WEF Week 8 opens with win for Adrienne Sternlicht and Cadans Z

Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) won the $5,000 Premier Equestrian Welcome Stake CSIO4* riding Cadans Z to open week eight of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL, on Wednesday, February 26.

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 eighth week of competition, sponsored by Premier Equestrian, runs through March 1 and is recognized as a CSIO4* Nations Cup by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). Highlighting the week are the $37,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 on Thursday, the $37,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix Semi-Final on Friday, and the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4* during “Saturday Night Lights”, and the $214,000 Premier Equestrian CSIO4* Grand Prix to close out the week on Sunday.

A member of the U.S. Nations Cup team, Sternlicht had the accuracy and speed to top a field of 65 over tracks set by course designer Ken Krome (USA). She and Cadans Z, owned by Starlight Farms 1, LLC, stopped the clock at 62.59 seconds over second-place finisher Todd Minikus (USA) and his own Calvalou in a time of 64.02 seconds. Great Britain’s Ben Maher rounded out the podium finishes with Ginger-Blue, owned by Jane Forbes Clark, stopping the clock in 67.78 seconds.

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“It’s always nice to start the week off with a win,” said Sternlicht, who piloted the 11-year-old Zangersheide mare (Corosso VDL x Navarone), Cadans Z. “I knew many riders would be using this class to train, so I tried to take advantage of that with this horse. She has a very big stride, so I was able to cover a lot of ground. There were places to really gallop and do leave-outs in the lines, and she performed beautifully.”

Sternlicht was a member of the U.S. Nations Cup team during the 2019 WEF season after helping to guide the U.S. to a gold medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018.

“I haven’t been on a Nations Cup team since this week last year, and I felt like I was the weaker link on that team, so it was definitely a goal of mine to jump on the team this winter,” said Sternlicht. “This week feels like a bit of redemption. I definitely want to put my best foot forward. It’s a horse that I have gained a lot of confidence on in the last few months, and I’m hoping for a great personal and team result this week.”

Riding for the United States, Andrew Ramsay took fourth aboard Stranger 30, owned by The Stranger Group, with a time of 67.86 seconds, while fellow U.S. rider Abigail McArdle capped the top five riding I&H Boogy Woogy, owned by Parot Horses LLC, in a final time of 68.59 seconds.

Making their debut under the lights during week eight, Brianne Goutal-Marteau (USA) won the evening edition of the $5,000 Premier Equestrian Welcome Stake CSI04* riding Tanael des Bonnes for owner Gerald Ford. Israel’s Alberto Michan finished the runner-up on Ictus d’Emma, owned by Wolver Hollow, and Samuel Parot Jr. (CHI) rounded out the top three aboard Buga Z for owner Samuel Parot.

Also winning the International Arena on Wednesday, Peter Leone (USA) topped the $6,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m, riding Capito Z, owned by Capito Group LLC.

Final Results: $5,000 Premier Equestrian CSIO4* Welcome Stake

1 CADANS Z: 2009 Zangersheide mare by Carosso VDL x Navarone

ADRIENNE STERNLICHT (USA), Starlight Farms 1, LLC: 0/62.59

2 CALVALOU: 2007 Oldenburg gelding by Calvaro F.C. x Baloubet du Rouet

TODD MINIKUS (USA), Todd Minikus, LTD: 0/64.02

3 GINGER-BLUE: 2011 KWPN mare by Plot Blue x Royal Rose

BEN MAHER (GBR), Jane Forbes Clark: 0/67.78

4 STRANGER 30: 2006 Hanoverian gelding by Stakkato x Cheenook

ANDREW RAMSAY (USA), The Stranger Group: 0/67.86

5 I&H BOOGY WOOGY: 2006 gelding by Faldo x Ginus

ABIGAIL MCARDLE (USA): Parot Horses LLC: 0/68.59

6 PRIMO TROY: 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Clinton x VDL Arkansas