TIPPERARY’S Tom Wachman certainly let everyone know he was there, when he won two two-star classes in Wellington, Florida, last week riding I’m Here, owned by Coolmore Show jumping.
Wachman got the Irish off to a great start, when he first won last Wednesday’s two-star $6,000 1.40m class. From 64 starters, 50 jumped clear in the first round, with 44 of them proceeding to round two. An impressive 27 of them remained fault-free, but time was crucial and Wachman clocked 26.42 seconds, which could not be caught. He was over a second ahead of French runner-up, Marie Hecart on Vahinee (27.76), while Andres Julio Soto Pena (DOM) on Optimus Blue completed the podium in 27.99.
Thursday saw Wachman take another win with I’m Here, this time in the two-star $6,000 1.45m speed class, when he was fastest of the 26 starters, finishing in a time of 64.54 – almost two seconds ahead of second placed Nicole Walker (CAN) on Excellent B (66.33), while Alison Robitaille (USA) and Dagny placed third (66.47).
Meanwhile, there were two Irish in the top five of Thursday’s five-star $116,100 WEF Challenge round five, with Cork’s Shane Sweetnam riding the 14-year-old mare Gilona AO into third place (36.14), followed by Galway’s Andrew Bourns on the John Mulvey-bred Tranquility Bay (ISH) in fifth (37.17). The class had 51 starters, of whom 11 jumped clear in the first round to get through to the jump-off. Eight of them managed to jump double clear, including the two Irish men. The win went to Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) on Katanga V/H Dingeshof (35.48), with Ben Maher (GBR) second with Enjeu de Grisien (35.62).
Galway’s Michael Duffy then secured a podium finish in Sunday’s five-star $62,500 1.50m Classic on board RMF Clinton Son, when double clear in a jump-off time of 38.13. Less than a second ahead, Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) won the class with Denver de Talma (37.38), with Ballard (CAN) on Ginger Ask in second (37.43).
Shane Sweetnam and Gilona AO took third place in the five-star $116,100 WEF Challenge round five at Wellington \ Sportfot
In the ribbons
Week five of the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington in Florida saw numerous Irish contenders bringing home ribbons.
Wednesday’s five-star $32,000 1.45m class saw Duffy on RMF Clinton Son finish seventh of the 42 on the start list, while in the $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper class, Shane Sweetnam placed eighth with Rural Juror SCF and Darragh Kenny placed 10th with Colibelle Hero Z.
Daniel Kerins took the top spot in the $2,000 1.30m Open Jumper class riding Sempa Fidelis; Senan Hayes had a joint win in the day’s Five-year-old Young Jumper class with Paisley and Kevin Gallagher was runner-up in the Seven-year-old class with Ninja BF.
Gallagher and Ninja BF then placed seventh in Thursday’s Seven-year-old Young Jumper class.
Friday saw three Irish in the top 10 of the $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper class, when Stephen Moore took both sixth (Vico G) and ninth (Gabbie BH) places and Paul O’Shea rode Valantus into 10th. Remarkably, Canada’s Erynn Ballard took all three podium placings!
The day’s seven-year-old class saw Gallagher and Ninja BF take the top spot, followed by Cameron Hanley on Santiago VH Netehof in second and O’Shea on Ouija in fourth.
There was tough competition in Saturday’s five-star $385,000 Grand Prix, with 40 starters taking on the challenge and 11 making it through to the jump-off. Duffy and Cantano 32 was among four who faulted in the jump-off round, with an unfortunate four faults putting him in eighth place as the fastest four-faulter. The class was won by Kent Farrington (USA) on Greya, with Christian Kukuk (GER) on Checker 47 in second and Mimi Gochman (USA) on Inclen BH in third.