Wellington, Florida, United States – March 13, 2025 – After taking a year to focus on developing their partnership, Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Ivory TCS are making their mark on the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). After winning the Bainbridge CSI 5* 1.50m during WEF 5, the pair saved the best for last in the $62,500 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round 10 CSI 4* on Thursday of Week 10 at Wellington International.
The mare, owned by Evergate Stables, carried Nassar to the jump-off among 17 other qualifiers over a track set by Oscar Soberon (USA). The jump-off speed kept getting faster, with U.S. Olympian Mclain Ward (USA) setting a very quick pace of 37.80 seconds early on with First Lady, owned by Robin Parsky. Nassar knew the track suited his horse and executed the winning ride as the last to return.
“It had a lot of turns which is generally very good for her,” he said about the jump-off course. “She’s not the biggest-strided horse, so in a straight line I have a hard time leaving strides out, but on the turns she’s so small and agile I can match most other numbers. The one turn by the in-gate got a little out of hand, but Ivory is such a trier. There’s nothing she believes she can’t do so I just dropped my reins and let her take over. Somehow we squeaked over the back rail and it was enough today.”
As last to go, they crossed the timers in 37.11 seconds, the clear winners. Ward took second, bumping Ireland’s Max Wachman (IRL) to third riding Kilkenny, owned by Susan Magnier.
Nassar is thrilled to be putting the pieces together with Ivory after the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Falaise de Muze x Ukato) joined his string from Irish Olympian Daniel Coyle.
“We’ve had her for about a year so I feel like this season we’ve come together as a partnership,” he remarked. “We’ve also understood what she’s good at and what level suits her, so we try to place her in classes that suit her strengths. Today was a bit of a step up for her. I wanted to spare my other horse and she’s been so good throughout the whole circuit. I felt like it was the right time to step up, and she delivered again.”
Finding the correct approach to jump-offs was what Nassar has spent the most time refining at home, and the practice has paid off. “It’s mainly flatwork for her,” he said of her training routine at home. “She’s quite downhill, and has a tendency to lean on my hand so over the last year that’s been part of her education process; trying to pick up her balance so she’s easier to steer.
“That was part of the issue early on; I was jumping clear rounds but having a hard time in the jump-off placing her around the turns where I wanted her,” he continued. “It seems to be going the right way. She’s learned a lot and she knows her job, so we just try to keep her fresh and happy and put the buttons in place on the flat.”
For Saturday night’s $216,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI 4*, Nassar will bring out ESI Ali, a horse that took a Grand Prix CSI 3* win 10 weeks ago. With Ivory, he’ll look ahead to the spring and summer season and keep pushing onward.
Final Results – $62,500 Adequan WEF Challenge Round X CSI 4*
1) Nayel Nassar (EGY) & Ivory TCS – 0 / 0 –37.11
2) McLain Ward (USA) & First Lady – 0 / 0 – 37.80
3) Max Wachman (IRL) & Kilkenny – 0 / 0 – 37.81
Source: Press Release from Wellington International
Photos: © Wellington International / Sportfot / Cassidy Klein
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Categories: CSI 4*, English, Jumper News Africa, Wellington International
