Katie Robinson and Rock Steady won the Amateur Owner 35 & Over Hunter Championship during WEF 12. Photo By: Arianna Delin/PMG.
East Aurora, NY and Wellington, FL – April 3, 2013 – The 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival has come to an end and the riders of Deeridge Farms had a home run during the final week. The season brought the farm various championships and multiple ribbons every week and WEF 12 was no exception. Katie Robinson and Rock Steady continued to display their talents, as they rose to the top of the class in the Amateur Owner 35 & Over Hunters.
Rock Steady, who has been on a break since week 7, entered the ring on the first day of the division as if he had never left. On day one of the Amateur Owner 35 & Over Hunters, the two claimed a second place ribbon in their over fences class, and after putting down a flawless performance, nabbed the blue ribbon in the handy round.
Robinson and her steady mount then came back, to earn a blue ribbon over fences, and finished off the division with a second place in the under saddle. These ribbons led her to the division’s championship tricolor for the final week of circuit.
“Rock Steady was really good. I went into the handy round a little nervous, because an accident just happened, but I just took it slow and made some wider turns,” explained Robinson. “We are planning on going to Old Salem and Devon, and then will probably do the Lake Placid shows.”
Robinson and Deeridge Farms will continue to compete in Wellington during the spring circuit, before the horses and riders return home to New York.
Jessica Springsteen is presented with a $2,000 bonus for wearing SSG ‘Digitals’ on her way to victory in the $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. James Leslie Parker, The Book LLC.
Wellington, Florida – Two familiar faces were in the winner’s circle for the final SSG Riding Gloves “Go Clean for the Green” presentations of the season. Jessica Springsteen became a three-time winner of the $15,000 SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic while Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade picked up his second bonus of the season with a win in the $10,000 Griffis Group High Junior Jumper Classic at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.
Held Saturday, March 30, the $15,000 SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic attracted a large starting field of 57 entries. Seven were clear over the first round track to qualify for the jump-off. There was no doubt that the $2,000 in bonus money, having doubled as it was not won during week 11, would be awarded; all seven jump-off contenders were wearing SSG ‘Digital’ riding gloves to be eligible.
Coming back second in the jump-off, Springsteen laid down another clear round in a time of 41.83 seconds riding Wish that would prove to be unbeatable. The victory marked Springsteen’s third win of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival in the $15,000 SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, having previously won during weeks four and six. In total, Springsteen won $5,000 in bonus money in the SSG Riding Gloves “Go Clean for the Green” promotion.
“It’s crazy how much you can win!” exclaimed Springsteen, 21, of Colts Neck, NJ. “I love the gloves, I think they’re great, and I think the promotion is so exciting. It is a great idea. I really like how if no one wins it, the bonus money rolls over. It really adds up!”
Emanuel Andrade is presented with a $1,000 bonus from SSG Gloves after winning the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic. Photo by Sportfot
Andrade, meanwhile, brought his final total of bonus money won to $4,000 in this season’s SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion. With only two riders able to find their way to a clear round in the final $10,000 Junior Jumper Classic of the season, Andrade was first back for the jump-off and set the pace with a clear round riding Crossfire 10. When the only other jump-off contender, Eugenio Garza, faulted, victory went to the 16-year-old Venezuelan show jumping sensation.
“If you use the gloves, not only do you have the satisfaction of winning the class, you have the satisfaction of winning the bonus money, too!” said Andrade, who trains with Andrea King and Angel Karolyi of Hollow Creek Farm in Aiken, SC. “I normally do not wear gloves, but I do for these classes because it’s so nice of them to run the promotion. I want to support it.”
As he did the last time he won, Andrade gave his SSG bonus money to his grooms. At the end of the 12-week circuit, it is a nice reward for a job well done!
A total of $60,000 in bonus money was on offer from SSG Riding Gloves at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. A $3,000 bonus was up for grabs in each of the weekly WEF Challenge Cup Series events, and a $1,000 bonus was on offer in the Amateur-Owner Jumper High Classic and the Junior Jumper High Classic competitions. If not awarded, the bonus money carried forward to the next event in the series.
SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves are available for purchase at numerous locations, including Beval Saddlery, Hadfield’s Saddlery, Jods, Running Fox and Tackeria.
Contact: Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439 www.startinggate.ca
Jennifer Alfano and Miss Lucy secured the victory in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby with an impressive 348.5 point total. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group.
Wellington, FL – April 1, 2013 – After a great circuit in Ocala, Jennifer Alfano and SBS Farms made their way to Wellington for the final week of the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival. Alfano could not have asked for a better week, taking home multiple tricolors, and topping off the week with a victory gallop around the derby field aboard Helen Lenahan’s Miss Lucy for the 2013 $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby.
The talented 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare took to the stage and went right to the top of the leader board. The pair vaulted to the top rankings on day one, taking the fourth place honors in the classic round with an overall score of 187 points. Miss Lucy continued to shine on Sunday, when she galloped around the grass derby field, catching the judges’ scrutinizing eye during the handy phase of competition. With Alfano in the irons, the pair navigated all of the inside turns and took all of the high options, receiving scores of 88.5 and 89, with 6 and 7 handy points for a round two score of 198.5. These efforts went right to the top, leading them to the final victory gallop with a final score of 348.5 points.
“Miss Lucy is so reliable you can always count on her to give 110%,” smiled Alfano. “She is actually a little more reliable than Jersey Boy, because you never have to wonder. With him, he has his moments. She is one of those horses that tries to do everything right all the time.”
Earlier in the week, Alfano showed several of her mounts in the hunter divisions to prepare for the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Miss Lucy captured the reserve championship ribbon in the High Performance Hunters, riding to an array of top ribbons. This was Miss Lucy’s first week back since the eighth week of the Ocala series, and she came back with finesse. Tom Wright of Uphill Farm assisted Alfano with the training duties for the final week of the Winter Equestrian Festival, helping her rise to the top with her talented mounts.
Alfano also piloted Timber Ridge in the USHJA International Hunter Derby. The two went into the second round in sixth place, but then dropped below the top 12 for the final outcome. Timber Ridge also competed in the Regular Conformation Hunters earlier in the week to prepare for the derby. Owned by Shane George, Timber Ridge is living up to his reputation and raking in the ribbons in the conformation divisions.
On the first day of showing at WEF, Timber Ridge and Alfano achieved a second place ribbon, while attaining a fourth in the handy round. They then went on to attain first, second and fourth place ribbons on the second day of the division. They fell just shy of the championship, but Alfano didn’t hesitate to take the championship aboard the beautiful grey Rose Hill.
On her third mount of the week, Alfano attained the championship in the Performance 3’6″ Working Hunters with Rose Hill, affectionately known as “Rosie.” To start off her week in Wellington, Alfano and Rose Hill, owned by Sharon O’Neill, rode perfect courses. With a strong pace and consistent fences, the pair achieved a first place ribbon and two second place ribbons, sealing her Performance 3’6″ Performance Working Hunter Championship.
“She jumped beautifully over the courses, and the new atmosphere didn’t faze her all,” said Alfano of Rose Hill. “She is so easy and fun – she is the kind of horse that everyone wants in their barn.”
After WEF, the team at SBS will now continue to the Camden Spring Classic, Kentucky Spring and then the Devon Horse Show. After such a fantastic winter circuit in Ocala, and concluding their tour with their victory in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, there is no question that spring and summer will see more tricolors from SBS Farms, Inc.
Based out of Buffalo, NY, SBS Farms’ Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano run one of the foremost show hunter training operations in the country, and travel nationwide to compete in the nation’s most prestigious horse shows. SBS Farms, Inc. continues the proud tradition of the Saddle and Bridle Club as one of the top show stables in the northeast. Schoellkopf is also the Executive Director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, which houses both The Buffalo Equestrian Center as well as SBS Farms. Built in 1922, the 160-stall facility is a historical landmark, with its unique English Tudor and gothic style architecture. For more information on SBS Farms and the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit www.thebtrc.org.
Kent Farrington Wins $100,000 FTI Consulting Rider Challenge; Jessica Springsteen and Vindicat W Score Second FTI WEF Suncast 1.50m Victory
Wellington, FL – March 30, 2013 – Brazil’s Alvaro de Miranda and AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno jumped to an exciting victory on Saturday night in the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center saw its biggest crowd ever with a packed house of 8,600 fans in attendance to watch the best of the best from the winter circuit compete in the final event under the lights. Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Cella finished second and de Miranda’s wife, Athina Onassis de Miranda of Greece, placed third with Camille Z.
