WELLINGTON, Fla.--The $37,000 WEF Challenge Cup 3* was split due to the size of the field, and from a field of 102 entries in a California split, Ali Wolff on Casall and Karl Cook riding Fecybelle won.
Karl Cook on Fecybelle (Photo by Sportfot)As the only class on the Derby Field on Friday, Feb., 18, the WEF Challenge Cup Round VI featured a challenging course from designer Ana Catalina Cruz Harris of Mexico, with 16 from nine countries going clean, but of those 16, three chose not to return.
Going fifth in the jump-offr, Cook was against a time of 40.52 with a clear round set by Samuel Hutton of Great Britain on H&C Kirlo van den Bosrand, who eventually finished second in Section B.
Cook lowered the time to 39.22 seconds, which would hold up for the Section B victory.
It was a welcome return to the show ring for Fecybelle, a horse Cook has ridden since May 2019.
AFTER THE mare’s injury at her first show in the winter of 2021, Cook brought her back slowly and only competed in one 1.45m class in December 2021.
Ali Wolff on Casall (Photo by Sportfot)“It’s great to have her back,” said Cook. “It means a lot not only for her because of how long of time she’s been out, and it just feels great to have her back, but also last week with the mistake I made in the grand prix. Being able to come out this week and reset and just keep going feels good.”
Cook, who is from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif,, almost passed on Fecybelle after seeing her on video, but after examining her show record and seeing clear round after clear round, he made the decision to buy her.
“Very quickly it started to work,” he said. “She’s like a gamer-type horse. She’s not very flashy when she jumps, but she wants to go. She really understands it. It’s really fun to ride when the horse understands the job, and she’s so good at it.”
Second to last to go in the jump-off, Wolff on Casall had the fastest time of 39.15 seconds for the Section A victory.
"Casall is like a fine wine – better with age.” Wolff said, “Maybe this is entering our second prime.”
Wolff, of Columbus, Ohio, has ridden the 17-year-old Holsteiner gelding since he was 7 years old, and they have scored major victories, including in the 2018 Upperville Grand Prix CSI4*, and they helped the U.S. team to victory in the 2015 FEI Nations Cup CSIO4* with two clear rounds in Coapexpan, Mexico.
“When he was 8, we saw what he could really do and what he was capable of,” said Wolff.
“He loves this footing, and this footing has been fantastic,” she said of the grass field. “I decided this year I’m just going to only stay here and only jump FEI here with him. And so far, knock on wood, it has paid off for me.”
Wolff has found that the grass field opens up horses as well.
“These horses get massive strides out here. This field is huge, and they get this gallop and it’s like a 14-foot stride,” she said.
“When he jumps well, it kind of pops into your chest a little bit,” she said. “He jumps the most beautiful jump, but he kind of squirrels over it a little bit too. He doesn’t clear it by a lot, and he’s kind of grown into that style and now he knows exactly where his feet are, exactly where he needs to pick it up. I think that’s also allowed us to be a little bit quicker. Over the years, we’ve really tried to focus on getting quicker. We’re not the fastest across the ground, and that’s been our only challenge out here on the field. But when it comes turning and everything, I think that’s where we can kind of catch up.”
In second in Section A was Beth Underhill of Canada riding Chacco Kid, clear in 39.37 seconds, and in third was Jonathan McCrea on Fantasy BB in a time of 43.48 seconds.
Hutton was second in Section B, while fellow British rider Amanda Derbyshire on Cornwall BH was third in 45.86 seconds.
