Category Archives: Jennifer Wood

Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Kaely Tomeu and Gentille Win $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Semi-Final

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Kaely Tomeu and Gentille. Photos copyright Sportfot.

Lisa Goldman Captures $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic; Claudia Freeman, Emily Aitken, and Kat Fuqua Top “Give a Buck” Pony Hunter Derby Classics

Wellington, FL – March 11, 2016 – The $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Semi-Final, presented by Seabrook LLC, was the feature event on Friday night during week nine of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). The class had 48 entries with a four-horse jump-off and a win for Kaely Tomeu (USA) and Gentille competing under the lights in the International Ring at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). The $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic was also held in the International Ring on Friday morning with a win for Lisa Goldman (USA) and Morocco.

WEF 9, sponsored by Douglas Elliman Real Estate, runs March 9-13, 2016, featuring CSI 5* jumper and ‘AA’ rated hunter divisions. Saturday night highlights the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI 5*, and Sunday concludes the week with the $86,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money.

Alan Wade (IRL) set the course for the Under 25 riders competing under the lights on Friday night. The difficult track yielded just four clear rounds and a competitive jump-off to determine final honors. Kelli Cruciotti (USA) and Serenity Equestrian Ventures’ Chamonix H were first to jump-off and cleared the track in 40.52 seconds to finish second. Kaely Tomeu and Siboney Ranch’s Gentille followed with the winning round in 36.96 seconds. Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado (MEX) had one rail down in 38.53 seconds aboard Alejandro Zendejas’ Hector V. D. Papendijk to finish third. Last to go, Wilton Porter (UAS) and Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Patriot dropped two rails in 37.32 seconds to finish fourth.

Tomeu (20), of Wellington, FL, trains with Shane Sweetnam and Michael Delfiandra at Sweet Oak Farm and just purchased Gentille in January. The new partnership has gone great, and Tomeu was especially excited to get the win Friday night with her father in the crowd, who does not often get to see her compete.

“I just got her, and she has been nothing but amazing,” Tomeu said of the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Heartbreaker x Kannan). “I won our first time doing the Highs (Amateur-Owners), and was champion and won the classic three weeks ago. Then we did the U25 team event with Lacey Gilbertson, Brett Burlington, and Noelle Barry, and we were third and she was double clear. I was so excited because that was my first real show with her. We imported her in January, so I just started showing her the last week of January.”

“She is a little crazy, but not out of control. She is fun crazy, and when she goes in the ring she just knows her job and she is on top of it. She is way easier in there,” Tomeu said of the ride.

Speaking of the course, she commented, “Walking the course, I thought it seemed pretty straight forward and my trainer said it would be no problem, and we just went over it a lot. Then it appeared that a lot of people had a lot more problems than I thought. I think (it was) because it was under the lights and it was spooky and everybody gets more nervous, but she handled it well. I got a little too fast because my hands were slippery, but she was perfect. I liked the course a lot.”

Tomeu has been competing in the U25 Series for the last couple of years and has gained great experience from doing the different classes.

“It teaches you to definitely stay humble,” she stated. “I am not going to go out thinking I am going to win them all. My new horse, I owe it all to her, and Shane Sweetnam who found her. It worked out for us tonight. It was definitely tricky, but I liked it. It was her kind of round.”

Kelli Cruciotti (18), of Parker, CO, was aboard her longtime mount Chamonix H for her second place finish Friday night. Trained by her mother, Cindy Cruciotti, and Peter Lutz, Cruciotti guided the 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare (Equest Carnute x Caletto II) to double clear rounds and was happy with her night.

“When I walked the course, I thought it was definitely going to be hard,” Cruciotti admitted. “It was big and it was under the lights, which adds another element. It was pretty technical, and the time allowed was tight enough that you were thinking about it. I had in my head six clear, and it ended up being four, but I thought it was an amazing group of four. The horses jumped amazing, and I knew the jump-off was going to be really fast.

“My horse is not naturally very fast and I knew I had to try a little bit, but go on the safe side going first,” Cruciotti said of her jump-off. “I think I was a little conservative in a couple places, but going first you have to kind of gamble with how fast you want to go. [I watched] Kaely’s round. It was amazing and huge congratulations to her.”

Cruciotti also spoke of the experience that she has gained competing in the U25 Series, stating, “It is obviously a great experience no matter what horse you have. A young horse can gain invaluable experience under the lights, or I have the pleasure of riding a very seasoned horse. For her, it adds a little more element, so she is a little bit more impressed. I thought it was a great class with a lot of fantastic horses, and I am lucky to be here.”

