Fernando Cardenas wins $25,000 Suncast Championship Jumper Classic…

The $25,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic was held on Saturday afternoon with 14 entries and a two-horse jump-off. Ben Maher and Jane Clark’s Sarena jumped first and cleared the short course in 35.47 seconds to take reserve honors. Fernando Cardenas and Quincy Car jumped next and took the leading time in 34.80 seconds. The rider explained that every win is special with the 11-year-old Oldenburg stallion, Quincy Car (Galiani Car x Amour Parfait), who is home bred by his father, Fernando Cardenas Sr. All of their home bred horses have the last name Car for the family name.

“One of the greatest pleasures that we have is to say that we have bred a horse and taken him to grand prix instead of ever having to buy a horse,” Cardenas stated after his win. “I have ridden him the whole time, so to me that is as big an accomplishment, to make a horse to grand prix, just as much as winning a grand prix. I think one phrase sums it all – a good horse makes anybody look good. I am very grateful to have a very special horse.”

Cardenas was born and raised in Colombia and has been living in this country for 27 years. While his father’s breeding and training business is based in Ocala, FL, he lives in Raleigh, NC, throughout the year. Cardenas alternates his time in the winter between Wellington and Ocala.

“I have been coming here for three years straight, but I am a veterinarian and I have to work, so I can only come here for short periods of time,” he said of the Winter Equestrian Festival. “It is very cold back home, so we just come here and play a little bit. I enjoy the quality of the show here, to be able to show against top quality riders.”

Cardenas will continue to compete in Florida throughout the winter. He will then show at the new Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina the rest of the year. “We went there last year, and we loved it,” he praised.

Source: Equestrian Sport Productions

Results: $25,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic

1 1946 QUINCY CAR FERNANDO CARDENAS FERNANDO CARDENAS: 0/0/34.806
2 2551 SARENA BEN MAHER JANE CLARK: 0/0/35.472
3 1581 SHIVER LIZA FINSNESS LIZA FINSNESS: 1/75.445
4 1810 ZANDER MCLAIN WARD MCLAIN WARD & GRANT ROAD PARTNERS: 4/67.274
5 1901 ROLLS JAVIER BERGANZA ANDERHUB DOUBLETHINK LLC: 4/73.170
6 123 CHECK PICOBELLO Z ERIC LAMAZE ARTISAN FARMS LLC & TORREY PINES STABLE: 4/74.581