Ireland’s Bertram Allen continued a successful debut season at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL, with a victory in the $37,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.45m CSI5* riding Lafayette van Overis on Friday, February 21.
WEF continues at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) through March 29, 2020, with 12 consecutive weeks of world-class competition and $13 million dollars on offer. The seventh week of competition, sponsored by Lugano Diamonds, runs February 19-23 and is recognized as a CSI5* and CSI2* by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The featured event of the week is the $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* during “Saturday Night Lights”.
Friday’s one-round, featured event built by course designer Santiago Varela (ESP) saw 67 riders compete for the win, but none could best Allen and the foot speed of his nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Tauber van het Kapelhof), owned by Ballywalter Stables.
Stopping the clock at 63.61 seconds, Allen and Lafayette van Overis, a horse he got the ride on in August of 2019, handily won with almost two seconds to spare. Mexico’s Santiago Lambre finished the runner up in 65.15 seconds riding his own Doloris, and Andrew Kocher (USA) capped the top three in 65.44 seconds on Fashion V for owner Eye Candy Jumpers.
“He’s incredibly straight forward,” said Allen, who took over the ride on Lafayette van Overis from Great Britain’s Joe Clee. “I feel like he truly understands what we are trying to do out there. Ever since I got him, he has been impressing me. He wasn’t bought to be the best horse in the world or to jump 5* grand prix, but every question he’s asked he does it with ease and is very competitive.”
Allen is confident that Lafayette van Overis is a horse for the future and is continually impressed with the gelding’s speed, saying, “He’s naturally very fast but also very careful so you don’t ever have the feeling that you need to slow him down.
“This has been a great trip so far,” said Allen of his first time in Florida. “We are going to keep trying our best and hope there’s a little luck on our side.”
Just off the podium, Eve Jobs (USA) finished fourth riding her own Charleville, and four-time U.S. Olympic medalist Beezie Madden rounded out the top five on Abigail Wexner’s Jiva.
Also winning in the International Arena at WEF on Friday, Claire McKean (USA) opened the day with a victory in the $2,500 Lugano Diamonds High Amateur-Owner Jumpers riding her own Cartoon Time. In the CSI2* ranks, Mexico’s Eugenio Garza Perez topped the $37,000 Dutta Corp/Guido Klatte 1.45m CSI2* aboard Caracas for owner El Milagro.
Final Results: $37,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.45m CSI5*
1. LAFAYETTE VAN OVERIS: 2011 BWP gelding by Kashmir van Schuttershof x Tauber van het Kapelhof
BERTRAM ALLEN (IRL), Ballywalter Stables: 0/63.61
2. DOLORIS: 2008 KWPN mare by Harley VDL x Colorado D
SANTIAGO LAMBRE (MEX), Santiago Lambre: 0/65.15
3. FASHION V: 2009 Warmblood mare by Rusedski
ANDREW KOCHER (USA), Eye Candy Jumpers: 0/65.44
4. CHARLEVILLE: 2007 KWPN gelding by Quasimodo Z x Lancelot
EVE JOBS (USA), Eve Jobs: 0/65.75
5. JIVA: 2009 BWP mare by Concorde (84.4140) x Nonstop
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/67.40
Schatt and Iwasaki are Victorious in the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
The $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby took place on Friday morning during week seven of the Winter Equestrian Festival. The derby was held on “Pony Island,” where Rings 11 and 12 were combined to create a larger field. The class had a junior/amateur section, as well as a professional division, and offered $10,000 in prize money to both. There were 38 junior/amateur riders and 34 professionals to complete the first round with 12 riders coming back for the handy round in each section.
Havens Schatt aboard Highlander captured the victory in the professional division, and Augusta Iwasaki rode Sambuca to the top spot in the junior/amateur section.
Schatt rode Meredith Mateo’s Highlander to a score of 89 in the first round with four bonus points to put them in second place going into the handy round. After scoring a 95 with four bonus points in the handy, the pair took over the lead with a total score of 192. Highlander has only been with Schatt, of Georgetown, KY, for about three weeks and this is the pair’s first week showing together. After successfully competing in the 3’3” Performance Hunters this week, Schatt decided to enter in the National Hunter Derby.
“Going into the handy, since he is a very big horse I was curious to see if I could really do the inside turns,” Schatt explained. “Actually going to the first jump I was like ‘Am I going to turn inside or am I not?’ But when I decided to try it, he did that one so well and the others amazing.”
Highlander is a nine-year old Zangersheide gelding (Vigo D’Arsouilles x Cruisly Orashi), who is currently for sale. Schatt still plans on continuing to compete him in National Hunter Derbies until he finds a new home.
“I think after doing this class for sure he would be a blast out there on the grass, but ultimately he will find a nice junior or amateur and make them happy!” Schatt said.
Second place in the professional section went to Hannah Isop, of Pawling, NY, and Heidi Tummel’s Sincerely. The pair received a high score of 90 with four bonus points in the first round and an 87 with four bonus points in the handy, for a total score of 192. Keri Kampsen, of Wellington, FL, and her horse San Diego received third place, with a total score of 183. Kampsen and San Diego had a first round score of 86 with four bonus points and a handy score of 89 with four bonus points.
Taking top honors in the junior/amateur section was Augusta Iwasaki riding Sambuca. Iwasaki, of Calabasas, CA, and Sambuca received a first round score of 86 with three bonus points to put them in second place. In the handy round the pair scored a 93 with four bonus points to put them on top with a total score of 186.
“I thought it was a super fun course. I had a great time on both of my horses,” Iwasaki commented.
Iwasaki catch rode the 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Lambada Van Berkenbrobeck x Viola) for her friend Ava Peck. The pair got the highest handy round score in the junior/amateur section of the class.
“The handy classes are my favorite classes, I always try to be as handy as I can. Even where you don’t have to be super tight I try to be tidy,” Iwasaki described.
Iwasaki also received second place with Small Occasion, owned by Iwasaki and Reilly. Iwasaki and Small Occasion had a first round score of 84 with four bonus points and a handy score of 91 with four bonus points for a total score of 183. Third place went to Juliette Joseph, of Del Mar, CA, aboard Gabrielle Sokolow’s Socialite. The pair had a total score of 174, with an 81 and four bonus points in the first round and an 85 and four bonus points in the handy round.
For full results, visit www.PBIEC.com.
More from News:
