Thermal, Calif. – Fresh off a victory in last Wednesday’s CSI5* Welcome Speed, James Chawke returned to Desert International Horse Park on February 4 to take home another Wednesday speed class win. This time, the Irish rider piloted Nacara van Berkenbroeck Z to the top spot in the $10,000 LINEONE Hair 1.35m Welcome Speed to kick off Desert Circuit 5, presented by Frank & Eileen.
Designer Peter Holmes set the speed course on the Grass Field, and Amanda Gomez and Charly-Ann quickly established the time to beat at a competitive 56.915 seconds. As the penultimate rider to jump, Chawke selected a slightly different track than Gomez, which ultimately led to him narrowly securing the win in a time of 56.764 seconds.
James Chawke and Nacara van Berkenbroeck Z. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“Amanda’s horse is very quick, but we kind of did very different numbers,” explained Chawke. “I did one less in a few lines; she did less in the turns. It just about equaled each other out. It was pretty close.”
With Chawke taking the win and Gomez and Charly-Ann – owned by Rising Star Equestrian – finishing in second, third place went to Jessica Gleason and her own Mack Wildrick.
“Nacara I’ve had for a couple of years now, probably three years,” said Chawke of the 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding, owned by Alison Locke. “He’s very blood, very sensitive. He kind of likes to run along a little bit. He a little bit likes that sort of rhythm. He’s really very competitive, very fast.”
Chawke continued, “He’s won a few CSI3* 1.50ms. Really today I just wanted to get him back out on the grass. I was injured last winter, so he didn’t really do anything here. I thought it’d be nice to get him out there, and he was super. The grass feels really good!”
For full results of the $10,000 LINEONE Hair 1.35m Welcome Speed, click here.
Featured jumper competition at Desert Circuit 5 will continue on the Grass Field through Sunday, February 8, with highlights including Saturday afternoon’s $75,000 PGA West Grand Prix. With 10 weeks of top-caliber competition, Desert Circuit at Desert International Horse Park continues through March 15, 2026. To learn more and to view a complete schedule of events, visit deserthorsepark.com.