Richard Vogel and Gangster steal the show
Germany’s Richard Vogel took to the celebrations under Saturday Night Lights like a veteran after winning the CSI5* $500,000 Grand Prix with Gangster Montdesir at Wellington International in front of a capacity crowd.
“Wellington is really our home in the winter months here,” said Richard, who remained in the International Ring to give autographs to each and every spectator who asked. “It’s my fifth circuit here, it has always been good to us and good to our horses. We always love to come back and enjoy our winter time here.”
The partnership of Richard – ranked 6th in the world – and Gangster, a 10-year old Selle Francais owned by Karlswood Partners found early form with a Grand Prix win in Lyon last October. “He arrived last September, so a fairly new partnership, but actually right away I have a super feeling with him,” said Richard after the pair polished off the jump off in a time of 42.65 seconds leaving Britain’s Ben Maher and Enjeu de Grisien, to chase them, finishing with a runner up time of 42.95 seconds.
It took some time in the first round for competitors to master the Gregory Bodo-designed course with the first clear coming from Kent Farrington and Greya – 13th in the Order of Go – and the majority of the eight jump off contenders qualifying in the second half of the draw. Gregory who has designed the courses for the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, and who will be the Jumping Technical Delegate for Los Angeles in 2028, has a signature style of design, that tests the rider as much as the horse.
“My idea was to build firstly a fair course, but also a very delicate course,” said the Frenchman, returning to WEF week 5 for the third time this year. “Very light – a lot of choices for the rider. The rider needs to have a good connection with the horse….Often with my philosophy about course designing, I try to ask some questions for the riders and not the horses.”
World number three Ben when asked what he could have changed in the jump off to improve, he brought his British humor to the fore, “Go faster,” he said, adding of Enjeu de Grisien the 12-year old Selle Francais, “he jumped amazing tonight in the first round I was very very happy.” Ben has an established partnership with the gelding – he started riding him as a seven-year old. “He has always been in the shadows of some of the other horses, and he’s had to step up in previous months,” Ben said. “He’s really taken the role on well. He’s been a little unlucky here and there, but he’s a very sharp, high-energy horse, and he’s an incredible learner. That’s been his biggest asset; he really wants to be a great horse.”
When asked how it felt to be back in Wellington in front of a sold-out stadium, Vogel concluded by saying, “Every year, we can step up a couple of new, younger, exciting horses, and Gangster is the one this year.”
France’s Nina Mallavaey, who at 26, is a just under two months in to her elevated status in the world’s top ten, currently ranked 8th, finished in third aboard Dynastie de Beaufour with a jump off time of 43.37 seconds. “She jumped her first five-star with me when she was 11,” said Nina. “She feels like she could do anything. I’m lucky to have a horse like her. I give everything for this sport and my passion for the horses.”
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