[Spoiler: it’s the Winter Equestrian Festival]
Spanish Olympian Sergio Alvarez Moya beat a field of 40 to capture the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL. Naturally, he’s now rather fond of the event…
“For me, this is one of the best shows in the world,” enthused Moya. “Most of the best and most competitive riders in the world are here.”
Moya’s mount for the biggest purse of the WEF circuit: ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Charmeur.
“I have had Charmeur since he was six years old, and I just feel very happy and very proud that we got to win a five-star grand prix here,” he continued.
“The horse does not have so much experience at this level. He just got better and better here at this show. I think it is a great place to bring horses up, and obviously to jump such a grand prix they have to be really ready. I think from here on, we can go anywhere in the world.”
The victory is the feather in the cap of a fantastic winter circuit in Wellington for the reigning Spanish national champion. Moya logged top three Grand Prix finishes in six out of 11 weeks:
- WEF Week 3: Third in the $130,000 Adequan® Grand Prix CSI 3* with G&C Unicstar de l’Aumone
- WEF Week 4: Second in the $216,000 Ariat® Grand Prix CSI 4* with G&C Unicstar de l’Aumone
- Palm Beach Masters: Third in the $100,000 World Cup Qualifier with Arraryan
- WEF Week 7: Second in the $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5* aboard Arrayan
- WEF Week 9: Third in week nine’s $380,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix CSI 5* with Charmeur
- WEF Week 11: First in the $500,00 Rolex Grand Prix
Those consistent results put the Rio into the top 30 in the world ranking’s for the first time since 2015. Moya now heads to the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final with top mount Arrayan before continuing his season in Europe.