Wrapping up Sunday’s competition, Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Imerald van’t Voorhof won the $50,000 Equiline Grand Prix CSI 2*. In the $70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Classic CSI 5*, Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward rode Bellefleur PS Z to her second win of the week. The two competitions closed out week five competition on Sunday, February 11, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. WEF continues through April 1 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, and offers more than $9 million in prize money.

WEF continues with week six featuring World Championship Hunter Rider competition on February 14-18 and FEI jumper competition at Equestrian Village at PBIEC (13500 South Shore Blvd.). Highlight events include the $132,000 Rushy Marsh Farm Grand Prix CSI 3* on Friday, February 16, at 7 p.m. in the Global International Arena at Equestrian Village and the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular for “Saturday Night Lights” on Saturday, February 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the WEF International Arena.

O’Shea has been riding Imerald for a year. He said, “He is owned by the Tisbo family and I am very grateful to them for letting me ride him. Lauren was here to watch him and support us.”

O’Shea said of Imerald, “He is extremely scopey and brave and has a massive stride. That was useful today with the long gallops, like down to the double (combination). To be able to really open him up, his stride and scope was a big help to the last fence.”

Conor Swail (IRL) & GK Coco Chanel

Swail has been riding GK Coco Chanel since July, but after competing at the Royal Horse Show in Toronto in November, he has not sat on the horse since.

“He has had a nice break and we have done a few smaller things with him here and there with my rider, James Chalke; he has kept him going very nicely for me,” he said. “I just appeared this week and I have to say the horse feels really good and he jumped very, very well today.”

Rebecca Conway (USA) & Salitos 8

Conway and Salitos 8 have only been paired together since December, and it took some adjustments to get to this performance.

“We had to change some of the equipment a little bit as we were getting to know him,” she said. “This week, he jumped very well in the qualifier and I have to say I was very rusty in the jump-off and started slow and made a mistake. John Brennan and Missy Clarke are helping me. John said to me before I went in the ring (today), ‘Don’t go in there and try to be fifth, go in there and try to win this thing.’ He jumps this very easily and I think the few equipment changes we have made in the past few weeks are the reason why I was able to get the result I did today.”

Source: Press Release by Jennifer Wood Media Inc. for ESP / WEF

Photos: © Sportfot