Five-star action heated up on Friday afternoon during the finale week of the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Top riders from across the globe sat well-mounted as they geared up for the pinnacle event of the season—the $500,000 CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix—during the last of the ‘Saturday Night Lights’. The American flag flew high at the completion of the day’s $62,500 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* 1.50m as Karl Cook (USA) and Caracole de la Roque led yet another star-studded victory gallop.
Guilherme Jorge (BRA) brought forward a one-round speed track that 64 elite pairings would contest. Twenty-three completed the course without jumping faults, but Cook and Signe Otsby’s 12-year-old Selle Français mare (Zandor x Kannan*GFE) are known for their fast footwork, and today was no exception.
“She loves jumping and she really leans into things,” Cook explained. “When you ask her to turn, she’ll throw her body at it instantaneously and when she sees the fence she’s so good with her body and she lands ready to go.
“She’s incredibly smart and focused,” he continued.” She always has her ears forward, trying to figure out the problem in front of her. She knows so much; if I hint that we’re going left, she probably already knew that three strides ago.”
With Cook being a latecomer to the WEF season, the mare has yet to perform in a five-star at the venue before this week, but the pairs quick time of 61.50 seconds knocked off any remaining dust as they get ready for their busy summer ahead.
“I had always planned to have Kalinka do the grand prix this week, so it made sense to let Caracole have a little rip today, and she clearly had a good time doing it,” Cook laughed. “We came late to season, so it wasn’t so much about not stepping her up, it was just that this was always the plan as we’ve been working on getting more consistency and rideability in the ring. Not less fast, just more predictable, and today felt smooth so I’m quite happy.”
Jimmy Torano (USA) piloted newer mount Kochio Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Kannan x Diamant de Semilly), into second place just a little over a second off the pace in 62.74 seconds. Great Britain’s Ben Maher put a podium finish on the board for his home country as he rounded out the top three with Jane Forbes Clark’s 13-year-old KWPN mare Ginger-Blue (Plot Blue x Royal Bravour).
Emi Richard Doubles Down on Derby Success with Knight and Day
Across the showgrounds of Wellington International at the aptly-named Pony Island, pony competition was indeed in full force as 52 duos from the small, medium and large divisions vied for the lionshare of the prize in the $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby. Against some of the nation’s best up-and-coming riders, Emi Richard of Middlefield, CT, once again laid down the gauntlet aboard Knight and Day to take home the top call.
Already the winning pair in the $5,000 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby during week nine, the young rider and Lakeview Inc.’s seven-year-old Dutch Riding Pony by Movie Star seemed to have the secret sauce as they paired scores of 88 and 92 for a winning total of 180 points.
“He jumps amazingly, and just the way he goes is so pleasant to watch,” explained Richard. “Today was a little bit different than our last derby win, which was out on the grass field, because this is the same ring we normally show in, but he still performed brilliantly like this was a new ring.”
For Richard, the goal of the year was consistency, and she said they achieved just that.
“He continuously got really good results in the large division and the greens, so our goal was to be consistent and he was definitely that,” she detailed. “Now we are hoping he will be able to qualify for Devon.”
With a total of 174.5 points, Lilly Herzog of Pepper Pike, OH, and First Blue, LLC’s 16-year-old Welsh Pony gelding, Power Point, rode into the reserve honors. New York City’s Cisy Zhou piloted Katherine Dewar’s nine-year-old Welsh Pony gelding by Nebo Calonog, Down To A T, to the third place ribbon with a total score of 170.5.
The penultimate day of competition at WEF 2024 will resume across all arenas on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
