The eighth week of the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, opened with competition on Wednesday, February 28. Rodrigo Lambre (BRA) and Mario Onate’s Chapilot were the only double clear round to win the $25,000 ProElite® Jumper Classic. First into the jump-off were Karen Polle (JPN) and Kinoshita Group’s Sari, who were very quick in 38.801 seconds, but with four faults. Their time would hold up for second place. Third went to Jose Roberto Reynoso (BRA), and Tanita de Galeste, owned by Franck Henouda, who had four faults in 39.132 seconds. Onate purchased Chapilot in December of 2014 as a seven-year-old from the Paul Schockemöhle auction. Lambre started the ride that winter in the beginning of the horse’s eight-year-old year. In 2017, they won three grand prix classes in Mexico, as well as five 1.45m FEI ranking classes. “He’s very consistent and better with age,” said Lambre. “I’m very happy to have him. He’s a winner.” Of Wednesday’s class, Lambre said, “I expected a more easy class and it was not. It was pretty tough, with a lot of good riders. Normally we don’t have only one clear in the jump-off. I was lucky to be the one.” This is Lambre’s second year competing at WEF, after he first came in 2016. He and Chapilot will compete again on Friday.
