Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue Conquer $500,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* in First WEF Grand Prix Victory

Wellington, Florida – Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny and his outstanding partner Eddy Blue have finally claimed their first victory in a Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The triumph came under the iconic Saturday Night Lights at Wellington International, where the pair stormed to victory in the $500,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix at the end of a top-class competition featuring six of the world’s top ten riders.

The Winter Equestrian Festival hosts twelve weeks of FEI competition—four of them at five-star level—running in Wellington through March 29.

The course designed by Irishman Alan Wade, who has been selected as course designer for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, proved particularly demanding. Despite the technical difficulty of the track, nine combinations managed to qualify for the jump-off, representing five different nations.

First to go in the jump-off was Marilyn Little (USA) with La Contessa, an 11-year-old Mecklenburg mare (License x Cornet’s Prinz), who set the initial time to beat at 41.92 seconds.

Six rounds later, Australian rider Thaisa Erwin and her Paris Olympic partner Hialita B (Emerald x Vaillant) matched that time exactly, producing a rare dead heat. The two riders therefore shared second place on the podium.

Second to last to return for the jump-off, Kenny made full use of Eddy Blue’s enormous stride and speed across the ground. The 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Eldorado vd Zeshoek TN x Chacco-Blue), owned by Carol A. Sollak, stopped the clock at 41.77 seconds, a time that proved impossible to beat.

“He’s been second and third here at WEF and placed in a lot of five-star classes, but to finally win one here is really deserved for this horse—he’s an incredible athlete,” said Kenny. “He tries so hard every time he goes into the ring, and I’m really proud of him and how he competed tonight.”

Speaking about his jump-off strategy, the Irish rider explained that he took a calculated risk in the first line:
“Eddy Blue is a very careful horse, so I can take a bit of risk with him. The sense of relief after this win was huge.”

Kenny’s long-term goal is now to be selected for the Irish team at the FEI World Championships in Aachen this August.
“He’s a championship-type horse because every day he wants to leave the jumps standing.”

During the prize-giving ceremony, Shauna Murray, groom of Eddy Blue, was presented with the Double H Farm Grooms Award, along with a $500 prize, in recognition of her work preparing the horse.

For Marilyn Little and La Contessa, the second-place finish marked their first podium in a five-star Grand Prix, although the pair has now delivered five consecutive clear rounds in recent five-star Grand Prix classes.

“My goal this season was to position Contessa as a real five-star competitor and show what she can do,” said Little, who was recently part of the U.S. team that won the Nations Cup in Wellington. “She doesn’t have the biggest stride, but she’s smarter than almost any horse I know—probably smarter than most people, too.”

Also making history was Thaisa Erwin, who returned Australia to a five-star Grand Prix podium at WEF for the first time since 2010.

“When I saw the time, I thought it must have been an error, but I’m very grateful to be here on the podium,” said the Australian rider. “I hope this is the first of many results for Australia here.”

Her 14-year-old mare Hialita B has not been an easy project:
“She’s a difficult horse to manage on the ground and to ride, but she has taught me a lot of patience. In return, she gives me her heart every time.”

Erwin was also awarded the Martha Jolicoeur, Douglas Elliman Leading Lady Rider Award.

Following this major competition, Kenny, Little, and Erwin will now turn their attention to the next big goal of the season: the $1 million Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix, a Rolex Series event that will conclude the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit.

Full results of the Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix: click HERE.

Photo: Sportfot (c) – Darragh Kenny & Eddy Blue

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