Rowan Willis and Wellington Grey Goose Shine Bright in the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.45m FEI Grand Prix CSI2* During Split Rock Jumping Tour
Rowan Willis and Wellington Grey Goose Shine Bright in the
$100,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.45m FEI Grand Prix CSI2*
During
Split Rock Jumping Tour
at
TerraNova Equestrian Center
Rowan Willis (AUS) and Wellington Grey Goose win the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.45m FEI Grand Prix. Photo by EQ Media
Myakka City, Fla. – Jan. 27, 2024 – The Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour’s (SRJT) $100,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.45m Grand Prix took place before an atmospheric crowd on Saturday afternoon at the world-class TerraNova Equestrian Center. Ultimately, it was Rowan Willis (AUS) and his own homebred 13-year-old warmblood mare, Wellington Grey Goose (Corlensky G x Grandira), who stood atop the podium after dominating the jump off.
Peter Holmes (CAN) designed a technical 16-jumping-effort course with a tight time allowed for the 38 horse-and-rider field. In the first round, many combinations had difficulty at the ESI Footing plank, the Lugano Diamonds oxer-vertical combination and the final fence, the SRJT oxer.
Hallie Grimes (USA) and Karoline of Ballmore finished second in the Grand Prix. Photo by EQ Media
Hallie Grimes (USA) and Karoline of Ballmore (Diarado x Faraline V), a 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Can We Keep It? LLC, were the first to enter the arena and delivered a fault-free round. Only four additional pairs rode to a clear finish and joined Grimes for the jump off.
Grimes and Karoline of Ballmore were first back in the ring for the short course, which consisted of nine fences and spanned the entirety of the Lakeside Arena. The duo left nothing on the line and jumped an impressive double clear in 46.94 seconds.
Richie Moloney (IRL) and Rocksy Music take third in the Grand Prix. Photo by Winslow Photography
Richie Moloney (IRL) and Equinimity LLC's Rocksy Music (ARS Vivendi x Krafty Kate), a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, produced another double clear but weren’t quick enough to catch Grimes. The pair crossed the timers just .05 seconds slower. Next to contest the course was Rebecca Conway (USA) and Blue Hill Farm’s Con Coleur (Contendro I x Charlotta), 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding. While they left all the rails in the cups, she rode a more conservative route to finish in 49.44.
With two pairs to go and Grimes holding the lead, Willis trusted the speed of his longtime mount to secure the win in 46.86. Luis Fernando Larrazabal (VEN) and Abril Kontendra (Contendro I x Gama Quintana), a 9-year-old warmblood mare owned by Andreina Yanez, were the last to attempt the track. They had a rail at the second-to-last fence, keeping them from a podium finish. In the end, Grimes secured second, and Moloney earned third.
Rowan Willis (AUS) and Wellington Grey Goose lead the victory gallop past the VIP brunch.
Photo by Winslow Photography
“Wellington Grey Goose is a real tryer, and she's fast,” Willis said. “For the jump off, I knew I had to be on a run from the first fence. It was a good six from the wall to the oxer, and I knew I had to gallop away if I had any chance of catching Hallie.
"I’ve done Split Rock shows ever since I came to America, and [Derek Braun] always puts on great shows," he said. "It's really good for the competitors, has good prize money and they [TerraNova] have a fantastic facility here in Sarasota. The stabling, the competition arenas, everything is lovely.”
The weekend at Split Rock Sarasota CSI2* will continue on Sunday, Jan. 28th with the $300,000 Split Rock Championship Series, supported by The Dutta Corporation. This exciting one-of-a-kind series will feature a $25,000 Dutta Corporation 1.0m Championship, $75,000 Dutta Corporation 1.15m Championship, $100,000 Dutta Corporation 1.25m Championship and $100,000 Dutta Corporation 1.35m Championship.
Edited press release.
Hear from Rowan Willis after his win and from course designer Peter Holmes on how he built the Grand Prix track.
Fast Facts
What: Exciting international show jumping in a family-friendly, country setting with boutique shopping, food truck fare and VIP experiences.
Where: TerraNova Equestrian Center
31625 Clay Gully Rd
Myakka City, FL 34251
When: Jan. 24-28
Time: Daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission and Parking: Free to the public. VIP experience is available for puchase- link below.
Other information: This is an outdoor event. Wear comfortable shoes or boots and dress for the weather. Bleacher seating.
TerraNova Media Contact: Carrie Wirth | Carrie@EQMedia.agency | (612) 209-0310
Join us for four weeks of the TerraNova Hunter/Jumper Winter Series CSI2*. Seasonal stabling is available now through March 25 and includes show stabling. Reserve your stalls and paddocks today!
Book your accommodations with our hotel partners and save big on room rates. Hotels become booked quickly this time of year, and we recommend making reservations as soon as possible.