Wellington, Fla. – Feb. 22, 2020 – Offering the greatest prize money thus far of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) circuit, the $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* brought 40 of the globe’s most decorated athletes to center stage at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Saturday evening, with each partnership vying for the lead spot’s payout of more than $132,000. Of the 15 nations represented, Ireland posed the greatest chance of topping the leaderboard with 10 horse-and-rider combinations in the start list, followed by the United States with nine pairs and Canada with four duos bearing the flag. In the end, it was McLain Ward (USA) aboard his longtime partner HH Azur who rode away with the victory, securing his third 5* win in Wellington in only two weeks.
Challenging exhibitors with a pattern fit for the CSI5* status of the contest, course designer Santiago Varela (ESP), who will also be creating the courses for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, tested contenders over 17 efforts, with only six rising to the occasion with fault-free rounds. Second to tackle the track, Eduardo Menezes (BRA) and Magnolia Mystic Rose were the first to master the 1.60m fences, and Capt. Brian Cournane (IRL) soon forced a jump-off aboard Penelope Cruz thanks to their clear performance. Halfway through the order, only a single pair, Alex Granato (USA) on Carlchen W, had added their names to the list despite battling the elements as the rain fell throughout their turn on course. As the class progressed, only three more contenders managed to successfully leave all the rails in the cups to advance to the short course, including Darragh Kenny (IRL) on Romeo 88, Ward with the ride on HH Azur and Daniel Coyle (IRL) atop Legacy.
With only six to return for the jump off, the pressure was on for each rider to execute swift and precise trips to seal their fate. First to go was Menezes, who tried his hand at the sharp turn inside the gazebo to the double combination, but showed early on just how tough that maneuver would be when the A element came tumbling down. Cournane and Penelope Cruz would deliver the first double-clear of the evening, opting to take the longer route around the gazebo to deliver a clear trip with a time of 44.19 seconds. Knowing that the riders behind him in the lineup would put in a quick round, Granato aimed to succeed at the inside turn to the combination and successfully cleared A, but heartbreak followed when the B element hit the ground.
Fourth in the order-of-go, Kenny would also tap a rail, adding him to the four-fault club this evening. The next, and ultimately last, double-clear effort of the evening came from crowd favorites Ward and HH Azur, co-owned by Ward and Double H Farm, who sliced across the track to cross the timers in 39.858 seconds, more than four full seconds ahead of Cournane and Penelope Cruz to leap to the top of the standings with only one pair remaining. Last to go, Coyle and Legacy turned in a valiant effort, but ultimately downed two rails to keep them out of contention and secure the victory for Ward and HH Azur. Cournane and Penelope Cruz, owned by Cournane and M/M Robert Stiller, earned the reserve honors, while Granato and Page Tredennick’s Carlchen W claimed the final podium spot.
Currently ranked No. 14 in the world and a multi-time Olympian, Ward is familiar with the winner’s circle, and the past two weeks have been especially fruitful for the athlete as he has topped three separate 5* grand prix classes in Wellington in two weeks. On Feb. 8, Ward and Noche de Ronda led the lap of honor for the $401,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5* at WEF, and just six days later the duo topped the $213,300 Longines Grand Prix CSIO5* during the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ USA week. Saturday’s victory aboard HH Azur brings the total to three, with his sights set on more wins in the coming weeks as 5* competition returns to WEF for Week Nine and Twelve.
Show jumping action will continue Sunday at WEF with the $73,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic CSI5* slated to begin at 10:45 a.m., followed by a 2 p.m. start time for the $50,000 Dutta Corp/Guido Klatte Grand Prix CSI2*. WEF Weeks Nine and Twelve will once again feature CSI5* competition.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
McLain Ward (USA) – $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* winner
On his recent accomplishments and his second child being born:
“It’s been a pretty incredible few weeks. I didn’t do much on the baby girl part. My team is doing an incredible job. I’m lucky to have phenomenal horses and owners, and to have multiple horses who can win at this level. If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes you can do nothing right and sometimes you can do nothing wrong, and we’re in one of those streaks so we’re going to enjoy it and keep trying to do our best.”
