Wellington, FL – January 19, 2023 – The sun rose bright and early Thursday to set the stage for the jam-packed $6,000 1.40m Open Jumper at Wellington International. The prestigious International Ring prepared to see 79 talented horse-and-rider combinations try their hand at the Ana Catalina Cruz Harris (MEX) beautifully designed course that featured five oxers and two double combination obstacles. After stiff competition that saw a total of 24 clear rides, it was Daniel Coyle and Ariel Grange’s Langley that stood above the pack, tipping the wire at a speedy time of 52.637 seconds.
The athletes put their mounts’ speed and agility to the test in the Section A/B class format. Luke Jensen set the time to beat very early on aboard Noemi VH Wuitenshof with a speedy round of 54.549 seconds. Their clear effort put the pressure on the remaining competitors to push the limits as the time allowed of 67 seconds quickly proved to be insufficient if the riders wanted to vie for a ribbon. After holding the top spot for quite some time, Jensen and Beyeart Farm Inc.’s 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare fell from the top spot as Coyle and Rodrigo Pessoa bested their effort.
Set at 30th in the order of go, Coyle and his mount came in prepared and did not falter from their plan during the round. Coyle piloted Langley quickly and efficiently though several bending lines and over each obstacle. Langley took to the track with the perfect combination of confidence and poise, making the ride look effortless. Although the pair had 40 entries to go after them, their time proved to be unbeatable as they took home the blue ribbon. The partnership looks to continue growing in the 1.40 division throughout their remaining time in Wellington, as they aim for the top of the leaderboard in each class they enter.
Just before the drag break, Rodrigo Pessoa and Lord Lucio put forth their best effort to try and knock Coyle and Langley off the top spot, but ultimately came up just short. Pessoa piloted Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC’s 12-year-old Holsteiner Stallion to a clear round of their own, stopping the clock at 53.821 seconds, just over a second longer than the time to beat.
Jensen and Noemi VH Wuitenshof ultimately settled into third place behind Coyle and Pessoa. The duo jumped with ease around the track, and showed that they are a force to be reckoned with at the 1.40m level.
Jumper competition comes to a head Thursday at Wellington International with the $10,000 WER 1.45m National Grand Prix Qualifier at 12:15pm in the International Ring. 99 entries will compete for a spot as they look towards the $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic National Grand Prix Saturday night. 83 jumper athlete duos will also partake in the exciting 1.40m Open Jumper Speed Challenge, set for 8:00am Friday in the International Ring.
RESULTS
$6,000 1.40m Open Jumper
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1/Langley/Daniel Coyle/ Arial Grange/0|52.637
2/Lord Lucio/Rodrigo Pessoa/Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC/0|53.821
3/Noemi VH Wuitenshof/Luke Jensen/Beyeart Farm Inc/0|54.549
4/Festnoz Du Vert/Tony Cadet/Shore Acres Farm LLC/0|55.432
5/Comius/Laura Kraut/Yegauda Valbanera SL/0|55.501
6/Coup De Coeur/Maria Costa/Ravello Farms, LLC/0|55.598
7/Pick Wick Van De Kruishoeve/Victoria Colvin/BMT Partners/0|56.362
8/Bigstar/Luke Jensen/Missy Clark & North Run/0|56.61