The Maestro Is at Work in Wellington

In 2024, H5 Porthos Maestro WH Z made Carlos Hank Guerreiro’s childhood dream come true when they rode for Mexico at the Paris Olympic Games.

On Saturday evening in Florida, the 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Picasso Z x Ogano Sitte) crossed another off the list for his 24-year-old jockey: winning under the lights at Wellington International.

Guerreiro and his partner of four years stopped the clock on Oscar Soberon’s (USA) jump-off track at 39.98 seconds to win the CSI4* Horseware Ireland Grand Prix in front of a packed stadium.

“The atmosphere here has always been unbelievable; I’ve been jumping here for a few years now and these ‘Saturday Night Lights’ are very special. It’s what motivates us during the week. To win one has always been a dream of mine so I’m very grateful,” said Guerreiro.

“It’s a very tough place to win. If you can win here, you can win anywhere.”

Fourteen pairs advanced to the short course, including Olympians Bertram Allen (IRL), Cian O’Connor (IRL), Roberto Teran Tafur (COL), Nicola Philippaerts (BEL), Nayel Nassar (EGY), Harry Charles (GBR) and Jessica Springsteen (USA). Only Nassar and ESI Ali clocked in a faster time (39.92), but dropped a rail to finish ninth.

“I have a very fast horse in Porthos, and it was a big enough jump-off with some very fast riders behind me,” said Guerreiro, who finished half a second faster than runners up Meredith Little (USA) and La Contessa (40.55). “I didn’t want to leave it all out on the line because you still have to leave the jumps up. I wanted to take the risks I knew I could, and it paid off today.”