WELLINGTON, Fla.--Darragh Kenny of Ireland on Vertige De Galarzacs, was double-clear to win the $50,000, 1.50m Grand Prix on Sunday, March 21 at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
A total of 43 competed in the first round over a course set by Olaf Petersen Jr. of Germany, with just six qualifying for the jump-off.
The first in the jump-off was Canada’s Nicole Walker on Excellent B, who set the time to beat, clean in 37.81 seconds, which would eventually hold up for second place.
Next to challenge, David Oberkircher of Collegeville, Pa. on Upper, was just off the mark as he crossed the finish line in 38.59 seconds for third place.
The next three riders would each have four faults, leaving the door open for one final rider, Kenny, the current overall leader of the 1.50m Classic Series, who proved once again why he’s at the top, winning in 36.01 seconds.
“I DIDN'T jump him in any classes this week,” said Kenny of the winning gelding “Vince.” “I just went straight into the Grand Prix so he was a little bit more fresh. He jumped excellent and felt fantastic. He’s just a really, really nice horse."
For Walker, the second-place finish marked a proud moment during a comeback of sorts after sustaining a knee injury over the summer that kept her out of the saddle.
In August, the 27-year-old rider fractured her fibular head, tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and suffered minor tears in her other ligaments.
Her injury, coupled with COVID-19 restrictions in Canada, left her with a lot of work to do to get back to this level.
“I came into this circuit having not jumped too much so it took a bit of time to get both myself and the horses fit again,” said Walker. “Excellent B has really only jumped three classes down here and was champion in the High Amateur Owners one week. We just aimed for this class. He’s been my partner for about four years now, and he’s just the easiest, coolest dude around. He’s so simple, and it has been a while since I’ve jumped the big classes. I just had so much fun with him today.”
“With the help of my trainer Cian O’Connor, he said I should aim for the six strides after the combination so we took a risk there,” said Walker. “He’s got a massive stride so that worked out well. Where I lost it was not doing the inside turn to the last line, so I could’ve been quicker there, but I’m very happy with my second-place result.”
Oberkircher, who rides as an amateur while balancing a full-time job, was back at work for the past two weeks, only arriving in Wellington on Friday night for the weekend’s competition.
“I’ve had my horse for about four years now, so I know him really well,” he said. “He’s very straightforward and easy. He’s such a good sport, tries so hard, and I’m so lucky to have him. I knew there were some fast riders after me, and he’s a bit of a slower mover, so I just wanted to have nice clear round and go as quickly as possible. We ended up with a great result in third so I’m really happy.”