Wellington, FL – February 23, 2022 – International jumper and national hunter, jumper, and equitation competition debuted Wednesday for the start of the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival’s (WEF) week 7, sponsored by Lugano Diamonds. The seventh week features FEI-rated five-star and two-star competition and will highlight the $406,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* during “Saturday Night Lights” on February 26. On Wednesday, February 23, the highlight class was the $37,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m CSI5*. Speed class specialists McLain Ward (USA) and Catoki claimed the victory in the class.
Anthony D’Ambrosio’s (USA) track had 57 combinations contest the two-phase course. Representatives from 15 different countries made up the field during one of the series’ top weeks. By the halfway mark of the class, Ward and Catoki resided in the top position having cleared both phases clean with a blazing time of 32.26 seconds.
The speedy combination of Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) and Dirka de Blondel fell just short of Ward’s leading time but put in a valiant effort with a time of 32.34 seconds. He and the Poden Farms’s nine-year-old Selle Francais mare (Very Berlin de Castel x Lautterbach) took the second-place position ahead of Australia’s Katie Laurie. Laurie and Eadaoin Collin’s 14-year-old Australian Warmblood Cera Caruso (Casall x Capone) were the third and final combination to stop the clock under 33 seconds but added just a touch more time on the clock in 32.52 seconds.
Source: Press release PBIEC
Photo: copyright Sportfot