Reed Kessler and her veteran mount Cylana put in a flawless performance on Thursday, March 10th to win the $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup, Round 9 in Wellington, Florida.

Alan Wade set a challenging track for this CSI5* week of competition; the first round course included a tough related line that rode diagonally across the arena to a liverpool vertical, one stride to a wide oxer. The entry list of 74 pairs produced just seven to return for the jumpoff, with heavy hitters Eric Lamaze and Fine Lady 5, and McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z both on that list.

For Kessler, her plan worked out and she covered the ground quickly in 43.518 seconds. While Ward was faster, a rail down dropped him to 6th place. Lamaze finished 6th on eight faults.

After a tumultuous week, 21-year-old Kessler was relieved that her 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Skippy x Darco) was jumping in top form. A week ago Kessler felt that something was off with Cylana, but a full vet exam revealed nothing amiss. So Kessler gave the mare a few days off and worried herself sick–literally.

“I was actually so stressed about it that I gave myself an ulcer and was in the emergency room on Tuesday,” Kessler said. “Sunday did not go well at all. We had three down, and she did not jump like herself. I feel so much relief having had that round now. That was not her last week; that was her today.”

Kessler is out to prove that she’s Olympic material, and every solid round and high profile win helps her on her quest to make the United States Olympic short list this April. Thursday’s victory was the second Grand Prix qualifier victory for Kessler and Cylana this winter, and sets the pair up ideally for Saturday evening’s CSI5* Grand Prix. After this week’s competition, Kessler will head back to her base in Guttecoven, Holland and focus her efforts on the European circuit.

Source: Noelle Floyd