Wellington, Fla. – Jan. 21, 2022 – International competition highlighted Friday afternoon at the Winter Equestrian Festival as top athletes showcased their mounts at the expansive Stadium Derby Field during the $37,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round II CSI3*. A total of 58 athletes competed over the first round, with 17 advancing to the jump-off. In the end, it was Eoin McMahon and Chacon 2 of Ireland who captured the winning title, overtaking the competition by almost 2 seconds.
Oscar Soberon (USA) set a technical 13-fence track that utilized the entirety of the grass field, testing combinations’ stamina as well as their accuracy over three double combinations. Of the field of 58 athletes who contested the first round track, 17 were able to advance to the jump-off after leaving all of the fences intact with no time faults on the clock. The shortened jump-off track, which included an oxer-vertical double combination, two new fences and a final steady vertical towards the gate, was fit for the lineup of international competitors.
With two pairs electing not to contest the jump-off round, the first in the ring for the 8-obstacle jump-off was Richard Vogel (GER) aboard Sigrist Murphy Andrea, Murphy Kevin and Horse Management GmbH’s Darius De Kezeg Z who ended on a fast time with 4 faults on the clock. The first clear round of the jump-off was celebrated by Nayel Nassar (EGY) on his birthday riding Evergate Stables LLC’s Coronado. Katie Dinan (USA) and Grant Road Partners LLC’s Dijon Terdoorn Z quickly overtook Nassar’s steady time of 48.99 seconds to finish on a time of 46.06 seconds.
Samuel Hutton and H&M Kirlo Van Den BosrandAs the jump-off continued, 11 riders managed to clear the course without faults, but the Irish athlete Eoin McMahon on Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s Chacon 2 prevailed with a quick time of 40.29 seconds to place himself in a comfortable lead with just four pairs left to compete. McMahon and the 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding overtook the previous rider Samuel Hutton’s (GBR) leading time of 42.25 seconds.
In the end, McMahon’s time was good enough to maintain his lead at the conclusion of the class. Finishing just behind McMahon was British rider Hutton and Quimore AB’s H&M Kirlo Van Den Bosran. Rounding out the top three was Canadian rider Erynn Ballard and Esperanza Imports LLC’s Comedie De Talma finishing narrowly behind Hutton with a time of 42.41 seconds.
Show jumping competition during Week Two of WEF will culminate with the $25,000 FEI Hermes Under 25 Grand Prix Sunday, January 23, followed by the $140,000 Hygain Feed Grand Prix CSI3* Sunday afternoon.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Eoin McMahon – $37,000 Adequan WEF Challenge Cup Round II CSI3* winner
On his strategy going into the jump-off:
“We all talk to each other in the collecting ring and I knew nobody had done seven strides from one to two. Everybody did eight. And I thought with my big stride, I could make up a little bit of time there. And then I just tried to be neat in the middle part and then to the last two jumps, there was one stride less in both of those lines. And I got that and I think that was the difference.”
On his partnership with Chacon 2:
“He is a really special horse to me. We did the European championships last year. We were in the top 10. He was my best horse and we just thought with all the cancellations in Europe and also the Waterland Group, which just took over WEF. So we wanted to be a presence here and I’m really happy to start with the win.”
On his first time at WEF:
“It’s amazing. The facilities are top class. I’ve never seen a surface as good as this field here, the horses really, they fly on it, and I love it.”
On his plan for the rest of the season with Chacon 2:
“I originally planned just to start in five stars, but I just wanted to jump on this field because I think it’s nice for them. So I jump him on Sunday and then he won’t jump again until the 5 star.”
RESULTS
$37,000 Adequan WEF Challenge Round II CSI3*
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / Country / R1 Time | R1 Faults / R2 Time | R2 Faults
1. Chacon 2 / Eoin McMahon / Madeleine Winter-Schulze / IRL / 86.09 | 0 / 40.29 | 0
2. H&M Kirlo Van Den Bosrand / Samuel Hutton / Quimore AB / GBR / 81.68 | 0 / 42.25 | 0
3. Comedie De Talma / Erynn Ballard / Esperanza Imports LLC / CAN / 82.51 | 0 / 42.41 | 0
4. Oak Grove’s Carlyle / Daniel Coyle / Gestüt Eichenhain GmbH, Carmen Uwaydah, T.j. Van Den Brink / IRL / 85.55 | 0 / 42.58 | 0
5.Cliff Z/ Matthew Boddy / Gotham Enterprizes LLC / GBR / 85.79 | 0 / 45.06 | 6. Contago / Eugenio Garza Perez / David Garza, Monica Garza / MEX / 86.63 | 0 / 45.15 | 0
7. Vivaldi Du Theil / Ailish Cunniffe / Graylish LLC / USA / 87.5 | 0 / 45.65 | 0
8. Dijon Terdoorn Z / Katherine Dinan / Grant Road Partners LLC / USA / 86.32 | 0 / 46.32 | 0
9. Cosmona / Giavanna Rinaldi / Anton Marano / USA / 87.09 | 0 / 47.34 | 0
10. JackOfHearts / Margie Goldstein-Engle / Gladewinds Partners, LLC / USA / 86.91 | 0 / 47.44 | 0
11. Coronado / Nayel Nassar / Evergate Stables LLC, Nayel Nassar / EGY / 86.51 | 0 / 48.99 | 0
12. Darius De Kezeg Z / Richard Vogel / Sigrist Murphy Andrea & Murphy Kevin & Horse Management GmbH / GER / 83.65 | 0 / 40.04 | 0 / 41.84 | 4