Grand Prix CSI3* and a super result for O’Brien’s newly-founded stables.

Earlier in the day, the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Stake showcased the efforts of 35 horse-and-rider partnerships. Of the initial field of entries, 12 duos advanced to the jump-off to vie for the top prize, whittled down further to just five double-clear pairs by the end of the class. Midway through the jump-off, Ali Wolff (USA) and her own Footloose HX set a quick standard without faults in 41.56 seconds, which no other pairs were able to surpass, to solidify the early frontrunners as the class victors.

Kelly Soleau-Millar and Abel Crawford Dominate the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby

Hunters were in the spotlight on Friday during the ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Held in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring, the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby saw contenders compete over two rounds of riding, with one duo standing out as the clear victors. With two scores that hit the 90-point benchmark, Kelly Soleau-Millar of Wellington, FL and Millar Equine Sales’ Abel Crawford ran away with the win to clinch the lead spot in the lap of honor.

The classic round of the class concluded with Soleau-Millar and Abel Crawford in the lead with a score of 90, giving them a small safety net over the pair that was sitting in the next-best spot, Molly Sewell of Wellington, FL and MTM Farm’s Konig Der Loewen, who had earned 87 points. Back in the ring as the final challengers, Soleau-Millar and Abel Crawford needed a handy score of 84 to clinch the win, and they far surpassed that with their exemplary round, earning a base score of 90 plus four handy points to add 94 points to their initial tally.

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

Kent Farrington and Kaprice Gallop to Victory in $137,000 Noltrex®Vet Grand Prix CSI3*

Leave a comment

Kent Farrington and Kaprice © Anne Gittins Photography.

Wellington, FL – November 15, 2020 – The ESP Pre-Charity CSI3* reached its pinnacle Sunday morning as 45 international competitors hailing from 12 nations took to the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) for the $137,000 Noltrex®Vet Grand Prix CSI3*.

Putting in the best performance of the contest, Kent Farrington (USA) and Haity McNerney’s Kaprice rode away with the lion’s share of the prize money as the quickest double-clear pair ahead of a 16-horse jump-off. In the afternoon’s $25,000 JTWG, Inc. National Grand Prix, Santiago Lambre of Wellington, FL piloted his own Mick Jagger to the top of the leaderboard.

“I have an exceptionally fast horse,” reflected Farrington on his winning mount, Kaprice. “If you look at her on the ground she almost looks like a racehorse. She is really light, really lean, and her footspeed across the ground is incredible. She is an unbelievably careful horse, maybe the most careful horse I have ever ridden. She does not want to touch jumps, so that’s a big advantage. She is stepping up to be a grand prix horse, and I tried to use her in some bigger grand prix classes this summer. My plan now is to keep growing her, and hopefully I can have a real grand prix horse there at the end.”

As the very first to go, Tanner Korotkin (USA) and Country Boy were the trailblazers with a foot-perfect ride to set the example, and soon Flo Norris (GBR) and Lorielle 2 forced a jump-off as the second clear pair. As the class progressed over course designer Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) track, 14 more challengers turned in fault-free rides to bring the total number of pairs advancing to the jump-off to 16. The duos eligible for the short course round represented the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Brazil, with the home nation leading the way with the most returners. Farrington was one of the last to qualify, which would allow him to watch how the short course rode prior to his turn over the jump-off track.

Korotkin and Country Boy once again set the standard with a clear ride in 44.22 seconds, but the lead continued to change hands a number of times throughout the tie-breaker round. With six left to ride, the pace had been pushed up to 39.98 seconds by Leslie Howard (USA) and Donna Speciale. Second-to-last to take to the ring, the always-speedy Farrington and Kaprice, a 2010 Belgian Warmblood mare, galloped around the pattern without letting off the gas, tripping the timers in 39.28 seconds with no faults to rise to the top of the standings. The final pair to ride, Brian Moggre (USA) and MTM Vivre Le Reve, owned by Major Wager LLC, turned in a valiant effort to try to eclipse the leaders, but fell slightly short with a clear time of 39.79 seconds to settle for second place and confirm Farrington and Kaprice as the champions. Howard and Donna Speciale finished the day in third position. In total, 11 partnerships out of the starting list turned in two clear rides.

