Olympian Santiago Lambre of Mexico triumphed on Friday, March 16, during the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. Lambre and D’Artagnan, owned by Integrated Services Florida LLC, won the $35,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Jumpers CSI 3*. In the hunter ring, Lissa Bachner of Wellington, FL, rode Meridian to the championship in the Triple Crown Blankets Adult Amateur Middle Hunter Section A despite a unique personal challenge.

There were 70 entries in the $35,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Jumper class, but not one of them could catch the time of Santiago Lambre and D’Artagnan, who went first in the class and set the unbeatable time of 58.79 seconds over the speed course designed by Michel Vaillancourt of Canada.

Molly Ashe (USA) and Picobello Choppin Z, owned by Louisburg Farm, came closest in 60.02 seconds for second place. Third place went to Karen Polle (JPN) and her own Little Lord 90, who had a time of 60.33 seconds.

“He can go really fast,” said Lambre of the 10-year-old KWPN gelding by Mr. Blue x Carthago he has ridden for a year. “You have to go really all or nothing here. You can’t waste time. If you go one stride more in one turn, for sure you won’t win. Sometimes in those classes you just have to try to do anything. If you don’t, you finish sixth, which happened with him twice this year. Today I tried to go faster than usual.”

Lambre found D’Artagnan in Holland where the horse was competing with an amateur rider. “He’s a bit hot, so he’s not so easy to sell,” said Lambre. “So I bought him! He’s not an amateur horse.”

Lambre moved to the United States last year after living in Belgium for ten years, and he has found that WEF is an “amazing place” to bring along horses. “The horses learn a lot here,” he said. “You can have a green horse, and after 12 weeks here you have a horse ready to go to the shows. I have a horse who arrived to WEF one month ago jumping 1.40m and last week he jumped in the five-star. [WEF is] really good to produce a horse.”

1   D’ARTAGNAN: 2008 KWPN gelding by Mr. Blue x Carthago
SANTIAGO LAMBRE (MEX), Integrated Services Florida LLC: 0/58.79

2   PICOBELLO CHOPPIN PC: 2008 SBS gelding by Mozart des Hayettes x Diamant de Semilly
MOLLY ASHE (USA), Louisburg Farm: 0/60.02

3   LITTLE LORD 90: 2005 Holsteiner gelding by Lasino x Calato
KAREN POLLE (JPN), Karen Polle: 0/60.33

4   BURBURRY R: 2006 KWPN mare by Pacific x Indoctro
PETRONELLA ANDERSSON (SWE), Stephan Conter: 0/62.02

5   ZIDANTE: 2004 KWPN mare by Cantos x Herranus
KELLI CRUCIOTTI (USA), Serenity Farm: 0/62.88

6   INDIGO: 2000 KWPN gelding by Indoctro x Dutchman
MARGIE ENGLE (USA), Griese, Garber, Hidden Creek & Gladewinds: 0/63.13

7   SHL SWEET TRICIA: 2009 KWPN mare by Caspar x Tampa
MAVIS SPENCER (USA), Sarah Ryan: 0/63.22

8   HORST VAN DE MISPELAERE: 2007 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Wandor van de Mispelaere x Polydor DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Hammond Horsepower Ltd.: 0/63.23

9   LA LOPEZ 3: 2006 Westphalian mare by Lenardo x Landstreicher
MICHAEL MORRISSEY (USA), QBS Equestrian LLC: 0/64.03

10  DIETA: 2008 KWPN mare by Ukato x Indorado
WILHELM GENN (GER), Taylor Reid: 0/64.52

11  COLORA: 2009 Holsteiner mare by Contendro I x Lord
THEO GENN (USA), Bridlebourn Stables LLC: 0/66.60

12  VDL ELLIOT: 2009 KWPN gelding by Casall x Goodtimes
ALEJANDRO KAROLYI (VEN), Bo Hopson: 0/67.22