Wellington, Florida, USA – January 30, 2019 – A field of almost 90 horse-and-rider combinations kicked off the fourth week of the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) with a change of scenery as the $6,000 Bainbridge 1.40m CSI 4* class took to the Derby Field Wednesday morning. Brazil held both top positions in the class as newcomer Sergio Marins executed a flawless and lightning-fast round to take the win.

Week 4 is sponsored by Marshall & Sterling Insurance/Great American and features a fan favorite, the Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments® , during “Saturday Night Lights” on February 2 at 7 p.m. in the International Arena. The week will also host a variety of top hunter and jumper competition, including Saturday’s $209,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance/Great American Grand Prix. Jumper riders will have the opportunity to enjoy new surroundings as each day will feature competition on the Derby Field at Equestrian Village as well as in the typical Palm Beach International Equestrian Center setting.

Marins and the 10-year-old KWPN gelding (Berlin x Lady Santa Monica), Elvis Santa Monica, jumped towards the end of the order with only seven horse and rider combinations following. As the 81 of 86 entries to compete over the Anderson Lima (BRA) designed course, Marins went full-throttle to overtake the lead from fellow Brazilian competitor Luiz Francisco De Azevedo. Azevedo had entered the field approximately ten trips earlier aboard Santa Cecilia Stables’ nine-year-old Zangersheide mare (Sandro Boy x Carotin HP), So What HP, and had set the lead with a blazing time of 31.61 seconds.

Marins and Verena Janssen’s Elvis Santa Monica finished with a time of 30.46 seconds, which was even more impressive when compared to the time faults accumulated by almost half of the class entries. The third place title went to the USA’s Todd Minikus with Todd Minikus LTD’s I Dottori VD Richter, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Winningmood VD Arenberg x Ranca). The pair took home a time of 31.80 seconds in the second phase of competition.

Marins plans to return to Brazil following Week 4 of WEF and is especially pleased with the win as it was the duo’s only competition for the week.

Bainbridge Chairman and CEO Richard Schechter, Ringmaster Steve Rector, Sergio Marins and trainer Nelton Marcon.

“ I am very, very happy because this is the first time this horse and I have stayed here and competed in Wellington and the FEI competition is much more competitive here,” Marins said. “To win such a big class here, it makes me very happy and very proud; I look forward to coming again next year.”

Competition will continue Thursday, January 31, featuring the fourth round of the $72,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup on the  Derby Field at Equestrian Village.

For full results, please click here.

Source: Press release by Summer Grace / Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. for for PBIEC – Palm Beach International Equestrian Center / ESP – Equestrian Sports Productions

Photos: © Sportfot