Ireland’s Darragh Kenny triumphed in the $86,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12 on Thursday, March 30, riding brand new mount Billy Onslow at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.
The 12-week WEF circuit concludes with CSI 4* competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), sponsored by The Wanderer’s Club, running March 29 through April 2, 2017. The week’s highlights include the $216,000 The Wanderer’s Club Grand Prix CSI 4*, the $50,000 Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix Series Final, and the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Feature events can be viewed live HERE.
Olaf Petersen, Jr. (GER) set the course for 70 entries in Thursday’s Challenge Cup and yielded 21 clear rounds. With two entries opting out of the jump-off, 19 continued on, and nine were able to clear the short course without fault. Second to go in the jump-off, Darragh Kenny went full speed with Billy Onslow to put the pressure on the remaining competitors. His time of 33.33 seconds held up for the win.Margie Engle (USA) and Gladewinds Farm’s Royce finished second in 34.22 seconds. Nicole Walker (CAN) and Falco van Spieveld placed third in 36.23 seconds.
“He is such a cool horse,” Kenny said of the 11-year-old Anglo European gelding (Billy Congo x Iroko) that he purchased from Great Britain’s William Funnell. I just got him three weeks ago when I was in Europe. He did a 1.40m class yesterday, and then this today. Obviously, I do not really know him so well, but he tries so hard and he is super easy to ride.”
Remarking on his jump-off, Kenny stated, “I know he is really brave, really careful, and really scopey, so I just went as fast as I could go. There were 17 people after me, so I knew that if I left the door open at all I would have no chance. He has a massive stride. I did eight strides to the second to last fence and I did eight strides to the last, which nobody else did. I also did an inside turn to the double, which in hindsight probably was not the smartest thing.”
“I did the first line, and I knew he had a big stride, but I did not realize just how big,” Kenny detailed. “I did the seven strides really slow and I thought I must have miscounted and done eight, so then I panicked and I thought I had to do something really special to try to win. He was just amazing. He was brilliant. He should not have jumped the double from where I turned back at all. He is so brave and careful. You turn back and you don’t even have to worry. You know he is going to do his best to leave the jumps up.”
“He is such a cool horse,” Kenny said of the 11-year-old Anglo European gelding (Billy Congo x Iroko) that he purchased from Great Britain’s William Funnell. I just got him three weeks ago when I was in Europe. He did a 1.40m class yesterday, and then this today. Obviously, I do not really know him so well, but he tries so hard and he is super easy to ride.”
Remarking on his jump-off, Kenny stated, “I know he is really brave, really careful, and really scopey, so I just went as fast as I could go. There were 17 people after me, so I knew that if I left the door open at all I would have no chance. He has a massive stride. I did eight strides to the second to last fence and I did eight strides to the last, which nobody else did. I also did an inside turn to the double, which in hindsight probably was not the smartest thing.”
“I did the first line, and I knew he had a big stride, but I did not realize just how big,” Kenny detailed. “I did the seven strides really slow and I thought I must have miscounted and done eight, so then I panicked and I thought I had to do something really special to try to win. He was just amazing. He was brilliant. He should not have jumped the double from where I turned back at all. He is so brave and careful. You turn back and you don’t even have to worry. You know he is going to do his best to leave the jumps up.”