Wellington, Florida, USA – The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) was once again the center of attention of equestrian sports last Saturday, hosting the $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI 5*, the main competition during the seventh week of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).

The challenge featured some of the best horsemen and showjumpers in the world, among them FEI Jumping World Cup Final Champions  McLain Ward (USA) & HH Azur and Beezie Madden (USA) & Breitling LS. Moreover, IJRC Rolex Top 10 Final Winners Eric Lamaze (CAN) & Fine Lady 5 and multiple Grand Prix winners Margie Engle (USA) & Royce, Daniel Bluman (ISR) & Ladriano Z, Nayel Nassar (EGY) & Lucifer V were just a few of the “Titans of the Sport” that competed at the International Arena.

Eduardo Menezes (BRA) & Magnolia Mystic Rose warming up

Among them, Eduardo Menezes (BRA) and Magnolia Mystic Rose, a pair that had faced Alan Wade‘s (IRL) demanding course the Sunday before while defending Brazil in the  $230,000 Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup USA CSIO 5*, where the duo had the best score among the team’s four combinations.

Many would have counted them out of contention for last Saturday night’s spectacle,  mainly due to the short time for rest between the two classes and the  fact that they would face another very gruesome test, this time set by Santiago Varela (ESP), who has been appointed as the course designer for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Eduardo Menezes (BRA) & Magnolia Mystic Rose flying high under adverse weather conditions

Besides facing another demanding course with little rest, they had to compete under adverse weather conditions due to the rain. Moreover, the duo also had the disadvantage of being the second pair to try to answer the Spaniard’s questions on a 1.60m course that was both big and very technical.

Magnolia Mystic Rose showing her athleticism to clear the obstacle jumping off an angle

The triple combination and Rolex oxer took a toll on several combinations, and there was a high number of pairs that either retired or had refusals (9) and even one elimination.  However, that was not the case of Menezes and Haras Rosa Mystica’s Brazilian 11-year-old Sport Horse mare (Zirocco Blue VDL x Cardento),  who once again put on a brilliant performance en route to a clear score in the first round. Actually, Magnolia is younger than that, having been born on the 17th of October, 2009. Due to the different criteria adopted by FEI for horses born in the southern hemisphere, she is 11 years old, but in fact, she is only 10 years old, making her feats even more impressive.  Despite her young young age, the mare showed scope, agility and extreme athleticism for an animal of her size, thus advancing to the tiebreaker with five other pairs.

The obstacles were big making ringmaster Steve Rector look small from a distance

The jump-off approached and the dynamic duo would be the pathfinders. Once again, Varela showed the brilliance of his course designing, reducing the triple to a double combination, daring riders to take a shortcut, going through a very tight inside line  to the gazebo, coming right up to what would be the bogey double. Eduardo took the mare and showed her what he was planning to do. The magnificent duo executed the plan but unluckily, element a came down.

Eduardo Menezes (BRA) & Magnolia Mystic Rose

Taking into account the short time to rest, the adverse conditions, her age and their audacity, the magnificent duo certainly made another great impression on both Pedro Paulo Lacerda and Philippe Guerdat along the journey of the selection process to represent Brazil in the next Olympic Games.

Text: Jumper News, no reproduction without permission.

Photos: © Haras Rosa Mystica / Jacquie Porcaro