British one-two in Florida classic
Winter Equestrian Festival week one, Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Florida, USA
BRITISH riders displayed great form in Florida in this week’s three-star classes, where Grace Debney just seized the advantage over her compatriot Matthew Boddy in Sunday’s CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m jumper classic.
US-based 17-year-old Grace was riding her 11-year-old Kannan mare Boheme De La Roque to secure one of the biggest wins of her career.
“She’s definitely been my rock for FEI and stepping up into the bigger classes,” Grace said. “I can always count on her. She really wants to win just as much as I do, and she’s such a fighter.”
With time-faults proving crucial in round one, only three riders jumped–off, with US rider Brian Moggre (Dior PZ) setting the standard of 36.95sec. Grace and Boheme immediately shaved nearly two seconds off his time before Matthew
Boddy chased her home with
Cliff Z, but couldn’t quite come close enough.
“I was excited to hammer down there and slice that vertical [across the centre of the ring in the jump-off],” Grace revealed. “Boheme is always looking for the next jump, so that jump-off was really nice for her.”
A RISING STAR
GRACE is a real rising star on the US circuit, having won the US Equestrian Hunter Seat Medal Final in October and began her international jumping career a year ago.
She admitted to being “soaking wet and really cold” for Sunday’s class, having come straight from competing in the high junior jumper classic, which had to be put on hold due to torrential rain.
“But I was really happy I was getting on [Boheme De La Roque], because I know she’s always going to step right up to the plate,” she said of the mare she began riding a year ago.
Irishman Shane Sweetnam and Alejandro finished fourth in the class with a time-fault, but he found winning form earlier in the week in Friday’s 1.45m speed class riding the nine-year-old OBOS Quality 004 x Limmerick mare, Caraghs Quality Lady.
The mare is owned and usually ridden by Anna Beth Athey, who was away at school so handed over the reins to her trainer to give the mare mileage in bigger classes.
“The mare is always competitive in the ring,” he said. “She’s a super jumper and she’s only getting better.”
SMITH IS THE HERO
SATURDAY’S feature class, the $140,000 (£103,000) Southern Arches grand prix, went to US rider Spencer Smith riding Ayade Hero Z.
Eight jumped clear over the first-round track set by Anthony D’Ambrosio and
Andy Christiansen Jr, and Spencer found the winning time with a risky stride out in the first line.
“I wasn’t planning it,” he admitted. “Then going to it I thought she was in a good rhythm, and I got a good jump to number one. I think to try to beat these [top] guys you have to take a risk, which either pays off or it doesn’t.”