Wilmington, Ohio – Twenty-four horse-and-athlete pairs met in the Standlee Sanctuary Thursday afternoon where Bobby Murphy (USA) designed the opening tracks of the week for the $15,000 Welcome Stake.
Newcomer to World Equestrian Center – Wilmington for the 2023 Fall Classic Series, Vicente Guillen (VEN) and his competitive mare Caribi (Stakkato x Moonlight IX), sped to the win in the first featured class of the week and celebrated with his family ringside.
The professional rider based in Ocala, Florida, traveled to Wilmington to spend time indoors for the fall series and has found himself feeling at home. “We are from Ocala, and we did the winter and summer down there, and we are going to spend our fall here. We are really excited about it, we love Ohio. My wife and my child love it here! The facility is really great and everyone in the office is helping us with everything. It feels very familiar here, like a family.”
With a proven field of fast and talented horses and athletes, Guillen knew that he needed to step on the gas pedal for the win, “The course was really good today. It was a very technical course and it got bigger at the end. If you want to win here, you have to go fast in the jump-off, no matter what! Even if the class is small, you have to be clear and fast. A lot of riders here are very competitive.”
Of his three talented mounts entered in the class, Guillen knew that he could excel with his quick and careful mare. “Caribi is very fast and careful. I brought her here to do the Welcome Stake and the Futures Prix. I won’t jump her in the grand prix because she is more comfortable and careful in the other classes. She was fifth in the $10,000 Futures Prix last week. She always loves to do it and wants to do it. She is very, very competitive!”
The 12-year-old Oldenburg mare, jumped in perfect style, and shaved off precious time in the turns for a leading time of 32.886 seconds.
Izzy Beisel (USA) stepped back into the Standlee Sanctuary right where she left off and saw no challenge amongst the international field of professionals. With her consistent 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Vegas H (Valentino x Cobrah), the young rider of Goshen, Ohio, found the red ribbon in 33.096 seconds.
Kady Abrahamson (USA) returned at the bottom of the order with the second of her two entered mounts to secure a podium placing. Abrahamson, of Georgetown, Kentucky, piloted FSS Outlaw (VDL Cardento x Cimenta C), a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, to a time of 33.769 seconds to add another top success to the young horse’s record.
$15,000 Welcome Stake Results:
1 Caribi, Vicente Guillen, Tranquility Farm | 0 | 32.886
2 Vegas H, Izzy Beisel, David Beisel | 0 | 33.096
3 FSS Outlaw, Kady Abrahamson, Abrahamson Equestrian LLC | 0 | 33.769
4 Gin Tonic 158, Sam Pegg, Ten Sixty Stables LLC | 0 | 34.214
5 Jazil Du Houssoit, Kady Abrahamson, Abrahamson Equestrian LLC | 0 | 34.598
6 Formidable Diamant, Sam Pegg, Phyliss Harlow | 0 | 34.604
7 Cooper B, Johan Kachelhoffer, Johan Kachelhoffer | 0 | 35.424
8 Jakilly, Taylor St. Jacques, Taylor St. Jacques | 0 | 36.175
9 Cornet’s Girlensky, Rowan Willis, Rowan Willis | 0 | 36.181
10 Billy McDermit, Rowan Willis, Hudson Warren | 0 | 36.476
Make sure to visit the WEC Blog and follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes!
Results can be found at wec.net.
All horse show images are provided by Winslow Photography and can be purchased onsite at WEC – Wilmington or online through their website.