Ireland’s Alan Wade designed the course for Saturday night’s grand prix and set a challenging track for the 40 competitors. Ten entries cleared the first round course without fault to advance to the jump-off and three of those completed clear rounds over the short course in the race for the top prize. Alvaro de Miranda and AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno, owned by de Miranda and Victory Equestrian BV, had the fastest round in 43.96 seconds for the win.
Athina Onassis de Miranda was first to go in the jump-off and put in a steady clear round in 54.46 seconds aboard her horse Camille Z, owned by the rider and Victory Equestrian. Although she was slower than many of the other riders, her controlled approach paid off when most of the combinations had faults in their attempt to put in the fastest round. The pair’s clear round finished in third.
Ben Maher and Jane Clark’s Cella were the only other pair to complete a clear round in the jump-off and briefly held the lead with their time of 44.88 seconds, but Bogeno and de Miranda soon took over.
Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel had the fastest time of the night in 43.52 seconds, but a rail at the last fence left them in fourth. Nick Skelton (GBR) and Beverly Widdowson’s Big Star were also extremely fast in 44.21 seconds, but had one rail down to finish fifth.
Watch an interview with Alvaro de Miranda
De Miranda’s winning mount, AD Rahmannshof’s Bogeno, is a 13-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding by Baloubet du Rouet x Elanville. Flying in the jump-off, one of Bogeno’s shoes actually flew off halfway through the round, but he went on to jump four more fences and blaze through the finish as if nothing ever happened.
“The jump-off was very good for my horse,” the rider stated. “My horse is very quick when you have a long jump-off like that. I tried to go very fast to the wall. I really went as much as I could. I took a lot of risk, but I knew that I had to come into the double holding in seven strides because sometimes if I go too open coming in, I can make a mistake in the second of the double. My horse is so great and that makes my job much easier. He’s very good. In the first round sometimes he’s a little bit tense, but then in the jump-off he’s very calm. When I ride well, normally he is first place.”
This is the first time that de Miranda and his wife have placed at the top of a major class together and they were both thrilled. He was especially happy for the improvement that she has made in her riding this year.
“She trains very hard,” he stated. “I think it’s important to see somebody who really wants to do good. Not only buying good horses, but she really wants to give the best that she can always. She’s a hard worker and she loves the horses. She thinks about the horses 99% of her time. When she’s awake, she’s thinking about horses. It’s impossible for her not to succeed because she trains so hard and she loves them.”
Athina Onassis de Miranda and Camille Z
Commenting on her success, Onassis de Miranda smiled, “My horse was great today. It was really good. I knew they were going to come really fast after me. I knew they would be faster, but I was happy to be close.”
Both Alvaro and Athina Onassis de Miranda have been training with legendary former U.S. Chef d’Equipe George Morris. Morris has also been helping Ben Maher with his new mounts for owner Jane Clark. All of the riders gave huge credit to Morris for improving their performances throughout the circuit.
“I would like to thank George Morris very much for all of his support here, especially for Athina,” de Miranda stated. “He also has helped me and without his help, I’m sure that it would not be possible to have this great result, especially with my wife.”
Second place finisher Ben Maher had a great finish in the class with Cella despite riding with three fractures in his lower back after a fall in the schooling ring last week. He congratulated his fellow competitors and praised his horse for helping him through the night.
“I’m very happy. Congratulations to everybody here,” Maher smiled. “It has been a great finish to a great circuit for me. Cella compensated for me tonight. I’ve had a few injuries this week and I wasn’t sure if we were going to ride earlier today. A lot of people have been helping me to make it as comfortable as possible. There were a couple of moments there that if I wasn’t riding Cella, I wouldn’t be sitting here. I’m very, very lucky to ride her. I just had to adapt my style a little bit to a lighter seat, which Cella thought was fun, but I didn’t. She’s unbelievable and she really helped me on a couple of jumps tonight.”
“I did everything I could in the jump-off; maybe I wasn’t as quick as I can be,” Maher remarked. “I tried to beat the ones in front of me and Alvaro was just too fast.”
Along with the winner’s share of $150,000, de Miranda was presented with the brand new Dennis D. Dammerman Perpetual Trophy. The trophy was created to honor the contributions to equestrian sport of Dennis D. Dammerman, a longtime owner of horses and founding member of the Wellington Equestrian Partners.
This was one of de Miranda’s biggest wins and he had a great experience during his first time competing in Wellington.
“For sure this was one of the most important wins of my life,” he acknowledged. “To have the best riders and the best horses all jump in one class and they’re all very fast. It was important especially to have a good program to keep the horse jumping good for the last week. It’s also my first time here and I was a little bit lost. When I came and I saw the prize list and I saw all the classes, I didn’t know how to fit it. That was what we spoke about with George; a plan about how to get to the last Grand Prix. This horse, I have him for a little bit more than one year, and he has been so nice for me. Every time there’s something difficult, I know he’s there and he’s fighting for me and I’m happy to have so many good horses.”
“This was my first time here, even to watch,” de Miranda added. “I’m very happy and I hope we can come next year. We look forward to coming again. I’m really, really happy, especially to have good results and leave with good memories.”
The $100,000 FTI Consulting Rider Challenge concluded on Saturday night after twelve weeks of jumper competition at the 2013 FTI WEF. Kent Farrington led the standings and earned a $50,000 cut of the bonus money for his success during the circuit. Conor Swail finished in second place to earn $25,000, Reed Kessler was third and received a $15,000 check, and Beezie Madden finished fourth for a $10,000 bonus.
Farrington was second last year and moved up to take the top prize with many great finishes throughout the circuit this year.
“It means I can take home some more money, which is great,” Farrington smiled in response to the win. “I was second last year, and I’ve been telling Dennis Shaugnessy that I was going to take his money one of these years, so finally. It’s great to have rider incentives like that. It’s a long winter here and any time there are bonuses, it’s really exciting for our sport and something we all look to a little bit. I have a good team of horses and I have a great group of owners to thank, along with my staff. It’s a big team of people helping that happen.”
Several other awards were presented on Saturday for the final week of competition in Wellington. Ben Maher’s mount Cella had a fantastic circuit and her owner, Jane Clark, was presented with the Simba Run Perpetual Trophy as the owner of the open jumper who has earned the most prize money in classes held at 1.45m or more during the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Clark was also presented with The Harrison Cup Perpetual Trophy, which is awarded to the owner whose horses won the most jumper money in all of the open jumper classes held throughout the circuit. In addition, Cella’s groom Joy Montgomery was presented with the Oliver O’Toole Perpetual Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the groom of the horse who has earned the most money in the grand prix jumper classes.
Other awards included the Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider for the circuit, which was presented to Reed Kessler on behalf of Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler. Conor Swail received theNiall Grimes Perpetual Trophy as the Irish rider that earned the most money during the week of CSIO competition. Laura Kraut and Woodstock O were presented with the Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award for the overall circuit, which is awarded to the jumper whose style best exemplifies a show jumper based on scope, rideability, technique and competitive spirit.
Jessica Springsteen and Vindicat W
Jessica Springsteen and Vindicat W Score Second Suncast 1.50m Victory
On Saturday afternoon, the $33,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic was held with a win for Jessica Springsteen (USA) and Stone Hill Farm’s Vindicat W. Forty entries showed in the class with 15 advancing to the jump-off and only three clear rounds over the short course. Springsteen and Vindicat W cleared the course in 44.33 seconds for the win.
Richie Moloney (IRL) and Equinimity LLC’s Carrabis Z finished second in 44.86 seconds. McLain Ward (USA) finished third with The Wannahave Group’s Wannahave with a clear round in 45.77 seconds. Ward was also fourth with the fastest round of the day but incurred four faults in 41.88 seconds aboard Grant Road Partners’ Super Trooper de Ness.
Springsteen and Vindicat W, an eleven-year-old KWPN gelding by Guidam x Libero H, also won the $82,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic during week nine of FTI WEF competition. Springsteen purchased the horse in August of last year just after the Olympic Games in London where he was the mount for Peter Charles in the British team’s gold medal win. The rider, who is currently in her junior year at Duke University in North Carolina, has traveled back and forth from school to compete this winter. She has been taking her time to build a good partnership with the talented gelding while showing as much as possible in between a busy schedule of classes.
On Saturday, the duo proved that they were perfectly in sync with another exciting win. They went third in the jump-off and could not be beat after that.
“I had a pretty good plan,” Springsteen explained. “I kind of like going early in these big jump-off classes because watching everybody go so fast and then having to go after makes me a little nervous. I did miss one inside turn, so I definitely thought that somebody would beat me because I kind of left that door open, but he is so fast. He is so amazing.”
“I am really happy,” Springsteen said of their growing partnership. “It took a second to get used to going fast with him and get used to a jump-off, so I feel like I have gotten that down and I am excited to try it over the bigger tracks.”
