Wellington, Fla. – Feb. 28, 2019 – Thursday of CSIO4* week at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) hosted the eighth round of the $36,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup, straying from its usual two-round format to instead challenge 66 horse-and-athlete combinations against the clock across Steve Stephens’ 16-effort speed track. Never a pair to disappoint, McLain Ward of the United States and his 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) team gold medal mount, Clinta, set forth a winning time of 72.52 seconds as the 60th pair in the order, proving uncatchable by the remaining six combinations.
Catherine Tyree (USA) captured the early lead aboard Catungee, owned by Mary and Joe Tyree, with a clear-round time of 76.08 seconds, which held strong for more than 20 following combinations until Ashlee Bond (ISR) flew to a time of 75.49 seconds with Little Valley Farm’s Donatello 141 to overtake the lead. The top spot then quickly changed hands to Mexico’s Enrique Gonzalez with his own and Alice Lawaetz’s Chacna in a close time of 75.33.
Martin Fuchs of Switzerland quickly challenged Gonzalez’s leading round, flying to a time of 74.63 seconds aboard Silver Shine, owned by Willow Grace Farms. The pair’s time would eventually fall short to Ward, however, and Fuchs would ultimately capture second place, while Gonzalez rounded out the top three. Finishing in fourth place was Bond, with Locan Gallagher (IRL) and Tyree taking home fifth and sixth place, respectively.
Ward and Clinta, the grey mare he co-owns with Sagamore Farms and Susan Heller, captured a career-highlighting victory when they secured the team gold medal as the final combination for the NetJets® U.S. Show Jumping Team in a unprecedented, nail-biting jump-off against the Swedes at the 2018 WEG in Tryon, North Carolina. The 12-year-old Oldenburg took a well-deserved break following the championship and Ward is now preparing the mare to qualify for the prestigious Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final, which he won with his other top mare HH Azur in 2017, to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, April 3–7.
Competition will resume in the International Arena with the $1,500 1.40m High Junior Jumpers at 8 a.m., while WEF Week Eight will highlight the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* as its “Saturday Night Lights” feature event on March 2 at 7 p.m. The $209,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO4* will take place on Sunday, March 3, at 1 p.m.
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