WELLINGTON, Fla.--Jessica Mendoza of Great Britain on In The Air won the $32,000 CSI3* WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 over a field that included a number of Olympians and top-10 ranked riders at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Friday, Jan. 17.
Jessica Mendoza on In The Air (Photo by Sportfot)Just a week ago, Mendoza was on a horseback safari in Africa admiring elephants and other wildlife from the comfort of the saddle, and after returning from her African vacation, Mendoza went straight into competition at WEF
“It was incredible,” Mendoza said of beginning the winter with a big win after a jump-off against a “who’s who” of international show jumping riders that included world no. 1 and Thursday’s victor Henrick Von Eckermann of Sweden, German Olympian Richard Vogel and world no. 3 Ben Maher of Great Britain. “It was not an easy jump-off against those boys, so it was nice to beat them.”
Mendoza was one of 14 to go clean over Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s first round course, and one of only three women to make the jump-off.
She took over the lead midway through the jump-off with a clean round in 43.43, knowing there were still fast riders behind her, but no one was able to beat her time.
“My horse is honestly the most incredible horse to go in the ring on, let alone a jump-off,” Mendoza said. “I have complete faith in her but it’s pretty nice to see them behind me.”
Vogel on Cydello was second, clean in 44.03, Venezuela’s Luis Fernando Larrazabal on Quick Chick was third, clean in 44.26, and Maher on Dallas Vegas Batily was fourth, clean in 44.26.
“SHE IS THE most unique horse I’ve had,” Mendoza said about In The Air, a horse she began competing internationally at WEF about a year ago. “You can’t jump her at home, she’s horse-shy, people-shy, but you go in the ring and she puts her blinkers on and all she wants to do is win. She’s all business.”
Mendoza found In The Air and the mare's brother, Summerhouse, in the Netherlands being produced by a young rider up to the 1.45m level.
A group of her clients came together to purchase both horses for Mendoza to campaign.
“All the moms of my clients got involved, so we call it the ‘Mom Club’,” she said. “We had big plans for her, and she’s exceeded them. I’m not sure where she’s going to go, but I think she’ll go all the way.”
“It’s an exciting year; I have a really good group of horses,” she said. “I’d love to build this mare towards Nations Cups and championships and see how the others come along. WEF is a great place to do that.”
“She has such a positive attitude,” she said. “I take my time and plan everything for her. I don’t ride how I want to ride, I ride how she needs to be ridden. I think she really appreciates that. She’s so careful that doesn’t need to jump big at home; I train, work on her straightness and then she comes and does her job in the ring.”