Samuel Parot (CHI) claimed his second Welcome Stake win in a row, blazing around the short course in 40.273 seconds with Dubai to dominate the $37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3* at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC). Jonathan McCrea (USA) and Fantasy BB, Windsor Show Stables’ 2010 Dutch Warmblood mare (Cardento 933 x Labor’s VDL Indorado), stopped the timers in 40.928 seconds for reserve, while Heather Caristo Williams (USA) piloted Celtic Hero BZ to third place on a time of 41.715 seconds with the 2012 Zangersheide stallion (Calikot Hero x Nissan Caretano Z) owned by Holly Caristo.
Parot was one of four pairs to challenge the Michel Vaillancourt (CAN) course design after 54 horse-and-rider pairs navigated the first round of competition. Last to go, Parot knew that tight turns combined with his horse’s scope would be the winning combination:
“The horse is not so fast, but he has big scope,” Parot said of the 2008 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Cardento 933 x Kastello) he owns in partnership with Soffia Renato. “I think I won the class when I turned to the last combination. I turned very [sharply] – for him, this is no problem. I did the same on the other turn. I did one more stride in the last line, but I turned very tight. That was my strategy.”
Vaillancourt set a formidable combination late in the course, which caught many riders out and narrowed the field significantly ahead of the second round. “The course was very difficult, with only four clear,” Parot recapped. “The time [allowed] was normal, but the last line was very, very difficult for all the riders. My horse who won today has a lot of experience, and I know he has a lot of scope. In the last line, most of the horses were getting tired – my horse has scope for days! I’m so happy with him.”
Parot has the remainder of Tryon Fall 4 competition to continue his winning ways before heading south to Wellington en route to Mexico, but will first be contesting the $137,000 Coca-Cola® Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday in Tryon Stadium.
Daniel Pedraza Littlewood Wins $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3*
Daniel Pedraza Littlewood (MEX) and Santa Rosa Yalta flew through the speed phase of Wednesday’s $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3* in a time of 36.541 seconds to earn first place in a field of 34 pairs. Karl Cook (USA) and Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet, the 2010 Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Flipper d’Elle) owned by Signe Otsby, scored second on a speed phase time of 36.749 seconds, while Luis Pedro Biraben (ARG) rode Chacco Bumpy, his own 2010 Oldenburg mare (Chacco-Blue x Toulon), to third in 36.753 seconds.
Twenty-two of the 34 horse-and-rider duos continued from the power to the speed phase over the Michel Vaillancourt (CAN) course design, with 11 pairs making it through the final timers with no faults. Pedraza Littlewood and the 2012 Mexican Sport Horse mare owned by Proyectos Agricolas Sa De CV collected their first win together in Tryon Stadium, which he attributed to a course design from Michel Vaillancourt (CAN) that suited his mare.
“This is our first win with her, so we’re really happy! I knew it was a good course for her because she has a really big stride and turns really fast,” he shared. “ I decided to take it a bit quiet in the beginning, and then use her rideability to the double, which was a difficult question, but she managed really well.”
Pedraza Littlewood is a returning competitor to TIEC after falling in love with the venue after his first experience, he concluded. “It’s my second time here in Tryon this year. I’ve loved it since the first time I was here! It’s a super show, and we’ll be competing in the FEI classes throughout the week.”
For full results from the $37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3*, click here.
For full results from the $37,000 Power & Speed Stake CSI 3*, click here.
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