Springsteen also won the $15,000 RCG Farm SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic on Saturday with Stone Hill Farm’s Wish. With some of her top horses going so well throughout the FTI WEF circuit, she is looking forward to traveling to Europe for the summer to compete.
“It feels great to be coming off of this winter and be ready to go to Europe,” she noted. “I am really excited. All of my horses feel amazing. I only came down six weekends, so they haven’t been doing so, so much, which I think is nice. They all still feel fresh and ready to go for the summer.”
Molly Zisook Tops THIS National Children’s Medal 14 & Under Aboard C’est Si Bon
Molly Zisook rode her eight-year-old Westphalian mare C’est Si Bon to victory in the THIS National Children’s Medal 14 & Under class during week twelve of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Zisook, of Lake Forest, IL, bested the class of twenty-nine entries after a first round score of 87 landed her in the top four called back to test.
Second place went to Lucy Deslauriers, who finished with a score of 86 with Stonehenge Farms’ Al Pacino. Olivia Bruyn came in third with a score of 84 with Square One, owned by Beacon Hill Show Stables. The top four was rounded out by Emma Kurtz and Marigot Bay Farm’s Starts Go Blue. The pair scored an 83.
Zisook has owned her mare, affectionately known as “Bon Bon,” since 2012 and has successfully shown her the final two weeks of the FTI WEF. Before Saturday’s victory, Zisook and Bon Bon placed second in the THIS National Children’s Medal 14 & Under class during week eleven. The pair has also shown in the Coldwell Banker’s Children’s 14 & Under Hunter division.
Zisook’s dedication to improving her mare’s rideability paid off this week with their blue ribbon finish. “We practice a lot of lengthening and shortening to help get her on the bit more. We also do a lot of trot jumps and practice the turns,” Zisook described.
The pair was clearly well prepared as Zisook and Bon Bon had no issues with a course that overfaced several competitors. “I thought the course was straight-forward. Going into the test, I wanted to be able to do it efficiently and not get stuck anywhere,” Zisook commented.
Zisook’s bond with her affectionate bay mare was clear as she commented on Bon Bon’s best attributes. “She’s really sweet and she’ll do anything for me,” Zisook smiled. “She’s really soft and easy over the jumps.”
Zisook and Bon Bon will continue to show throughout the spring and summer, with their ultimate goal being to move up to Junior Hunter divisions. Trainer Jill Knowles is confident in Zisook’s progress over the past year and looks forward to coaching her as she moves up.
“Molly’s a great student. She really has shown a lot more discipline this year and effort to be efficient and ride a lot better,” Knowles praised. “Our goal is to move her into the Small Junior Hunters this year. We’ll go to Kentucky and try for the 3’3″ Children’s, and then when she’s ready, we’ll move her up to the Juniors.”
The first round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby was held in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter arena to wrap up hunter competition for the day on Saturday. Fences for the class reached nearly four and a half feet tall for the high options, providing particularly exhilarating entertainment for the large crowd of hunter fans watching the class.
Brunello and Liza Boyd emerged victorious from the round of forty-one entries with a score of 188. Skyfall and Louise Serio were second with a combined score of 187. Taken and Kelley Farmer rounded out the top three with a score of 187, with the lower score from the tie-breaker judges’ panel.
Week twelve of the FTI WEF, presented by title sponsor FTI Consulting, concludes Sunday with the Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final, hosted in the Rost Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). The $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will also crown its winner Sunday afternoon at The Stadium at PBIEC. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Wellington, FL – March 31, 2013 – Jennifer Alfano rode Miss Lucy, an eleven-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Helen Lenahan, to the top of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on the final day of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The final round of competition was held on the grass derby field at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. Alfano and Miss Lucy were fourth going into the second round of competition for the derby with a first round score of 186. The pair galloped into first place with a round two score of 198.5 for an overall score of 348.5.
Inclusive and Victoria Colvin finished second with a combined score of 382. The pair was in fifth place after scoring a 182 in round one. Colvin and Inclusive’s spectacular second round performance earned the pair a 200, which helped them take over the lead late in round two before being succeeded by Alfano and Miss Lucy.
Temptation and Kristy McCormack rounded out the top three finishers with an overall score of 380. Temptation, owned by Autumn Janesky, earned a first round score of 166 before finishing with a second round high score of 203.
The first round of competition for the derby was held Saturday afternoon at the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter arena of the PBIEC. Forty-one attempted the course, but only the top twenty-five competitors would advance to the handy round held Sunday at The Stadium. Horses and riders faced a sprawling spread of several major tests of their horses’ bravery, including a derby bank, hand gallop, and four high option fences.
Alfano, no stranger to derby victories, ultimately clinched victory with Miss Lucy after beating both Colvin and McCormack’s top scores. Alfano’s name is most synonymous with 2012 USEF National Horse of the Year Jersey Boy.
Despite being the lesser known of Alfano’s derby mounts, she acknowledged the mare was actually the more dependable of the two. “You can always count on Lucy to give 110%. She’s actually a little more reliable than Jersey Boy. You never wonder [with her]. With him, he has his moments, as everybody knows. She’s one of those horses that just tries to do everything right all the time,” Alfano, of Buffalo, NY, commented.
Lucy’s consistency and remarkable suitability for the tests of a derby class are undeniable, given she has been on vacation for the past two weeks. “I did show her in the High Performance here [at the FTI WEF] this week, but that’s it. She doesn’t really take any special preparation.”
Watch an interview with Hunter Derby winner Jennifer Alfano
“She doesn’t have to practice,” Alfano continued. “She was here last year and did this and was great out here [on the derby field]. You don’t have to worry about anything on her. When you’re looking between her ears, you can aim at anything.”
Colvin, of Loxahatchee, FL, bested McCormack’s leading score late in the second round, determined to take over the lead from her fifth place finish in round one. Colvin took an exceptionally technical track aboard Inclusive as she attempted to climb the rankings and was overall pleased with their performance.
“I had a light rub, but I thought the rest [of our course] was really good. My plan today was to go as handy as I could and jump the big ones. If I had a rail, I had a rail. I had to move up,” Colvin acknowledged.
Despite not having a comparable course at home, Colvin had no doubt Inclusive would handle the demands of the derby field like a professional. “We just got a field [at home], but it’s not anything like this. I was confident he would be fine. I think he’s actually better out in the field than in a ring,” Colvin described.
McCormack, of Boston, MA, finished third with Temptation with the highest round two score, but was ultimately exceeded by Colvin and then Alfano. McCormack gave it her all knowing Temptation would be happy to step up to the plate.
“My strategy on that horse is always just to give as much as we’ve got. If we take a risk here or there, I’m okay with that. He’s the kind of horse that is so game, especially for this type of course. I got to show him here last year and I was just trying to go for it and move up as much as I could and he brought it,” McCormack expressed.
McCormack had plenty of ground to make up for after finishing seventh in the first round of competition, but knew the grass field would give Temptation the chance to shine. “He loves pace. He loves getting out there and galloping. He’s never as strong in the first round, when I’m going a bit slower and taking my time. Once we get out in the field, all we do is gallop,” McCormack explained.
Rachel Boggus Claims Another Equitation Victory with SS Whisper in Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final; Kathryn Haefner Awarded Top Honors for Series
Rachel Boggus and SS Whisper
Rachel Boggus, of Fort Wayne, IN, catch rode her way to another first place finish, this time with SS Whisper, in the Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final during the final day of competition for the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). SS Whisper, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding is owned by Wee Enterprises. Boggus was awarded a Beval bridle and gift certificate for her blue ribbon finish in the final class of the series.
Brett Burlington and Cassidy, owned by Sweet Oak Farm, finished second and won an Essex show shirt from Beval for their performance. Third place was awarded a Beval Saddlery logo saddle pad, which went to Sara Ballinger and her own Wanderprinz.
Overall high point finisher for the 2013 FTI WEF was Kathryn Haefner, who rode her own Bentley in Sunday’s class. Haefner was awarded the ultimate prize of a new Butet saddle, also courtesy of class sponsor Beval Saddlery.
Boggus recently brought home a blue ribbon in the Ariat National Adult Medal class aboard a completely unfamiliar horse and was equally successful on new mount SS Whisper, an experienced junior equitation mount. “When I sat on it yesterday, I loved it immediately,” Boggus smiled. “It was so trained, just light and ready to go. It framed up really easily. It was my type of ride, didn’t take too much leg.”
Boggus considers the Beval Palm Beach Medal course an integral part of her annual campaign for Ariat National Adult Medal Finals, held at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in September. She enjoyed the challenging course of Sunday’s class that allowed riders to show off their skills.
