THE highlight of week eight at Wellington International’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Florida was the $150,000 CSIO4* Nations Cup on Saturday night, with 10 teams lining up to compete from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Great Britain, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States.

Michael Blake had selected his Irish team as Darragh Kenny with Eddy Blue; David O’Brien with El Balou OLD; Shane Sweetnam with RR Combella and Cian O’Connor with Fancy De Kergane, with Ireland drawn third to jump.

Clear first rounds from Darragh Kenny with Eddy Blue, owned by Kerry Anne, LLC; David O’Brien with El Balou OLD, owned by Chansonette and Leap Year Farms, and Cian O’Connor with Fancy De Kergane, owned by Coolmore Showjumping, put Ireland on a zero score at the halfway stage – the only team to be without faults. Shane Sweetnam on RR Combella, owned by Sweet Oak Farm and Voquest, LLC, incurred four faults, which were discarded. All four Irish riders were on horses making their Nations Cup debuts.

From the 10 teams who competed in the opening round, only eight proceeded to the second round, held under the ‘Saturday Night Lights’ spotlight; the teams from New Zealand and Mexico did not return. At the halfway stage, Israel were on four faults, Canada had eight and the USA were tied with Colombia on 12.

The challenging course, built by USA’s Steve Stephens and Nick Garant, saw more faults being accrued, including by Ireland, with Kenny and Sweetnam picking up four faults each, while O’Brien added just two time penalties. That put Ireland on a final score of 10 faults and O’Connor had no need to jump in the second round, as they were so far ahead of their rivals.

Canada, who had won the 2023 edition of the WEF Nations Cup, incurred a further 12 faults to finish on a score of 20 and take the runner-up position, while the USA also added an additional 12 to their first round score to end on 24 faults, and they had to settle for third place.

It was David O’Brien’s first Nations Cup appearance for Ireland and, after his impressive clear first round, he and El Balou OLD finished on just two time faults from the second round. “On big days, he’s a fighter and it’s really special for me to be sitting up here with these three Olympic riders,” said O’Brien. “The horse has a long history and I got him because he was a difficult child, and he needed a continuing programme.

“To me, he’s my number one, so every day we’re out for a long time and it’s a process to keep him focused. But results-wise, I’m very happy with him. He’s probably been the reason I was able to go out on my own and have a business.”

Kenny, who has had a CSI5* Grand Prix win already this season, also jumped clear in the first round and finished on a total of four faults with Eddy Blue.

“I love to ride for Ireland. It’s one of my favourite things, second to winning, of course,” he said. “But winning with an Irish team, that’s even better.

“[Eddy Blue] has never done two rounds like that before, but he seemed to step up to the occasion very well,” continued Kenny.

The Irish show jumping team, who won the $150,000 CSIO4* Nations Cup at Wellington, David O'Brien, Shane Sweetnam, Chef d'Equipe Michael Blake, Cian O'Connor and Darragh Kenny \ Sportfot

Following the win, Show Jumping High Performance Director, Michael Blake said: “I’m delighted with the boys - that was a fantastic performance. We really set ourselves up early on, with clear rounds from Darragh and David - we weren’t for catching from then on.

“I like to give opportunities and this was a well-deserved call-up for David. He proved me right by jumping two excellent rounds on his first senior Nations Cup in the green jacket.

“We got off to the right start and the lads are so professional that they managed the lead very well - it sets us up now for the five-star Longines League of Nations second leg in Ocala in a few weeks.”

This is the fifth time that Ireland have won in the 23-year history of the event at the Winter Equestrian Festival at Wellington International.

Podium topper

That wasn’t the only Irish success at Wellington, though. Tom Wachman on Cathalina S claimed the top spot in $32,000 Dodd Technologies CSIO4* 1.45m class on Friday.

From a start list of 38, Wachman and the 15-year-old chesnut mare (Salt N Pepa S x Sandro), owned by Coolmore Show jumping, sped to victory, jumping clear in a time of 58.37 seconds.

Speaking afterwards, Wachman (19) said: “I think I was the only one in the class to do five to the double of verticals. She [Cathalina S] has a huge stride and that’s one of the big things for her, it’s how she can be very quick in the speed classes. I think that’s where I probably won.

“I started riding her here in Wellington last January,” Wachman continued. “She won a 1.50m class in Ocala two weeks ago and she nearly won the WEF yesterday; she’s super.”

Week eight of competition at the Winter Equestrian Festival began on Wednesday, February 28th, when Paul O’Shea made a good start for Ireland, taking the runner-up spot in the $8,000 1.45m Open Jumper class with Little Magic D’Asschaut, while Jonathan Corrigan was also runner-up in the $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper class on board Gamean.

Tom Wachman on Cathalina S won the $32,000 Dodd Technologies CSIO4* 1.45m class at Wellington International, Florida \ Sportfot

Meanwhile, in the $2,500 1.35m Open Jumper class, Darragh Kenny on Rockstar came second and Gavin Harley on Marolot PS placed fifth. Shane Sweetnam rode Honey Heart into eighth place in the $2,000 1.30m Open Jumper class, with Francis Derwin placing eighth in the $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper class on Jamaica.

Conor O’Regan on Sabine DR placed sixth in the day’s Six-year-old Young Jumper class, while Daniel Geaney on Miss Spot came third in the Seven-year-old class.

Thursday saw a fourth place for Derwin on Elien in the $10,000 U25 Welcome class, while Cian O’Connor and Fermoy took fourth place in the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Rd 8, as mentioned last week.

Sweetnam on Honey Heart were eighth in the $2,500 1.35m Open Jumper class, followed by Kevin Gallagher on Inferno BF in 10th. Lorcan Gallagher on Diablo Rouge Z placed eighth in the day’s Six-year-old Young Jumper class, while Corrigan on Rembrandt were fourth in the Seven-year-old class.

Friday’s $32,000 U25 Semi-Final Grand Prix saw Derwin on Elien place second and Tom Wachman on Obora’s Laura place third.

The $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper class saw Jordan Coyle on Action T take second place, with Derwin on Jamaica in seventh and Andrew Bourns on Tranquility Bay in ninth. Jenny Rankin rode Chacothago to win the $2,500 1.35m Open Jumper class, with Kenny on Joberlina TN in sixth. Corrigan on Casaltan placed eighth in the $2,000 1.30m Open Jumper class.

The $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper class was dominated by the Irish, with Kenny on Rockstar winning the class, Dermott Lennon on King Kannan GP in second and Gavin Harley on Lightning in third, followed by Stephen Moore on Eleanor in seventh. Geaney on Miss Spot placed fourth in the day’s Seven-year-old class.

Following Ireland’s Nations Cup success on Saturday, the $50,000 1.50m National Grand Prix saw Christian Coyle take seventh place on board Extravaganza Semilly, followed by Jenny Rankin on Ibiza in eighth.

Wachman came to the fore again on Sunday, when he rode Berlux Z into fifth place in the $200,000 CSIO4* Grand Prix, where, out of 45 starters, they were among just five combinations who jumped clear in the first round.