Sergio Alvarez Moya and Charmeur Claim Palm Beach Masters $72,900 Candy Tribble Qualifier CSI4*-W Win

Wellington, FL – January 31, 2020 – The first week of the fifth-annual Palm Beach Masters series continued Friday, January 31, showcasing the world’s top athletes from 11 different countries. A field of 60 horse and athlete pairs took to the grass field at Deeridge Farm for the $72,900 Candy Tribble Qualifier CSI4*-W, each hopeful to earn a valuable spot in Sunday’s  $213,300 CSI4*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington. As the final east coast qualifier, Sunday’s competition will determine the top seven U.S. riders from the east-coast and top three U.S. riders from the west coast that will earn their spot in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas in April. Ultimately, it was Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya who took home the win aboard his own 13-year-old stallion Charmeur.

Sergio Alvarez Moya and Charmeur

Course designers Alan Wade (IRE), Ben Townley (GBR), and John Doyle (IRE) made use of the turf with a technical course made up of 12 obstacles set to the full 1.55m height and an tight first round time of 79 seconds. With a stacked class of notable horse and rider pairs, verteran Olympian’s Laura Kraut and Margie Goldstein-Engle were able to secure early spots in the jump off. Ashlee Bond (ISR) and Darragh Kenny (IRL), Aderinne Sternlicht (USA), Eve Jobs (USA) all managed to join the short list before the halfway drag. In the second half of the first round, yet another Olympic veteran, Beezie Madden (USA), joined the jump-off group, as well as Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP), defending Palm Beach Masters Qualifier CSI4*-W winner Alex Granato (USA), and Quentin Judge (USA).

Adrienne Sternlicht and Bennys Legacy

A total of nine pairs elected to return for the jump off over a seven-obstacle course which required speed and tidy turns. Kraut was the first to return, setting the pace for those to follow and crossing the timers clean in 38.78 seconds. Kraut’s lead was quickly unseated by Bond aboard her notably quick mount Donatello, a 9-year-old Westphalian gelding, finishing in a time of 38.08 seconds.

Ashlee Bond and Donatello

The lead changed hands again when Sternlicht finished in 37.82 seconds. Many tried to unseat Sternlicht, but she managed to hold the lead until Alvarez Moya on his stallion Charmeur broke the timers in 37.23 seconds, a mere five tenths of a second faster than Sternlicht.The remaining two competitors, Granato and Judge, were not able to best Alvarez Moya’s time, ultimately leading to his victory in the class.

Sergio Alvarez Moya and Charmeur

Alvarez Moya has had the ride on Charmeur for seven years, etching notable wins aboard the stallion at competitions like the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami, Florida. The pair is one of 40 horse and athlete duos that will compete for the top prize Sunday, February 2, in the $213,300 CSI4*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington. Each pair hopes to earn vital qualifying points towards attending the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April.

Sergio Alvarez Moya and Charmeur

FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

Sergio Alvarez Moya – $72,900 CSI4*-W Candy Tribble Qualifier winner

On Charmeur:
“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to be so good. He was off for a few months last year and I started showing him again this past November. It took him a little longer than I expected to get him fit, but it seems like he really likes it here. The harder part for him was the first round; over a jump off he is naturally very quick and he enjoys it. I can have a rail or otherwise and normally he is in the top three. Once you are on and in the ring, he always tries hard and he’s always with you, but out here he can be special. He can be very gentle in the first round, then you come in for the jump off and he doesn’t let you get on. I am always a bit careful!”

On the jump off:
“As I said, he is naturally very quick. I think to the double and back to the combination I had a very good turn. He has a lot of experience so he knows exactly where I am going and he has a lot of intuition for that. After that I took it a little easier to the oxer with the liverpool to the next vertical because I thought it was enough, there’s always a risk that the next one can get you.”

On his partnership with Charmeur:
“I have had him since he was 6 years old and he has always been good to be honest. I had a lot of fun with him and we’ve had a few good victories. He won the $500,000 Grand Prix a few years ago and won at the [Longines Global Champions Tour in Miami, Florida]. When he is fit he is a fun horse to have and he’s very competitive.”

On what’s next:
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking of riding Sunday [in the $213,300 CSI4*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Wellington]. Even though I have World Cup points, I sold my other horse and there is not one that is maybe ready or I feel that I can take. My other mare is maybe a bit too green and [Charmeur] is maybe not the best for it, but the way he jumped today I will walk the course Sunday and I will probably ride him in the class. If he is okay on Monday and he’s happy, I will ride him next week in the [$401,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5* at the Winter Equestrian Festival]. I will stay here in Wellington through the season.” 

RESULTS

$72,900 Candy Tribble Qualifier CSI4*-W,

Place / Horse / Rider / Country / R1 Faults / R2 Faults | R2 Time
1. Charmeur / Sergio Alvarez Moya / ESP / 0 / 0 |37.23
2. Bennys Legacy / Adrienne Sternlicht / USA / 0 / 0 | 37.82
3. Donatello / Ashlee Bond / USA / 0 / 0 | 38.08
4. Confu / Laura Kraut / USA / 0 / 0 | 38.78
4. Garant / Beezie Madden / USA / 0 / 0 | 38.78
6. HH Conrad / Quentin Judge / USA / 0 / 4 | 38.38
7. Classic Dream / Daragh Kenny / IRL / 0 / 8 | 41.00
8. Carlchen W / Alex Granato / USA / 0 | RT
9. Royce / Margie Goldsetein-Engle / USA / 0 | WD
10. Venue d’Fees des Hazalles / Eve Jobs / USA / 0 | WD
11. RMF Zecilie / Jessica Springsteen / USA / 1 |  80.08
12. H5 Quintol / Eduardo Pereira de Menezes / BRA / 1 | 80.17

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