Last Updated on February 4, 2024 by adminahb
The Irish flag flew for Paul O’Shea and Imerald van’t Voorhof after they won the $215,000 MARS Equestrian CSI4* Grand Prix on the grass derby field at Equestrian Village Saturday afternoon during Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
Perfect conditions, but a testing track from Anderson Lima (BRA), welcomed only three riders to the tie-breaking jump-off. It took sixteen to try and come up short before David O’Brien (IRL) cracked the code on Lima’s first-round course. Three trips later, O’Shea guaranteed a battle between countrymen before up-and-coming U.S. rider Mimi Gochman joined the trio.
“I was lucky to be able to see David [O’Brien] go, and in the first line he did eight, but I could see there was a seven there,” said O’Shea. “When David had one down, it made sense to go quite fast, because even if I had one down but was quicker than him, I could still be second, and also put pressure on Mimi [Gochman]. It worked out for us.”
Top Tricolor to Martha Ingram and Jenkins in Kiton 3’6” Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35
The Kiton 3’6” Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 division championed on Saturday after two days of competition during week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The division was made up of four over-fences classes consisting of a stake and handy round, as well as an under saddle.
It was Martha Ingram of Nashville, TN and Jenkins, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC, who claimed champion. The pair placed no lower than third across the division, winning two of the four over-fences with a high score of 87, as well as placing third in the under saddle.
“This is my first WEF with him and our second week competing. He’s just the sweetest animal; he never does anything wrong,” said Ingram of the 10-year-old gelding. “He’s got lots of personality. We’re very, very lucky to have him.”
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