February 8, 2026 
Between the white tights, majestic animals with braided up-dos, and non-threatening air of camaraderie on the course walk, the sport of show jumping is about as gangster as pairs ice dancing or a heated game of pickleball. Which is to say it’s not.
But there was one wise guy stuffing the pockets of his patron at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Saturday.
Gangster Montdesir, piloted by Germany’s Richie Vogel, stole the win in the first five-star Grand Prix of the Wellington, FL season. The slick pair topped the CSI5* Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, besting an 8-horse with a jump off time of 42.65 seconds.
“I could stay on the gallop, and I think that’s what saved me; I didn’t have the tightest turns but kept the flow everywhere to stay in rhythm,” said Vogel of his winning jump-off round over 2024 Paris Olympic Games course designer Gregory Bodo’s (FRA) track.
The 10-year-old Selle Français gelding joined Vogel’s crew in September and has jumped to three Grand Prix wins—two at the 1.60m height (Jumpr stats). They won the five-star Longines Grand Prix in Lyon in October and finished second in the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Los Angeles in November.
Saturday’s win put their 1.60m record at three podium finishes in four career starts.
“It’s a very exciting [read: criminally impressive] addition to my string,” said Vogel of the Kannan x Cornet Obolensky stallion. “He arrived last September—so a new partnership—but right away I had a super feeling with him. He always wanted to do a good job from the very first show. I couldn’t wish for anything more than how he jumped and how he was fighting for us.
“He’s a horse that I’ve taken my time with. He’s only 10 years old and it’s his first year at this level. I’m really focusing on bringing him along slowly, not rushing him.”
Related aside: while show jumping as a sport isn’t gangster, horses kind of are. Former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante said on a recent episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast that horses are one of the three easiest ways to launder money. (Real estate and fine art are the other two in case you wanted to diversify your interests.)
