Nina Mallevaey and Destine To Be are presented as winners of the $62,500 Hermès CSI5* 1.50m by Ray Vega, Equestrian Account Executive at Hermès. Photo © Sportfot.
Press release from Wellington International, edited by World of Showjumping
Ranked no. 8 in the world, Nina Mallevaey (FRA) made a mad dash to claim victory in Sunday’s CSI5* $62,500 Hermès 1.50m with Destine To Be, a 10-year-old Anglo European-bred gelding, to close out Week 7 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Hosting 12 weeks of international competition, WEF runs through March 29 at Wellington International in Wellington, FL, (USA).
Nina Mallevaey and Destine To Be. Photo © Sportfot.
With a fast footfall, Destine To Be (Diamant De Semilly x Grandilot) posted a time of 46.97 seconds, which was impossible to beat in the second round, where the top 12 returned with faults carrying forward. Knocked down to second place in 48.92 seconds was Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny riding Colibelle Hero Z (Comme Il Faut x Rubens du Ri d'Asse), an 11-year-old Zangersheide mare for owner Elena A. Haas.
Rounding out the podium was German Olympic Champion Christian Kukuk riding his own Akarad Tivoli Z (Akarad Hero Z x Landwind II), a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding. They stopped the clock at 50.93 seconds for third.
Cruising through Anthony d’Ambrosio’s (USA) second-round track, Mallevaey made use of her gelding’s speed and trust in his rider. “I was planning to do one less [stride] after the double vertical, and one less on the two to three. I didn’t get there, but he’s so fast on the ground, I could add a stride and keep the rhythm,” said the 26-year-old reigning French National Champion. “He’s so careful and has a lot of scope. I trust him, and I can ask him anything now that he trusts me.”
Destine To Be was purchased by the Rein Family as an 8-year-old, and Mallevaey spoke on the gelding’s abilities within the arena, saying, “I think he has a lot of quality. He’s a bit hard to manage sometimes; he has a lot of blood, but he’s been amazing so far, and I think he’s going to win even more classes in the future.”
From breaking into the world’s top 10 to jumping onto a five-star Grand Prix podium, Mallevaey is having a banner year, saying, “It’s been amazing. I’m living the dream and I have amazing horses and amazing people around me.”
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