Wordley wins CSI3 Grand Prix at Kentucky Horse Show
23-05-2021 As the penultimate day of the Kentucky Spring Classic drew to a close, a total of 55 international athletes took to the Rolex Arena with their respective mounts to contend for the top prize in the highly-anticipated $137,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3 , sponsored by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Just six athletes navigated clear efforts to qualify for the jump-off and only two-tenths of second separated the top three. In the end, it was New Zealand’s Sharn Wordley and Verdini D’Houtveld Z who bested the field of talented competitors and rode home with first place honors, as well as valuable points towards the 2021 Hagyard Rider Challenge.
Horse & Hound
Trending: Credit: Photo Credit: LS PHOTOS
Riders taking part in the Great Charity Challenge at the Winter Equestrian Festival took fancy dress to the next level in Florida last week (6 February), celebrating the heroes of the pandemic.
The Great Charity Challenge (GCC) is an exciting annual showjumping event which has distributed nearly $16million over the past 12 years, with teams of three consisting of junior and amateur riders competing alongside top professionals, including Olympians, for top honours.
But what is usually the biggest night of the 12-week WEF was scaled back this year to a mix of in-person competition for riders and virtual celebration for charities and supporters, who cheered on the teams representing local non-profit organisations for a share of more than $1million in prize-money.
Horse & Hound
Trending: Todd Minikus Credit: @SPORTFOT
With a field of nearly 100 entries, split into two sections, competition was always going to be fierce for the $6,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Jumpers in the second week of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) but it was Todd Minikus (USA) and Alberto Michan (ISR) who led the way with lightning quick rounds.
Todd Minikus, 58, steered the Louisburg Farm-owned nine-year-old Zangersheide stallion Napoleon Of Picobello (Nabab De Reve x Picobello Eurocommerce Sao Pao) over the two-round course set by Nick Granat (USA), stopping the timers at 23.950sec to win section A. The stallion was formerly ridden by WEF winner Molly Ashe Cawley and Belgian competitors Guillaume Ruant and Christophe Meirsschaert, joining Todd nine months ago.
Horse & Hound
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Molly Ashe Cawley flew to the top of the podium aboard Berdien, a mare who endured a serious illness last year, in the $37,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Jumper Classic on Friday, January 15, at the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), held at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC).
Cawley has had Berdien since she was a six-year-old and brought her over from Europe shortly after that. The pair have experienced success from day one, but the mare was forced to sit out last year’s WEF after coming down with an illness while shipping south for the winter. Friday’s win was just one of many positive steps during her recovery and return to the show ring.
Horse & Hound
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Canadian rider Erynn Ballard was the star of day two of the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), speeding to victory in the $35,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Premiere Round at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) riding Walter White.
On Thursday, January 7, 2021, 37 entries went to the post over a course designed by Eric Hasbrouck (USA) and 14 clear rounds advanced to the jump-off.
Ballard was riding out of third spot with Ilan Ferder’s Walter White and had to chase fast times set by the first two in the ring. U.S. Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward and Poden Farms’ Kasper van het Hellehof were clear in 37.062 seconds, which would hold up for third place. Just tipping Ward was Shane Sweetnam (IRL) riding Ideal, owned by Sweet Oak Farm & Seabrook. They posted a time of 36.901 seconds, which would result in second place.