“I feel very fortunate that our sport is able to continue during difficult times, and hats off to the whole team here that is keeping the show running,” noted Farrington of returning to international competition in Wellington. “I think we are all very grateful and fortunate that we are still holding high-level competitions here in Florida.”

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Delaney Flynn Captures Double Wins in $10k Bainbridge Companies 1.40m and $5k HorseLinc 1.35m

Leave a comment

Delaney Flynn and Milan IV ©Anne Gittins Photography.

Wellington, FL – November 9, 2020 – The ESP November Show’s final day of competition ended on Saturday, November 7, 2020, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Unfortunately, Sunday’s scheduled competition on November 8, 2020 had to be canceled that morning due to the unpredictability of weather conditions caused by Tropical Storm Eta. Plenty of champions and victors still celebrated a successful week of showing after rising to the top of their respective leaderboards throughout the first three days of the event. The ESP November Show was the sixth of seven shows in the ESP Fall Series, which concludes with the ESP Pre-Charity Show CSI3* on November 11-15.

Competition in the International Arena, which featured courses designed by Jasen Shelley, kicked off Friday morning with the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Stake. Delaney Flynn of Park City, UT and Milan IV, owned by Grace Jacobsen, stopped the clock at 38.422 seconds to take the win, while Bryn Sadler of Ocala, FL and Showcase 81 LLC’s Cezarro came in a close second, stopping the jump-off timers in 38.445 seconds, just milliseconds off the pace. Hilary McNerney of Wellington, FL piloted her own Lovelight through the jump-off track in 41.097 seconds to finish in third place.

Friday’s victory was the second for Flynn, after she topped the leaderboard Thursday in the $5,000 HorseLinc 1.35m Open Jumper Stake with Maarten Huygens’ Fatima thanks to a quick 43.568-second jump-off round. Angela Covert of Wellington, FL claimed second place with her Hollywood De Rase Z after completing the jump-off in 46.848 seconds, and also bookended the top three on her Candyman Z to claim a third-place finish with a jump-off time of 47.615 seconds.

The Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Jumper division saw three different riders win classes earlier in the week, which resulted in a three-way tie for champion honors. Capt. Brian Cournane of Wellington, FL piloted Vittorio 12, owned by Glenbeigh Farm LLC, through the short course in 35.089 seconds to claim Thursday’s class. On Friday, Catherine Tyree of Chicago, IL flew through the timers in 63.308 seconds, nearly nine seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, with the Catherine Tyree LLC-entry, Amor Van Jonnckhoeve Z, to win the day. Ben Maher of Great Britain cleared the jump-off pattern in 38.686 seconds with Jane Forbes Clark’s Ginger-Blue to win Saturday’s class ahead of a talented field.

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Santiago Lambre and Mick Jagger Win $24,999 Score at the Top Grand Prix

Leave a comment

Santiago Lambre and Mick Jagger. ©Anne Gittins Photography.

Wellington, FL – October 12, 2020 – The ESP Fall I show closed out on Sunday with the $24,999 Score at the Top Grand Prix in the Van Kampen Covered Arena. A total of 20 competitors challenged the track, designed by Jasen Shelley, before Santiago Lambre of Wellington, FL and Mick Jagger rode into the winner’s circle with a 33.794-second jump-off. Joao Eduardo Ferreira De Carvalho of Delray Beach, FL piloted Karina Rocha Mello’s Volt Du Thot through the timers in 34.247 seconds to claim second place. Juan Andres Rodriguez Silva of Wellington, FL captured the yellow ribbon aboard RMF Echo, owned by Rushy Marsh Farm, LLC, after they completed the jump-off in 34.687 seconds.

While several riders made it to the second round, only a few combinations were able to go double-clear. Lambre gave credit to his horse for the win, Mick Jagger, who is a newer mount. “He arrived just back in July from Mexico, and this is only his second Grand Prix with me. He’s a very good horse, very scope-y. I hope he’s going to be a good one for me this winter season.”

Although rain caused the Grand Prix to move into the Covered Arena, Lambre actually commented that he preferred that for the competition. “Mick Jagger jumped inside [the indoor arena] a few weeks ago, so for me it wasn’t an issue. I like the indoor because I can turn faster, especially with this horse. Sometimes when they’re out on the grass field they get too open and you can’t be as quick with the turns.”

