Also competing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Friday, Chile’s Samuel Parot won the $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m speed class riding Dazzle White.
The fourth week of WEF competition, sponsored by Ariat®, continues through Sunday, February 5, 2017. Weekend highlights include the $35,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic and the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments®, on Saturday night at the main WEF show grounds, and the $216,000 Ariat® Grand Prix CSI 4* on Sunday on the grass derby field at Equestrian Village. Also at Equestrian Village at PBIEC (AGDF show grounds), the $100,000 Land Rover Wellington Eventing Showcase concludes on Saturday. Live streaming of major events during the week can be seen HERE. The 12-week WEF circuit continues through April 2, 2017, awarding over $9 million in prize money.
Friday’s team competition was the third event of the Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix Series for the 2017 WEF circuit. The class was held in the Global Arena at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival show grounds at PBIEC, with 14 teams showing over the Richard Jeffery (GBR) designed course in round one. The best seven teams returned to jump a second round, but only six teams completed round two. When two teams finished with four faults overall, a tie-breaking jump-off was held, where one rider was chosen to represent each team.
Team Sweet Oak/Vlock came out victorious, as Brett Burlington jumped a clear round over the short course, representing her team aboard Alden Burlington’s Bluf. Team USA/Ireland finished second after Lucas Porter and Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Diamonte Darco knocked a rail at the second fence in the jump-off and elected to retire.
Also riding for the winning team, Kaely Tomeu and Siboney Ranch’s Contenance 15 jumped double clear. Lacey Gilbertson and Seabrook LLC’s Baloppi jumped clear in round one and earned the drop score of four in round two. Teddy Vlock and Vlock Show Stables’ Cristobar incurred four faults in round one and jumped clear in round two, while Burlington and Bluf scored four and zero, followed by their clear jump-off round to secure team victory.
Making up the second place team for USA/Ireland in addition to jump-off contenders Lucas Porter and Diamonte Darco, were Oliver McCarthy and Kevin Babington’s Double Deuce Retto, Ailish Cunniffe and Whipstick Farm’s Casper, and Wilton Porter aboard Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Patriot.
Burlington (17, Miami, FL) has ridden Bluf, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ukato x Placido), for almost two years and was selected as the jump-off participant due to her experience with her horse.
“Coming into tonight, I was definitely pretty confident because I have done this with him before,” Burlington stated. “I have jumped him under the lights a bunch, and he has always been really good. I was definitely happy with the way he went. The first round was a bummer at the last jump, but he still jumped really well. Then obviously in the second round and the jump-off he was really good.” Tomeu (21, Wellington, FL) was aboard a new mount since December in Contenance 15, an 11-year-old Westphalian mare (Cornet Obolensky x Darco).
Gilbertson (23, Lake Forest, IL) was riding an even newer horse in the 10-year-old Danish Warmblood mare, Baloppi, which she just purchased two weeks ago. Vlock (19, Branford, CT) was aboard Cristobar for Friday’s competition, an 11-year-old Westphalian gelding (Cristallo x Lancer III) that he has ridden for almost two years. While Bulrington, Tomeu, and Gilbertson have experience competing in the U25 team event, Vlock was showing in the class for the first time, and only his second U25 competition.
