Kevin Mealiff (IRL) and Tupac Van De Vrombautshoeve Z sped to the win in Thursday’s $37,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake CSI 3* at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (TIEC), stopping the jump-off timers at 29.841 seconds. Brittni Raflowitz (ISR) and Hilton Van De Breepoel, the 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Contact Van De Heffinck x Opium) owned by ESI Show Jumpers Inc., earned second place with a jump-off time of 30.715 seconds. Santiago Lambre (MEX) and Comtess 202, the 2011 Westphalian mare (Comme Il Faut 5 x Pilot) owned by Mario Onate, jumped clear with a time of 30.751 seconds to earn third place.
Forty-one riders jumped the Alan Wade (IRL) course design in the first round of competition; ten riders went clear and returned for the second round jump-off. Mealiff and the 2010 Zangersheide gelding (Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x Karioka del Follee) owned by Oakmont Stables LLC conquered both courses, finishing more than a second ahead of the previous time to beat set by Raflowitz. Mealiff commented on the course design, saying, “You knew what you were going to get and [that] it was going to be tough and fair. He [Wade] always gets it right. I think all the horses jumped well and no one could have any complaints.”
Mealiff admitted that his win was aided by the luck of the draw; he was last to go, so he was able to watch the competition and strategize how time could be cut out. “I was very tight from [fence] one to two” he explained. “Then, I was very tight back from the Liverpool. I can really dare my guy to the jumps and know he’ll go over!”