“We started with a rollback and there were some inside turn options, which I always like when they put those in. Abby and I always try to think about what I’m going to do at the National Medal Finals, so we try to make it as hard as we can and practice more difficult options. I liked that there was an inside turn option and some tighter rollbacks so you could tighten up and make it fancy if you wanted to,” Boggus described.
For the flat phase of the class, Boggus was thankful to have a mount so well-suited for the demands of the test. “I’m not admittedly the best flatter ever, so we really have to do a lot of work on the flat to get my heels down and I tend to grip too much – I clench my hands,” Boggus explained.
“The flat is really challenging for me, but with this horse it was really nice because it was so supple. I just barely had to put any pressure on the reins and it framed right up. It’s really big and slow and comfortable, so that was really nice,” Boggus commented.
While Boggus has shown at the FTI WEF intermittently in years past, the 2013 season was her first full circuit. “I lived in Denver until this past July, so I would go to [HITS] Thermal. Now that I’m back down in the Midwest and living in Indiana, we come to WEF because we have a barn down here,” Boggus explained.
“I really like it, the weather’s always nice. The competition is the best in the country, and that’s one thing we really wanted to concentrate on – putting myself in these higher pressure situations at bigger shows,” Boggus expressed.
Boggus’ dedication has clearly paid off as she stands on top of the current national standings for the Ariat National Adult Medal. She will take April off to let her horses recuperate before starting back up again in Kentucky next month and setting her sights on the Devon Horse Show on her way to finals.
Kathryn Haefner and Bentley
Haefner has also been a force to be reckoned with this season at the FTI WEF, coming in first in circuit standings for the Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal class. Haefner swapped between her geldings Columbus and Bentley on the path to first place and finished the series on Sunday aboard Bentley, a nine-year-old Warmblood gelding. The pair finished fourth.
Haefner describes Columbus as more of a typical equitation horse, but is quick to acknowledge Bentley’s ability to be competitive in both hunter and equitation divisions. “Bentley is super comfortable. He’s really easy to flat. Columbus may have more of the equitation look, and Bentley’s a good mover, so he does well in the hunters. But when you put a Pelham on [Bentley], he’s got that smooth, pretty way of moving and going round,” Haefner explained.
Haefner also enjoys the opportunity that the Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal class gives adults to show off their equitation skills and compete for a top prize. “I love these classes; they’re really fun. There are not a whole lot of medals for the adults to do, so this is a really nice opportunity to do something like that,” Haefner commented.
“The saddle incentive is great,” she continued. “I ride in a Butet, so that’s always a good incentive because I get the saddle that I like. It’s really fun [to compete in the class] because besides the handy rounds, you never get the opportunity to do a course that’s a little more interesting [in the hunter divisions]. There’s also a flat test, which the other adult medals don’t have. They either don’t have a test or there’s a jumping test, so the flat test makes things a little more interesting, and I like that.”
Haefner, of Buffalo, NY, juggles competing on weekends at the FTI WEF with attending classes full-time at the University of Miami as an aerospace and electrical engineering student. “Sometimes it’s difficult; engineering is challenging. I’m in the top 5% of my class and I try to stay there, so it’s been a challenge, but I like it,” Haefner described.
Haefner’s trainer, Stewart Moran, also of New York, travels south with her each winter and Fort Lauderdale trainer Jimmy Torano also trains the busy young amateur. “It’s a lot of hard work and everybody at the barn works really hard to get the horses ready while I’m not there,” Haefner acknowledged.
The Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final was the among the final divisions to award end of circuit honors to the competitors of the FTI WEF, which concluded competition on Sunday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
Jumper Competition Concludes
Wrapping up the final week of Jumper FTI WEF competition in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, several of the Amateur-Owner Jumper divisions competed in their classics for week 12. The $10,000 Charles Owen Low AO Jumper Classic was first to go with 73 entries, ten advancing to the jump-off, and just one double clear round over the short course. Cynthia Fuller and Full Stride Farm’s Ingaletta had the winning round without fault and completed the course in 39.857 seconds. Megan Fellows and Belle Nuit had the fastest round of 33.92 seconds, but incurred four faults to finish second.
The $10,000 Maria Mendelsohn Low Junior Jumper Classic was held next with a win for Emanuel Andrade and Stransky’s Mission Farms’ Quebec Star. Seventy-six entries jumped in the class with 12 advancing to the jump-off. Six went clear over the second round course and the winning time of 32.882 seconds belonged to Andrade and Quebec Star. Kady Abrahamson and Basco H2 finished second in 33.429 seconds.
The final win of the circuit also went to Andrade with Hollow Creek Farm’s Crossfire 10 in the $10,000 Griffis Residential High Junior Jumpers. Twenty-two entries showed with only two clear rounds. The winning pair had the only double clear round and stopped the clock in 41.412 seconds to earn top prize. Second place honors were awarded to Eugenio Garza and El Milagro’s Bariano with eight faults in the jump-off in a time of 38.568 seconds.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Lauren Hough and Ohlala Fly to Victory in $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Speed; Darrin Dlin and Tienna Top $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Final; Kaepernick and Havens Schatt Score Big in Perfect Products Pre-Green Level 1 Hunters
Wellington, FL – March 28, 2012 – McLain Ward (USA) and the powerful black stallion Super Trooper de Ness emerged victorious in the $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12 on Thursday, March 28, as part of the twelfth and final week of competition at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Competing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, Ward topped U.S. riders Charlie Jacobs, Christine McCrea and Reed Kessler to round out the top four in the international field.
Other wins for the day went to Lauren Hough and Ohlala in the $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class and Darrin Dlin and Tienna in the $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Final. In the hunters, Havens Schatt and Kaepernick topped the Perfect Products Pre-Green Level 1 Hunters.
The 2013 FTI WEF circuit concludes with its final week of competition, sponsored by FTI Consulting, on March 27-31 featuring CSI 5* show jumping. Highlights of the week include Adequan Young Jumper Championship Classics with the $15,000 6-Year-old and $20,000 7 and 8-Year-Old Classics on Friday. The $33,000 Suncast 1.50m Classic and $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* will be featured on Saturday, and the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will conclude competition on Sunday.
The final round of the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series featured 40 horse and rider combinations on Thursday afternoon. Ireland’s Alan Wade designed the course, and seven went clear to advance to the tie breaking jump-off. The challenging track for the short course saw five entries jump without fault with an unbeatable round set forth by McLain Ward and Grant Road Partners’ Super Trooper de Ness in the winning time of 34.82 seconds.
Ward and the eleven-year-old Belgian Sport Horse stallion (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Polydor) have had a fantastic circuit with many top finishes. They began with a win in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jumpers during week two and moved up to top the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic later that same week. They also won the $43,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup during week eight, among other top finishes. With this week’s win to cap off an excellent winter season, Ward praised course designer Alan Wade for the great track in Thursday’s class.
“Alan Wade is my favorite course designer in the world,” Ward asserted. “I think he is phenomenal; I think he is a horseman. I am a huge fan of his because I think he really thinks about not only the challenge that he is setting for us and how to get the right result, but also how it affects all of us. I think his courses are smooth and I think they allow you to ride well, and if you ride well and smooth, you are rewarded.”
Ward was definitely rewarded for his excellent ride in Thursday’s class. Although he admits to not having the smoothest round in the jump-off, Super Trooper put in a fantastic effort. When Charlie Jacobs and CMJ Sporthorse LLC’s Flaming Star blazed an amazing pace in 36 seconds right before their round, Ward and Super Trooper went in and immediately stole the lead.
“It is getting to the point at this level that even with a horse with this much quality, you don’t believe they can go as fast as they are going even when you are doing it,” Ward declared. “Charlie is a really competitive guy. He did six strides from fence one to two, which walked eight, so six strides off a triple bar away from home was pretty incredible. I saw that and I thought, ‘no, I don’t like that’, but my competitive nature always gets the best of me. I say, ‘ok, I have to do it to win’, and something clicks.”
“I got the first jump right and for four strides I was going for six and then I realized ‘this is not happening’,” Ward laughed. “I took a very severe half-halt, and it wasn’t textbook, but the horse really helped me out to jump the second fence clean. Then he finished up the jump-off great. He jumped spectacular and it came our way.”
Lauren Hough and Ohlala Fly to Victory in $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Speed
Thursday’s busy competition schedule also featured a $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class with the roster of top finishers including Lauren Hough (USA) and Ohlala, Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) and HH Let’s Fly, and Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Wang Chung M2S. Course designer Alan Wade saw 52 entries with 16 clear rounds for the one round speed class.
