Wellington, Fla.—March 10  

After last week, Reed Kessler was worried about Cylana.

“Cylana jumped really well in the WEF [Challenge Cup] on Thursday [last week], and I was flatting her in the days after and she was fine on her legs, but was behaving a little funny,” Kessler said. “She did not want to move her haunches, and I know her so well that I was a little worried. She just did not feel 100 percent.

“I was so stressed about whether I would jump her or not. She is more than a horse to me; she is like half of me, and I never want to jump her if she is not right. I had our team vet go over her and he thought she was fine, so we jumped on Sunday [in the $216,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix] and it did not go well at all. We had three down, and she did not jump like herself.”

That’s why Cylana’s win in the $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9 on March 10 meant so much to Kessler. “I feel really relieved because I did not have a great week last week, and I was actually so stressed about it that I gave myself an ulcer and was in the emergency room on Tuesday,” Kessler said. “I gave Cylana a few quiet days, and put her out in the field at home, and whatever was bothering her was totally fine this week. I feel so much relief having had that round now. That was not her last week; that was her today.”

Reed Kessler and Cylana on their way to the win in the $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9. Photo by Sportfot

The challenging track by Alan Wade of Ireland yielded just seven clear rounds, but Kessler thought it was well done. For the Challenge Cup class, Wade set the track for 74 starters.

In the jump-off, Margie Engle and Elm Rock LLC’s Royce set the pace with a clear round in 44.88 seconds to eventually finish third. New Zealand’s Sharn Wordley and the Sky Group’s Casper cleared the course next with the fifth place time of 47.34 seconds.

Fabio Leivas of Brazil and Marco Antonio Alencar’s Fape Fox Trot VD Padenborre jumped into second place with their round in 44.64 seconds. Eric Lamaze of Canada and Artisan Farms’ Fine Lady 5 had 8 faults in the jump-off in 44.18 seconds to place seventh. Nine Fagerstrom from Finland was next to go with a clear round in 45.56 seconds to place fourth aboard Finca Horses’ Flower.

Kessler and Cylana followed with the winning time of 43.51 seconds. Last to go, McLain Ward and Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z had the time in 42.22 seconds, but dropped one unlucky rail to finish sixth.

“It was quite difficult today. There were only seven clear,” Kessler stated. “Alan Wade is a great course designer, and I think that is the way the WEF should be. It is a big five-star week and a big money class, so it should be challenging. I did not even think I went particularly fast in the jump-off; I just made a few tight turns and was able to win. I wanted to have a nice clear round to set her up for [the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI5* on] Saturday. I thought I would just do a few neat turns and see what happens. Luckily, everything came up well. Honestly, I thought I would be second or third. I did not expect to win, so that was really nice.

“That was a great jump-off,” Kessler added. “It was the kind of jump-off where you could have a really smooth, calculated, clever round and get a great piece of it. I thought it was a great class.”

Kessler and Cylana will return to their home base in Europe after this weekend, and the mare will have several weeks of turnout and time off while Kessler competes with other horses. Kessler will then await the release of the U.S. Show Jumping Short List, as her sights remain set on competing in the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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Final Results: $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9

1. CYLANA, 2002 Belgian Warmblood mare by Skippy II x Darco, REED KESSLER (USA), Kessler Show Stables: 0/0/43.51

2. FAPE FOX TROT V D PADENBORRE, 2005 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Chin Chin x Fleuri du Manoir, FABIO LEIVAS (BRA), Marco Antonio Alencar: 0/0/44.64

3. ROYCE, 2004 Oldenburg stallion by Café au Lait x Grandilot, MARGIE ENGLE (USA), Elm Rock LLC: 0/0/44.88

4. FLOWER, 2005 Belgian Warmblood mare by Bon Ami x Randel Z, NINA FAGERSTROM (FIN), Nina Fagerstrom: 0/0/45.56

5. CASPER, 2006 Oldenburg gelding by Contender x Baloubet du Rouet, SHARN WORDLEY (NZL), Sky Group: 0/0/47.34

6. HH CARLOS Z, 2002 Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z x Voltaire, MCLAIN WARD (USA), Double H Farm: 0/4/42.22

7. FINE LADY 5, 2003 Hanoverian mare by Forsyth x Drosselklang II, ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 0/8/44.18

8. FIRST CHOICE 15, 2003 Hessian Warmblood gelding by For Keeps x Angard, YANN CANDELE (CAN), Watermark Group: 1/76.04

9. CALVIN KLEIN, 2004 Swedish Warmblood gelding by Cardento x Feliciano, JONATHON MILLAR (CAN), Millar Brooke Farm Ltd: 1/77.99

10. BALOU DU REVENTON, 2006 Oldenburg stallion by Cornet Obolensky x Continue, LJUBOV KOCHETOVA (RUS), Ljubov Kochetova: 2/80.85

11. ATLANTIS, 2003 Zangersheide gelding by Andiamo x Royal Bravour L, SAMUEL PAROT (CHI), Samuel Parot: 4/72.07

12. OHLALA, 2004 Swedish Warmblood mare by Orlando x Cardento, LAUREN HOUGH (USA), The Ohlala Group: 4/73.47