During the two months ahead of the 2026 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), Mark Bluman (COL) and Phelina de Septon collected nine international top 10 finishes together. They kept that streak alive on opening day of FEI competition during WEF 2 by winning the $32,000 Dodd Technologies CSI3* 1.45m Speed on the grass derby field at Wellington International on Thursday.

Photo – Mark Bluman & Phelina de Septon. (©Sportfot)

Hosting 12 weeks of international competition, WEF runs at Wellington International through March 29 in Wellington, FL.

Natural Speed

The one-round speed set by course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr. (GER) was the perfect stage for Bluman and Phelina de Septon to put their natural speed to good use and finish more than a second ahead of nearest challenger Ben Maher (GBR) riding Ginger-Blue for owner Jane Forbes Clark. The former Olympic champion stopped the clock at 63.44 seconds, while Bluman and his 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Jenson Van’t Meulenhof x Landor S) owned by Mario Deslauriers broke the timer beam in 62.2 seconds.

Mark Bluman & Phelina de Septon are presented as winners of the $32,000 Dodd Technologies CSI3* 1.45m Speed by CEO Mark Dodd. Photo ©Sportfot

USA’s Chloe Reid rounded out the podium in 64.85 second aboard Chelsea 179, owned by Live Oak Plantation.

“This field is a beautiful place to be, and it feels great to be back,” said Bluman, who got the ride on Phelina de Septon in May of 2025. “This is my first [WEF] season with her, but since I started with her, it’s been unbelievable—we’ve had an unbelievable run.”

So Game

Bluman and the mare have pocketed eight international podium finishes since their partnership began. “She’s so game—you need to have a major mistake for her to have a rail.”

Bluman is aiming Phelin de Septon at the Hermès 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, with the major goal being the $150,000 final during WEF 11.

For Bluman himself, his current string consists of several top performing mounts. His current focus is the 2026 World Championships in Aachen with new partner Landon. “If you would have told me when I first moved here [to the States] that I would have a group of horses like I have now, I would have told you that I didn’t see it as being possible.”

For complete results from the $32,000 Dodd Technologies CSI3* 1.45m Speed, click HERE.

Competition continues during WEF 2, sponsored by Southern Arches, on Friday with the with the $32,000 Adequan® WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 before the $140,000 Southern Arches CSI3* Grand Prix takes center stage on the derby field Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Full results from WEF 2 are available HERE.