Once again, the rounds got faster and faster as some of the best went late in the line-up. Lauren Hough and The Ohlala Group’s Ohlala were the winners with their typically fast time of 56 seconds flat. The success adds to a long list of FEI world ranking wins for the pair, including a top finish in this same class during week nine as well as a win in last week’s $33,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m speed class.
Rodrigo Pessoa and Double H Farm’s HH Let’s fly finished second in Thursday’s round with their time of 56.31 seconds. Last week’s winner, Wang Chung M2S, owned by Morningside Stud and Torrey Pines Stable and ridden by Eric Lamaze, finished third in 56.68 seconds.
For Lauren Hough and Ohlala, it was once again a smooth and easy gallop to the win.
“I went late, and there are a lot of fast horses, but I think mine just happens to be the fastest,” Hough declared. “She just looks for the jumps and she doesn’t spend a lot of time in the air. I even slowed up to the last and I thought that might have caught up with me, but once she cleared (b) she was like a torpedo through the timers. I say it time and time again, she makes my job easy. She just loves to compete and she loves to win.”
“I thought it was cleverly built today,” Hough said of the course. “It was probably more of a real 1.45m than what we have jumped in the last couple of weeks. That is good for her because it backs her up a little bit. I thought it asked plenty of questions and there were some good rollbacks and some good long runs. I really like Alan Wade as a course builder a lot.”
Darrin Dlin and Tienna Win $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Final
The $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was held on Thursday morning with a win for Canada’s Darrin Dlin and Tienna, owned by Susan Grange. Held as the final for the division during this year’s FTI WEF circuit, the class saw 31 entries in the first round of competition with sixteen going clear to the jump-off. Darrin Dlin and Tienna completed the fastest of five double clear rounds in 37.201 seconds for the win. Peter Wylde and North Star’s Darthus finished second in 37.496 seconds. Jill Prieto and Hyperion Stud’s Dakota VDL finished third in 37.569 seconds.
Tienna is a Dutch Warmblood mare by the stallion For Pleasure and out of the Polydox mare Bequia. She is home-bred, born and raised at Susan Grange’s Lothlorien Farm in Cheltenham, Ontario, Canada. Tienna is a full sister to the mare Janou that Dlin rode to the win in this same class last year.
“It is a wonderful family,” Dlin said of the mares. “They go in the ring and they puff right up and they just really want to win. Tienna is so competitive. She is all heart; she is scopey, fast, careful. She has been very easy to bring along.”
“I started her a little bit last summer, just some very small things sporadically, and then she just started off really showing this winter,” he explained. “She did a few weeks of the five-year-olds here and then got turned out for three weeks and grew up a little bit. Then she just came back for the last two weeks and she was right back on her game.”
Commenting on their rounds, Dlin noted, “I thought the course was great today. Alan did a wonderful job. In the first round she was a little over-impressed, but then she came out and took a breath, really thought about it, and then in the jump-off she was great. She is wonderful; she just really wanted to win. In one word, she is a winner.”
Kaepernick and Havens Schatt Score Big in Perfect Products Pre-Green Level 1 Hunters
Kaepernick and Havens Schatt took home the championship prize in the Perfect Products Pre-Green Hunter Level 1 division during the final week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The five-year-old Warmblood gelding is owned by Schatt’s client, Debbie Stevens. Kaepernick and Schatt were first, third, and third over fences and placed fourth under saddle.
Reserve champion was Ransom, ridden by Nick Decosta and owned by Carolyn Gouse. Decosta rode Ransom to sixth, second, and second place over fences and wrapped up the division with a second place ribbon under saddle.
Schatt imported Kaepernick from Europe last fall but delayed showing him until the 2013 FTI WEF as he was still “very much a baby.” Kaepernick was clearly worth the wait, earning reserve championship honors at his first show during week ten in addition to the week twelve championship title.
Schatt’s slow but deliberate approach to bringing along her young horses has proven to be a winning approach judging by the myriad of successful young horses she’s shown at the FTI WEF this season.
“I really believe in taking my time with them. I brought Kaepernick over here [to the show grounds] maybe three times and did warm-ups on Tuesday but I kept it easy. If I jumped the course, I jumped the course. But if I jumped two jumps or even if he didn’t go in the ring that day, that was okay too. He told me what he was ready for and it’s worked perfectly,” Schatt described.
Schatt has plenty to look forward to with the talented young horse after his impressive debut at the FTI WEF. “I have really high hopes for him. He’s really scopey. He’s very brave. When he first came from Europe, he was quite spooky, and that’s one reason I took my time with him. But now, he’s been in two different rings and he’s very brave. He has a big stride and big scope. I think he’s ready to move on from the three-foot [division],” Schatt commented.
Kaepernick will continue to compete at his current level throughout the spring, but Schatt aims to have him moved up by the time they return to the FTI WEF in 2014.
“He’ll continue to show in the three-foot at the Kentucky Spring Shows [in May] and after that, I would like to move him up to 3’3,” Schatt revealed. “At some point, depending on when he says it’s time, Debbie will start to ride him a little bit in the Adults. Our plan moving forward is that he would be ready to do First Years and at the least the 3’3″ Amateurs next year if not the 3’6.”
Kaepernick caught Stevens’ eye the day he was imported and after watching Schatt work with the talented young prospect, she decided to make him her own. “I think she bought him with her heart,” Schatt smiled. “She liked him from the start. She watched us bring him along and what we did with him. She saw the good things and the naughty things he did and she just loved him.”
Schatt is eager to see the pair get to know each other and looks forward to watching Stevens compete with Kaepernick in the future. “I let her ride him at home and jump a few days. He’s still very green for an amateur, but they did get along very well. When she made mistakes, he didn’t hold it against her. I think when the time is right, it’s going to be an awesome match,” Schatt expressed.
Schatt is also grateful to have an owner completely on board with her approach to training. “For me, if you don’t start on a good note with amateurs, it usually doesn’t go well. She’s been nice enough to tell us when we’re ready, she’s ready, and she’ll enjoy watching him until then,” Schatt stated.
The final week of the FTI WEF, presented by circuit title sponsor FTI Consulting, will continue Friday with the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-50 division, hosted in the Rost Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The Adequan Young Jumper Championship Finals will continue with the $15,000 6-Year-Old and $20,000 7 and 8-Year-Old Classics in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Wellington, FL – March 27, 2013 – Week twelve of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by FTI Consulting, featured the $33,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m speed classon Wednesday with a win for Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Cyklon 1083, owned by Spy Coast Farm. Earning points on the Longines FEI world ranking list, the pair beat Laura Kraut (USA) and Woodstock O in second and Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Everest de Muze in third.
The 2013 FTI WEF circuit will conclude with its twelfth week of competition, and the entire circuit, on March 27-31 featuring CSI 5* show jumping. Highlights of the week include the $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m and $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12 on Thursday, the $33,000 Suncast 1.50m Classic and $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, and the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on Sunday. The week will also feature the Adequan Young Jumper Championship Classics with the $10,000 5-Year-Old Classic on Thursday and the $15,000 6-Year-old and $20,000 7 and 8-Year-Old Classics on Friday.
Ireland’s Alan Wade is the course designer in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center for the final week of FTI WEF competition. In Wednesday’s $33,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m class, 61 entries contested Wade’s speed track with 13 clear rounds. The winning time of 62.01 seconds belonged to Shane Sweetnam and Cyklon 1083.
Laura Kraut and Joan Kalman/The Freedom Group’s Woodstock O finished second in 62.76 seconds. Darragh Kenny and Alexander LLC’s Everest de Muze stopped the clock in 64.01 seconds to place third. Fourth place honors went to Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Domingo, owned by Stephex Stables, with their time of 64.21 seconds.
Shane Sweetnam continued his success on the 2013 winter circuit with another great win aboard Cyklon 1083, a twelve-year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion by Cardento x Cortus. The pair has had a lot of top results over the last few months and earned a great win against some talented competitors in Wednesday’s class.
Sweetnam noted, “Cyklon is a very quick horse. We were third last Friday. We have been knocking on the door. We were quick the week before and had one down. He has had a good circuit. He goes to Europe with me, so I didn’t really do so much the first half. He did Spy Coast week and he won a 1.40m and he was second in a 1.40m and third in a 1.40m the first half of circuit. Today was a good win for him. He is always very competitive; he wants to win.”
Darragh Kenny and then Laura Kraut were both very fast before him, but Sweetnam went for the win. “I watched Darragh go and that looked very fast and actually I think Laura was watching at the same time,” he detailed. “Laura was two seconds quicker than Darragh, so I knew she must have been really going, so I basically didn’t try to pull anywhere. I just went for it.”
“The round went pretty much according to plan,” he continued. “I was a little lucky at the second to last jump. I ended up getting a little long in the six-stride, but he tried really hard and we got away with it and then the last fence he jumped really well. He was very quick, so I thought it was going to be hard to beat when we came out.”