Juan Jose Zendejas Salgado (22), of Wellington, FL, was aboard Hector V. D. Papendijk, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Wandor Van De Mispelaere x Rabiat Z) for his third place finish. The rider, originally from Mexico, trains with Ilan Ferder and is competing in the series for the first time this year.

Speaking of his mount, Salgado detailed, “He is a young horse. He is a little bit green, and I am very happy with how he jumped today under the lights. It is very hard sometimes; the horses get very spooky. The first round he did amazing; he was jumping great. In the jump-off, I took the risk. I got pressured by the girls and I had the rail, but I am very happy and congratulations to the girls.

“I used to live in Mexico and I just moved here,” the rider explained. “It is my first year doing the Under 25, and it is a very good experience because it is a whole series. This was the semi-final; it was a pretty tough course, and I think jumping under the lights is a great experience for us.”

Presented by The Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte, the Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series will have its final event during WEF 11, the $50,000 CSI-U25 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Final, presented by Equiline, held on the derby field at The Stadium at PBIEC on Saturday, March 26.

Lisa Goldman Captures $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic with Morocco

The $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Jumper Classic was held at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Friday morning with a win for Lisa Goldman (USA) and Morocco. There were 52 entries over Wade’s one-round speed track with 15 clear trips.

Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Spy Coast Farm’s Cyklon 1083 set the early pace in 57.29 seconds to eventually finish third. Andrew Ramsay (USA) and The Doodle Group’s Cocq a Doodle finished the track in 58.81 seconds to place fourth. Goldman and Morocco took the lead in their time of 54.84 seconds. Ramsay later jumped into second place with his second mount, Shalanno Farms’ Welfare, in a time of 56.44 seconds, and Abdel Said (EGY) completed the fifth place round in 59.44 seconds with American Equestrian Association II’s California.

Lisa Goldman and Morocco
Lisa Goldman and Morocco

Morocco, also known as Cowboy, is a 13-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred gelding (American-bred by Nancy Whitehead’s Roc USA). The fiery chestnut has been a longtime winning mount for Goldman, and the pair has already had great success in the 2016 season. They showed the first five weeks of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit and won four grand prix classes there. This is now their first week competing at WEF and the winning ways continued.

“Wednesday we were a little slow; nothing quite came up, and we ended up fourth,” Goldman detailed. “It was his first time out in that ring this year, and I think he was a little excited to be out here again. Then today he was just unbelievable; he was so good.

“The course was great; I love Alan’s courses so much,” Goldman added. “It was challenging, but the strides suited me because I have a little-strided horse, so I can run really fast and be quick.”

Morocco will have next week off and then return to compete in the FEI speed classes again in week 11. Meanwhile, Goldman will show her horse Centurion B and hopes to get more grand prix experience.

“Centurion is getting this week off. He showed last week in the big classes, and I am going to show him the 3* and 4* weeks,” Goldman explained. “I hope to get into the Saturday night classes and start getting 1.60m experience because I do not have very much of it. I would also love to start getting involved with some of the team competitions. I just want to be more competitive at the 1.60m level, and I have some great young horses that are stepping up, so we will see how that goes.”

Also competing in the International Ring on Friday, the $6,000 Illustrated Properties 1.40m Speed Challenge was held in a California Split with a win for Ronan McGuingan (IRL) and Capall Zidane in Section A, and Denise Vusckovic and Americo Simonetti’s A S D Farfala in Section B.

Claudia Freeman and Dreamland Top $5,000 “Give a Buck” Large Pony Hunter Derby Classic

Pony hunters took to the grass field at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on Friday to jump for ribbons and prize money in the $5,000 “Give a Buck” Large, Medium, and Small Pony Hunter Derby Classics. Beginning with large ponies, 17-year-old Claudia Freeman and Dreamland, owned by Linda Evans, took top call over 12 fellow competitors in the $5,000 “Give a Buck” Large Pony Hunter Derby Classic.

The top ten large ponies from the first round returned in the second round to determine the final placings. Freeman collected the best scores from both rounds, an 86 and an 89, for a total 175 and the win. Adam Edgar and Real Steel, owned by Brass Ring Farm Sales, were second on scores of 83 and 78 for a final of 161.

Hannah Hoch and her own Dreamsicle jumped to third with scores of 76 and 77 for a 153. Sophia Marino and All the Best, owned by Katherine Strauss, LLC, placed fourth with a 147, while Edgar also rounded out the top five aboard Fox Creek’s Anthony Quinn, owned by Dianna Orona, with a total score of 144.

Freeman, who trains with Gary Duffy and the team at Little Brook Farm, is a regular competitor in the junior hunter divisions, but got the catch ride on Dreamland during WEF Week 9.

