Action in week four of the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village (home to the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival) for the second day, with the $73,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 4 CSI4* on Thursday, January 30. Irish rider Bertram Allen continued his winning streak, leading the class of 54 on Ballywalter Stables’ GK Casper and making it two wins from two starts in two days on the turf.
WEF continues through March 29, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida, with 12 consecutive weeks of world-class competition and $13 million dollars on offer. The fourth week of competition at WEF, sponsored by Marshall & Sterling Insurance/Great American Insurance Group and recognized as a CSI4* by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), runs January 29 through February 2. Highlights include the $73,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic and $25,000 Hermès Under 25 Team Event on Friday, and the $214,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance/Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix CSI4* on Saturday. The Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments® will take place during “Saturday Night Lights” at 7 p.m. in the International Arena.
Eight combinations made it through to the jump-off over course designer Anderson Lima’s (BRA) testing track. All eight jumped clear in the second round, so it all came down to speed to determine the finishing order. Allen, who had the benefit of being last to go, broke the beam in 39.00 seconds, with home rider Natalie Dean and Marigold Sporthorses LLC’s Jewel De Kwakenbeek nipping at their heels in a time of 39.02 seconds. Britain’s Amanda Derbyshire rode Gochman Sport Horses LLC’s Luibanta BH into third in 39.28 seconds.