“He is an unbelievable trier,” Sweetnam said of Cyklon. “He is so, so careful. He is allergic to the poles. Sometimes we get in trouble because he is so eager to do well, so sometimes he doesn’t listen to wait, but he is a very good horse. He has great results everywhere.”
Also showing on Wednesday, Wilton Porter and Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Radio City won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m jump-off class for the second week in a row. In the Adequan 7-Year-Old Young Jumpers, Sweetnam and Balavan, owned by Sweet Oak Farm, jumped to victory. In the Adequan 8-Year-Old Young Jumpers, the winner was Ireland’s Cian O’Connor riding Carlo 343, owned by Andreas Herskovitz.
Week twelve of the FTI WEF will continue on Thursday with the $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic Final, the $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class, and the $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12 all featured in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Emanuel Andrade captured his second High Junior Jumper Championship title with his newest mount, ZZ Top v/h Schaarbroek Z. Mancini Photos.
Wellington, Florida – Emanuel Andrade of Venezuela dominated the junior jumper divisions during week 11 of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. The 16-year-old phenom captured Championship titles in the Low, Medium and High Junior Jumper divisions.
With the impressive triple win, Andrade brought the total number of championship titles he’s won since the start of the 12-week Winter Equestrian Festival to an even dozen. He has also earned eight Reserve Championship titles so far at what is widely considered to be the most competitive show jumping circuit in the world.
Only one month into their partnership, Andrade and his newest mount, ZZ Top v/h Schaarbroek Z, took home their second High Junior Jumper Championship title after placing second in the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic on March 23 and the $1,500 High Junior Jumper class on March 21. Andrade also finished fourth and 10th in the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic with Walter 61 and Crossfire 10, respectively.
The next day, Sunday, March 24, Andrade claimed the Medium Junior Jumper Championship aboard Costa, having won the $10,000 Medium Junior Jumper Classic. In addition to his win with the 14-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Hollow Creek Farm, Andrade also finished seventh with La Fe Forli, an 11-year-old Silla Argentina gelding, in the $10,000 Medium Junior Jumper Classic.
Making it three for three in the Junior divisions, Andrade earned the Low Junior Jumper Championship title riding Casanova Junior, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Hollow Creek Farm. The pair won the $1,500 Low Junior Jumper class on Friday, March 22, and placed sixth in the $10,000 Low Junior Jumper Classic on Sunday, March 24. The pair currently leads the 2013 Low Junior Jumper Circuit Standings at the Winter Equestrian Festival with just one week of competition left to go.
“It was a great weekend; Emanuel is getting a lot of mileage and his riding is getting more mature,” noted his coach, Angel Karolyi, of Venezuela. “Little by little, as he matures, he’s starting to make the right decisions in the ring rather than the wrong ones. Before, he used to get too excited in the jump-off and now, with experience, he’s learning to control his mind in the right direction.
“It’s harder for us Latins to control our emotions!” laughed Karolyi.
The successful new partnership between Andrade and ZZ Top v/h Schaarbroek Z is particularly rewarding for his coach. The 12-year-old bay Zangersheide gelding was formerly ridden by both Kevin Staut and Michel Robert of France before going to Marc Bettinger of Germany. In January, Bettinger and ZZ Top v/h Schaarbroek Z enjoyed a top 10 finish in the €75,000 CSI4* Grand Prix of Amsterdam before being purchased for Andrade by Hollow Creek Farm.
“ZZ Top is a new ride for Emanuel,” explained Karolyi. “He was beautifully ridden in the past and has competed at the top level of the sport. Emanuel has figured out how to get along with him and learned how to ride him fairly quickly, and he has already achieved success in the short month that he’s had him.”
On March 2, Andrade and ZZ Top v/h Schaarbroek Z were members of the team that placed third in the $20,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series team competition. A student in his hometown of Caracas, Andrade divides his time between competing in the United States and in his home country. While in Venezuela, Andrade competes as time permits, and enjoyed a grand prix victory on March 17.
While Andrade was winning the High Junior Jumper Championship in Wellington, his coach earned a top 10 finish in the $50,000 CSI2* Live Oak International Grand Prix in Ocala, FL, on March 23. Having jumped clear over the track set by two-time Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios, Karolyi had an early rail down in the jump-off to place seventh in the final standings.
“I had an early rail in the jump-off so just decided to take it easy and go slow,” said Karolyi who was riding Indiana 127, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Hollow Creek Farm. “I was really happy. My horse performed well and jumped beautifully, and you can’t be upset with that.
“The horse has changed a lot since I got him,” continued Karolyi, who won the $30,000 Raleigh Grand Prix in North Carolina last November when he first took over the ride. “There were little things that I had to figure out along the way, but I have learned a lot about him over the Wellington circuit. I’m happy that I’m really getting to know him, and I’m looking forward to jumping some bigger classes with him this year.”
In addition to placing seventh in the $50,000 CSI2* Live Oak International Grand Prix, Karolyi also enjoyed a top 10 finish in the $5,000 Waldron Wealth Management 1.30m Power & Speed riding Amigo. Hollow Creek Farm was a sponsor of the new show jumping tournament, now in its second year, presenting the $33,000 CSI2* Hollow Creek Farm Winning Round on Sunday, March 24.
“It was a lovely show, Chester Weber and the Live Oak team did a great job,” said Karolyi, who operates Hollow Creek Farm in Aiken, SC, with business partner Andrea King. “The ring was in top condition, and I think it will continue to improve every year. Hopefully they will hold a World Cup qualifying grand prix next year.”
Andrade, Karolyi and the Hollow Creek team will continue to compete in Wellington, FL, before returning to their home base in South Carolina.
For more information on Hollow Creek Farm, a large training business focusing on both horses and riders, please visit www.hollowcreekfarms.com.
Contact: Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439 www.startinggate.ca
Colvin Wins $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix, Reid Takes Series Victory; Grand All Over and Emma Kurtz Excel in Visse Wedell Medium Pony Hunters
Wellington, FL – March 24, 2013 – Week eleven of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by Artisan Farms, concluded on Sunday, March 24, with a full day of jumper action on the derby field at The Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Solerina won the highlight $101,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 4* Grand Prix in a five-horse jump-off over Marie Hecart (FRA) and Myself de Breve and Kirsten Coe (USA) and Baronez.
Victoria Colvin and Waminka were victorious in the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix, while Chloe Reid took the series win. Olivia Fry Weeks and Woica won the $10,000 Horseware Don Little Masters Classic. RichardJeffery of Bournemouth, England, set the courses on the derby field for all three classes.
In the $101,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 4* Grand Prix, 34 entries showed over Jeffery’s feature track with five clear rounds advancing to the jump-off. Two cleared the short course without fault, and Shane Sweetnam guided Sweet Oak and Spy Coast Farms’ Solerina to victory with the fastest clear round in 41.17 seconds.
Marie Hecart and Normandie Connections’ Myself de Breve cleared the jump-off course in 42.45 seconds to place second. In third, Kirsten Coe and Ilan Ferder’s Baronez had one time fault in 45.58 seconds. Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parksy’s Blue Angel had one rail down in 42.45 seconds to earn the fourth place honors, and Reed Kessler (USA) and Mika placed fifth with four faults in 43.87 seconds.
Sweetnam’s winning mount, Solerina, is a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by Cruising x Diamond Lad that he owns in collaboration with his sponsor, Spy Coast Farm. Believe it or not, Sunday’s win was Sweetnam’s first win in an international FEI grand prix as well as his horse’s first time ever showing in a grand prix at any level. The stars aligned for the pair on the field this weekend as they earned an exciting victory.
Watch an interview with winning rider Shane Sweetnam
“It is a great result, especially for myself,” Sweetnam admitted after the class. “It is my first WEF Sunday win and it is great for Spy Coast as well who own half of her with me. I am very, very happy. It was unexpected. She is a really competitive horse and her results have been great all circuit, but this is the first grand prix that I have done her in. She really surpassed herself; she gave everything she had. She is very fast, so I knew that if I could get in the jump-off that I would have a chance.”
Sweetnam has had Solerina since last summer and the pair has done very well together at the 1.45m and 1.50m level. “She has won a few classes; she has been second a lot. She has a very good strike rate,” Sweetnam noted. “She has been placed nearly 70%. She has been very, very good.”
“She has a bit of character, chestnut mare stuff,” Sweetnam said of Solerina. “If she is not fighting you, she is fighting with you, so I prefer if she’s fighting with me. Actually she was very relaxed here, so I was happy.”
