Tobago proves unbeatable

Daniel Deusser’s unbelievable winning streak continues in the penultimate week of the Florida series

- SARAH RADFORD

Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) CSI5* week 11, Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre, Florida, USA

WORLD number three, Germany’s Daniel Deusser, and Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z claimed the biggest class of the WEF season – and their second major festival victory this month – when they headed an incredibly close fought $500,000 (£362,000) Rolex 1.50m grand prix.

Of eight jump-off contenders, only three delivered double clears, but the competition was fierce at the top of the field with just 0.34sec splitting the podium positions.

Brazilian course-designer Guilherme Jorge – who designed the course for the Rio 2016 Olympics – produced a deceptively straightforward jump-offtrack that read as if speed would be key, but by the midway point clears had become increasingly valuable.

A six-or-seven stride distance to the final oxer had been a particular fly in the ointment, causing all of the first four combinations to fault.

Dutchman Harrie Smolders and the 10-year-old gelding Bingo Du Parc were the first to leave the fences standing but their advantage was immediately overturned by Israel’s Daniel Bluman (Gemma W), who edged 0.19sec ahead.

The USA’s own Mclain Ward (Contagious) then delivered the fastest round of the decider, but at the expense of the second element of the double.