WELLINGTON, Fla.--Four time Olympian McLain Ward won the $216,000 CSIO4* Grand Prix on Sunday, March 6 at the Winter Equestrian Festival, bringing  out the great mare HH Azur for the first time this season in a grandprix.

McLain Ward on HH Azur (Photo by Sportfot)There were 48 who competed over a course designed by Nick Granat and Steve Stephens with eight  clean.

Ward and HH Azur were third to go in the jump-off, and “Annie” stretched her stride out to blaze around the course clear in 35.22 seconds, setting an unbeatable time.

“She was really covering the ground great,” said Ward. “I always have to watch a little bit of her left turn. That’s always been her weak side, so I was a little worried about the Fidelity jump, but I made sure she jumped it before I tried to turn back too quick. She really performed beautifully, and we were able to get the nine strides home and put just enough pressure on these guys that we held up.”

 

WARD'S student Lillie Keenan, coming off two pressure clean rides in Saturday's Nations Cup, rode Agana van het Gerendal Z to a quick 37.20 seconds but with four faults; they finished in sixth place.

At just 24 years old, Ioli Mytilineou of Greece continues to show her growth in the sport.

She rode Levis de Muzeto a clean round ins in 36.84 seconds to place second.

She was also named the Martha W. Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider for WEF 8.

“It means absolutely everything, to be honest," said Mytilineou. "Last year here I was mostly fourth or fifth place, so I never actually got into the prize-giving ceremony. To be in it between McLain and Ben, two of the best riders in the world, is insane to me.

“When I went into the ring, the last thing my trainer said to me was, ‘Don’t risk a rail. You can't be quicker than McLain anyway,’" she said. "I just looked at him and laughed, but I tried to go as fast as I could and go clear,”

She has ridden Levis de Muze since he was 7 years old.

“He’s honestly my best friend,” said Mytilineou. “I talk about him more than I talk about anything else. I feel like we know each other so well. Of course, I’m still very green, but he’s also still very green, so there’s a lot of stuff we still need to figure out. But every day that I ride him I could cry because I think one day he’s going to retire. Every time that I ride him, I’m just so grateful to have him.”

Last into the jump-off, Ben Maher 0f Great Britain on Faltic HB, who went double clear in Saturday night’s Nations Cup, was going for the win, but with a front rail at the first jump for four faults in 36.30 seconds, he settled for third place.
ben maher and faltic hb BR1_5201 sportfot

“The plan was to try to beat McLain,” said Maher. “That’s twice now I’ve lost to him this season. Faltic didn’t jump the first jump in the first round so well either actually, and I told myself that today I needed to angle number one to get a good rollback to [jump] two. We just had it down. I kept going because there was still good prize money on offer."

“He jumped two rounds last night amazing, and he jumped very good today,” said Maher. “That’s just the sport. Azur and Ioli’s horse are two of the best horses in the world, so nothing comes easy here. He’s come along great, and it’s been a good trip for him. I’m very fortunate to be able to have horses like him.”

While Maher is on a newer horse, Ward has been riding HH Azur, his 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games mount and winner of the 2017 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals, for seven years and considers every class with her as “bonus at this point.”

“She’s a warrior,” said Ward of the 16-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare. “The horse gives so much, and she doesn’t owe me one round or one jump. When she’s feeling right, we aim her to a competition.”

Ward almost didn’t qualify for the grand prix since they had eight faults in Thursday’s qualifier.

“I think I was a little overconfident,” he said. “I was a little rushed in the morning, and I didn’t work her very well. She’s a hot horse; she was a little wild, and I tried to go a bit too fast.”

“She felt great in the first round and felt even better in the jump-off,” said Ward. “I’m forever grateful for every grand prix we get with her.”