The “chestnut mare stuff” may not be all that bad, as Sweetnam pointed out that three chestnut mares were first, second, and third in Sunday’s class. Second place finisher Myself de Breve is a feisty red headed mare as well, but has also proven herself many times in the arena with French rider Marie Hecart. Hecart got the 13-year-old mare as a two-year-old and has had some great results with her.
“She is very small, but she has all the scope,” Hecart declared. “When she was younger she was crazy, she was totally wild, but she really started to be good two or three years ago. She has really settled down and started working with me really well.”
“She always jumps really well on a big field like that,” Hecart said following the class. “She gets a lot of scope and she was great. I didn’t start the season really early; I started about five weeks ago. I didn’t want to do too much with her, so I wasn’t really ready for the first grand prix and this week she really started jumping like she does. She is 13, so she has all the experience and she doesn’t need to jump that much. I just try to do the big classes and the most important ones and she was really good.”
Third place finisher, Baronez, has had some great results showing on the grass field with rider Kirsten Coe, including a win in week seven’s $30,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup. She seems to like the different atmosphere.
“She really likes it out here,” Coe stated. “She is brave as a lion, so she really excels in this environment. I didn’t start showing that early in the season either; I didn’t start showing until week six, so it really feels like things are starting to come together now. She was double clear both times this week, so she has had a nice result.”
For Shane Sweetnam, there is no doubt that this year’s FTI WEF and Sunday’s class, especially, will be one to remember for a long time. Sweetnam praised the show after a fantastic day.
“WEF has done a great job this year,” he acknowledged. “Even last night they had such a great crowd and the standard of jumping has been fantastic every week. Personally, I have had a great circuit as well; I have been in the top three or four in the grand prix four times now, which I am very happy with. Every year I think WEF gets bigger and better and the standard is very high.”
Victoria Colvin and Waminka Win $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix; Chloe Reid Takes Series Victory
Starting off Sunday’s competition on the derby field, 15-year-old Victoria Colvin jumped to victory in the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix presented by the Dutta Corporation in association with Guido Klatte. Thirty-one entries showed in the class with four clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. None of the competitors were able to clear the second round course without fault, and Colvin’s four-fault round was the best with a time of 43.21 seconds aboard Waminka, owned by Rivers Edge.
Dana Scott and Nod Hill Farm’s KM What Ever RV finished second with four faults in 43.65 seconds. Niclas Hofmann and Trelawny Farm LLC’s Babbe Van’t Roosakker placed third with four faults in 50.87 seconds. Fourth place honors went to Alexandra Thornton and Dunwalke Ltd.’s Blue Curacao with eight faults in 45.17 seconds.
Sunday’s class was only Colvin’s second time competing in the young rider events in Wellington and she was happy that it went so well. She has had previous experience showing on the grass field in the equitation, hunter and junior jumper divisions, but was excited to compete against some of her top peers in the series.
“It went pretty well,” Colvin smiled after the class. “It is so nice to be out on the field and she just went amazing.”
Waminka is one of Colvin’s top mounts and the pair has had a lot of success recently, including winning yesterday’s $10,000 Griffis Residential High Junior Jumper Classic. Riding on the grass field was a little different, but the pair handled it perfectly.
“With her, I feel like she doesn’t have to get as quiet, so that she just has a nice gallop,” Colvin explained of the different preparation. “We pretty much just walked her this morning and then she was just ready to go.”
“She is pretty straightforward,” the rider added. “You have to hold her mouth a little bit, but she goes to the jumps and you don’t really need much leg. She is one of my favorites except for my own, of course, but she is a lot of fun.”
Commenting on the jump-off, Colvin continued, “I was trying to just have a nice, clear round, but I think I just felt the wind and ran to that oxer. I was gonna go slow and clean, but it didn’t really work that way. I think the wind makes it more fun. It feels like you are on a beach galloping.”
Sunday’s class was the final event in the 2013 Artisan Farms Young Rider Series, presented by the Dutta Corporation in association with Guido Klatte, which also awarded the top prizes on Sunday for its overall standings. Sixteen-year-old Chloe Reid was named the top rider under 21 and will get a spot on the USEF European Young Rider Tour this summer as her prize, with transportation provided by the Dutta Corporation in association with Guido Klatte. Along with that, as the overall winner she takes home a Bruno delGrange saddle. Wilton Porter and Niclas Hofmann were second and third in the overall standings.
“I am really excited. This was definitely one of my goals for the year,” Reid said of the honor. “Every year we sit down with my trainer (Kim Prince) and my parents and they say ‘Chloe, what would you like to have as your accomplishment for this year?’ Last year it was to make the European Tour and this year I said that I would love to finish in the top for this class and I was able to make that achievement.”
Reid went on the European tour last year and enjoyed her time competing abroad. “That was an amazing experience last year,” she stated. “I have never really ridden on a team before and it is a completely different atmosphere over there. It is a great learning experience and I learned so much more than if I just stayed here. I was really happy with everything over there.”
Reid is developing a great partnership with her horse, Damascus, and felt that this year’s young rider series was very helpful to their development.
“This series is great with all of the different kinds of rounds they give us,” Reid acknowledged. “We had a night class, we had a Nations Cup theme, we had on the grass today and just all of the different experiences for helping you succeed. I have had Damascus since last spring and she has really learned to become my horse and I have learned our strengths and weaknesses together. Every round I am just getting to know her more and try to exceed even more.”
A full schedule of competition was also held at the main show grounds at PBIEC on Sunday in the International Arena. In the $10,000 Charles Owen Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, Daisy Johnson and Atlanta 447 jumped to victory. In the $10,000 Maria Mendelsohn Low Junior Jumpers, Eugenio Garza and Marbella were victorious.
Grand All Over and Emma Kurtz Excel in Visse Wedell Medium Pony Hunters
Grand All Over lived up to his name during week eleven of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The fifteen-year-old Welsh Pony gelding owned by David Gochman was champion of the Visse Wedell Medium Pony Hunter division with Emma Kurtz. Kurtz, of Cleveland, OH, piloted Grand All Over to second place under saddle and finished first, third, and third over fences.
Reserve champion was Sassafras Creek, ridden by Daisy Farish and owned by Redfield Farm. Farish and Sassafras Creek were eighth under saddle and were first, second, sixth, and first over fences.
Owner-rider champion for the division was Roxbury and Yasmin Rizvi. Reserve owner-rider honors went to Francesca Dildabanian and her pony Laugh Out Loud.
Grand All Over, known as “Toby” in the barn, is one of twelve-year-old Kurtz’s many successful pony mounts, but she will admit to him being her favorite by far. While Kurtz says his irresistible cuteness is what puts him at the top of her list, trainer Amanda Lyerly knows their bond is more than just skin-deep. “They really trust each other,” Lyerly commented. “He’s really brave and she’s confident on him. They’re such a good match.”
Lyerly does admit Toby’s looks certainly don’t hurt him in the ring. “He has an amazing look through the bridle and he has a great neck. He always goes with his ears pricked and he pretty much always jumps well no matter how you get to the jump. He just has a lot of presence,” Lyerly described.
Toby has been so successful with Kurtz that the pair is currently in second place in the FTI WEF circuit standings despite a relatively light show schedule. “Emma won the pony classic World Champion Hunter Rider week. She was champion another week and reserve one week. He really hasn’t done a lot since he already has so many points. He gets to have an easy circuit,” Lyerly explained.
Kurtz and her winning partner will continue to show together through the FTI WEF’s final week, after which the duo look forward to showing at the Devon Horse Show in May. Following Devon, their show career together is a little more uncertain. Kurtz has had Toby on lease from the Gochman family until their girls grow into him.
“He belongs to the Gochmans, and their kids were actually a little bit too small for him when they got him, so they’ve let Emma ride him for a little bit until they’re ready for him. It’s very, very generous of them to give her that opportunity,” Lyerly acknowledged.
Kurtz and Toby’s championship finish concluded hunter competition for week eleven of the FTI WEF, sponsored by Artisan Farms. The final week of the FTI WEF, presented by title sponsor FTI Consulting, will run March 27-21, 2013, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Ben Maher Wins 1.50m Series Bonus; Absolut and Tracy Scheriff-Muser Top Bainbridge Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters
Wellington, FL – March 23, 2013 – McLain Ward (USA) and his promising young mount Zander were the winners in Saturday night’s $100,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final during week eleven of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) in Wellington. The pair led a high-speed jump-off over second place finishers Janne Friederike Meyer of Germany aboard Cellagon Lambrasco and third place duo Pablo Barrios of Venezuela riding Zara Leandra. Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Quiet Easy 4 topped the eleven-week series championship standings and were awarded the top bonus following the class.
