Press release from Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. written by Sabrina Brashares and Emily Randolph

The USA’s Spencer Smith and Theodore Manciais topped a field of 53 entries to win the $137,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup Round 9 CSI5* on Thursday, March 5, at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL.

WEF continues at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) through March 29, 2020, with 12 consecutive weeks of world-class competition and $13 million dollars on offer. The ninth week of competition, sponsored by Douglas Elliman Real Estate, runs through March 8 and is recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) as both a CSI5* and a CSI2*. Highlights of the week include the $401,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI5* on Saturday and the $50,000 Griffis Residential Grand Prix CSI2* on Sunday.

On the way to Thursday’s win, Smith, 23, was the first of 12 entries to return for the Alan Wade (IRL) designed short course, and he and Theodore Manciais crossed the finish in what would prove to be an unbeatable 39.79 seconds.

“I went first, so Eric [Lamaze] told me to just ride my plan and don’t count too much with the numbers, just to ride it off my eye and feel it,” said Smith, who trains with Canadian Olympic champion Lamaze. “So that’s what I did, and it worked out.

“Here you can never know [if your time is going to hold up],” continued Smith. “You could have been 10thwith that time. You just don’t know. They go so fast here with so many good riders.”

Coming the closest to catching Smith’s time was U.S. Olympian Beezie Madden who finished in second with a time of 39.84 seconds riding Darry Lou (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Nabab de Reve), owned by Abigail Wexner.

Lamaze was the final to return to give his student a run for his money over the jump-off course, but a time of 40.02 seconds would give Lamaze and Chacco Kid (Chacco Blue x Come On), owned by the Chacco Kid Group, the third-place honor.

“[Eric] was going for it, but he’s nice; he let his student have one!” joked Smith. “We have a great relationship. I’ve been there nearly five years, and we get along great. We do everything together, so it works out perfectly.”

Smith spoke equally highly of his winning mount, a 13-year-old Selle Français gelding by Kashmir van Schuttershof owned by Ashland Farms.

“He’s been super. He’s won three or four big grand prix for me; he’s been everywhere in the world with me,” said Smith. “He’s the one that put me on the map.  He’s a great horse and my best friend.

Finishing in fourth with a time of 40.19 seconds were Rodrigo Lambre (BRA) and J’adore van het Klinkhof (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Alcatraz), and fifth place went to Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Classic Dream (Colestus x Inster Graditz) with a time of 40.47 seconds.

Also earning an FEI win in the International Arena on Thursday was Olivia Chowdry, who topped the $8,000 Griffis Residential 1.45m CSI2* riding Balkana du Tillard, owned by Atlas Equine Holdings, LLC.