Lady riders won last night’s $75,000 ‘Battle of the Sexes’ contest at Palm Beach Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida, defeating their male counterparts by 31 points to 21.
Ten riders featured in each team, with Ireland’s David Blake and Darragh Kenny lining out on the men’s side. The two Irish riders were the best individual male performers, contributing 8 points between them to the team total.
The contest consisted of a speed round, a relay, and a match race over courses set by Olympic designer Guihlerme Jorge.
The men led 7-3 after the faults-converted speed round, but the ladies turned the tables in the relay by 10-5 and took the final round 18-9 to give them a 10 point winning margin.
It was the ninth staging of the event, and the eighth time that the ladies have triumphed. The 2015 contest ended in a tie.
The event, sponsored by Wellington Regional Medical Center, is part of the Winter Equestrian Festival, Week 1 of which concludes this evening with the $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden PLLC Grand Prix.
Josh Tobin
Ladies 31 (Nicole Belissimo 0; Mavis Spencer 3; Haylie Rolfe 3; Alexandra Welles 3; Heather Caristo-Williams 1; Amanda Derbyshire 1; Jessica Mendoza 0; Schuyler Riley 3; Julie Welles 4; Abigail McArdle 3; Relay 10).
Men 21 (Alex Granato 1; Charlie Jayne 0; Hardin Towell 1; Colin Syquia 1; David Blake 4; Daniel Bluman 1; Darragh Kenny 4; Adam Prudent 3; Ernest Connell 0; Andrew Kocher 1; Relay 5).
We Live Horse 