WELLINGTON, Fla.--Abdel Saïd 0f Belgium repeated his victory from 2021 in the $406,000 Grand Prix CSI5* on March 12 “Saturday Night Lights”, but this time on Arpege Du Ru.
Kent Farrington, second on Orafina (Photo by Sportfot)Thursday’s $75,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round IX CSI5* winner Kent Farrington on Orafina placed second.
Saïd on Arpege Du Ru had the first clean round of the 12 in the jump-off and finished in 38.58 seconds, a time that would hold up for the win.
Farrington chased Saïd down to the wire but stopped the clock almost two seconds off of the top time to place second in 40.42 seconds.
The Grand Prix started with a field of 41 from 13 nations competing over a course set by Alan Wade that included a triple bar and a triple combination early on in the course as well as an open water obstacle.
As the first of the 12 in the jump-off, McLain Ward on Contagious had four faults to eventually place sixth.
“I’M REALLY delighted with my mare because all season she has been developing,” said Saïd. “Every year we come to WEF, I find my horses develop further, and I’m thrilled it came together tonight. I really enjoy being here. I don’t think there are many better venues in the world, especially at the beginning of the year, to set your horses up so well.”
“I had a time fault in the first five-star grand prix we did,” said Saïd. “Tonight, I said, ‘I will not be too slow.’ I thought I might be too fast and have a rail, but the plan from the beginning was to go for it. I really wanted and needed that win for our whole team.”
“This is only Orafina’s second time jumping in a five-star class, and for that I thought it was a tremendous result,” said Farrington. “It always feels better to win but I think Abdel had an incredible result, and that was going to be tough to beat on any horse.
“I like to take my time producing young horses that have a lot of talent, and I am very excited about her future,” he said of the mare he has competed internationally for one year. “She proved a lot to me here in this class, and I am hoping for big things going forward. I think we all had tremendous athletes under us, and it is unique they all happened to be mares tonight. I have had a lot of success with great mares because they have heart and a ton of try.”
Nicola Philippaerts, also of Belgium, rode Katanga V/H Dingeshof to the third-fastest jump-off time of 41.65 seconds to place third..
“My mare is feeling great at the moment,” said Philippaerts. “She doesn’t have the biggest stride, so it is not easy to go flat out in the jump-off, but I did my best. She is special because she can somehow always give something extra in the moment that it matters most.”
The final clean ride of the night was Katherine Dinan on Brego R’N B, in 44.25 seconds to place fourth, while Philipp Weishaupt, a third rider from Belgium, on Coby was fifth with four faults in 38.52.