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

ESP Fall Series Wraps with Win by Santiago Lambre and Doloris in $25k Pilates Rocks Grand Prix

Leave a comment

Lambre and Doloris. ©Anne Gittins Photography.

Wellington, FL – November 19, 2019 – Last weekend, the ESP Fall Series came to a conclusion with the ESP Pre-Charity show held from November 15-17 at the main grounds of Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Santiago Lambre of Mexico secured the blue ribbon of Sunday’s $25,000 Pilates Rocks Grand Prix aboard his exceptional mount, Doloris, after completing the jump-off in 44.862 seconds. Hector Florentino of the Dominican Republic and Carjo Z, owned by Scott Head, flew through the timers in just 44.875 seconds with four faults to claim second place. Rounding out the top three champions was Theo Genn of Lebanon, OH with Chaccomo 11, owned by Bridlebourne Stables, LLC, once they stopped the clock at 47.812 seconds with four faults.

Sunday’s feature class was designed by Hector Loyola. A total of 23 pairs contested the first track, while only four competitors returned for the jump-off. “I think only four clear [riders] is a good number for how many were in the class total,” Lambre commented after his win. “And the course was quite technical this week, especially that last line, so I think that’s what got several horses with the rails. The footing feels really good, and it was a great improvement for the horses ahead of the winter season.”

Lambre won this weekend’s feature class with his 2008 Dutch Warmblood mare, Doloris, who had great success this summer season: “This year she has won everything! In Tryon, New York, Michigan, she’s always competitive and has been going really well the last few months.” The popular pair will continue to reside in Wellington, FL through the ESP Holiday Series and into the new year for the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival.

On Friday, the $10,000 Pilates Rocks 1.40m Open Stake was bested by Mark Bluman of Colombia and his mount Arcange De L’arc after completing the jump-off in 42.229 seconds. Taking second place was Santiago Lambre of Mexico aboard his Doloris with a 44.084-second jump-off. Todd Minikus of Lake Worth, FL rode his Juju VDM to a third-place finish after completing the jump-off in 48.332 seconds.

To learn more about the ESP Fall Series and PBIEC, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

Alberto Michan Wins $25k Equine Tack & Nutritionals Grand Prix aboard Zambia Mystic Rose

Leave a comment

Alberto Michan and Zambia Mystic Rose. ©ESP.

Wellington, FL – November 12, 2019 – The ESP Fall Series continued this past weekend with the ESP November show, taking place at the main grounds of Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Alberto Michan of Israel maintained his winning streak, claiming top honors in Sunday’s $25,000 Equine Tack & Nutritionals Grand Prix, this time aboard Nilson Da Silva’s Zambia Mystic Rose. The pair flew through the timers in just 37.368 seconds after returning for the second round with only two other horse-and-rider combinations. Heather Caristo-Williams of Saugerties, NY was very close behind, finishing the jump-off track in 37.245 seconds with four faults, aboard Qui Vive Des Songes Z, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Caristo. Finishing in third place was Kyle Dewar of Ocala, FL and F Gunsmoke RHF, owned by Joan Burke, after a 39.719-second jump-off with four faults added to their score.

Course designer, Andrew Christiansen, set the track for a total of 20 competitors on Sunday afternoon. Only three pairs returned for the second round. Michan commented that he felt lucky [to win] because it was a very technical course: “Especially that triple combination line – it rode a little forward then always an oxer-vertical-vertical combo makes it very short and very careful. So I think there the horses had to do a lot for themselves and take care of those rails, so very tricky for sure.” This is Michan’s third victory in a row, twice on the newly engineered footing surface. ” It rides very nice and the horses feel soft in the landing and still have a very good push off the ground. Even for the first weekend, it had great grip and the horses felt secure,” stated Michan. “In the jump-off, I actually lost a shoe and my mare still kept jumping very well for the rest of the course!”

Speaking of horses’ shoes, Heather Caristo-Williams’ mount, Qui Vive Des Songes Z, completed the entire feature class without shoes this past Sunday. “He’s had a lot of problems with quarter cracks in the past, so we took the summer to condition his feet to withstand jumping bigger tracks without shoes,” said Caristo-Williams. “I felt confident enough in the new footing to ride him barefoot and the surface felt incredible this weekend. My horse seemed very comfortable, even when we were speeding around some of those jump-off turns. It had enough bounce and give on the landing side of the jumps and I’m looking forward to competing on it this winter.”

