Week IV of the World Equestrian Center – Ocala 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series brought anther exciting week of top equestrian sport with multiple wins from familiar faces. Santiago Lambre snagged three featured class wins during Week IV including the $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix, $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix and $75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix aboard three different horses. The week also included Samantha Schaefer and In The Know capturing the $20,000 WEC Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby victory.
Sharn Wordley and Valentine Car closed out Week IV with the $15,000 WEC Ocala 1.45m Jumper Classic win. Eleven horse-and-rider combinations gathered at the WEC Grand Arena on Sunday afternoon to vie for the win over tracks created by FEI Level II course designer, Colm Quinn of Ireland. More than half the class produced double clear rounds, but it was New Zealand’s Sharn Wordley and Fernando Cardenas’s Valentine Car (Son of Juan Car x Sofia Car) that flew to first place, clinching the championship.
Wordley and Valentine Car first round effort produced a time of 65.544 seconds on the clock, well under the time allowed of 71 seconds. Wordley and the 13-year-old Warmblood gelding advanced straight to the jump-off, quick over the ground and with tight turns to stop the clock at 31.840 seconds.
Week IV of the Winter Spectacular Show Series showcased the $75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix brought to you by Cone Distributing Inc. under the sun during a chilly Florida day. Thirty-two competitive entries took to the WEC Grand Arena to vie for the win over tracks built by FEI Level II course designer, Colm Quinn (IRL). The track featured multiple combinations and a tight time allowed that caught a few riders throughout the class. Twelve entries navigated faultless first rounds and only four jumped double clear, but it was Olympic rider Santiago Lambre and his own Comtess 202 (Comme II Faut 5 x Parodie) that emerged victorious.
Lambre and the 11-year-old Westphalian mare went toward the end of the order, producing a faultless first round in 81.761 seconds.
“Comtess is a fantastic mare. I have owned her for about a year now. I won two grands prix on her last winter. She’s done a few four-star grands prix and I think she’s ready for a five-star. She tries hard with her hind end, is careful in the front and she is super-fast off the ground.”
Lambre watched a few other competitors jump-off to establish a plan, “It was nice being toward the end of the order. I was able to watch Will Simpson go, and he was very fast. I watched the few in the beginning go and they were fast but had rails. I made sure to wait and think coming to the last oxer because that rail came down multiple times.”
Lambre and the careful Comtess 202 started on a strong gallop, dashing from fence one to two. The pair flew through the double combination to slice the oxer in the middle. Lambre and Comtess rolled through the rest of the course, steadying to the last jump, leaving all rails up to stop the jump-off clock at 38.475 seconds.
Earlier on Saturday, Santiago Lambre and his brand-new mount Pampero (Chacco-blue x Naloutaire) captured the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix win. Lambre and Pampero delivered a faultless first round, jumping each fence with ease to stop the clock at 81.952 seconds, well under the time allowed of 88 seconds. Lambre and Pampero galloped through the final timers to stop the clock at 40.190 seconds.
On Friday afternoon, Tom Foley and Independence LCH (Caretino Gold x Caransa LCH) landed the $12,500 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic, besting 17 horse-and-rider combinations. Foley and the nine-year-old KWPN mare navigated a lovely first round in 75.421 seconds. The pair advanced straight to the jump-off galloping through the winding track while taking tidy inside turns to stop the clock at 43.098 seconds to earn first. Foley and Independence LCH also earned Champion in the 1.40m Jumper division.
Derby Friday at World Equestrian Center – Ocala saw a change of scenery during Week IV for the $20,000 WEC Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby, $15,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Open Hunter Derby and $15,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby. Competition was held in Hunter 1 with scores that soared into the 90s. Doug Russell designed the natural tracks that featured three high options and handy courses with several options.
The $20,000 WEC Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby saw seventeen stunning hunters try their hand at Doug Russell’s winding course, but it was Samantha Schaefer and her own In The Know (Arkansas x Cavelle) that that earned the victory.
Schaefer and In The Know navigated a gorgeous first round while jumping each high option with ease to earn a score of 91 from the judges. The pair delivered a faultless handy round, rolling through all of the turns while opting to jump the three high options to earn a score of 88, for an overall score of 179 for the win.
Twenty-nine stunning hunters took to Hunter 1 early on Friday morning to vie for the win over a winding track designed by Doug Russell. Scores soared into the 90s but it was Dorothy Douglas and Abigail Davenport’s MTM Exceptional (Casall Ask x Rheinsberg) that caught the judges eye.
Douglas and the sporty 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding navigated a gorgeous first round, jumping each fence in perfect form for a score of 90. Douglas and MTM Exceptional returned for the handy, delivering a seamless round, while jumping all three high options to earn the class’s highest handy score of 91 for a two round total of 181.
The $15,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby saw 23 horse-and-rider combinations compete for the top prize, but it was Molly Braswell and her own Jalisco that earned the highest overall score of 176 for the hunter derby win.
Braswell and the adorable eight-year-old gelding by El Savador produced a gorgeous first round jumping all three high options to earn a score of 87. Braswell and Jalisco returned to contest the handy course, flowing seamless through the turns jumping all three high options to earn a score of 89, for an overall score of 176.
Week IV’s feature class action of the 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series kicked off on Thursday afternoon with the $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix. Sixteen horse-and-rider combination competed over tracks built by FEI Level II course designer Colm Quinn (IRL). Ten entries delivered faultless first rounds and five jumped double clear, but it was Olympic rider Santiago Lambre (BRA) and his own Dingeman (Nintender x Jolanels) that stole the win.
Lambre and the speedy 14-year-old KWPN gelding were the last pair down the ramp into the WEC Grand Arena to contest the $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix. The pair navigated a smooth first round leaving all rails up to stop the first-round clock at 75.818 seconds. Lambre and Dingeman advanced straight to the jump-off, rolling through the beginning of the winding track, leaving all rails up. The pair landed after the C. Jarvis Insurance double combination to gallop to the last oxer in nine strides, stopping the clock at 32.726 seconds, just a tenth of a second faster than second place.
Week IV also showcased two additional derbies including the $2,500 Pony Hunter Derby and the $2,500 Non Pro 2’6” Hunter Derby. Katalena Prusso and Falcon Ridge Stable’s Worth The Wait captured their third-consecutive $2,500 Pony Hunter Derby win.
Wendy Rice and her own Caspar took the top honors in the $2,500 Non Pro Hunter Derby, besting 33 entries. Rice has earned numerous top finishes in the $2,500 Non Pro Hunter Derby during World Equestrian Center – Ocala’s Summer Series.
Congrats to all entries on another successful week of equestrian sport! We hope to see you all soon for Week V of the World Equestrian Center – Ocala 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV