Edited Press Release
Wellington, FL – Nov. 14, 2021 – The feature event of the ESP November I show, the $25,000 Everglades Farm Equipment Grand Prix, took place Sunday in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Course designer Jasen Shelley (USA) crafted two rounds of jumps that tested the field of 19 entries, which was dwindled down to just three pairs going into the jump-off. Of the two double-clear pairs, Fabio Leivas Da Costa and Ilex were the fastest, earning the Brazilian rider the lion’s share of the prize money.
Da Costa noted that although Ilex is very young, he shows a lot of promise and has high hopes for him. “I’ve been working with him for two years now, and I’m hoping he’ll be an Olympic horse in the future.” He continued, “It feels incredible to win today because this horse is only eight years old. He won the class on Friday and then came back in the ring today to win again. This is also his first $25,000 Grand Prix win, so I’m really happy with him.”
Due to a challenging first round of competition, just three pairs were able to produce clear rounds and advance to the jump-off. “The course was very difficult, which is why there was only three clear in the first round,” Da Costa noted. “I didn’t go too fast in the jump-off, but he was double-clear, which put us at the top of the leaderboard.”
Giavanna Rinaldi (USA) and Anton Marano’s Cosmona were the first pair to test the jump-off and turned in a quick time of 44.554 seconds but dropped a rail to incur four faults. Eliza Lehrman (USA) rode Eluna CL Z to a clear jump-off time of 49.366 seconds, putting them in the lead until Da Costa and Bonne Chance Farm LLC’s Ilex, who were the last pair to go, flew through the timers at 46.69 seconds without knocking any rails down. Lehrman and Eluna CL Z, owned by Five Way Farm, LLC, earned the runner-up title, followed by third-place finishers, Rinaldi and Cosmona.
For the full results of the $25,000 Everglades Farm Equipment Grand Prix, please click HERE.
Earlier in the week, the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Stake on Friday saw 27 entries test the track, with ten returning for the jump-off. Da Costa and Ilex produced the fastest of the clear jump-off rounds, with a quick jump-off time of 36.60 seconds. Gabriel De Matos Machado (BRA) landed in second place with Bonza, owned by Carben Farms LLC, after stopping the clock at 37.49 seconds with no faults, while Giavanna Rinaldi (USA) and Anton Marano’s Cosmona secured a top-three finish with a clear jump-off time of 44.10 seconds.
Giavanna Rinaldi (USA) and Anton Marano’s Cosmona were the first pair to test the jump-off and turned in a quick time of 44.554 seconds but dropped a rail to incur four faults. Eliza Lehrman (USA) rode Eluna CL Z to a clear jump-off time of 49.366 seconds, putting them in the lead until Da Costa and Bonne Chance Farm LLC’s Ilex, who were the last pair to go, flew through the timers at 46.69 seconds without knocking any rails down. Lehrman and Eluna CL Z, owned by Five Way Farm, LLC, earned the runner-up title, followed by third-place finishers, Rinaldi and Cosmona.
For the full results of the $25,000 Everglades Farm Equipment Grand Prix, please click HERE.
Earlier in the week, the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Stake on Friday saw 27 entries test the track, with ten returning for the jump-off. Da Costa and Ilex produced the fastest of the clear jump-off rounds, with a quick jump-off time of 36.60 seconds. Gabriel De Matos Machado (BRA) landed in second place with Bonza, owned by Carben Farms LLC, after stopping the clock at 37.49 seconds with no faults, while Giavanna Rinaldi (USA) and Anton Marano’s Cosmona secured a top-three finish with a clear jump-off time of 44.10 seconds.
On Saturday, a field of 30 entries competed for the $5,000 HorseLinc 1.35m Stake, which was narrowed down to 16 following the first phase of competition. Juan Jose Bancalari (DOM) rode straight to the top of the leaderboard with his own Cerati. The pair cleared the jump-off in 34.96 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of the initial frontrunner, Tanimara Macari (MEX), who finished in second place with her own Flipper Lady on a clear time of 36.68 seconds. Michelle Navarro-Grau of Peru piloted her own entry, Fernando, to a third-place finish after stopping the clock at 37.63 seconds with no penalties.
Sunday morning’s $2,500 Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Equiline, saw 21 riders vie for the blue ribbon in the final class of the 1.30m division. In the end, Madison Wayda Smith of Ocala, FL, and her Cenzo landed at the top of the leaderboard as the fastest pair in the jump-off, stopping the clock at 40.189 seconds with four faults. Just off the pace, Jamie Buis of Wellington, FL, and her own Really Electra Xango finished the jump-off in 40.549 seconds with four faults, while Kristen Ostling of New Canaan, CT, piloted her Hollywood Be Good to a third-place finish, finishing the jump-off with one rail down in 41.471 seconds.
