Four Straight: Wilhelm Genn Dominates the $30,000 Grand Prix at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 11
22 FEB 26 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – Exhibitors crowded the stands of the Standlee Sanctuary Saturday evening at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) to watch horse-and-athlete combinations contest the $30,000 Grand Prix of Winter Classic 11.
FEI Level III course designer Catsy Cruz crafted a technical track that allowed just three partnerships to advance to the short course: Michael Burnett, Amanda Harris and Wilhelm Genn.
Burnett and Chris Richards’ 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Hendrik Wildricks (Bustique x Utareusa), were the first to return, posting eight faults to ultimately land in third place.
Harris and her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, VDL Maverick (Tinkas Boy), jumped to the time to beat, but a heartbreaking rail earned the pair the red ribbon.
Finally, Genn aimed to deliver a smooth double-clear effort aboard Klaus Mauer’s Katinka (Kannan x Maylin). Genn did just that, marking the 10-year-old mare’s second career grand prix victory.
Though Mauer never pictured her having a grand prix career, Katinka has become a shining star in the Standlee Sanctuary, earning numerous podium finishes and double-clear efforts with Genn in the irons.
“Our partnership has been developing for about two years now,” Genn reflected on his time with Katinka. “My friend Klaus [Mauer] told me he knew of this mare in Germany that he really loved. She was falling a little bit through the cracks, and he asked if I could take her and train her a bit.”
“She came over, and after the first few jumping schools, we weren’t so sure,” Genn laughed. “But once I started working with her, she responded so well and just kept getting better and better. She has learned how to leave the jumps up the easy way. She’s so happy now — she’s just a really cool horse!”
Finally, Genn shared his thoughts on the track designed by Cruz: “I thought today’s Grand Prix was a very good track. I’m a big fan of Catsy and have ridden many of her courses. Inside, she had a completely different theme than outside, but today the class was beautifully built. There were a few challenging spots, but overall, it was flowing and very well designed.”
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