HorseBuff Magazine – Showjumping, Winter Equestrian Festival, WEF
Four-time U.S. Olympic medalist Beezie Madden claimed victory in the $37,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m CSI5* aboard Jiva, and Georgina Bloomberg topped the Bainbridge Companies 1.40m CSI5* riding new mount Balotelli 5 to open week seven at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on Wednesday, February 19.
WEF continues through March 29 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, with 12 consecutive weeks of world-class competition and $13 million dollars on offer. The seventh week of competition, sponsored by Lugano Diamonds, runs February 19-23 is recognized as a CSI5* and CSI2* by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). Featured events of the week include the $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* during “Saturday Night Lights”.
Madden and her lightning-fast mare bested a field of 73 over courses set by Santiago Varela (ESP). The top three in Wednesday’s feature class were all separated by less than a half of a second. Madden’s time of 46.52 seconds bumped Ireland’s Jordan Coyle and Kristen Vanderveen (USA) to a tie for second place with matching times of 46.81 seconds. Coyle piloted Centriko Volo for Celtic Park LLC, while Vanderveen rode Bull Run’s Divine Fortune, owned by her own Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC.
“It feels great,” said Madden of kicking the week off with a win. “This is the first time Jiva has come out and tried to be competitive [this season].”
Jiva has been resting since the fall show season and has not competed in the FEI ranks since the National Horse Show in November. “I’m really pleased that she stepped right up and won her first class,” continued Madden of the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Concorde x Nonstop). “She’s really a speed specialist, so this is her class. It’s fun and always good for me to go in and go fast to try to keep up with all these riders in the speed.”
Madden is looking forward to the rest of the WEF season with a stacked string of grand prix mounts as she inches closer to her goal of representing the United States at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, this summer.
“I’ve been showing them two at time to get their fitness up to level, but they are all back to doing the grand prix again,” she said. “It’s exciting for me to have them all fit and ready to be competitive.”
Fellow U.S. rider Adrienne Sternlicht took fourth riding Cadans Z, owned by Starlight Farms 1 LLC, in 48.04 seconds, while Japan’s Karen Polle capped the top five with her own Kino by stopping the clock in 48.54 seconds.
Kicking off CSI5* competition earlier in the day, Georgina Bloomberg (USA) rode a new mount to the pair’s first FEI victory together, topping the Bainbridge Companies 1.40m CSI5*. Besting 35 other contenders, Bloomberg and Balotelli 5 stopped the clock at 34.58 seconds over Sweden’s Petronella Andersson and Cassini Bay, owned by Stephex Stables. Their time of 35.85 seconds was just ahead of Catherine Tyree (USA) in third riding BEC Lorenzo in 36.69 seconds for owner Mary Tyree.
“I’m still getting to know him, so I didn’t go super fast,” said Bloomberg of her first CSI5* outing with Balotelli 5, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Balou du Rouet x Contendro I). “I still tried to do some of the inside turns so I could learn a little about him, and he’s a naturally quick horse. We are taking it slow, but he has a lot of talent.
“I’m learning to trust him a lot,” continued Bloomberg. “He is a little spooky but very honest at the jump. He’s definitely a horse for the big classes.”
Balotelli 5 joined Bloomberg’s string in the fall of 2019 after competing with amateur rider Julia Plate (GER). “She was riding with Jos Lansink, and several people had told us about the horse,” said Bloomberg. “It was the right time for us and for her to be able to sell him. We were lucky.”
Bloomberg is using the winter season in Florida to gain final points towards qualifying for the 2020 FEI Jumper World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas, NV.
Also, winning in the International Arena on Wednesday, Sarah Segal (USA) topped the $8,000 Dutta Corp/G Klatte 1.40m during Performance EP, owned by Robert Segal.
