For Immediate Release
Summer Grace for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Wellington, FL – February 27, 2022 – Five-star competition at the seventh week of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) culminated on Sunday, February 27, in the $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Championship Classic CSI5* where Daniel Deusser (GER) secured his second victory of the week. Deusser was also the victor of the $75,000 Adequan ® WEF Challenge Cup Round VII CSI5* with Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z on Thursday of week 7. WEF 7, presented by Lugano Diamonds, hosted multiple international five-star and two-star events as well as a variety of national hunter, jumper, and equitation divisions. The series gathers the best riders from across the world for 13 straight weeks of top competition running through April 3, 2022.
A total of 53 pairings put forth an effort in the first-round track of the final five-star course of the week designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio (USA) and Andy Christiansen (ECU). The class was one of many throughout the week to have an impressive turnout of international athletes with 17 different nations represented in the starting field. Early in the class, five entries had already qualified to return for the short track including McLain Ward (USA), Erynn Ballard (CAN), Andrzej Oplatek (POL), Chloe Reid (USA), and Jos Verlooy (BEL). When the final horse on course crossed the timers, an additional 10 duos had managed to navigate their way clear. Two competitors suffered at the fate of a single time fault while one dropped rail kept another 11 out of contention.
Ward kicked off the 15-horse comeback field and took the early lead with The Kasper Group LLC’s Kasper Van Het Hellehof. The top position shifted rapidly after that with multiple riders giving it their all in hopes of taking the win. As the class wound down, Deusser crossed under the bridge with his second jump-off mount, Kiana Van Het Herdershof. Having already gotten a feel for the track with Killer Queen VDM, Deusser precisely pinpointed what areas he needed to correct for the win and emerged victorious with a clean time of 33.36 seconds.
“She is just coming back from a long break and has been a bit over-excited the past two or three weeks,” explained Deusser. “She is typically my 1.45m speed horse but this week I decided to build her up for the bigger Sunday class, and it worked out very well.”
The Stephex Stables’ 12-year-old BWP mare (Toulon x Lys De Darmen) only began showing again in February of 2022 at WEF after a hiatus dating back to July 2021. The duo placed third in the $37,000 Bainbridge 1.45m CSI5* during WEF 5 prior to today’s win.
“She is naturally very fast so if I can handle her and show her the fences, she will almost always want to do it quicker than everyone else and that was definitely to my advantage,” described Deusser. “With the first horse I had in the jump-off, I didn’t want to risk everything but just tried to use Killer Queen’s longer stride to my advantage. We ended up fifth and then a few came after that were faster, so I knew I had to give it everything we had. We did, and it worked out.”
Deusser was also the recipient of the Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award for his performance.
Deusser’s stablemate Petronella Andersson (SWE) produced a top ride for her weekend and slid into second place. She and the Stephex Stables’ 10-year-old KWPN mare Halita O (Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Heartbreaker) clocked in just over a second behind Deusser with a time of 34.87 seconds.
Belgium’s Jos Verlooy and FTS Killossery Konfusion (SIEC Livello x Cruising), a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Eurohorse BVBA, finished up with a time of 34.34 seconds over the track to finish in third place.
Final Results: $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Championship Classic CSI5*
1. KIANA VAN HET HERDERSHOF: 2010 BWP mare by Toulon x Lys De Darmen
DANIEL DEUSSER (GER), Stephex Stables: 0/0/33.36
2. HALITA O: 2012 KWPN mare by Eldorado VD Zeshoek x Heartbreaker
PETRONELLA ANDERSSON (SWE), Stephex Stables: 0/0/34.87
3. FTS KILLOSSERY KONFUSION: 2010 ISH gelding by SIEC Livello x Cruising
JOS VERLOOY (BEL), Eurohorse BVBA: 0/0/34.34
4. OAKS REDWOOD: 2005 AWHA gelding by ASB Conquistador x Verdi
NAYEL NASSAR (EGY), Evergate Stables LLC: 0/0/35.28
5. KILLER QUEEN VDM: 2010 BWP mare by Eldorado VD Zeshoek x For Pleasure
DANIEL DEUSSER (GER), Stephex Stables: 0/0/35.43
6. URIS DE LA ROQUE: 2008 Selle Francais gelding by Capital x Quick Star
MARIO DESLAURIERS (CAN), Aram Ampagoumian LLC: 0/0/35.88
7. STAKKATAN: 2009 OS gelding by Stakkatol x Kannan
ANDRZEJ OPLATEK (POL), Gospodarstwo Rolne and Andrzej Oplatek: 0/0/36.87
8. SOUPER SHUTTLE: 2011 Hannoverian mare by Stakkato x La Zarras 2
CHLOE REID (USA), Live Oak Plantation, LLC: 0/0/38.30
9. KASPER VAN HET HELLEHOF: 2010 BWP stallion by Emerald x Nabab De Reve
MCLAIN WARD (USA), The Kasper Group LLC: 0/0/39.49
10. H. BIG ACTION: 2012 KWPN stallion by Action-Breaker x Big Star
EDUARDO PEREIERA DE MENEZES (BRA), Eduardo Pereiera De Menezes: 0/4/35.25
11. NANINI VAN D’ABELENDREEF: 2013 BWP mare by Kannan x Heartbreaker
ERYNN BALLARD (CAN), Ilan Ferder and Esperanza Imports LLC: 0/4/36.03
12. KAMILLA D: 2011 SCSL mare by Kashmir Van Schuttershof x Canturo*bois Margot
NATALIE DEAN (USA), Marigold Sporthorses LLC: 0/4/36.21
Maria Costa Captures Home Team Win in $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix CSI2*
The International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) closed out the week with the $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix CSI2*. Forty-four horse-and-rider contenders competed for the opportunity to jump-off but only 12 managed to put forth a fault-free round one effort. Late in the order, Twenty-nine-year-old Maria Costa (USA) put on the gas pedal and piloted her long-time partner Valentino V Z to win the class with a top time of 37.85.
