Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet “came to California to get the sun.”
Instead, he got rain; cold, pouring rain in Arcadia Thursday night during the 1/ST Split Rock show at Santa Anita Racetrack. But Gregory also got $30,000 for winning the $100,000 qualifier for Saturday night’s featured $400,000 World Cup qualifier.
A determined Gregory Wathelet had no problem going first in the class and the jump-off.
There were 57 starters over the course designed by Anderson Lima of Mexico, with Gregory being the first to go on Argentina La Machette. His clean round with the clever gray mare was replicated by nine other competitors in the class, despite the adverse weather conditions at the facility that will host the equestrian events of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
However, three Americans — Karl Cook with Caracole de la Roque, Laura Kraut (Bisquetta) and world number one Kent Farrington (Toulayna) declined to return for the tiebreaker. They obviously were saving their horses for the big class on the weekend, but Gregory has a different mount, Ace of Hearts, for that assignment. Since Ace is 15 years old and had been busy competing this autumn on the East Coast, his rider gave him a break from the Thursday outing. And he was not about to follow the lead of the U.S. trio and bow out of the jump-off.
“The ground, even with the rain was amazing. I didn’t see any reason except to be wet (for) not riding,” he said, adding that the weather conditions at the 5-star show reminded him of weather in Belgium.
In the jump-off, Gregory said he “didn’t do crazy,” but he was sharp-focused on the clock and his time of 36.59 seconds was impossible to beat. Going first meant he could ride to his plan, without being influenced by what other riders did.
France’s Nina Mallavey with Dynastie de Beaufor came close in 37.08 to finish second, just ahead of Irish rider Michael Duffy on BE Skyhawk (37.13). The top U.S. competitor was McLain Ward on First Lady (37.35).
Nina Mallavey and Dynastie de Beaufor.
Gregory is pointing toward being in Ft. Worth during April for the Longines FEI World Cup Final, for which Saturday’s class is a qualifier. And he has an ambition beyond that to return to Santa Anita.
“It’s a really nice venue. We all know it’s going to be the Olympics in two years, I hope I can be part of it,” he said.
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