Week eleven, sponsored by Artisan Farms, will conclude on Sunday, March 24, with the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix, Don Little Masters Classic and $101,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 4* Grand Prix all held on the derby field at The Stadium at PBIEC. The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition running from January 9 – March 31, 2013, and will be awarding almost $7 million in prize money throughout the circuit.
Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, set the course for 48 entries in Saturday night’s 1.50m final, held under the lights in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Only six were able to master the track to advance to the jump-off and four went double clear in an exciting race against the clock for the tie breaker. McLain Ward and Zander, a nine-year-old KWPN gelding by Cantos x Saygon, took the win with their pace of 43.86 seconds.
Finishing in second, Janne Friederike Meyer and Cellagon Lambrasco, owned by Meyer, Friedrich and Anne Sophie, stopped the clock in 45.12 seconds. Pablo Barrios and ZL Group, Inc.’s Zara Leandra were close behind in 45.32 seconds, and Reed Kessler and Ligist had the fourth double clear round in 45.94 seconds. Brazil’s Carlos Ribas and Ronaldo, owned by Ribas and Roberto de la Real, actually had the fastest round of the jump-off in 43.53 seconds, but had the second to last fence down for fifth place.
In a class that is usually held during the day, it was a different environment for many of the horses on Saturday night, showing under the lights with a big crowd. Some of the horses had more experience than others, and even though it was his first night class ever, Zander seemed to flourish in the impressive atmosphere.
Watch an interview with McLain Ward
“He’s a horse I’m really excited about,” Ward said after the class. “We got him at the beginning of last year with high hopes and then I got hurt and lost almost four months. He was really good last year at Spruce Meadows and he won a nice grand prix at Valkenswaard in the summer. We’ve done him in a bunch of WEF (Challenge Cup) classes here and he won one and he had the fastest time in two others. We hoped he would develop through this Florida and it was just a really nice way for him to end. [It was] the first time under the lights, [and there was] the water under the lights, which he was a bit a green about as a young horse. I think he’s a really exciting horse and I’m lucky to have him.”
“He’s got a really big stride and he’s a very careful horse,” Ward detailed. “He’s such a flamboyant jumper, he loses his parts once in a while, but through this Florida he has kind of figured that out, where you can really gallop at a fence and he really has control of his body. I think that’s going to continue to get better. He’s been fast from the beginning. He can do some numbers that a lot of other horses have to struggle to do a little bit, so I think the future is bright for him. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
Each new course and different atmosphere continues to cultivate Zander’s knowledge and Ward counts the competition in Wellington as a great platform for development.
“We have been building his confidence and just showing him a million different experiences,” Ward stated. “Florida, on one hand, is very hard when you’re trying to develop a young grand prix horse because they are always a little bit over their head, but if they can make it through and come out on top at the end and they get a rest, they gain a year’s worth of exposure here. It’s just making sure they survive it. I think he finished much stronger than he started, so hopefully it worked well for us.”
Second place finisher Janne Friederike Meyer was in Wellington for the first time this winter and has had a great experience herself.
“For me, it’s a really nice time,” Meyer noted. “It’s pretty expensive to fly all the horses over and if you don’t know everything, you have to take a little time to get in the system. Like from the warm-up to the office, until you know everything maybe you take one or two weeks and then it’s like normal. But the courses are pretty nice, the money is good and for me it’s kind of a little showing and a little vacation. It’s a little bit in between, so it’s a really nice time for me.”
“The last weeks, every jump-off was really fast, so you have to learn that here,” Meyer described. “I hurried up a lot, but in the end McLain was faster. What can I do? I think my horse tried his best.”
“It’s funny, when you work him at home he is really a lazy horse and he’s relaxed and not hot at all, but when you go in the ring, then he wants to go,” Meyer said of Cellagon Lambrasco. “I think that’s a special thing about him. You just go in and he really wants to jump. He wants to run and is looking for the first fence. He likes it here. He likes the weather and he likes the floodlights. It’s good for him. I really have had some nice rounds with him here.”
Pablo Barrios finished third with Zara Leandra and was very happy with her performance. The pair won a smaller grand prix pre-circuit under the lights and has been gradually moving up to the bigger classes.
“I’m really pleased with that mare and the way she’s jumping now,” Barrios stated. “She won one class in the pre-circuit and then I had a little trouble in the big classes. I think she was not ready, but she grew a lot and she learned a lot. After week eight, in the Nations Cup, she started approaching the jumps in a different way. She was calmer in the ring and she has been amazing the last two weeks. She’s had only one rail in the last two weeks, so I am very pleased with her.”
“I know McLain is super fast, but I think the mare was ready to go fast today,” Barrios said of the jump-off. “Today I really tried to go for the class, but there were good horses and good riders and I’m still very happy about it.”
As the conclusion to the eleven-week Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, Saturday night’s class served as the final allocation of points for the overall standings. $50,000 worth of bonus money was presented to the top three leading horse and rider combinations that accumulated the most points throughout the eleven weeks of competition. Awarding their consistency overall, Ben Maher took home the top bonus of $25,000 with Mrs. Phillips’ Quiet Easy 4, Alise Oken won $15,000 for second place with Hi Hopes Farm LLC’s Teirra, and Laura Kraut finished third and was awarded $10,000 for her performance with the Evita Group’s Nouvelle.
Maher and Quiet Easy finished second in the series last year, and this year the rider made it a goal to come out on top. The pair had such great results that they were well ahead of the others without even showing in all of the classes.
“He has been great,” Maher said following the presentation. “We missed a few of the classes and he just proved that he was pretty consistent in all of the other classes to be so far ahead today. He loves to show here and he has been on form. He jumped well all circuit, so I am happy with how he finished up.”
Also showing in the International Arena on Saturday, Peru’s Michelle Navarro-Grau rode Alfi to victory in the $15,000 RCG Farm SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Victoria Colvin and Waminka, owned by Rivers Edge, were victorious in the $10,000 Griffis Residential High Junior Jumper Classic. Colvin was later honored with a special award during the night class. She was presented with the Potcreek Meadow Farm Junior Sportmanship Trophy, in memory of Candida C. Fortsmann.
Absolut and Tracy Scheriff-Muser Top Bainbridge Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters
Tracy Scheriff-Muser and her eleven-year-old KWPN gelding, Absolut, brought home the championship title for the Bainbridge Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 division during week eleven of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Scheriff-Muser and Absolut eked out the championship by a narrow margin of only one point with three second place finishes over fences in addition to a third in the handy round and a blue ribbon in the under saddle class.
Reserve honors went to Darwin, owned and ridden by Kelly Tropin. Tropin piloted Darwin to three first place ribbons over fences and a fifth place ribbon under saddle. Darwin and Tropin just barely fell short to Scheriff-Muser in a tightly contested division of twenty-one entries.
Scheriff-Muser, of Wellington, FL, acquired Absolut after he had already begun a successful show career with trainer Havens Schatt. “We bought him as a five-year-old and he’s now eleven. Havens brought him along through the Pre-Greens and the First Years, and he became mine after that. She did a phenomenal job with him and I’m really lucky to have him,” Scheriff-Muser explained.
Week five of the FTI WEF was the pair’s first week back in action in Florida following time off while Scheriff-Muser recovered from an injury. “We just slowly got back together and when we showed a few weeks ago, finally I felt comfortable again and he felt more himself. He’s been going great,” Scheriff-Muser commented.
Everything seemed to fall back into place perfectly for the pair during Friday and Saturday’s classes, which Scheriff-Muser attributed to Absolut’s dependability. “You can always depend on him and you know he’ll be there for you,” she described.
“He’s pretty consistent, so I try to do my best because I know he’ll do his best. Luckily, today it worked out. He was a good boy,” Scheriff-Muser smiled.
Absolut may be fiercely competitive in the show ring, but Scheriff-Muser describes her lovable grey’s fondness of lounging around his stall in his off time. “He’s a funny horse. He’s very lazy in the barn. He’s laying down probably more than half the day. He’s very happy to eat his hay lying down and just sleep. He’s very sweet,” she laughed.
While Absolut enjoys his down time, he is quick to perk up when it’s time to go in the ring. Scheriff-Muser believes the gelding’s dashing good looks also help him get noticed in tough competition.
“I’m partial because he’s my horse, but I think he’s beautiful. I love greys and I think they stand out a little bit. When he walks in the ring, you want to watch him. He has his ears perked up and he just floats around,” she described.
Week eleven of the FTI WEF, sponsored by Artisan Farms, concludes Sunday with the Visse Wedell Medium Pony Hunter division, hosted in Ring 11 of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). The $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix, Don Little Masters Classic and $101,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 4* Grand Prix will all held on the derby field at The Stadium at PBIEC. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
About FTI Consulting FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