Final Results: $37,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m CSI5*
1 JIVA: 2009 BWP mare by Concorde x Nonstop
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/0/46.52
2 CENTRIKO VOLO: 2012 Oldenburg gelding by Centadel x Chacco-Blue
JORDAN COYLE (IRL), Celtic Park, LLC: 0/0/46.81
2 BULL RUN’S DIVINE FORTUNE: 2009 KWPN mare by Padinus x Caruso
KRISTEN VANDERVEEN (USA), Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC: 0/0/46.81
4 CADANS Z: 2009 Zangersheide mare by Carosso VDL x Navarone
ADRIENNE STERNLICHT (USA), Starlight Farms 1, LLC: 0/0/48.04
5 KINO: 2008 Holsteiner gelding by Lord Z x Chambertin 3
KAREN POLLE (JPN), Karen Polle: 0/0/48.54
6 OASIS SPIRIT: 2010 Irish Sport Horse mare by Cobra
AMANDA DERBYSHIRE (GBR), Amanda Derbyshire: 0/0/49.30
7 DIABLEUR: 2008 KWPN gelding by Berlin x Major de la Cour
ERYNN BALLARD (CAN), Emma Waldfogel: 0/0/49.32
8 VDL CARTELLO: 2007 Holsteiner stallion by Carani x Lord
CORMAC HANLEY (IRL), Heathman Farm, LLC: 0/0/50.60
9 ANNA JO: 2009 Oldenburg mare by Acodetto 2 x For Pleasure
PARIS SELLON (USA), Willow Grace Farm: 0/0/51.33
10 BREITLING LS: 2006 Dutch Warmblood stallion by Quintero x Accord II
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/0/51.46
11 VITIKI: 2008 Hanoverian by Valentino x For Expo
YURI MANSUR (BRA), Yuri Mansur: 0/0/51.48
12 PIA CONTRA: 2011 Oldenburg mare by Conthargos x Chacco-Blue
NICOLAS PIZARRO (MEX), Nicolas Pizarro: 0/0/52.47
Final Results: $1,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m CSI5*
1 BALOTELLI 5: 2010 Hanoverian gelding by Balou du Rouet x Contendro I
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG (USA), Purple Road, LLC: 0/0/34.58
2 CASSINI BAY: 2007 Holsteiner stallion by Cassini I x Acord II
PETRONELLA ANDERSSON (SWE), Stephex Stables: 0/0/35.85
3 BEC LORENZO: 2010 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Livello x Guidam
CATHERINE TYREE (USA), Mary Tyree: 0/0/36.69
4 DISNEYLAND: 2011 Holsteiner mare
NICOLAS PIZARRO (MEX), Nicolas Pizarro: 0/0/36.90
5 BALENTO CS: 2011 Oldenburg stallion by Balou du Rouet x Cento
Lorenzo DE LUCA (ITA), Stephex Stables: 0/0/38.47
6 INDRA VAN DE OUDE HEIHOEF: 2008 Belgian Warmblood mare by Casantos x Action-Breaker
SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), The Blue Buckle Group: 0/0/39.42
7 FELLINI S: 2010 KWPN gelding by Vermont x Rash R
ERYNN BALLARD (CAN), Ilan Ferder: 0/0/39.55
8 PRIMO TROY: 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Clinton x VDL Arkansas
ANDREW WELLES (USA), Itasca Group LLC: 0/0/39.89
9 DOLITAIRE CHAVANNAISE: 2009 SBS mare by Cicero Z x Voltaire
ZOE CONTER (BEL), Stephex Stables: 0/0/40.25
10 COOLIO 40: 2012 Hanoverian stallion by Catoki x Satisfaction II
TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Wendy Valdes: 0/0/40.29
11 KAPRICE: 2010 BWP mare by Echo van’t Spieveld x Carthago
KENT FARRINGTON (USA), Tanma Corp. & Kent Farrington: 0/1/42.49
12 PSG FINAL: 2010 Italian Warmblood gelding by Toulon x Cassini
CIAN O’CONNOR (IRL), Ronnoco Jump ltd.: 0/1/43.12
Photo credit: Photos © Sportfot
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.
