Santiago Lambre and Charatinus outpaced a field of 70 entries to win the $36,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Classic CSI 3* on Friday, March 15, at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL.
Jumper, hunter, and equitation competition continues at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) through March 31, 2019, with the 12-week WEF circuit offering more than $9 million in prize money. Week 10, sponsored by Horseware Ireland, runs through Sunday, March 17, with highlight events including the $134,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI 3* at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, and the $36,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic CSI 3* on Sunday, March 17.
Speed was the name of the game for competitors contesting Michel Vaillancourt’s (CAN) course in Friday’s one-round $36,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Classic CSI 3*. Brazil’s Rodrigo Lambre set a quick time to beat from the get-go, stopping the clock in a clear 60.64 seconds aboard Chapilot as the fourth entry in the class. It was not until 19 trips later that Rodrigo Lambre’s time was toppled by fellow Brazilian Fabio Leivas da Costa who set the new leading time at 59.35 seconds aboard Randon Pleasure.
That was the time that Mexico’s Santiago Lambre had to beat when he entered the ring aboard Charatinus, owned by Paul Schockemöhle, and the pair narrowly did, crossing the finish line less than a tenth of a second faster than Leivas da Costa to ultimately secure the win with a time of 59.26 seconds.
Leivas de Costa’s time with Randon Pleasure, owned by Bonne Chance Farm, would hold up for second place, while Ireland’s Conor Swail – the only rider in the final third of the class able to come close to the top-two finishers – would slide into third with a time of 60.29 seconds aboard Captain, owned by BB Gingras Equestrian Ltd. Rodrigo Lambre’s early time to beat would hold up for fourth place for he and Chapilot, owned by Mario Onate, while fifth place with a time of 60.77 seconds went to Andrew Kocher riding Fashion V for owner Eye Candy Jumpers.
“It was a very nice speed class because it had a lot of options, very tight turns, and we didn’t have to open the horse up too much,” said Santiago Lambre, who has had the ride on Charatinus for only five weeks. “In the beginning of the class, number three and number four, I was really fast and tight. Then I tried to ride fast, but the course was quite delicate, so I didn’t go crazy.”
While the partnership with the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Chacco Blue x Grannus is brand-new for Santiago Lambre, the pair meshed quickly, claiming a second-place finish in the $36,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m CSI 3* during WEF 6 and, on Friday, Santiago Lambre’s first win with the horse that he aims to sell for owner Schockemöhle.
“The horse has enough experience and is a very fast horse, so it was not so difficult to be competitive,” said Santiago Lambre of the pair’s success out of the gate. “He turns fast, and he’s very brave, so I can trust him.”
Final Results: $36,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Classic CSI 3*
1 CHARATINUS: 2009 Oldenburg gelding by Chacco Blue x Grannus
SANTIAGO LAMBRE (MEX), Paul Schockemöhle: 0/59.26
2 RANDON PLEASURE: 2005 Selle Francais mare by For Pleasure x Quidam de Revel
FABIO LEIVAS DA COSTA (BRA), Bonne Chance Farm: 0/59.35
3 CAPTAIN: 2007 KWPN mare by Verdi x Ahorn
CONOR SWAIL (IRL), BB Gingras Equestrian Ltd.: 0/60.29
4 CHAPILOT: 2007 Hanoverian gelding by Chacco Blue x Pilot RODRIGO LAMBRE (BRA), Mario Onate: 0/60.64
5 FASHION V: 2009 Warmblood mare by Rusedski
ANDREW KOCHER (USA), Eye Candy Jumpers: 0/60.77
6 LA CARAMBA: 2010 Holsteiner mare by Carambole x Caretino 2
MEREDITH MICHAELS-BEERBAUM (GER), Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC: 0/61.81
7 LA LUCIOLE: 2011 Selle Français mare by Pardis Latin x Diamant de Semilly
ANDREW KOCHER (USA), Eye Candy Jumpers: 0/61.85
8 CHUCK BERRY 8: 2007 Hanoverian gelding by Chacco Blue x Watzmann
OLIVIA CHOWDRY (USA), Atlas Equine Holdings LLC: 0/63.65
9 DOLITAIRE CHAVANNAISE: 2009 SBS mare by Cicero Z x Voltaire
ZOE CONTER (BEL), Stephex Stables: 0/63.70
10 BALOUS DIAMOND: 2010 Westphalian gelding by Balous Bellini x Polydor
GAVIN MOYLAN (CAN), Gavin Moylan: 0/65.91
11 RMF CHARLY: 2009 Holsteiner stallion by Clearway x Silvester
WILLIAM WHITAKER (GBR), Rushy Marsh Farm LLC: 0/65.94
12 BILLY BLUE BELL: 2008 Anglo European Studbook mare by Billy Congo x Jazz
RODRIGO SAMPAIO PEIXOTO (POR), Rodrigo Sampaio Peixoto: 0/66.99
Vivian Yowan and Ransom Take Champion in the Adult Amateur Hunter Younger (Sec. A)
After winning four out of the five classes making up the Adult Amateur Hunter Younger (Sec. A) division, Vivian Yowan and Ransom shot straight to the top of the leaderboard to win the tricolor ribbon with an impressive 40.00 points. The division spanned five classes over the course of Thursday and Friday during Week 10 of the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival.
Reserve in the division went to First Blue LLC’s Blue Empire and Meghan Knapic who finished on a total of 18.00 points. She and the six-year-old Warmblood gelding (Quaprice Du Bois Margot x Evita) landed top-five placings in four of the five classes with one first, one third, and two fourths to take home the reserve champion ribbon.
With 17 entries in the division, Yowan stated it was one of the most competitive weekends she’s had as an adult amateur. “This division will certainly give you a run for your money because so many of the riders have recently aged out of the junior hunter divisions, and there are some incredibly nice horses,” she said.
The victory comes as a special surprise to Yowan who has had almost no time to compete since starting her college career. Despite a lack of time in the ring as an adult, Yowan is no stranger to the hunter field, or to Belhaven Stables LLC’s 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Casiro x unknown).
“I actually used to own Ransom when I was a junior rider,” she explained. “I went away to Southern Methodist University for college and we sold him.”
Three years ago, Yowan was finding success with the gelding in the Small Junior Hunter divisions and says he is just as competitive as she remembers.
“He has always been a really special horse and has always had a presence about him that he tries his hardest to win. I’m just so grateful to his new owners for allowing me the chance to team up with him again,” she added.
Hunter competition for the weekend will kick off Saturday, March 16, with the Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’6” 18-35 in the E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Field, and the Small Junior Hunter 3’6” 15 & Under division in the Rost Arena.
Major reporting contributions for this article were received from the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington FL. and Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. Please visit Palm Beach International Equestrian Center at pbiec.coth.com or call (561) 793-5867, or email info@equestriansport.com. Please visit Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. at jenniferwoodmedia.com or email info@jenniferwoodmedia.com.
