Enrique Palacios has strengthened his number one position on the Mexican Pan American Games team ranking after the second qualifier held at the 2015 CDI Mexico City on 25 - 26 April 2015. The international show was organized at the Centro Ecuestre de Alto Rendimiento, a Mexican military base, where the equestrian events of the 1968 Olympic Games took place.
The 2015 CDI 3* in Mexico City 2015 hosted an international panel of judges with Eddy de Wolff Van Westerrode (NED), Lois Yukins (USA), Sarah Geikie (USA), Lee Tubman (CAN), and Brenda Minor (CAN). The show successfully combined the international classes with a national show, so the event attracted 20% more combinations who wanted to get the chance to be judged by an international panel.
The CDI Mexico City was the second Mexican Pan Am team qualifier out of three in total. The first event took place at Rancho Nodin in Tultepec in March. Local hero Enrique Palacios and Lourdes Ariza's Danish warmblood NOH's Wizard continued their string of success and reigned in both small tour classes - the Prix St Georges and Intermediaire I - at the CDI Mexico City. They scored 69.974% and 71.132% and are firmly in the lead on the Pan Am Team ranking.
Long time team riders José Luis Padilla and Donnersberg are currently ranked second overall after scoring 66.000% (4th) in the Prix St Georges and 65.474% (2nd) in the Intermediaire I. on Sunday which landed him on the 2nd place in Intermediare 1. The all time veteran of Central American And Caribbean Games and PanAm Games is hoping to go for the 6th consecutive time and 5th with the same horse for the Mexican Team.
Mariana Quintana has two irons in the fire for the 2015 Pan American Games, Guapo and Benzema. While the latter horse is normally her steady eddy, the former actually was on better form in Mexico City and now makes Quitana ranked third overall whereas Benzema has the fourth overall spot. At the show the 13-year old Rhinelander Guapo (by Lanciano x De Niro) scored 67.395% and 64.842%, while the 12-year old Hanoverian Benzema (by Baroncelli) got 65.184% and 64.737%.
Antonio Rivera and his ride of less than two months, the PRE Levitón ARB, finished second in the Prix St Georges with 67.737% but dropped to a 64.421% in the Intermediaire I after a spook in the tst.
There were quite a few absentees in Mexico City, including Lourdes Ariza on Surprise. Her coach Gary Rockwell recommended to continue training at home before competing. Omar Zayrik's military horse Presuntuoso was not fit to compete and Lorena Morales did not present her bay PRE bred Vietkong. Mexican Grand Prix rider Bernadette Pujals is already automatically qualified on the team thanks to her gold medal at the 2014 Central American Games. Due to an injury she is not yet actively competing her horse Aurora El Camino this season.
Photos © Eugenia de Larrea
Related Links
Scores 2015 CDI Mexico City
Enrique Palacios Wins First 2015 Mexican Pan American Selection Trial at Tultepec