Alberto Michan also rode Zambia Mystic Rose to victory in Friday’s $10,000 Equine Tack & Nutritionals 1.40m Open Stake after completing the jump-off in 44.122 seconds. When asked about the recent wins, Michan commented, “It’s been three great weeks, with three different horses!” This particular pair has not been competing together long: “They gave me this mare a couple of months ago. Nilson [Da Silva] has a big breeding farm in Brazil that produces a lot of top horses, some that recently have been to the Pan American Games, so I’m lucky to have her. She’s a very cool horse.”

Claiming second place was Juan Manuel Bolanos Barrios of El Salvador with his entry, After Eight following a 45.988-second round. Karina Rocha Mello’s Lamina Van’t Gelutt Z was piloted by Joao Eduardo Ferreira De Carvalho of Brazil to a third-place finish once they crossed through the timers in 47.051 seconds.

To learn more about the ESP Fall Series and PBIEC, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

Alberto Michan and El Pacho Conquer $25,000 Osphos Grand Prix during ESP Fall Finale

Leave a comment

Alberto Michan and El Pacho. ©Anne Gittins Photography.

Wellington, FL – November 5, 2019 – The final Hunter and Jumper competition to be hosted at Equestrian Village took place this past weekend with the ESP Fall Finale. Although rain kept this past Sunday’s feature class off of the Derby Field, Alberto Michan of Israel and El Pacho, owned by Pablo Mejia, were still thrilled to conquer the $25,000 Osphos® Grand Prix in the Van Kampen Covered Arena with a 39.58-second jump-off round. Finishing only two seconds behind with 41.036 seconds on the clock was Theo Genn of Lebanon, OH riding Taylor Blackman’s Boucanier, while Maria Schaub of Wellington, FL claimed the third-place position aboard Gotico Di Ca’ San Giorgio, owned by Evergate Stable, LLC, after a 44.182-second jump-off.

Santiago Lambre of Mexico rode his Doloris to a fourth-place finish in 40.565 seconds with four faults, while Diego Perez Bilbao of Spain and Victoria Vargas D’agostino’s Orso Del Terriccio completed round one in 79.661 seconds to claim fifth place. A total of 20 competitors challenged the first track, designed by Andrew Christiansen, with just five returning for a second trip. With a two-second lead, Michan explained where he thinks he shaved off those final seconds: “I was able to see the riders that went before me, and Theo [Genn] did a fast track, but I saw at the end [of the course] that those final 8 strides that we all talked about when walking the course weren’t that forward for him. So I thought there I had a chance to do the seven [strides] and I think that’s where I got the shorter time.”

While the plan was to host the Grand Prix on the Derby Field, Michan expressed his satisfaction that it was held in the Van Kampen covered arena: “I think they were very right to move it under the covered with all the rain we got today. The grass is beautiful here, but it was also very warm on Friday for the Stake so we riders, horses, etc. were happy to be inside and stay cooler today. I think the horses were happier and seemed to jump better too.”

Friday’s $10,000 Osphos® 1.40m Open Stake was bested by Gianni Gabrielli of Argentina and Maidensway’s Chaco 34 after the put in a final time of 37.915 seconds. Crossing through the timers in 38.502 seconds to claim second place was Johan Kachelhoffer of South Africa with his entry Carlos 691, while Joao Eduardo Ferreira De Carvalho of Brazil finished in third with a 43.425 aboard Karina Rocha Mello’s Lamina Van’t Gelutt Z.

