WELLINGTON, Fla.--Lucy Deslauriers on Hester won the $73,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 5 CSI5* in the International Arena at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Thursday, Feb. 11
Over a track set by Kelvin Bywater of Great Britain, from a starting field of 56, 15 of the18 that qualified for the jump-off actually returned, with Deslauriers and her partner of eight years flying into first in 31.97 seconds.
“There weren’t too many places to change the strides in between the jumps so I knew I just had to be super prompt everywhere,” said Deslauriers. “He was really right with me today, I felt like I was just looking, and he knew what I was going to do before I did it.”
Nicole Shahinian-Simpson on Akuna Mattata was second in 32.89 seconds and Brazilian rider Eduardo Menezes on H5 Quintol was third in 33.19 seconds.
“He really knows me so well,” she said of Hester. “I feel like he knows what I’m going to do before I do it so in a class like this and especially on Saturday night when you know it’s going to be a big and technical course, it’s always an advantage. The competition here is as tough as it ever has been, and it’s the goal to win when we compete in these classes. I can use today’s victory to boost my confidence before Saturday, but I know I still have a job to do in a few days.”
“I go into the jump-off, and I know it’s just going to be fun,” she said. “I have to stick to my plan, and he’s always with me. I came out of the ring last week and I was like, ‘I think he had fun.’ It’s always a good time.”
JIMMY TORANO of Mohrsville Pa., celebrated his birthday by winning the Green Conformation Hunter Championship on Laskano with three firsts, a second, a third, and a seventh place ribbon.
Torano has had the ride on the nine-year-old Westphalian gelding since last April after he and his good friend and client, Daryl Portela, purchased Laskano last year from Emil Spadone.
“The horse just wants to win. He doesn’t want to let you down,” said Torano. “He actually won a Green 3’6” class right before this, so he won three classes in a row today. He has won so many classes for me in the professional divisions, and also for Daryl in the amateur divisions. He is just an easy horse.”
Torano piloted Laskano to win both over fences classes on Thursday as well as the model.
“I really let him gallop today. There was a long run to a single oxer, and I really galloped to that,” said Torano. “Even when I went in, I immediately picked up a canter and started galloping to the first jump in both classes and I think that got the judge’s attention.”
The duo is looking forward to next week, World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week 6, and will hopefully earn themselves a spot in the $50,000 WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.
“I am planning to show him at Devon and Derby Finals,” commented Torano. “I’m really going to try to save him for the big classes.”
SYDNEY SHULMAN, riding for Israel, piloted Villamourato to win the $37,000 1.45m CSI5* on Wednesday.
Fifty-four riders competed over the two-phase track , and going early, ninth in the order, Shulman went into the lead with a clear round and quick time of 27.19 seconds and held onto it for the remainder of the class.
“Everything just showed up how I wanted it to at a very fast pace the whole time,” said Shulman. “She is a very, very fast horse so it’s kind of her name of the game, just go fast and anything remotely in front of her she will jump from anywhere.”
“I know her like the back of my hand, and I can call on her for a five-star speed class, a five-star Grand Prix, anything that I need,” said Shulman. “My team at Back Country Farm takes amazing care of her and does a fantastic job, as well as John Roche who helps me and rides her often. They have a nice bond and get each other. It’s a whole team effort, and it really shows.”
“I actually did nine strides back on to the Douglas Elliman vertical, where the speed started, which was one less than McLain,” Shulman said. “Then I did 10 strides to the red vertical, fence nine. That was pretty fast and a bold angle that I came in on to that jump, but like I said, she will jump anything remotely in her way and I could feel her zone right in on it.”
Ward on Catoki was second, clean in 27.62 seconds and Kristen Vanderveen on Faustino De Tili was third in 27.88 seconds.