Press release from Equestrian Sport Productions by Jennifer Wood and Summer Grace for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

For the second day in a row, the Brazilian national anthem played and the flag was raised at WEF. While Eduardo Menezes captured Thursday’s five-star win, it was his countryman Rodrigo Lambre who sped to victory on Friday. Lambre and Chapilot (Chacco Blue x Pilot), owned by Mario Onate, topped a field of 55 competitors in the speed format of the $36,000 Bainbridge 1.45m Classic CSI5*.

There were 15 clear rounds in the class, all competing over a course designed by Alan Wade of Ireland. The early leader, going third in the order, was Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX) riding H5 Stables’s H5 Market Irminka (Irco Mena x Tinka’s Boy). They were quick in 60.90 seconds, which would hold up for 12 rounds until Lambre entered the ring and brought the winning time down to 60.34 seconds. Third place went to another early ride (sixth in the order), Daniel Bluman (ISR) riding Over the Top Stables LLC’s Entano (Namelus R x Numero Uno), who stopped the timers in 62.42 seconds.

After a less than ideal performance in Thursday’s WEF Challenge Cup, Lambre decided to take Chapilot into the 1.45m. “It didn’t go so well yesterday, so I put him in the comfort zone [today],” he explained. “This is his class, but he can sometimes jump more.

“I was trying to win this class,” he continued. “Carlos put in a really fast time and made everybody work hard since the beginning [of the class]. [Chapilot] has a big step though. It’s amazing [to win] because you know how hard it is to win here, especially with all of the riders that come after you. I’m really proud.”

Lambre has ridden the 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding since it was seven years old. The pair won the three-star grand prix and another ranking class at the CSI4*-W in Guadalajara, Mexico this past January. They have had 33 FEI ranking class top-three finishes in their five years together.

“He’s my winner horse,” Lambre confirmed. “Everywhere he goes, he always tries so hard. He’s my buddy.”