WELLINGTON, Fla.--Roberto Teran Tafur of Columbia on Santana won the $32,000, CSI3* 1.45m Speed on Friday, Jan. 10 for his second win in two days.
Roberto Teran Tafur on Santana (Photo by Sportfot)Also on Friday, Lilly Ward, McLain Ward's 9-year-old daughter, already one of the top riders on the circuit despite her youth, won the Pony Derby.
“When you’re on, you’re just on,” said Teran.
“It feels amazing,” Teran said of going two-for-two in international competition so far. “To win here is super exciting, and two wins here is fantastic. When you have a good week, usually it keeps going like that."
Going early in the order of 48 entries over the course set by Nick Granat, his time of 58.73 seconds remained unmatched, with Lillie Keenan on Opium JW van de Moerhoeve TN placing second in 58.77, and Egypt’s Nayel Nassar placing third on Dorado de Riverland in 59.68.
Teran has been riding Santana since the winter of 2022.
“He’s always been very talented, but a little too full of energy,” Teran. “I think he’s finally mentally ready to be more consistent. He was always brave and good but he had his ups and downs. Since the summer he’s been very consistent.”
TERAN'S PLAN for the season is to step Santana up into higher-level ranking classes, allowing him to space out his top horses’ schedules to produce the best possible results.
Teran has his eye on the 2026 FEI World Championship in Aachen, Germany, as his next major goal.
Lilly Ward on Woodlands Corduroy (Photo by Spotfot)“This circuit is really challenging for any horse and rider combination,” he said. “You take it one week at a time because all the best horses and riders in the world are here. That’s why any win here is so meaningful. It’s great preparation for anywhere in the world. After this you can go to any show in the world and be ready to compete, not just show up.”
“If I can represent my country in Aachen and hopefully do a good job, that will be amazing for my career and my life,” he said.
Esrlier in the day in the International Arena, Carly Anthony on Jet Blue won the 1.40m Speed Challenge, clean in 66.994 seconds for the win.
Pony superstar Lilly Ward on Woodlands Corduroy won the $1,500 USHJA Pony Hunt & Go Derby.
Ward of Brewster, N.Y., rode Woodlands Corduroy, owned by her father and six-time U.S. Olympian Mclain Ward to score 175 for a convincing win as she embarks on what she hopes to be a highly successful Winter Equestrian Festival.
“We call him Roy in the barn,” Lilly said of the 17-year-old Welsh Pony cross gelding. “I’ve had him since the summer, and he’s so sweet and loving. He’s fun to ride, super easy to turn and he’s just the best.”
Ward's smooth execution, with direction at the in-gate from trainer Jimmy Torano, got her the win over course designer Thomas Carlson’s single-round course.
Torano’s advice to her on the way into the show ring was, “Just stay cool."
"There was only one line so it was pretty easy," said Ward. "It was very, very fun and there were a lot of places to turn inside and have fun.”
Nine-year-old Lilly hopes to not only have fun the rest of this season, but to take home some big accolades, building off her success from past years.
“Last year I was circuit champion in the Small Ponies, and this year I really want to be circuit champion on Roy, because this is my first year doing the Medium Ponies at WEF,” she said of her goals, another of which is to take the win in the World Championship Hunter Rider Pony Hunter Challenge during WEF 6, known historically as “Hunter Week.”