For Immediate Release
Summer Grace and Sabrina Schmidt for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Wellington, FL – April 1, 2022 – The third day of international competition on Friday, April 1, during the final Rolex-sponsored week of the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), closed out with Grace Debney (GBR) winning her first-ever five-star class in the $37,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.45m CSI5*. WEF hosts 13 weeks of top-caliber sport featuring FEI jumper classes as well as nationally-rated hunter, jumper, and equitation divisions and concludes on April 3.
The highlight of WEF 12 and the 2022 WEF circuit is the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI5* on Saturday, April 2, at 11 a.m. ET. While there is no “Saturday Night Lights” event for WEF 12, fans of equestrian sport are welcomed to cheer on horses and riders at the $35,000 Wellington National Golf Club Spring 1 Grand Prix on Saturday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Fourteen nations were represented in the 50-horse lineup of the five-star class. Course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA) built a track worthy of the day’s main event with a single-round speed challenge to be completed under an efficient time of 76 seconds. Daniel Coyle (IRL) and his top mount, Farona, took the early lead in the speed class as he stopped the clock in 55.30 seconds with Ariel Grange’s 12-year-old KWPN mare (Baltic VDL x Lux Z). The pair held the headline position until nearly the end, but Debney made it clear she did not come to take second.
Debney and her long-time partner Zarina De Vidau, a horse she has had since acquiring her to do the junior jumpers, put complete faith in one another and became the only combination to lower the time on the scoreboard below 55 seconds. By leaving several strides out across the course and relying on the trust they have built, Debney and the Temple Equestrian LLC’s 11-year-old CDE mare (Diamant De Semilly) shook up the competition with a final time of 54.97 seconds.
“When we originally walked the course, there were three or four lines that I had planned to do one more stride than I ended up doing,” explained Debney. “As the class progressed though, I knew I had to leave out as many strides as I could to have a shot. She has a normal stride, so I was able to gallop down there and get the leave-out numbers without slowing down.”
Debney continued that she could have never imagined competing in this caliber of event with this mare when the partnership first came together.
“This has been a dream of mine for the longest time, and I never actually thought it would come true but the fact that it is with her is unbelievably special,” added the 18-year-old. “She has been my rock for so long, and somehow she has stepped up even more for me this year. Never in a million years would I have thought I would win a five-star competition during Rolex week with this horse.”
According to Debney, the relationship the pair has built is key to being able to achieve what they have.
“Every time we went to leave a stride out today, I would have a split-second thought of pulling to fit in one more,” she detailed. “Then I would remember it was Zarina, and I would know that she had my back. We have so much trust in one another, and she truly enjoys her job, which makes it better for all of us.”
With his previous leading time, Coyle still received the red ribbon honors while fellow countryman Darragh Kenny (IRL) rounded out the top three. Kenny piloted the HKC Collection LLC’s 15-year-old KWPN mare Cicomein VDL (Chacco-Blue x Jus De Pomme) to a clear effort and cleared the timers in 56.40 seconds.
Final Results: $37,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.45m CSI5*
1. ZARINA DE VIDAU: 2011 CDE mare by Diamant De Semilly GRACE DEBNEY (GBR), Temple Equestrian LLC:0/54.97
2. FARONA: 2010 KWPN mare by Baltic VDL x Lux Z
DANIEL COYLE (IRL), Ariel Grange: 0/55.23
3. CICOMEIN VDL: 2007 KWPN mare by Chacco-Blue x Jus De Pomme
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), HKC Collection LLC: 0/56.40
4. IVORY TCS: 2013 KWPN mare by Falaise De Muze x Ukato
DANIEL COYLE (IRL), Ariel Grange: 0/56.71
5. KIANA VAN HET HERDERSHOF: 2010 BWP mare by Toulon x Lys De Darmen
DANIEL DEUSSER (GBR), Stephex Stables: 0/57.02
6. BRIGHTON: 2006 KWPN gelding by Contendro II x Quick Star TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Artisan Farms, LLC: 0/57.32
7. HELLCAT: 2011 BWP mare by Cassander Van Het Bremhof x Conan Z
PAUL O’SHEA (IRL) Eye Candy Jumpers: 0/57.49
8. LAZY: 2011 BWP mare by Hickstead x Cruising
ZOE CONTER (BEL), Stephex Stables and Aurora Farms, LLC: 0/57.70
9. FECYBELLE: 2010 KWPN mare by Carambole x Sjapoo
KARL COOK (USA), Helen Signe Ostby: 0/57.82
10. TIC TAC: 2003 SBS stallion by Clinton x Darco
BEN MAHER (GBR), Jane Forbes Clark: 0/57.88
11. NOCHE DE RONDA: 2009 Oldenburg mare by Quintender 2 x Lovis Corinth
MCLAIN WARD (USA), Marilla Van Beuren, Bob Russell, and McLain Ward: 0/57.94
12. MAESTRO VICA V/D ARK: 2012 BWP stallion by Lordanos x Heartbreaker
NATALIE DEAN (USA), Marigold Sporthorses, LLC: 0/58.35
Gilbertson’s New Partnership Successful in $37,000 CabanaCoast 1.45m Qualifier CSI2*
Jorge’s course for the $37,000 CabanaCoast 1.45m Qualifier CSI2* left only 13 of the original 76 entries eligible for the class’s short course. The tight time allowed of 71 seconds played a factor for 10 riders, while five more fell victim to a downed rail. Riders from the U.S., Germany, Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain made up the jump-off.
Trailblazer Lacey Gilbertson (USA) was the front runner as the final adjustments were made and set the time to beat with a blazing fast double-clear performance of 38.58 seconds. Samuel Hutton (GBR) immediately followed with another clear round but settled into the temporary second place with a slightly slower time. The remainder of the competitors gave it their best shot with all but five going fault-free but Gilbertson and Seabrook LLC’s 12-year-old BWP mare Karlin Van’t Vennehof (Fantomas De Muze x Quasimodo Van De Molendreef) held tight to the top position throughout the entirety of the second round.
