Wellington, Florida, USA – February 07, 2021 – Daniel Deusser (GER) and Killer Queen VDM, owned by Stephex Stables, flew to the top spot in the $214,000 Marshall & Sterling/Great American Insurance Group Grand Prix CSI 4* on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village on Sunday, February 7, to close out the Marshall & Sterling/Great American Insurance Group CSI4* week at the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
The test set by Anderson Lima (BRA) featured 16 jumping efforts with a shortened jump-off course boasting seven obstacles and included an exciting gallop home to the Marshall & Sterling/Great American Insurance Group oxer. Eight nations were represented in the dozen qualified to return for the featured class jump-off.
Deusser and Killer Queen VDM, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Eldorado Vd Zeshoek x Derly Chin de Muze), galloped swiftly across the track, leaving all the jumps in their cups. The pair stopped the clock in 39.98 seconds making them the only combination of the day to crack the 40-second mark.
“I’m very happy with Killer Queen today,” said Deusser. “She arrived two weeks ago. I took her to other places to work with her on the grass, and she took it very well this weekend. At the end she is just an unbelievable horse. She has all of the things that a good show jumper needs; she’s very scopey, she’s careful, she has a huge stride, and she can be fast easily.”
Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Donatello 141, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding (Diarado x Lamoureux I) owned by Little Valley Farms, gave it their best effort, flying over the final jump on course to finish in 40.41 seconds. Their impressive performance marks the first time the pair has competed in an FEI event since winning the CSI 5* grand prix during WEF 9 at the 2020 WEF.
“My plan was just to run, kick as hard as I could, and turn as fast as I could,” Bond said with a smile. “My horse is little. He’s like 15.3hh and doesn’t have a very big stride, but he is game, so I just took a chance and would have been happy wherever I ended up because he’s such a good boy.”
“I think that Anderson [Lima] Is a genius course designer,” Bond continued. “Every horse that I watched this week, including my own, just got better as they went on. The courses are smart, they ask tough questions of the horses, but they’re not unfair. There are faults all over the course, and I really enjoy riding his tracks. It was a blast to be able to go up against riders like Daniel and McLain. There was so much talent out there.”
Taking the final spot on the podium was the aforementioned McLain Ward (USA) aboard Contagious, a 12-year-old Rheinlander gelding (Contagio x For Mary) owned by Beechwood Stables, LLC, crossing the finish line in 40.66 seconds.
“I was thrilled with Contagious,” said the two-time Olympic team gold medalist. “We gave him a bit of a rest in the fall. We’ve been building him back up, and we’re thrilled with him. I thought he jumped really spectacular. I was a little chicken to the last fence in the jump-off, and I took away his wind a little bit. This year WEF is so competitive, and we’re seeing a level higher of competition than ever because we’re lucky enough to still be able to compete, so everyone has come to Florida. It’s exciting.”
After a successful Sunday, Deusser is already looking ahead, hungry to add to his collection of accolades.
“I will continue with Killer Queen in the CSI 5*, and after that she will have a couple weeks off and then I will work with some of my other horses during that time,” he said.
Following the class, Deusser was also recognized with The Village of Wellington Cup, an award established in 1998 by the Village of Wellington that is presented annually by the Mayor of Wellington to the winning rider of the WEF 4 Grand Prix.
Coming up next week, it’s the first CSI 5* of the season at the 2021 WEF, sponsored by Douglas Elliman Real Estate with a concurrent CSI2* running as well, sponsored by Restylane. The action begins on Wednesday, February 10, in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), with the $37,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate 1.45m Classic CSI5*, followed by Thursday’s $73,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round 5. On Friday is the $37,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Classic along with the $37,000 Restylane 1.45m Qualifier CSI 2*.
On Saturday night, the schedule features $401,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI5* under the lights in the International Arena. The week ends with an exciting Sunday lineup with the $73,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic and the $50,000 Restylane Grand Prix CSI2*. Spectators can watch a live stream of feature classes, which are also available on-demand.
Final Results – $214,000 M&S Great American Grand Prix CSI 4*
1 ) Daniel Deusser (GER) & Killer Queen – 0 / 0 – 39.989
2) Ashlee Bond (USA) & Donatello 141 – 0 / 0 – 40.416
3) McLain Ward (USA) & Contagious – 0 / 0 – 40.699
Source: Press release by Kate Pettersen, Kim Beaudoin & Sabrina Bashares / Jennifer Wood Media Inc. for ESP – Equestrian Sports Productions / PBIEC – Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
Photos: © Sportfot
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Categories: CSI 4*, English, Jumper News Deutschland, Wellington International
