Wilmington, Ohio, USA – July 11, 2024 – World Equestrian Center – Wilmington saw 33 horse-and-athlete combinations kick off Summer I over Bobby Murphy’s (USA) tracks in the $7,500 Welcome Stake. Out of 13 athletes to jump-off, only five secured a double-clear effort with Kelly Soleau-Millar (USA) and M. Michael Meller’s Fire Fly (Arezzo VDL x First Price G) surpassing the field for the win.

Soleau-Millar spoke highly her fiery mare, “Fire Fly is eight years old. I have had her since she was six. She won the six-year-old finals in Traverse City, Michigan and that was my first real season with her. She is a winner. She wants to win every time and I get upset at myself when I have one down because normally it is my fault,” Millar laughed. “She is a star, that’s for sure!”

Set for a competitive field, the eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood (KWPN) mare might light work of the technical track jumping a clear first round in top form to qualify for the immediate jump-off.

“I thought the course was very well built. It was challenging enough but I thought it was nice to bring a young horse along. But, for the experienced ones, you still didn’t see too many clean. The jump-off really separated people,” said Soleau-Millar.

Making a tidy inside turn untried by the rest of the field, the duo flew to the win in a quick 36.295 seconds.

Nicole Carter (USA) was the final entry to go aboard her competitive nine-year-old KPWN gelding, Kupardie (Cidane x Akupardie), and was just shy of the leading jump-off time to secure second place in 36.696 seconds.

The first combination to post a double clear effort, Lizzy Traband (USA) and LL Show Jumpers nine-year-old Zangersheide stallion, Topgear SR Z (Thunder VD Zuuthoeve x W-Folia SR), rounded out the top three in 40.001 seconds.

Soleau-Millar discussed where she made up time in the jump-off, “I did the inside turn back to the vertical on both of my horses and I am not sure that anyone else did. I was surprised at how tight it was, but I think that was how I got ahead of everybody. She is so catty and quick across the ground that it was quite easy for me to slip right inside and I think that saved me quite a few seconds.”

“We came to WEC in the spring for the first time and I actually changed my summer plans to come for these two weeks and we will be back in the fall. We have some customers that live in Ohio that wanted to come, so we came! I have some up and coming young horses as well. It has been a great place to develop them and bring them along and the customers love it here.”

Final Results – $7,500 Welcome Stake

1) Kelly Soleau-Millar (USA) & Fire Fly – 0 / 36.295

2) Nicole Carter (USA) & Kupardie – 0 / 36.696

3) Lizzy Traband (USA) & Topgear SR Z – / 40.001

4) Laura Douglas (USA) & Legend – 0 / 40.216

5) Abbygale Funk (USA) & Quissini van Baublo – 0 / 40.488

6) Izzy Beisel (USA) & Vegas H – 4 / 37.095

7)  Kelly Soleau-Millar (USA) & Doonaveeragh Balou – 4 / 37.434

8) Sarah Meier (USA) & Nightshade SCF – 4 / 37.894

9)  Sarah Sturges (USA) & Labyrinth – 4 / 41.089

10)  Mattias Ekeroth (SWE ) &  Stamm – 8 / 36.988

Source: Press Release from the World Equestrian Center

Photos: © WEC / Winslow Photography

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