To learn more about the ESP Fall Series and PBIEC, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

Pablo Barrios Captures $25,000 CCTV Agent Grand Prix aboard Elana 22 during ESP Fall III

Leave a comment

Pablo Barrios & Elana 22. ©Anne Gittens Photography

Wellington, FL – October 29, 2019 – ESP Fall III competition was hosted this weekend at Equestrian Village with exciting National A and Jumper 3* action. The first $25,000 National Grand Prix of the Fall series saw an impressive turnout in both exhibitors and spectators on Sunday afternoon. Pablo Barrios of Wellington, FL and his Elana 22 ultimately captured the blue ribbon in the $25,000 CCTV Agent Grand Prix after completing the jump-off in just 36.674 seconds. Alberto Michan of Wellington, FL piloted Loribri, owned by Marie Antonette Leviste, to a second-place finish after a 37.242-second jump-off. Very close behind, with a 37.286-second jump-off, was Theo Genn of Lebanon, OH and Eduardo Leon’s Firewall to claim third. Other notable finishes included Taylor St Jacques of Glen Allen, VA and her entry, Upsilon De La Liniere, with a 39.066-second jump-off and Maria Brugal of Wellington, FL with her mount, Aragorn Van Schuttershof, putting in a 39.311-second jump-off to take home fourth and fifth place, respectively.

A total of 19 trips were seen in the first round of the Grand Prix, with 12 returning for the jump-off, hosted in the VanKampen covered arena due to rain. Course designer Hector Loyola built the track on Sunday as well as the qualifying $10,000 CCTV Agent 1.40m Open Stake that took place on Friday afternoon on the Derby Field. Luis Larrazabal of Wellington, FL and Esperanza Mia, owned by Carlos Enrique Morstadt, bested the field of 21 competitors with a jump-off lasting only 39.462 seconds, while Santiago Lambre of Wellington, FL rode Doloris to second place in 41.177 seconds. Kim Farlinger of Wellington, FL and Keren Halperin-Guy’s Feestje B. crossed through the timers at 41.545 seconds to claim third place.

“It was a bit of an adjustment today to jump in the covered arena since we were on the grass on Friday, but honestly, I think my mare jumped a little better indoors than she did outdoors so it worked in our favor,” said Barrios after his win on Sunday. When asked about the jump-off and how he prepares, Barrios stated that he prefers Sunday’s format (2a) versus the 2b format that was used during the Open Stake: “Specifically, with a horse like this that is very hot, when it’s the back-to-back format, I don’t have time to make her calm down and reset after the first round, so [today’s format] worked in my favor too.” Barrios will return with Elana 22 next week to compete in the $25,000 National Grand Prix set to take place on the Derby Field.

To learn more about the ESP Fall Series and PBIEC, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Equestrian Sport Prod., Show Jumping

Samuel Parot and Quick Du Pottier Win Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 1.40m Open Stake

Leave a comment

Samuel Parot and Quick Du Pottier. Photo Credit ©Caroline Roche/ESP.

Wellington, FL – October 22, 2019 – National A and Jumper 3* competition continued this past weekend at Equestrian Village with the ESP Fall Series. Samuel Parot of Wellington, FL claimed victory in the $7,000 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 1.40m Open Stake on Sunday aboard his entry, Quick Du Pottier, after their fast and clear round bested the field of 17 exhibitors. Parot and his 15-year-old gelding mount were the first pair to contest the track, finishing the jump-off in just 34.627 seconds, and maintained their lead throughout the entire class. Blythe Karolyi of Franklin, TN and Sloan Hopson’s Costa Rica VH Waterschoot were the only other pair to return for the jump-off, completing the short track in 36.104 seconds. Clinching the third spot of this Sunday’s feature class was Kim Farlinger of Wellington, FL riding Feestje B., owned by Keren Halperin-Guy, after they finished round one in 78.045 seconds and with two faults. A mere six tenths of a second behind Farlinger was Nataly Leibovitz of Wellington, FL and her entry, Alaia Gold Z, while Angela Covert of Wellington, FL with Benjamin TR rounded out the top five with a round one time of 80.308 and four faults.

The 1.40m course was built by designer Hector Loyola, and definitely tested the competitors. With only two combinations advancing to the second round, Parot commented that “since [the course] started off with a jump directly towards the gate, many horses were on a big stride and struggled to regain balance. It was a long track and had a short time allowed.” A native to the winner’s circle, Parot also mentioned that many of Sunday’s horses were younger: “I think this course was challenging for them. A lot of the more experienced horses are still traveling.” Quick Du Pottier and Parot just returned to Wellington last week themselves, and will be competing in the Fall and Holiday shows with ESP before the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival begins in January.

To view full results of the $7,000 Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital 1.40m Open Stake, click here.

To learn more about the ESP Fall Series and PBIEC, please visit www.pbiec.com.