The final week of the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) came to a close on Sunday with a victory for USA’s Eve Jobs and her own High Point VDL (Tinka’s Boy x Indoctro) in the $62,500 Vogel CSI2* Grand Prix in the main arena at Wellington International. Thirteen weeks of exceptional jumper, hunter and equitation competition at WEF concluded on Sunday.
Guilherme Jorge (BRA) laid down one final track for forty-five two-start athletes. From the initial field, six returned for a tie-breaking jump-off.
Jobs recently returned to the competition arena and rode 12-year-old gelding, High Point VDL, to their first win together as a team. “He's a horse I actually got a couple years back from Enda Carroll and Stephanie Carroll from Ashford Farm and he's been amazing,” said Jobs. “I took a couple years away from the sport and would just come back for a few shows here and there throughout the year. I slowly but surely built a really special partnership with him and it’s been amazing.”
Their partnership peaked as the pair jumped double clear, crossing the short course finish line in 41.19 seconds. “He's rideable and he's got such great natural balance. He's a naturally very careful horse and today it was good enough,” continued Jobs.
Following on the podium was Callie Schott (USA) and Fair Field (VDL Zirocco Blue x Chin Chin), owned by Southern Arches, LLC. The pair finished double clear in a time of 42.67 seconds. Closing out the podium was Jessica Mendoza (GBR) and her own Chuck Bass (Centadel x Kannan), with a close finishing time of 42.79 seconds.
“I started this season on a blank canvas just seeing how the horses were and how I was feeling, and as the weeks have gone on I've gotten a lot more into it myself,” said Jobs. “The horses are going great, my team's amazing at home and they've done such a wonderful job of keeping them that way. For the foreseeable future I plan on coming back.”
Jobs and High Point VDL will continue their time in Wellington with plans of returning to the arena for the ESP Spring Series at Wellington International.
Closing the International Arena action for the WEF 2024 season was the BluCreeq Spirits 1.50m National Grand Prix. Taking the win was Eduardo De Menezes (BRA) and H5 Elvaro, owned by H5 Sport Horses. The pair jumped double-clear in a time of 35.118 seconds, taking home the blue.
Earning the second spot was Diego Perez Bilbao (ESP) and Cenmietta PS, owned by Mclain Ward, Beechwood Stables, & Susan Heller, finishing the short course in 35.443 seconds. Closing out the podium was Juan Ortiz (VEN) and Vintage, owned by Blue Trim LLC, jumping to a clear 37.11 seconds.
Laura Karet and Dinner at 8 Capture Final Champion Ribbon in Marshall & Sterling Adult Amateur Hunters
Riders in the Adult Amateur Hunters 50 and older division, presented by Marshall & Sterling, laid down their final trips in the Grand Hunter Arena for the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) season on Sunday.
Twenty-five horse-and-rider combinations performed over two final over fences rounds and a flat before the champion was named. After winning two of the jumping rounds, as well as the under saddle, the pairing of Laura Karet of Pittsburgh, PA, and Dinner at 8 were the obvious frontrunners.
“I am going to get on the plane feeling very good,” Karet, an entrepreneur who is currently in the middle of franchising a new endeavor, gushed. “It’s been a wonderful season for the whole barn, with good friends and good horses, so this is a nice capper on the whole winter.”
With a total division score of 34 points and ribbons including three firsts and a third, Karet’s final performance with Glade Run Farm LLC’s 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Bretton Woods was a memorable one.
“We’ve been together for about a year and we’ve just sort of clicked,” she explained. “He always wants to win; I’m completely biased, but he is a beautiful mover and he goes in and gives it his best every time.”
Tracy Treace of Ponte Verda Beach, FL, and Brendan Williams’ 15-year-old Warmblood mare, Knightly, won a class, earned second in the under saddle, and pinned in the top eight across all but one jumping round to deliver a consistent finish that earned them the division’s reserve champion ribbon.
