HorseBuff Magazine – Showjumping, Winter Equestrian Festival, WEF #WEF2025
Darragh Kenny (IRL) has quickly become acquainted with Chaccossini. To end the first week of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), the couple won the $32,000 Hermès CSI3* 1.50m Classic on Sunday, their second FEI success in just three shows together. WEF, which is highlighted by 12 weeks of straight FEI competition, runs through March 30 in Wellington, Florida.
Andrzej Oplatek owns the 2012 Hanoverian gelding (Chacco-Blue x Cassini II), which Kenny rides for him. The Irish Olympian saw the horse’s uniqueness from the start.
“Straight away we clicked,” he said about their partnership, having taken over the ride from Martin Fuchs (SUI). “Our first show we won a ranking show already, second show I took him to London – he was clear in a 1.55m and won a big 1.50m class – and this is my third show with him. He’s a cool horse. He’s unbelievably fun and competitive. He also has this huge stride which makes him fast against the clock.”
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On Sunday, Nick Granat’s (USA) jump-off route appeared to have been created especially for Chaccossini. He and Kenny were among the ten who were able to jump clear, but Kenny was aware that the short route was in his benefit.
“I knew the jump-off class was going to suit him because I could do two things that nobody else could do: [from fences] one to two we were all going to do the same number, but I could do five in that next line which nobody else could do,” Kenny explained of his strategy to rise to the top. “I think one other person maybe did six to the last, so that’s where his stride is just so fast.”
With a final time of 32.16 seconds, the pair was able to take the top spot and maintain it. Charlotte Jacobs (USA) finished third with Thomascourt Ballypatrick, owned by North Star, while Lillie Keenan (USA) placed just behind in second place with Opium JW van de Moerhoeve TN, owned by Chansonette Farm.
For the 2025 season, Kenny took a smaller group of horses to Wellington International, but the group’s outstanding quality had him aiming high. He hopes to take one of his best horses, Eddy Blue, to the European Championships in the summer after focusing on the CSI5* weeks and earning the necessary qualifying points for the 2025 FEI World Cup™ Final in Basel, Switzerland.
Kenny intends to use the few extra hours he has this winter to focus on his clientele, which includes young celebrities Mimi Gochman and Elena Haas.
“My clients want to build up and get more experience at the higher level which I think they’ll be able to do this winter,” he shared. “It’s a good winter for us because I’m not as busy so I get to spend more time with them. We have a great team of staff and trainers and I think it should be a good winter for us.”
Although Kenny is happy to be back in Wellington and be staying for a longer amount of time, he is aware that the competition will only get more fierce after the first week.
“It’s always very, very competitive,” he said of the caliber of competition at WEF. “Everybody gets a little more motivated every year. I think they all come out week one really motivated. All these 1.50m classes are extremely competitive with a lot of good riders and a lot of good horses. That’s the way it’s going to be every week. Everybody was trying [today] and I was just happy it was a good day for me.”
With more CSI3* action on the grass derby field, international competition returns to Wellington International during WEF 2, hosted by WeatherTech®.
Major reporting contributions for this article were received from Wellington International in Wellington FL. Please visit Wellington International at https://wellingtoninternational.com.
