Jessica Springsteen and Vindicat W. Photo © Sportfot.

Twenty-one-year-old Jessica Springsteen of Colts Neck, NJ, guided Stone Hill Farm’s Vindicat W (Guidam out of Oklahoma II W prest by Libero H, breeder P.H.B.M. van Wegen of Raalte) to the winning round in Sunday’s $82,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic to conclude week nine of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies. Showing on a beautiful afternoon at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, Springsteen topped a field of great riders, including her trainer, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Kraut.

Fifty-two entries jumped Sunday’s 1.50m course set by Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL, with ten advancing to the jump-off. First to go in the second round, Jessica Springsteen and Vindicat W were unbeatable. They cleared the course in 41.36 seconds. Two entries were faster but had rails down. Only two others were clear over the short course.

Springsteen purchased Vindicat W, an eleven-year-old KWPN gelding just after this summer’s Olympic Games in London where he was the mount for Peter Charles in the British team’s gold medal win. Springsteen tried Vindicat in August and the pair immediately clicked and showed for the first time together at the Washington International Horse Show in October.

Kent Farrington (USA) and his KWPN-mount Haity McNerney’s Zafira (Nassau x Tampa by Cappucino van Berkenbroek, breeder G. Ruisbroek) cleared the course in 41.53 seconds to finish in second. Lauren Hough finished in 8th place with Tackeray (Quick Star x Guinea by Sandro, breeder Veehandel Musterd BV of Hooge Zwaluwe).

(Source Jennifer Wood Media, Photo © Sportfot.)