WELLINGTON, Fla.--Caroline Mawhinney, 16 won over a field of 66 competitors riding Stella Levista to win the $25,000 Hermès Under 25 Semi-Final Grand Prix under the lights on March 4 at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Caroline Mawhinney on Stella Levista (Photo by Spotfot)Nine were clean over the course set by Nick Granat and Steve Stephens that included a triple combination and an open water
First to go in the jump-off, Isabella Russekoff, 21, on Balou’s Fly High was clean in 39.85 seconds that would eventually finish third.
“He has taken me from the 1.20m to the two-star grand prix level, so we know each other really well,” said Russekoff. “When I come in here, I feel really confident that I can go and put in a solid round. I know he will try his hardest, so I just have to try my hardest.”
“I love jumping under the lights," she said. "Actually, two years ago in this same class, he jumped clear as well and that was our last under the lights competition. I think it’s really fun and special that the U25 division gives us the opportunity to prepare for the upper levels.”
MAWHINNEY, Third from last to go, zoomed through the course in 35.56 seconds with no faults to go straight to the top of the leaderboard.
Caitlyn Connors on Falcon de Hus placed second place with a clean round in 39.63 seconds.
“First I want to thank Scotty Keach for giving me this horse,” said Connors. “I actually only got him about a month ago and I haven’t been riding him very much, but the partnership has been going super well. I really enjoy riding him and working with Scotty.”
Connors, who is 21 years old, has participated in the Under 25 series for six years.
“It was super exciting tonight to be able to get in there and have a top three placing," she said. "It was even more exciting to be able to do that for Scotty who is trusting me with this horse of his; I’m really glad we were able to pull that out from under our belts.”
“The course was no joke tonight, that’s for sure," said Connors. "I know that my horse has the scope, so I just needed him to trust me. It’s Nations Cup week, so there are a bunch of new jumps that are spooky, and the water jump is there. The triple combination was very see through and tall, and a lot of horses struggled with that. I’m so thrilled with the way he was able to handle this course. I had no doubt in him; it was just a matter of if I could hold it together. I’m really happy with how it went.”
“My horse is naturally really quick across the ground, which I knew going in,” Mawhinney said. “We don’t have that much stride, so I tried to win on the turns and just get the strides done that I could. For example, from fence two to three a-b, the eight strides was very difficult, but I made sure I got it done so I could be waiting and quick around to the vertical. She’s just really fast in general.”
Mawhinney riding Stella Levista has had major victories in their two-year career together already, including riding for the gold-medal-winning United States team in the 2021 FEI Youth Nations Cup Jumping Final.
“It means a lot to win this grand prix here tonight,” she said. “I was definitely a bit nervous going in, but I trusted her. I want to thank my amazing trainer Jessica Mendoza, my groom Elaina, and my amazing family for coming to support me.”
GRACE DEBNEY, 18 of Great Britain, won the $37,000 1.45m CSIO4*over a field of 46 with 22 going clean during the daytime competition..
Debney on Zarina De Vidau was clean in a blazing 56.10 seconds.
“I definitely wanted to go for it today,” said Debney. “I had one rail down in the qualifier yesterday but I had the time, so I was especially hungry for it today. We went a bit early in the class, so I went for the win to the best of my ability because I knew there were still a lot of top riders to follow that were chasing for it.”
“She was just supposed to be my step-up horse into the high amateurs, but she has done so much more than we ever thought she would,” said Debney. “I think a big part of that has to do with the relationship we have with one another; she has all of the heart and always wants to get the job done for me.”
This season of WEF is the first year that Debney has been eligible to compete in upper-level international events, and she is soaking up the experience.
“There is no doubt that it is intimidating to go against the caliber of athletes in these classes,” she said. “Basically everyone in this class was very experienced, so to have a top finish in that crowd feels really amazing.”
Nearly catching Debney, Tanimara Maria Macari Carrillo of Mesico placed second on Feminka, clean in 56.76 seconds, and Lebanon’s Jad Dana on After Eight, clean in 58.89, was third.
