Estes Park, Colorado—Sharn Wordley earned his 30th grand prix victory in the past two years with a win in the $25,000 Estes Park III Grand Prix. Riding Epsom Pierrerille, Wordley conquered the Anthony D’Ambrosio course. This win concludes three successful months in the Rocky Mountains where he was also victorious in the $25,000 Grand Prix de Santa Fe and the $25,000 Sandia Classic Grand Prix with Mr. Flanagan and the $25,000 Castle Rock II Grand Prix with Epsom Pierrerille, plus 10 top eight grand prix finishes.
“We’ve really enjoyed our time in the mountains,” quipped Wordley. “The horses did their jobs beautifully.” To keep his horses fresh and sound, Wordley does not compete all of them at each show, but chooses one or two to ride on any given week.
Epsom is known around the barn as “Rocket” because he’s like a rocket to ride. “He’s quite a character,” Wordley said of the 16-hand Selle Francais gelding. Wordley finished fifth in the class with Filip Amram’s 12-year-old Dutch gelding Medrano, who was also second placed during the $25,000 Estes Park II Grand Prix.
Wordley, a native of New Zealand, has represented his country in Nation’s Cups and has competed in 22 countries. He qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and was the young rider champion in New Zealand earlier in his career. In addition to his victories as a rider, Wordley has coached riders who have gone on to represent their countries in the Olympics, World Cup Finals, World Championships and the Pan American Games.
Wordley and his stable will now head to the shows at the Kentucky Horse Park before settling in Florida for the winter season.
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