Wellington, Fla. – Feb. 12 – Week V of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) came to a pinnacle Saturday evening for the highly anticipated $406,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5*. A total of 40 decorated international athletes entered the International Arena to contest the track fit for CSI5* competition, built by Great Britain’s Kelvin Bywater. After a challenging first round that resulted in only eight clear efforts, it was the final pair to contest the jump-off, Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and Coby 8, who ultimately took home the win and the lion’s share of the prize money.
Bywater’s first-round course was aptly set for the star-studded list of competitors. offering 14 numbered obstacles including an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination, an open water fence as the in of a line and many difficult turns presented throughout the arena. The first clear round of the night was found by Daniel Deusser (GER) and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z, just the fourth combination to enter the ring. Immediately forcing a tie-breaking jump off as the second clear effort was Egypt’s Nayel Nassar aboard Igor Van De Wittemoere, owned by Evergate Stables, LLC. Six other horse-and-athlete duos would add their name to the jump-off list to conclude the first round.
The shortened jump-off course included seven obstacles and gave the athletes many opportunities to cut turns and save time around the track. The exciting jump-off started with Deusser leaving it all on the line aboard Stephex and Scuderia 1918’s Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z, just having the last rail down to finish on four faults with a quick time of 38.5 seconds. Nayel Nassar (EGY) went next with the Evergate Stables LLC’s Igor Van De Wittemoere, but two rails down left them out of contention for the top spot. Mario Deslauriers (CAN) was the first of the contenders to put in a clear round, navigating a collected and clean ride in a time of 45.16 seconds. As the only representative for the United States, Brian Moggre and Ann Thompson’s veteran mount, 16-year-old Oldenburg stallion Balou De Reventon, immediately knocked Deslauriers out of the first place position with a quick and tidy effort, ending in a time of 41.58 seconds.
Ireland’s Conor Swail on his own 15-year-old Hannovarian stallion Count Me In entered the arena next eager to beat Moggre’s impressive time. The pair just narrowly emerged successful, leaving all of the rails intact in a time of 41.42 seconds to slip into the leading position. Petronella Anderson (SWE) and Lorenzo De Luca (ITA) followed, but both pairs ended with two rails down, leaving them short of the podium. The last duo in the order, Germany’s Philipp Weishaupt and the12-year-old Hannovarian gelding Coby 8, owned by Mariko KATO, Noyuri KO, Ludger Beerbaum Stables GmbH, knew they had a big task ahead of them. The notoriously quick and talented pair just surpassed Swail to take home the win, putting it all on the line and galloping to the final fence to end in a time of 40.96 seconds. Swail and Count Me In would ultimately conclude the class in second place, with Moggre rounding out the top three aboard Balou du Reventon.
International CSI5* competition at the Winter Equestrian Festival Week V will continue Sunday, February 13, with the $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic at 9:45 a.m. in the International Arena.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Philipp Weishaupt – $406,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5* winner
On the jump-off:
“We were all really lucky that Daniel Deusser had the last jump down, because it would’ve been game over for all of us. So after that I was very motivated to go jump off. I was in a very lucky position. I know my horse [Coby 8] really well. I know how fast he is. And after many years of learning my lessons and getting experience, I know how quick I have to go to beat the time. I’m very delighted with Coby; he did a fantastic job in the first round. It felt very easy and very good. We finished a season of 2021 with a CSI5* win in the middle of December. We then gave him like six weeks off and we were in a little bit of the same situation as my two colleagues here with not really knowing how he would come out of that six-week break. And It always helps to be last in the jump-off. I’m sure if one of these guys would have been behind me had they changed their path, but I did what I had to do today and I’m really grateful.”
On being at WEF:
‘It’s my first season here and I don’t regret coming. Back home, there are a lot of COVID-19 rules and a lot of rain and snow and no shows. Here we have sunshine and super conditions for the horses. We have a great farm close by and I love being here.”
On his plan for the season:
“I can relax a little tiny bit now. Maybe one week. I’ve been walking around the last four weeks watching the grand prix classes but not being in them because I gave [Coby 8] a rest. Everybody kept asking me, ‘When are you competing?’ and I’d say, ‘I’m waiting for the CSI5*’, so now I had to deliver. And [Coby 8] did so I’m really, really happy about that. The pressure was on. And now I can relax a little bit, and hope for Week 7!”
Conor Swail – $406,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5* second place
On his thoughts on the night and leaving the door open for the win:
“I thought the first round, [Count Me In] was super good. And again, this is his first start of 2022. So I was a little on the fence of whether it was a bit much for him going straight into the CSI5*. But he jumped so well in the first round. I mean, it felt incredible. For the jump-off, I think if I was doing it again, I would have done a better job. There were too many steps there in the beginning. And then I was quite good through the middle. At the second to last fence, I’m not really sure what I was doing there either. So second place is probably a fair result, I would say. I’m delighted with the horse and obviously it’s a fantastic result and I’m very, very pleased.”
Brian Moggre – $406,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5* third place
On his thoughts on the round and the plan for Balou du Reventon this season:
“What a great way to start off the season for Balou as well as myself, it’s our first CSI5* competition since last fall. It was really an eye opener but he felt amazing. As soon as I jumped the first jump, I kind of kicked myself in gear. It feels great. He’s going to come out a few more times later this season and I’m really excited for that.”
RESULTS
$406,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5*
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults | R1 Time / R2 Faults | R2 Time
1. Coby 8 / Philipp Weishaupt / GER / Mariko KATO, Noyuri KO, Ludger Beerbaum Stables GmbH / 0 | 79.08 / 0 | 40.96
2. Count Me In / Conor Swail / IRL / Conor Swail / 0 | 77.7 / 0 | 41.42
3. Balou De Reventon / Brian Moggre / USA / Ann Thompson / 0 | 79.55 / 0 | 41.58
4. Bardolina 2 / Mario Deslauriers / CAN / Wishing Well Farm LLC / 0 | 79.78 / 0 | 45.16
5. Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z / Daniel Deusser / GER / Stephex Stables / 0 | 78.7 / 4 | 38.5
6. Igor Van De Wittemoere / Nayel Nassar / EGY / Evergate Stables, LLC / 0 | 79.52 / 8 | 40.2
7. F One USA / Lorenzo De Luca / ITA / Neil & Heidi Moffit & Poden Farms / 0 | 77.59 / 8 | 41.52
8. Castres Van De Begijnakker Z / Petronella Anderson / SWE / Stephex Stables / 0 | 78.91 / 8 | 42.65
9. Adrienne Sternlicht / Bennys Legacy / USA / Starlight Farms LLC / 1 | 80.09
10. Arpege De Ru / Abdel Said / BEL / Abdel Said / 1 | 80.47
11. Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve / Jessica Springsteen / USA / Stone Hill Farm / 3 | 82.99
12. Baloutinue / Laura Kraut / USA / St. Bride’s Farm / 4 | 77.15