Week six of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began Wednesday morning with jumper competition at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. While hunters take center stage on the main show grounds for World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week, the international jumpers get a fresh change of scenery competing in both the International Ring and the Derby Field at The Stadium Wednesday through Sunday. The feature Saturday Night Lights event will be the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherhill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular on Saturday, February 20. The $35,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6 will be held at The Stadium on Thursday, the $130,000 Grand Prix CSI 3* will be the highlight event on Friday night, both in the Global International Ring, the $10,000 Artisan Farms U25 Welcome Grand Prix sponsored by EnTrust Capital and the $35,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic will both be held on the derby field at The Stadium on Saturday, and the $25,000 Artisan Farms U25 sponsored by EnTrust Capital as well as the $50,000 WEF 6 National Grand Prix will both be held on the derby field at The Stadium on Sunday. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money. or the opening $35,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m Jumper Classic on Wednesday, Canada’s Vanessa Mannix jumped to her first victory in an FEI World Ranking Class at WEF. Mannix and her own Dooley’s Deluxe topped a starting field of 48 competitors over the Richard Jeffery (GBR) designed speed track. In Wednesday’s 1.45m, nineteen entries jumped clear through the course as time came into play. Mannix and Dooley’s Deluxe clocked the winning round in 65.38 seconds. The pair pushed Shane Sweetnam (IRL) aboard Sweet Oak Farm and Seabrook LLC’s Main Road into second place with their time of 65.88. Cormac Hanley (IRL) and Peacock Ridge LLC’s Lumiere finished third in 67.47 seconds. Mannix found the way to victory over two very fast Irish riders with the help of her trainer and Irishman, Conor Swail. “Conor gave me such a good lesson the other day at home. We were practicing our turns and we were practicing my pressure with my leg,” Mannix detailed. “Conor is such an incredible coach and everything I can do in the ring I have him to thank for.”
Week six of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) began Wednesday morning with jumper competition at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. While hunters take center stage on the main show grounds for World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week, the international jumpers get a fresh change of scenery competing in both the International Ring and the Derby Field at The Stadium Wednesday through Sunday. The feature Saturday Night Lights event will be the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherhill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular on Saturday, February 20. The $35,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6 will be held at The Stadium on Thursday, the $130,000 Grand Prix CSI 3* will be the highlight event on Friday night, both in the Global International Ring, the $10,000 Artisan Farms U25 Welcome Grand Prix sponsored by EnTrust Capital and the $35,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic will both be held on the derby field at The Stadium on Saturday, and the $25,000 Artisan Farms U25 sponsored by EnTrust Capital as well as the $50,000 WEF 6 National Grand Prix will both be held on the derby field at The Stadium on Sunday. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money. or the opening $35,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m Jumper Classic on Wednesday, Canada’s Vanessa Mannix jumped to her first victory in an FEI World Ranking Class at WEF. Mannix and her own Dooley’s Deluxe topped a starting field of 48 competitors over the Richard Jeffery (GBR) designed speed track. In Wednesday’s 1.45m, nineteen entries jumped clear through the course as time came into play. Mannix and Dooley’s Deluxe clocked the winning round in 65.38 seconds. The pair pushed Shane Sweetnam (IRL) aboard Sweet Oak Farm and Seabrook LLC’s Main Road into second place with their time of 65.88. Cormac Hanley (IRL) and Peacock Ridge LLC’s Lumiere finished third in 67.47 seconds. Mannix found the way to victory over two very fast Irish riders with the help of her trainer and Irishman, Conor Swail. “Conor gave me such a good lesson the other day at home. We were practicing our turns and we were practicing my pressure with my leg,” Mannix detailed. “Conor is such an incredible coach and everything I can do in the ring I have him to thank for.”