TIPPERARY’S Kevin Babington got the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) off to the perfect start at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre (PBIEC) in Wellington, Florida, last Wednesday when winning the $8,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m speed class with the Irish Sport Horse Super Chilled.

Just 13 combinations took on Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge’s track for the first big class of the festival and six went clear in the first round.