WELLINGTON, Fla.--Richard Vogel of Germany won the two featured classes of Premiere Week, the opening week and precursor of the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival.
Richie Vogel on Event De LHeribus (Photo by Sportfot)Premiere Week of the 2025 WEF at Wellington International set the stage for the international season,beginning with the season's first CSI3* competition on Jan. 8.
Vogel, ranked World number six, rode Levi Noesar to win WEF Challenge Cup Premiere Round on Thursday, Jan. 2, and riding Event De L'Heeribus won the $75,000 WEF Premiere Grand Prix on Sunday, Jan. 5.
In the Grand Prix, their first show together, Vogel and the 10-year-old German-bred gelding won in a 12-horse jump-off over a course designed by Eric Hasbrouck.
Vogel was clean in 34.086 seconds to beat Shane Sweetnam of Ireland on Gilona AO. clean in 34.24 seconds to place second, while Jacqueline Ruyle on Cyramo Z, clean in 35.065 seconds, was third and McLain Ward on High Star Hero was fourth.
“I'm very excited about our future with him,” said Vogel, who is based in Wellington for his winter season. “It’s a super way to start the season and a spectacular way to begin our partnership.”
VOGEL FOUND “Sven”, as the horse is known around the barn, with the Berger family in Bavaria, South Germany.
“More than a year ago, I bought another horse off them and I saw him in the stable," said Vogel. "Even in the stall I could see that he was smart. I knew him from videos and followed the horse quite a bit, but they weren't ready to sell. I went back two months ago to try him, and the feeling was very good.”
Event De L’Heribus was produced by Sabrina Berger and collected many wins in the young horse ranks.
“Sabrina did a super job with him; brought him up very well so that we can take over the reins and straight away have success," said Vogel. "That's a nice feeling and a compliment to their work also.”
“Nowadays, our sport is so fast. I think it's for sure an advantage to already have a naturally fast horse, and I like those types of horses," he said. "If a horse jumps a lot of clear rounds but is a little bit slow, it's also a very good horse, but to win a class is obviously easier on a naturally fast horse.”
“In the stable, Sven looks heavy but under the saddle he gets quite modern," said Vogel. "If you see him without a saddle, you almost think it's an old-fashioned type but he has so much blood and is so intelligent. I think that's what makes him special.”
In the hunter division,, Victoria Colvin on Pradigm won the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby,
Competition steps up a notch during WEF 1, highlighted by $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup on Thursday, Jan. 9, the $140,000 Grand Prix during "Saturday Night Lights” and the $32,000 CSI3*1.50m Classic on Sunday, Jan. 12.
