Wired for Wellington: gearing up for the Rolex Grand Prix
Traditionally the last weekend of the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Wellington International Arena in Florida hosts a CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix, the highest-doted Grand Prix of the 12-week festival. The leading riders prepare their best horses to peak at this event for a chance to earn their share of the prize pool.
Last year’s edition of this Rolex Grand Prix in Wellington saw a number of highly rated combinations go head-to-head to create a thrilling competition. While the average field strength of the competing horses equalled 713, the horse that eventually went on to win entered this class on an Elo of barely 603, the fourth lowest-rated horse of the field. Ashlee Bond’s KAROLINE OF BALLMORE surprised the crowd by producing a foot-perfect double clear round, going faster in the jump-off than her teammate LADRIANO Z. Daniel Bluman and LADRIANO Z were one of the favourite combinations to win, entering on the fourth highest Elo of 742.
KAROLINE OF BALLMORE has since changed hands, but Ashlee Bond is sure to try and defend her title this year in the saddle of DONATELLO 141 (739). Last year’s runner-up combination however will be back to take a shot at the win. Daniel has seen this victory pass him by for two consecutive years, finishing second on GEMMA W in 2021 behind Daniel Deusser and SCUDERIA 1918 TOBAGO Z. This time around, Bluman and LADRIANO Z are coming fresh off a CSI5* Grand Prix victory in Wellington two weeks ago with the aim to repeat that performance here on Saturday.
Another former winning combination of this class will take part in this edition. McLain Ward and HH AZUR (779) won the CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix of Wellington back in 2019. Four years later, this pair is still in their winning ways coming straight off back-to-back wins in the Rolex Major Grand Prix of Geneva and ‘s Hertogenbosch.
Will we get another underdog win? Can Daniel Bluman finally add the Rolex Grand Prix of Wellington to his record of wins? Or will HH Azur score a hattrick?