The 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) continued on Friday, February 4, with major competition in a multitude of arenas. While international jumpers competed at Equestrian Village, the hunters were featured in the International Arena at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. A field of 51 entries faced the “Hunt & Go” Format of the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby with Jimmy Torano and Laskano, owned by Isalou, Inc., securing yet another win.
The feature events of WEF 4, sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies, will run on Saturday, February 5, with the $216,000 Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix CSI4* on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village at 11 a.m. and the Great Charity Challenge, sponsored by Fidelity Investments® kicking off with the Pet Parade at 6:30 p.m. and the first team in the ring in the International Arena at PBIEC at 7 p.m.
The Hunt & Go Format for the hunter derby consolidates two rounds into one round with both a classic and a handy portion of the course.
“It’s similar in a jumper class to a power and speed,” said Torano of the format. “You still get to do both a classic round and a handy round, but especially at a show like this where you’re so busy and running ring to ring, it can be nice to do it all at once and be done, so I like it.”
Torano had another horse go early in the order but knowing Laskano would be towards the end of the order, he came in with a plan, jumping to a total of 382.5 points.
“I knew going late in the order that I had to do something special to win,” he said. “From fences four to five it was basically 10 strides, and I thought I would do nine and try to wow the judges a bit.
“I think I pulled out all the stops coming to the last jump,” continued Torano. “I really let him gallop to the last jump. I think from start to finish he was spot on, but I think the last jump was really the exclamation point.”
Laskano is a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Daryl Portela of Isalou Inc., and he and Torano have been quite successful together so far, capturing a derby win in December with the start of the new show year and winning the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby 2* during WEF Premiere week.
“This is his third derby he’s won this year,” noted Torano. “For me, today, I think was the best of all the derbies he’s done. We got this horse from Emil Spadone and Cassie Kahle. We are all thinking of Cassie right now, and this win was for her.”
With such stellar performances thus far, Torano and Laskano currently have their eyes set on more of the same. “The ultimate goal is derby finals in August in Kentucky,” he explained. “We still have a lot of fish to fry, but hopefully we’ll do the big night class here during World Champion Hunter Week, and obviously we’ll do indoors and those big championship-type shows.”
Torano is hopeful, but also has faith in the bay gelding. “We use him now and then,” he said. “Luckily he wins a lot so I don’t have to use him very often. I try to pinpoint and really gear toward these derbies.”
Second place in the derby with a score of 380.25 went to Mindful and Jennifer Hannan, who rode for Kensel LLC, while third place on a score of 375 went to Meaningful, owned by Emma Vandenhouten and ridden by Kelley Farmer.
Nicole Walker Wastes No Time in $37,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m CSI4* Win
A busy weekend of competition started promptly Friday morning with all FEI riders heading back to the Derby Field at Equestrian Village. The day was packed with action from the beginning as 49 elite entries debuted in the $37,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m CSI4* where Canada’s Nicole Walker stole the show.
Anderson Lima’s (BRA) first track was held as a single-round speed class at the 1.45m height with a time allowed of 80 seconds flat. A little less than half of the field managed to produce fault-free efforts while 12 entries ended on a single downed rail. Olympic team silver medalist Jessica Springsteen (USA) and Stone Hill Farm’s Volage Du Val Henry looked set to take the victory but Walker managed to shave over a second off of the pair’s time. She and her own 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding Atout Des Trambles (Nectar Des Forets*hn x Apache D’Adriers) left no room for contest as they stepped on the gas and flew through the finish line in a time of 58.36 seconds.
“He’s very game when he’s in the ring and is always looking for the next jump,” explained Walker of the gelding she purchased off a video during the COVID-19 pandemic when travel was heavily restricted. “He was produced by a woman who rides similar to my style as well which is comforting but most importantly, he was recommended by my coach Cian O’Connor and I really trust his judgment.”
She described the gelding as being fresh and ready to go for the winter season after a quiet summer and fall season.
“We train and hack plenty at home to keep him fit, and he felt fantastic today,” said Walker. “He’s quick in the air and has a big stride, so I was able to utilize that and do several of the leave-out strides that no one was doing. Specifically from jumps three to four, I did eight strides instead of nine, and I left a stride out in one or two other places which I think allowed us that extra second.”
Walker was also the recipient of the week’s Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award, presented by Laura Fetterman, for her win in the class.
Springsteen’s efforts with the 13-year-old Selle Francais mare Volage du Val Henry (Quidam de Revel x Cassini I) landed the duo with the reserve honors on their time of 59.11 seconds. Natalie Dean joined fellow countryman Springsteen in the victory gallop as she put forward a clean round with the Marigold Sporthorses, LLC’s nine-year-old mare Dotcom D’Authuit (Diamant De Semilly x Quidam De Revel) with the time of 59.94 seconds.
Bron: press release Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
Photo: © Sportfot