Nayel Nassar and Ivory TCS turn it on for WEF Challenge Cup
The track worked in favor of Egypt’s Nayel Nassar and Ivory TCS as they nudged McLain Ward and First Lady into second place in the jump off for the $62,500 WEF Challenge Round 10.
“There were a lot of turns, which is generally very good for her, because she’s not the biggest striding horse,” said Nayel of the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, owned by Evergate Stable. “So in a straight line, I have a hard time leaving the strides out that other horses can. But on the turns, she’s so small and agile that I can actually match most of their numbers, which is what I went for today.”
Fourteen out of the original field of 44 rider and horse combinations made the jump off with first round clears over the USA’s Oscar Soberon-designed course. Nayel knew he had his work cut out after McLain took over the lead by 100th of a second aboard Robin Parsky’s mare, finishing in 37.8 ahead of Max Wachman and Kilkenny’s time of 37.81. Nayel’s round was spurred on by a small entourage of spectators.
“Our whole team at Evergate are so supportive, and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them from the guys and girl who look after the horses, to my coach, Rob [Hoekstra], to our barn manager, Chris [Howard], to my wife, Jen, obviously, and all our friends here,” he said. “So it was a team win. I’m glad to be able to deliver it for them. They work extremely hard. I get to get all the glory, but they do most of the behind-the-scenes work, so we’re very proud.
Nayel kept things interesting for his fans, with a degree of drama in his final turn. “The one turn by the in-gate got a little out of hand,” he said. “I was a little far away there, but Ivory is just such a trier. There’s nothing that she believes she can’t do. So I just kind of dropped my reins and let her take over, and somehow we squeaked over the back rail and that was enough today.”
Ivory TCS was making a step up in this class and the win was proof of how the trust between horse and rider has grown since the mare came into Nayel’s string about a year ago.
“I felt like this season, we’ve really come together as a partnership,” said Nayel. “We’ve also understood what she’s good at and what she’s not and what level suits her, so we try to place her in classes that suit her strength. Today was a bit of a step up for her. I wouldn’t usually do her in a 1m55 qualifier, but I wanted to spare my other horse, and she’d been so good throughout the whole circuit that it felt like the right time to step up, and surely enough, she delivered again.”
The tenth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival is far from over with a $215,000 FEI 4* Grand Prix to provide the entertainment at Saturday Night Lights. Nayel brings out Esi Ali for the class, as they look to take their second win under the lights this season.
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Saturday Night Lights was a first for Esi Ali – and his groom Tamiles Pezzim