British and Irish success at Florida’s huge Winter Equestrian Festival as $500,000 finale nears

Taking place at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, which also hosts the Global Dressage Festival, the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) features competitions for children, junior, adult amateur, and professional equestrians in 70 unique divisions. And at the elite level, riders like Eric Lamaze, Kent Farrington, McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Beezie Madden have been regulars at the event over the years. Europeans also make the trip across the Atlantic to take part in the WEG, including top riders like Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands and Sergio Alvarez Moya of Spain this year. 

Some of them participate in fan-favourite competitions such as the Battle of the Sexes showdown between male and female riders, with Derbyshire and her compatriot Jessica Mendoza on the winning women’s squad this year. And Derbyshire has had a particularly stellar month at the WEF, picking up back-to-back Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Awards in March after claiming victory in classes like the $134,000 CSI3* Horseware Ireland Grand Prix. 

“The last two weeks have been incredible, and the horses have been brilliant,” said Derbyshire, who also won the Leading Lady Rider title at the 2018 festival. “It’s nice to end WEF on a high with our hard work paying off, and I love riding out on the field!” And among the other riders to have had recent success at the event are Ireland’s 25-year-old Daniel Coyle, who last weekend finished on top of the podium in the $50,000 Hermès U-25 Grand Prix. 

As the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival draws to a close, the highlight of the final week of the WEF will be the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. local time in the International Arena.