On HH Azur:
“Tonight, she felt great. She’s getting a little older and she’s jumped a lot of big jumps in her life. She’s been an incredible partner. I started her about three weeks ago in a 4* thinking that was going to be a mild start, and to be honest, I got a little caught off guard. It was a very big grand prix that Darragh Kenny won at Deeridge, and my horse wasn’t fit enough to go back-to-back days. I was a little bit upset with myself so I backed off for three weeks and focused a little bit more on fitness. Keeping that in mind, I jumped Thursday in the qualifier and didn’t jump off even though it was great prize money. I wanted to put my eggs in this basket, and it’s nice when the plan works.”
On his jump-off plan:
“I thought the inside turn was a place that would suit my horse. I took a touch off of my original jump-off plan when I walked the course. When I saw other guys have a rail down, I knew I didn’t want to lose the class. I did nine strides and nine strides, but I was committed to the inside. Once I got through the double, I took a touch off coming home. For sure, I left a little room, but a lot of times you can lose it before you even get started and I didn’t want to do that.”
On the course:
“Santiago Varela is the best in the world. He’s smart and a horseman course builder. He makes you think as a rider and just gets the horses a little off balance with the lines. He turns you twice one direction and then back the other way. You see the horses a little crooked or a little on the inside track. You don’t see big scores, but you see a lot of wonderful rounds. I absolutely love jumping his courses, and I think he’s going to do a great job at the Olympic Games.”
Capt. Brian Cournane (IRL) – $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* second place
On Penelope Cruz:
“She’s been jumping great. I stepped her up to a 5* grand prix here a few weeks ago and she had a couple of rails down and had a couple of green mistakes. Tonight she really felt on form and did great. I’ve had her for three years. Before that, she jumped the 1.45m with a fellow Irish rider.”
On the course:
“It was a clever course building. The water jump early on got the horses to really open. The skinny at the end gate caught a lot of people off guard, and the combination was very difficult.”
Alex Granato (USA) – $401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5* third place
On his jump-off with Carlchen W:
“I was a little in-between on my plan going into the course. I had walked the inside turn to the double and I was planning it, but then it didn’t go well for Eduardo [Menezes]. I looked at it two or three times once I was in the ring, and my horse was spooking off of the gazebo and there was a lot going on so I was unsure. He felt really with me when I started though and, if anything, I got in his way. He did the turn so well going into it and I pushed him out to give him extra help, which caused the rail at B. I was really happy with him and excited for how he feels.”
On future plans:
“World Cup Finals are on my radar. That’s tentatively my plan. I’m not going to go to the last qualifier at Live Oak in Ocala. I should be sitting fine; I’m at second right now. This is the peak of my WEF season. I’m planning the 5* at Deeridge and if we stay in for the World Cup, I’ll take some time off to focus on that. If I do get bumped, I’ll compete during Week 12.
On the course:
“I liked the course. I walked it myself a few times because there were several options at a few of the lines. I think he did a great job and ended up with a lot of cleans but no real disasters and I love that in a course.”
RESULTS
$401,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSI5*
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / Country / R1 Faults | R1 Time / R2 Faults | R2 Time
1. HH Azur / Mclain Ward / Double H Farm, Mclain Ward / USA / 0 | 79.45 / 0 | 39.858
2. Penelope Cruz / Capt. Brian Cournane / M/M Robert Stiller, Capt. Brian Cournane / IRL / 0 | 79.5 / 0 | 44.197
3. Carlchen W / Alex Granato / Page Tredennick / USA / 0 | 77.88 / 4 | 40.109
4. Romeo 88 / Darragh Kenny / Ann C. Thompson / IRL / 0 | 77.17 / 4 | 39.305
5. Magnolia Mystic Rose / Eduardo Menezes / Haras Mystic Rose / BRA / 0 | 79.16 / 4 | 40.109
6. Legacy / Daniel Coyle / Ariel Grange / IRL / 0 | 81.42 / 8 | 43.361
7. Carlito’s Way 6 / Rodrigo Pessoa / Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC / BRA / 4 | 75.94
8. Blue Movie / Rowan Willis / Rowan Willis / AUS / 4 | 76.04
9. Vic Des Cerisiers / Beat Mandli / Grant Road Partners GMBH / SUI / 4 | 76.8
10. Silver Shine / Martin Fuchs / Luigi Baleri / SUI / 4 |77.6
11. Ladriano Z / Daniel Bluman / Over the Top Stables LLC / ISR / 4 | 77.94
12. Lucifer V / Nayel Nassar / Evergate Stables, LLC / EGY / 4 | 78.48