Boyd Martin Rides to a Three-Peat Victory at $100,000 Land Rover Wellington Eventing Showcase

Boyd Martin Rides to a Three-Peat Victory at $100,000 Land Rover Wellington Eventing Showcase
Boyd Martin (USA) was victorious with Welcome Shadow in the $100,000 Land Rover Wellington Eventing Showcase held on Saturday at Equestrian Village at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Beginning the weekend with a class of 39 entries, Boyd Martin climbed to the top after a clear show jumping round and a great trip on cross-country to finish on 27.30 penalties with Welcome Shadow, a 2005 Thoroughbred mare owned by Gloria Callen, and an overall Showcase win for the third year in a row.

Buck Davidson (USA) and Carlevo, a 2007 Holsteiner gelding (Caresino x Levernois) owned by Carlevo LLC, finished second on 30.9 penalties after moving up from 13th place after dressage. Doug Payne rode Vandiver, a 2004 ATA gelding by Windfall x Mystic Replica XX owned by Debi Crowley and Doug and Jessica Payne, to a third place finish with 34.2 penalties.

Commenting on his victory, Martin said, “This year was by far the hardest one to win. It was a much more competitive field; the caliber of horses was the best we’ve seen here. I’ve got to say, the show jumping was bigger and wider, (and) I think the show jumping was even bigger than at Rolex.  The cross-country was a real test. I think that it’s been good that they’ve gently built it up like this, but the cross-country was influential this year compared to other years.

“My horse is one of my favorites in training at the moment,” he said of Welcome Shadow, who was originally owner Craig Callen’s fox hunter. “You couldn’t get a horse that tries any harder than Welcome Shadow. I thought she was great in all three phases, and I was proud to win. I will quite happily take the check home.”

The pair has a plan that will lead them up to the Kentucky Rolex Three-Day Event CCI4* within the next few months. “She’ll go home tonight and (we will) give her an easy week and back off her a bit. I don’t think [this event] knocks the horses around too much because it was only a four-minute track,” Martin explained. “It was four-star questions in intermediate height, so it tuned her up a little bit.”

Buck Davidson (USA) and Carlevo jumped a clear stadium course and went on to a clear cross-country round.

“I was really happy with the mare,” said Davidson. “She couldn’t have been better this whole weekend. I was really happy with the dressage, and she tried her heart out in the show jumping, and was as straight as could be today. She is very fast and a fun horse to ride around these kind of events.”

Doug Payne (USA) and Vandiver rose through the standings from eleventh place after dressage to tenth place after show jumping, and came back strong after a flawless cross-country run to land in third place.

Payne said of his experience this year, “This is an incredible competition, and I think it will prove to be valuable for these horses able to come here early in the season. There is more atmosphere here than you are going to see anywhere except for maybe Rolex, domestically. It’s a great preparation because we seldom have the opportunity to have these horses in such an environment. It’s an incredible asset to the sport, and I couldn’t have been more happy with Quinn.

“I was disappointed I had the last jump down (in show jumping), but on cross-country he’s a bit of a dirt bike, and we go out there and cruise,” he continued. “I am learning to trust him more and more, and I’m incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to ride and work with him.”