WELLINGTON, Fla.--Ben Maher on Point Break won the $62,500, CSI5* 1.50m, and Grace Debney on Jesprit H.S, won the $62,500 CSI2* Grand Prix on Sunday, Feb. 11at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Ben Maher on Point Break (Photo by Sportfot)The 1.50m series was in its fifth week in the International Arena, this time with 52 riders competing over a course designed by Gregory Bodo of France.
Maher beat 10 other competitors in the jump-off, finishing clean in the winning time of 38.12 seconds.
“Point Break is 10 now. We got him when he was 6 years old,” said Maher of the stallion. “His first time here was when he was 7 in the young jumpers. We’ve developed him the last few years, he’s jumped a couple of five-star grand prixs at the end of last year and then we gave him a break. He just arrived here a few weeks ago and we’re getting him going for the season.”
As one of the final three to go in the jump-off, Maher had a time to catch of 38.26 seconds, set by the second place winner, Shane Sweetnam of Ireland on Irandole Du Flot.
“HE HAS AN unbelievable technique to be able to bend around the jump. So, I think that was where I was very quick,” said Maher. “There wasn't a lot else to do in the jump-off to be honest; it was a course where everybody did the same thing, but naturally he was just quicker today.”
Grace Debney on Jesprit H.S. (Photo by Sportfot)Nicola Philippaerts of Belgium on Pandora Van De Kruishoeve. was third, clean in 39.03 seconds.
Grace Debney on Jesprit H.S. won the $62,500 CSI2* Grand Prix over 44 qualified riders.
Jesprit H.S joined Debney’s string a year ago, and the partnership has been growing ever since.
“She's been a work in progress. She basically only jumps clear rounds, but it's taken a bit of work for me,” said Debney of the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. “This is honestly the first round I feel like I rode correctly. It feels good to finally be there with her. I think she's going to be a superstar, but she’s a true mare and that’s why I love her.”
“I actually went to the barn to try a different horse, and they told me about an 8-year-old that may work for someone in my barn,” said Debney of buying the mare. “I sat on her, and I was like ‘this is the one.’ I just knew."
“I tried her as a really nice 1.45m horse, but she turned out to be way more,” said Debney. “She jumped some three-stars and 1.55m classes over the summer, but two-stars here are like three-stars everywhere else and I don't want to over-face her."
In a 10 horse jump-off, Debney shaved a second off the time of pace-setter Nicky Galligan of Ireland on VDL Nikita van de Leeuwerk.
Debney’s winning time of 37.77 seconds beat Galligan’s 38.95, and fellow Irishman Darragh Kerins on Lissino was third in 39.67 seconds.
While Debney’s regular trainers, Samantha Schaefer and Kate Conover, are on the road, Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam helped her during the WEF 5 two-star.
“Before I went in for the jump-off, Shane said, ‘just trust her.’ You've got to trust both your horse and yourself. If you don't trust each other then it's never really going to work, so I’m glad he said that because I kept thinking it during the whole course," Debney said.
“When you win here it’s like you've won one of the bigger events across the country or even in the world,” said Debney. “The courses are difficult; the numbers are big and the competition is top. I feel like basically everyone is here, so it always feels special to win.”
