‘The final day of week 2 on Sunday, January 20, at the 2019 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) featured two major classes in the International Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Starting out in the morning, Eugenio Garza Perez (MEX) and El Milagro’s Caracas captured the top prize in the $25,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix. The winner of the $36,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.45m Classic was 19-year-old Shota Ogomori (JPN) riding SIG Captain America. The 12-week WEF circuit features hunter, jumper, and equitation competition and continues through March 31, 2019, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

While week 2 has concluded, there is still more top equestrian competition to come. Week 3 at WEF, sponsored by Adequan®, runs January 23-27 and features the $134,000 Adequan® Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday, January 26, at “Saturday Night Lights.”

Out of 77 entries in the first round of the $36,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.45m Classic, nine found the path to a clear round. In the jump-off, there were five double clears, led by the fastest time of 37.26 seconds set by Ogomori on SIG Captain America, owned by SIG International Inc. Ogomori went seventh out of nine in the jump-off and was able to keep a blazing pace throughout the shortened course.

Second in the class went to Luiz Francisco de Azevedo (BRA) on Collin, owned by Santa Cecilia Stables. They were clear in 37.53 seconds, missing the top time by just 3/100ths of a second. Andrew Welles (USA) and Brindis Bogibo, owned by Itasca Group LLC, were third in 38.72 seconds with no faults.

Ogomori celebrated his first big win at WEF on Sunday. The young rider from Torrance, CA, trains with Canadian grand prix rider Chris Pratt, and this is his third year competing at WEF. He got into riding through his father Nobu Ogomori, who competed in show jumping and was a coach.

While Ogomori bought SIG Captain America as a five-year-old, he did not take over the ride until June of 2018.

“AGerman rider, Felix Hassmann, rode him for me for awhile,”explained Ogomori of the 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Captain Firex Collin L.“Last year was the first time that I rodehim, building him up slowly from the 1.30m, 1.40m, until now.He’s great. He’s super careful, fast, really competitive,and has a good heart.”

Coming into the jump-off Ogomori changed his plan. “Chris [Pratt] mentioned that the first line had to be seven[strides]. The original plan was eight, but everybody was doing seven, so we changed the plan there. Then just go! Just gallop between the lines and make sure that the turn back to [fence] 10 was as tidy as possible.”

Ogomori gained his first championship experience in 2018 at the Asian Gamesin Jakarta, where he represented Japan and won the individual silver medal with SIG Iron Man. “Hopefully we can start qualifying for [the Tokyo Olympics],” he said.

$36,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.45m Classic

1 SIG CAPTAIN AMERICA: 2009 Westphalian gelding by Captain Fire x Collin L
SHOTA OGOMORI (JPN), SIG International: 0/0/37.26

2 COLLIN: 2007 KWPN gelding by Colandro x Amethist
LUIZ FRANCISCO DE AZEVEDO (BRA), Santa Cecelia Stables: 0/0/37.53

3 BRINDIS BOGIBO: 2006 KWPN gelding by Grand Pilot I x Pacific
ANDREW WELLES (USA), Itasca Group LLC: 0/0/38.72

4 EVER D’HOOGPOORT: 2010 Belgian Sport Horse mare by Clinton x Nabab de Reve
KEVIN MEALIFF (IRL), McLain Ward: 0/0/39.21

5 CHACCOLETTE: 2009 mare by Chacco Blue
LILLIE KEENAN (USA), Chansonette Farm LLC: 0/0/39.54

6 COACH: 2008 Holsteiner gelding by Con Air x Corofino I
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/4/38.19

7 MTF SAINT SIMEON: 2007 Selle Francais mare by de Calvaro x Major de la Cour
CONNOR HUSAIN (USA), Morningside Training Farm: 0/4/38.68

8 UPPER: 2008 Selle Francais gelding by Diamant de Semilly x Nadir de San Patrignano
DAVID OBERKIRCHER (USA), Southfields Farm LLC: 0/4/40.04

9 DUBAI: 2009 KWPN mare by Eurocommerce Dubai x Calvados Ex Sable Rose
JESSICA MENDOZA (GBR), Jessica Mendoza: 0/8/39.881

10 CLASSIC ROC: 2009 Continental Warmblood gelding by Roc USA x Flying Pidgeon
NICK NOVAK (USA), Nancy Whitehead: 1/74.02

11 ISHD DUAL STAR: 2002 Irish Sport Horse mare by Quick Star x Concorde
LAURA CHAPOT (USA), Mary Chapot: 4/68.58

12 SHARAPOVA IMPERIO EGIPICIO: 2002 Brazilian mare by Baloubet du Rouet x Welton Ambassador
FRANCISCO JOSE MESQUITA MUSA (BRA), Daniel Aguiar Morelli: 4/69.25