“This might sound crazy but I was on him for all of 30 seconds when I tried him, and I just knew I had to have him,” described Costa of her 13-year-old Zangersheide stallion (Verdi TN x Converter). “Our relationship is really special to me. I have had him since he was a seven-year-old, and it was certainly a rocky road in the beginning. We stayed super consistent with him. He is the type of horse that really appreciates consistency so about two years in he just kind of decided he liked it. Our bond has gotten to the point where I would comfortably ride into war on him. I always know he has my back and I have his, so I would have to say it is the most special connection I have ever had with a horse. I can’t imagine it ever getting better.”
“I really wanted to take a little bit of a risk today,” added Costa. “I jumped clear in the qualifier on Friday but I was not happy with my performance in the jump-off. My goal was to do better today, and that goal was really my main motivation in my ride. He is naturally fast, and if you let him go forward a bit he thrives on the energy. He is not a big horse but he makes himself big when he is out there in the ring.”
Friday’s qualifying class winners, Fabio Leivas Da Costa (BRA) and Bonne Chance Farm LLC’s nine-year-old KWPN gelding Ilex (Baltic VDL x Chn Chin), had another impressive finish as they stepped into the second-place position with a time of 38.29 seconds. Charlotte Jacobs (USA) bookended the victory gallop aboard North Star’s nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Rincoola Milsean. The combination came just one-tenth of a second short of Da Costa and finished in 38.41 seconds.
Final Results: $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix CSI2*
1. VALENTINO V Z: 2009 Zangersheide stallion by Verdi TN x Converter
MARIA COSTA (USA), Maria Costa: 0/0/37.85
2. ILEX: 2013 KWPN gelding by Baltic VDL x Chn Chin
FABIO LEIVAS DA COSTA (BRA), Bonne Chance Farm LLC: 0/0/38.29
3. RINCOOLA MILSEAN: 2013 ISH gelding by Aldatus Z x Cruising
CHARLOTTE JACOBS (USA), North Star: 0/0/38.41
4. GIGI-CARMEN: 2011 KWPN mare by Bacardi VDL x Oklund
JOHN PEREZ (COL), John Perez: 0/0/39.41
5. MA POMME DE TAMERVILLE: 2012 BWP mare Deauville Van T L x Contendro II
ANNA WILKS (CAN), In Show Jumpers: 0/0/40.78
6. URVOSO DU ROCH: 2008 Selle Francais gelding by Nervoso x Grand D’Escala
TOM WACHMAN (IRL), Coolmore Show Jumping: 0/4/38.51
7. CON COLEUR: 2009 Hannoverian gelding by Contendro I x Couleur Rubin
REBECCA CONWAY (USA), Blue Hill Farm, LLC: 0/4/38.67
8. SUPER CHILLED: 2008 ISH gelding by Gelvin Clover
JONATHAN CORRIGAN (IRL), Debra Wycoff: 0/4/38.79
9. CONDOR DU VALDECIE: 2012 Selle Francais gelding by Quite Easy x Quito De Baussy
CHRIS EWANOUSKI (USA), Polo Jump LLC: 0/8/40.27
10. ELUNA CL Z: 2012 Zangersheide mare by Emerald x Nabab De Reve
ELIZA LEHRMAN (USA), Five Way Farm LLC: 0/8/42.91
11. CLASSIC PENNY: 2012 NWB mare
SYDNEY SHULMAN-DESIDERIO (ISR), Ilan Ferder: 0/12/37.82
12. CALLE QUINN: 2011 Holsteiner gelding by Calmando 3 x Quintero
LUIS FERNANDO LARRAZABAL (VEN), Ana Holguin: 0/74.21
Sienna Rossano and DF Crush Defeat the Competition in the Small Pony Hunter Division
Over at PBIEC’s designated Pony Island, 19 combinations in the Small Pony Hunter division made their way back to Ring 11 for the final classes of the division. With a first and two seconds for a total of 22 points, Sienna Rossano and Cumberland Acres LLC’s DF Crush earned the championship of the Small Pony Hunter division.
“I got him last year, and my favorite thing about him is actually his forelock because it’s so fluffy,” said Rossano. “He is a great hunter pony because of his jump, but sometimes his lead change can be difficult because he will fall in a bit.”
The victory was the first champion finish for the pair.
“I am very proud of him today,” added Rossano. “He is usually a little bit of a speed demon but today he was slower and therefore he ended up being extremely rideable. I loved how he was today.”
Reserve champion honors went to Addison Litman who piloted her own Napa Valley to a total of 16 points with a first and second place.
WEF will continue its series on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, for its eighth week. Featured will be a variety of CSIO four-star events leading up to the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4* during ‘Saturday Night Lights’ and the $216,000 Grand Prix, presented by JTWG Inc. on the final day.