“I went early so I wasn’t able to watch any go in either the first or the second round,” explained Gilbertson. “We were planning to just have a good ride in preparation for Sunday since it was our first time on the grass. I was very tight from fence one to two, and then just kept flowing after that so everything came up the way I wanted it to. If I just stay out of her way, she gets the job done, and she is very quick across the ground.”
The partnership is new for Gilbertson who has only had the mare for several months, but she is excited for their future.
“This mare was previously a ride for Shane Sweetnam, and I just acquired her for myself at the beginning of the WEF season,” she detailed. “We owned half of her when Shane was riding her, and she was my type, so it worked out well. I am smaller and not that strong, so I think I get along with the mares I’ve had because I don’t overpower them. She makes my life easy.”
Ireland’s Tom Wachman shot into the victory gallop with HH Fireball as the pair flew to a fast second place. He and Coolmore Show Jumping’s 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Number One D’Isp x Toulon) landed roughly half a second behind Gilbertson for the honors. Hutton slipped into the third-place position as his time of 39.67 seconds with Abdel Saïd’s 12-year-old BWP gelding H&M Kirlo van den Bosrand (Cardento 933 x Utrillo VD Heffinck) fell just below Wachman’s time of 39.10 seconds.
Final Results: $37,000 CabanaCoast 1.45m Qualifier CSI2*
1. KARLIN VAN’T VENNEHOF: 2010 BWP mare by Fantomas De Muze x Quasimodo Van De Molendreef
LACEY GILBERTSON (USA), Seabrook, LLC: 0/0/38.58
2. H H FIREBALL: 2010 Selle Francais gelding by Number One D’Iso x Toulon
TOM WACHMAN (IRL), Coolmore Show Jumping: 0/0/39.10
3. H&M KIRLO VAN DEN BOSRAND: 2010 BWP gelding by Cardento 933 x Utrillo VD Heffinck
SAMUEL HUTTON (GBR), Abdel Saïd: 0/0/39.67
4. FOREVER SFN: 2010 KWPN gelding by Azteca vdl X Non Stop KELLI CRUCIOTTI-VANDERVEEN (USA), Springpaarden Fonds Nederland: 0/0/40.38
5. FAIR FIELD: 2010 KWPN gelding by VDL Zirocco Blue x Chin Chin
KATHERINE STRAUSS (USA), Katherine Strauss LLC: 0/0/41.20
6. VINCI DE BEAUFOUR: 2009 Selle Francais gelding by Diamant De Semilly x Heartbreaker
SAYRE HAPPY (USA), Devon Macneil: 0/0/42.64
7. MAESTRO VAN HET BINNENVELD: 2012 BWP stallion by Hunter’s Scendix x Conan Z
WESLEY NEWLANDS (CAN), Weslands Farms: 0/0/42.64
8. CHEROKEE: 2007 KWPN gelding by Cardento 933 x Creool
EMMA MARLOWE (USA), Trelawny Farm, LLC: 0/0/43.00
9. FABREGAS: 2010 KWPN gelding by Zambesi TN x Achill
ALEXANDRA SMITH (USA), Ashland Farms: 0/4/40.68
10. MANHATTAN VAN’T LEEUWERIKENHOF: 2012 BWP gelding by Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Kashmir Van Schuttershof
FILIP DE WANDEL (GER), Five Way Farm LLC: 0/4/40.88
11. DIARADO’S FLYING DUTCHMAN: 2010 Oldenburg gelding by Diarado x Landadel
LAURA CHAPOT (USA), Laura and Mary Chapot: 0/4/48.15
12. CACTUS DE COSNIERE: 2012 Selle Francais gelding by Paddock Du Plessis*hn x Flipper D’Elle*hn*
ERIC KRAWITT (CAN), Eric Krawitt: 0/8/45.26
Change of Pace for Aly Muir and Kid Safari DH Results in Ariat Adult Medal Win
A field of 14 horse and rider pairs were seen in Friday’s Ariat National Adult Medal held in the FarmVet Ring 7, with the top four scores returning to test.
Aly Muir, of Allison Park, PA, and Kid Safari DH would return on a score of 83 in second place. They ultimately moved up in the test to win the class.
The test consisted of entering the ring and hand galloping directly to fence seven, cantering to fence eight, a halt, trotting fence nine, and then posting trot to exit.
“His hand gallop is probably my favorite thing about him,” Muir said of the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. “He’s also good at turning, and trot jumps have been really easy on him, you just have to look up. He’s a really solid horse.”
Muir’s success with Kid Safari DH comes after only a short time of the two working together and a bit of a career change.
“I’ve only been working with him just a couple months,” said Muir. “I leased him from Whitney Lind. He used to do the jumpers, and we’re turning him into an equitation horse.”
While her mount has moved from the jumper ring, Muir herself is also experiencing a change of scenery.
“I usually do the hunters, but I’m getting back into the equitation ring,” said Muir, “so we’re kind of finding our groove together.”
Muir, who considers herself fortunate to ride with trainers Rachel Kennedy and Molly Allen, is also a college student and has enjoyed her time in Wellington.
“I fly back and forth between school and here,” she said. “I go to American University, and so far, it’s been a really good circuit.”
Second place in the class was awarded to Ryan Kenny, of Alpharetta, GA, aboard True Story owned by Kelly Sims. Kenny led round one with a score of 85.
Third place honors went to Danielle Menker, of West Palm Beach, FL, on Ascerado owned by Doris Leventhal. Menker scored an 81 in the first round.