Weekend in Wellington! Equestrian season hits top gear
Wellington’s dressage, jumping and polo all deserve top billing.
Friday Night Stars – Global Dressage Festival – FEI Nations Cup Grand Prix Freestyle
Tonight’s FEI Nations Cup – CDIO3* FEI Grand Prix Freestyle at Global Dressage Festival pits six countries against each other, with Germany favorites after their win earlier in the week in the FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Grand Prix. Newcomer to the German team is Evelyn Eger riding Tabledance 3 who will be one to watch having top the individual table in the team competition this week.
https://gdf.coth.com/page/friday-night-stars
Saturday Night Lights – $500,000 FEI 5* Grand Prix – Wellington International
Big money is on the line tomorrow night for the Saturday Night Lights FEI 5* Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival [WEF]. The pot has doubled from last year to $500,000 and there are some serious contenders looking to claim the cash.
The entry list is peppered with star names including Olympic individual gold medalist Germany’s Christian Kukuk as well as his compatriot Richard Vogel who has been on top-of-the-podium form to date at this year’s WEF and brings out one of his winning chestnuts, Levi Noesar for the night class.
USA’s Laura Kraut will be competing aboard her Paris Olympics’ partner Baloutinue, while Kent Farrington rides Greya – the duo would have been Laura’s teammates in Paris had Greya not been sidelined by an allergy-related illness. USA Paris Olympian McLain Ward competes on Callas while Egypt’s Nayel Nassar is seeking the second Saturday night win of the winter with Esi Ali.
Last to go, and definitely not least, will be Israel’s Ashlee Bond after the pair won Thursday’s WEF Challenge Cup having pulled out all the stops in the jump off.
https://wellingtoninternational.com/visitors/
Sunday Polo – C.V. Whitney Cup final and opening leg of the Gauntlet of Polo – National Polo Center
Given the pseudonym of the ‘Tom Brady of the polo world’ in a 60-minutes documentary, Adolfo Cambiaso defends the C.V. Whitney Cup title with his team La Dolfina/Tamera. Adolfo has held a 10-goal handicap for over 25 years. His polo prowess compares to the incomparable golfing achievements of Tiger Woods and the legendary basketball status of Michael Jordan. He goes head-to-head with the opposing captain, Polito Pieres, who spearheads Coca Cola, the most established team playing in high goal polo in the USA. Coca Cola’s line up features the only female player of The Gauntlet of Polo in Gillian Johnston who first played in high-goal polo in 1998.
The C.V. Whitney is the first of three tournaments that make up the Gauntlet. La Dolfina/Tamera lost to Coca Cola in their league encounter earlier in the tournament. Sunday is an opportunity for Adolfo ‘aka’ the G.O.A.T to put the record straight. He is coming up for his 50th birthday in April, and while he has won the Triple Crown of Polo in Argentina three times in a row, he has yet to win the Gauntlet of Polo – watch this space.
https://www.nationalpolocenter.com/tickets
This could be interesting: