Wellington, Florida, USA – February 15, 2019 – Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Imerald van’t Voorhof won the $210,000 Longines Grand Prix of the Palm Beach Masters CSI 5* yesterday during the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup USA CSIO 5*, one of the premiere events of the Palm Beach Masters Series at Deeridge Farms in Wellington, Florida, USA.

A total of 44 combinations faced the 1.60m jump-off challenge on a course designed by Alan Wade (IRL). Wilton Porter (USA) and Caletto Cabana (Cassini I x Capecanaeral) showed the way to the rest of the field by being the first ones to complete the course flawlessly, going through the timers in 80.28 seconds.

After having won the $50,000 Suncast Grand Prix Qualifier CSI 5* the previous day, Catherine Tyree (USA) and Bokai (Up to Date x Olympic Ferro) showed consistency once again, securing what turned out to be an exciting jump-off.

Juan Manuel Gallego (COL), Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX), Andrew Welles (USA), Fernando Martinez Sommer (MEX), Elizabeth Madden (USA), Ben Maher (GBR), Mario Deslauriers (CAN), Shane Sweetnam (IRL), Lorenzo de Luca (ITA), Paul O’Shea (IRL), Danielle Goldstein (ISR), Daniel Bluman (IRL), Margie Goldstein-Engle (USA) and their amazing horses also managed to qualify for the decisive phase.

The first two combinations both had one rail down in the tiebreaker. It was up to Juan Manuel Gallego (COL) and Coulash van de Broy Z (Cadence vt Gelutt x Lys de Darmen) to register the first double clear, crossing the finish line in 39.36 seconds, a mark that would eventually earn them bronze honors.

The Colombian’s time was beaten by several combinations that followed them, but all of them did so at the expense of at least one rail down, with element 5b (from the first round) and the penultimate obstacle causing most of the damage.

Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Imerald van’t Voorhof during their lap of honor

Gallego’s lead stood until Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Tequestrian Farms’ Imerald van’t Voorhof , an 11-year-old bay Belgian Warmblood gelding (Emerald van’t Ruytershof x Bacardi x Orange de Muze) completed their brilliant performance in 36.03 seconds for the victory.

As the last ones to perform in the jump-off, Margie Engle (USA) and Royce (Cafe Au Lait x Grandilot) tried to make the most of their advantage, coming just short after flawless effort in 36.78 seconds, finishing in second place.

Paul O’Shea (IRL) and Imerald van’t Voorhof with Lou Jacobs, the President and co-founder of the Palm Beach Masters Series.

Winner’s Circle

Paul O’Shea
“There was only one clear but Margie was left behind me so I had to go as fast as I could. I actually lost my rein after jump three. It took me a second to get organized. I definitely did not get the best distance going in that I wanted. I had one stride more than I wanted to the double, but he jumped it great. I have to give full credit to Imerald there. I was thinking, ‘Keep going, Margie’s behind me, keep going!’ It wasn’t as wide as the first round so that was probably a good thing. Then, I heard that the second-to-last was jumping badly, but I didn’t want to think like that so I just really rode it as hard as I could.”

“I’ve been riding him for about two years. He’s owned by the Tisbo family, who sponsored the class, so that was very nice. I’m very grateful to them for trusting me with him. He’s a fantastic horse. He was extremely consistent all last year. He goes clear most of the time. He’s very scopey and the jumps always feel small, which is a nice feeling. When he jumps at home, he’s very laid back and easy going. Then, when he gets to the show, he gets fresh. Normally, the first day, he gets fresh and then he settles down as the week goes on, but he definitely saves himself for the competition.”

Margie Engle 
“Paul is always really fast and my horse is naturally not the quickest because he spends a lot of time in the air. The harder I kick him at the jumps, the higher he gets. I knew he was quick but I just didn’t know [where we would finish].”

“Royce has been a friend and partner of mine for seven years now, probably going on eight. He’s always had all of the ability in the world, we just had to work on his rideability in between the jumps. He’s got a great personality, he’s really sweet and he gives it a shot every time. He might not be the quickest horse in the air but he does try to leave the jumps up. He’s got a great big heart and gives you everything he has.”

Juan Manuel Gallego 
“I jumped in the beginning of the jump-off, so I just tried to have a fast, clear round with my horse. He’s not the fastest horse but then the faster riders started to have rails down so they made my finish better. It’s an honor to be here with all of you. It’s my first time sitting here. I’m really, really happy to be here. In South America we have really good riders. I think I had a really good day today. For me, it’s one of the happiest days of my life.”

“I got [Coulash van de Broy Z] almost four years ago. He’s 13 years old. He’s a good horse. Sometimes when the ring is too crowded, he’s not the easiest horse. Yesterday he was a little bit tense but today he jumped amazing. I think he’s a scopey horse.”

For full results, please click here.

Photos: © Kathy Russel Photography