Wellington, Florida, USA – January 04, 2024 – The opening “Saturday Night Lights” event of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) started off with a three-peat win for the boy’s team in the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes under the sparkling lights of Wellington International. The crowd-favorite event highlighted Premiere Week of WEF, which runs through March 30 in Wellington, Florida, USA.
The men boosted their win tally in the Battle of the Sexes to five in the event’s 15-year history with Saturday’s hat trick performance. The winning team on Saturday evening was led by captain Charlie Jayne (USA) and included Christian Coyle (IRL), Jordan Coyle (IRL), Alex Granato (USA), Luis Larrazabal (VEN), Tony Stormanns (GER), Sohnke Theymann (GER) and Michael Tokaruk (USA).
The girl’s team for Battle of the Sexes consisted of team captain Kelly Soleau with her roster of many riders making their Battle of the Sexes debut including Mia Bagnato (USA), Alexis Bodo (USA), Amanda Derbyshire (GBR), Kyla Makhloghi (USA), Abigail McArdle (USA), Brittni Raflowitz (ISR) and Audrey Schulze (USA).
The Battle of the Sexes consists of three phases. The first is a Table C faults-converted speed course where the riders are matched and compete one at a time over the course. The one with the fastest time gains a point for their team. Following the first phase, the boy’s team had a slight lead at five to three.
In the second phase, each team had two relay groups, where a trio of riders faced a section of the course with five points up for grabs. McArdle (USA), Derbyshire (GBR) and Raflowitz (ISR) led off with a win for the girls, but the boys answered with five more on the board. Larrazabal, Stormanns and Granato kept the boys alive as the score settled at eight to ten with only one round remaining.
battle of the sexes; 2525, IGOR CHAVANNAIS, NICHOLAS PONGRACZ, ALEX GRANATO; 5749, BOURGEOIS, BRITTNI RAFLOWITZ; Sportfot
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The final phase was a match race where riders competed head-to-head at the same time over a course that mirrored itself in the ring. Three points for each race were on the line, and the fate of the evening was decided in the fifth rotation when Granato beat out Raflowitz.
Show jumping fans saw horses and riders decked out in blue and pink as they cheered for their favorites. In front of a sold-out Wellington International, the final score stood at 25 to 11 in the boy’s favor.
battle of the sexes; 5378, FLORIDA N, MIA BAGNATO; Sportfot
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“The crowd really gets us excited,” said 2019 U.S. Pan American Games bronze medalist Alex Granato (USA), who clinched the blue for his team. “In terms of show jumping, we don’t ever get to do anything like this; having other riders in the ring at the same time and going head to head. It’s a great class to start us off for the season. The courses can get tricky, especially as we get into the relay with lots of tight turns after that first round because we’re also trying to focus on ground speed.”
In closing, McArdle motivated the girls by saying, “We tried really hard and we are going to get right back at them next year!”
battle of the sexes; presentation sponsor; 5, MIDAS, CHARLIE JAYNE; 1390, COURTWOOD TINKY, RACHEL WILKS, KELLY SOLEAU-MILLAR, CAYDEN HILL; 2084, CARONO Z, MARLEY LIEN-GONZALEZ, KYLA MAKHLOGHI; 2525, IGOR CHAVANNAIS, NICHOLAS PONGRACZ, ALEX GRANATO; 3141, VOGUE TW, AMANDA DERBYSHIRE; 3540, CONPHEBE, ALISON VAN METRE, ABIGAIL MC ARDLE; 3582, HENRIETTA, SOHNKE THEYMANN; 4343, CHICAGO CM, CHRISTIAN COYLE; 4426, COLTON PLAYTIME, ALEXIS BODO; 4734, NAPARDI, MICHAEL TOKARUK, THOMASA SANCHEZ; 3606, MR CASH, AUDREY SCHULZE, CARA CHESKA; 5431, SURPRISE, TONY STORMANNS; 5347, J. LO, BELEN GUARDERAS, LUIS FERNANDO LARRAZABAL; 5378, FLORIDA N, MIA BAGNATO; 5736, CBI MRS KROON, KIMBERLY COYLE, JORDAN COYLE; 5749, BOURGEOIS, BRITTNI RAFLOWITZ; Sportfot
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Source: Press Release from Wellington International
Photos: © Wellington International / Cassidy Klein / Sportfot
