TOKYO 2020 Olympic team silver medallist McLain Ward partnered up with his Tokyo mount, Contagious, on Saturday to win the four-star $216,000 Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix during week five at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, USA.

Brazil’s Anderson Lima built a challenged 1.55m track for the 46 starters with the last-line triple combination proved to be the Achilles heel for a large number of riders, as well as the open water which caused its fair share of problems. That led to nine combinations having four faults, while two cleared the fences but were over the time allowed.

In the end, just four combinations progressed to the jump-off track on the big grass derby field. It was a battle of the elite as Ward and 2020 Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher came up against USA’s Ali Wolff and young Belgian rider Zoe Conter in round two.

Ward was the first to return and immediately left no room for error as he and the 13-year-old Rheinlander gelding (Contagio x For Keeps) flew over the field in what proved to be the fastest time of 42.95 seconds. Maher followed with the mare Ginger-Blue but faulted once which would leave him in fourth place.

Third to go, Conter and her long-term mount Davidoff De Lassus were clear in 44.92 seconds to secure the runner-up position, just ahead of Ali Wolff and her loyal stead Casall who was clear in the slower time of 45.70.

Bertram Allen was best of the Irish in ninth place with his Tokyo Olympic Games mount Pacino Amiro; the pair picked up four faults in the first round.

Ward also won Thursday’s WEF Challenge cup with Contagious. “I’m incredibly lucky with Contagious because he is a super careful horse so you can take a shot like we did on Thursday, and if anything, it will give him a bit more energy or gas for the weekend,” explained Ward.

“Today’s course was very challenging, and there is not a whole lot of difference between a four-star and five-star Grand Prix anymore. What they may lose in spread from a five-star to a four-star, they make up for in time allowed and trickier questions. It was a classic test with big jumps.”

Coyle wins

Derry’s Daniel Coyle got his week off to a good start when winning Wednesday’s 1.45m aboard Ariel Grange’s Farona.

The lead changed hands several times throughout the class before finally settling with Coyle and the 12-year-old KWPN mare by Baltic VDL.The pair landed through the timers in a time of 30.49 seconds and held strong as final entry, Britain’s Samuel Hutton, attempted a takeover but fell just shy in a time of 30.96.

Farona was a former top horse for Coyle and is now making a comeback after time on the sidelines due to an injury. “We got Farona as a six-year-old from the WEF Sport Horse Auction here in Wellington, and she has always been incredible,” Coyle explained. “She had several wins under her belt in Canada as a young horse and then went to Europe when she was eight and won a lot of ranking classes over there.”

The mare sustained a minor, but difficult to overcome, injury after performing in a Nations Cup at the 2019 WEF. “Ariel up with the plan to bring her back, and thankfully it worked and she is here and better than ever,” he added. “We have only had her back in the show ring since December of 2021, and this was my first 1.45m competition back with her but she is very sensitive and careful.”

Coyle added that he looks forward to continuing to compete with her as long as she feels comfortable. “As she tells me, I will take her forward. She is a very talented woman, and I hope to hold on to her and keep her in the sport for a long time.”

Sweetnam runner-up

Cork’s Shane Sweetnam was runner-up in Sunday’s 1.50m class with the Irish Sport Horse gelding CSF James Kann Cruz (Kannan x Cruising), a nine-year-old gelding bred by Patrick Connolly.

Sweetnam was first of the nine clears in the first round to return against the clock and he set the standard with a clear in 37.42 seconds. Sweetnam held tight to the lead until Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton, last to go, executed aflawless round to shave seven-tenths of a second from Sweetnam’s final number and finished in a time of 37.35 seconds.

Cian O’Connor finished eighth aboard Coolmore Showjumping’s nine-year-old stallion Taj Mahal, with four faults against the clock, while Harry Allen was ninth aboard his brother Bertram’s 15-year-old gelding Harley VD Bisschop (0/9 54.14).