Rodrigo Pessoa and Venice Beach Emerge Victorious in $37,000 Power & Speed Stakes CSI4* at Upperville Colt & Horse Show
Upperville, Va. – June 10, 2021 – International show jumping kicked off at the 168th Upperville Colt & Horse Show (UCHS) Thursday afternoon with the $37,000 Power & Speed Stakes CSI4*, presented by TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Forty-nine athletes from six countries tried their hand over the track, with 19 combinations producing double-clear efforts. The fastest performance belonged to Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and Venice Beach, owned by Artemis Equestrian LLC.
Brazil’s Marina Azevedo designed a welcoming track for the first FEI event of the week, featuring two double combinations and two liverpools. The speed phase of the course offered several options for inside turns to shave off time and top the leaderboard. Ireland’s Jordan Coyle was seventh in the ring and set the early pace to beat in a clear 30.32 seconds with Elan Farm’s Eristov.
Olympian McLain Ward (USA) took over the lead midway through the class with Susan Heller’s Blossom Z, stopping the clock at 30.07 seconds, which would hold up for 11 more rounds until Pessoa stepped into the B&D Builders Jumper 1 ring with Venice Beach. He and the 12-year-old Hanoverian mare by Voltaire were hoof perfect, slicing through the middle of the arena upon advancing to the speed phase and leaving a stride out to the final fence to break the beam 29.68 seconds to top the leaderboard.
Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) tried to catch Ward with Louisburg Farm’s Berdien, but she was just 2/10ths of a second shy of the time, finishing with a clear effort in 29.80 seconds to take over the second-place position. In the end, Pessoa took home the victory, while Ward and Coyle placed third and fourth, respectively.
Pessoa was thrilled with the mare’s performance, stepping up the pace in the second half of the course after Venice Beach jumped so well in the first round. A consistent competitor in speed classes, Pessoa and Venice Beach will return to the arena Saturday for the $37,000 Speed Stakes CSI4*
RESULTS
$37,000 Upperville FEI 4* Power & Speed Stakes
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / Faults | Time
1. Venice Beach / BRA / Rodrigo Pessoa / Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC / 0 | 29.680
2. Berdien / USA / Molly Ashe Cawley / Louisburg Farm / 0 | 29.800
3. Blossom Z / USA / Mclain Ward / Susan Heller / 0 | 30.070
4. Eristov / IRL / Jordan Coyle / Elan Farm / 0 | 30.320
5. Atlantis / CHI / Samuel Parot / Samuel Parot / 0 | 30.430
6. Boheme De La Roque / GBR / Grace Debney / Temple Equestrian LLC / 0 | 31.380
7. Tanael Des Bonnes / USA / Brianne Goutal-Marteau / Gerald Ford / 0 | 31.510
8. Zarina De Vidau / GBR / Grace Debney / Temple Equestrian LLC / 0 | 31.680
9. Athos D’Elle / USA / Katherine Dinan / Grant Road Partners LLC / 0 | 32.500
10. Donner / USA / Peter Leone / Lionshare Farm / 0 | 33.040
11. Castelissimo / IRL / Nicky Galligan / Georgy Maskrey-Segesman / 0 | 33.360
12. Sandilot PS / USA / Schuyler Riley / Esperanza Imports LLC / 0 | 33.820
Press Release Upperville – Foto Phelps Rebecca Walton
HSJ | Instagram: @horseshowjumping.tv
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