“I started riding him at Lake Placid and then here and there when his other rider isn’t available,” said Freeman. “I’m happy I got to compete today because I love this venue – it’s fun to be out on the grass because it’s so big that you can really gallop.”

Dreamland is no stranger to pony hunter derby successes after carrying Emma Kurtz to a fourth-place finish on the grass field in 2015 and a win in 2014.

“He’s a pretty straight-forward ride,” said Freeman. “He’s kind of ‘kick and go’ pony and has won so much because of it.”

Emily Aitken and Woodlands Stevie Ray Capture $5,000 “Give a Buck” Medium Pony Hunter Derby Classic

In the $5,000 “Give a Buck” Medium Pony Hunter Derby Classic, 12-year-old Emily Aitken scored first and third place ribbons. She and Woodlands Stevie Ray, owned by Hannah Bernstein, were welcomed into the winner’s circle. After earning an 85 in round one, Aitken and the pony she calls “Stevie” returned with the top 12 to post the highest second round score of 84 to take the win on a total of 169.

Aitken trains with Kristen Carollo and topped a field of 30 medium ponies with her victory. Kat Fuqua and her own Hillcrest Leading Lady claimed second place behind Aitken with scores of 83 and 81.5 for a 164.5 total. Aitken jumped to her third place honor in the irons of her own Cleverist with scores of 84 and 80 to finish a half point behind Fuqua on 164.

Hannah Hoch and her own Anisette finished fourth with a score of 163, and Farah Rizvi piloted Show Me Love, owned by Clear Ride, LLC, to fifth on a 160.

Aitken has had the ride on Woodlands Stevie Ray since September and admits she was battling some nerves earlier in the day on Friday.

“I was a little nervous, but mostly excited because I knew it was going to be fun,” she said. “I like how [Stevie] is very consistent and jumps really well. He is so much fun to ride.”

Aitken competed in the small pony hunter derby classic last year and has big plans for the three weeks that remain in the 2016 WEF season.

“I want to be winning on both my ponies [Woodlands Stevie Ray and Cleverist] by the end of WEF,” she said. “They are both really fun and good ponies.”

Kat Fuqua and Goldhill’s Arresting Charm Win $5,000 “Give a Buck” Small Pony Hunter Derby Classic

After her second place ribbon in the medium classic, Kat Fuqua bested 26 riders to win the $5,000 “Give a Buck” Small Pony Hunter Derby Classic with her own Goldhill’s Arresting Charm.

Fuqua boasted the top scores in both rounds with an 80 and 82 for a 162 total. Zayna Rizvi and Canterbrook Prince Charming, owned by Kathryn McCarthy, rode to second place with scores of 78 and 80.5 for a 158.5 total. Mia Green was third with Farmore State of the Art, owned by Nicole White, after scores of 76 and 81 landed them a 157.

Fourth place was presented to Kyla Sullivan and Secret Love, owned by Jill Shulman, on a 151, and Alexa Elle Lignelli rounded out the top five riding her own Rollingwoods Knee Deep to a 147.

Eight-year-old Fuqua trains with Jenna Weinfurt and only got the ride on Goldhill’s Arresting Charm a few months ago.

“He’s a new ride for me and he’s only six years old, but really easy,” said Fuqua. “He has a really big stride, and I liked riding him on the field today. We had a good day.”

With her “Give a Buck” Small Pony Hunter Derby Classic win behind her, Fuqua will now turn her attention to her next goals, which include pocketing some tricolor ribbons in pony competition over the next few weeks at WEF.

WEF 9 continues on Saturday featuring the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI 5* in the International Ring at 7 p.m. In the morning, the Osphos® Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3″ 18-35 division will award championship honors in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring. For more information and full results, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Lindsay Brock for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

FEI, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Darragh Kenny and Red Star d’Argent Win $216,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO 4*

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Darragh Kenny and Red Star d’Argent. Photos copyright Sportfot.

Mexico and USA Top Hollow Creek Farm Children’s, Junior, and Young Rider Grand Prixs; Christina Rogalny and Marvelous Win Engel & Völkers Low Children’s Hunter 2’6″

Wellington, FL – March 6, 2016 – Week eight of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded on Sunday, March 6, with a win for Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Red Star d’Argent in the $216,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO 4*. Riders representing five different countries qualified for the jump-off, with Kenny leading the way for Ireland over Colombia’s Roberto Teran Jr. and Woklahoma in second, and Australia’s Matt Williams aboard Valinski S in third.

The Hollow Creek Farm FEI Children’s, Junior, and Young Rider divisions also concluded the week with their grand prix classes Sunday morning. Mexico’s Luciana Gonzalez Guerra and Zidane won the Children’s Grand Prix, Mexico’s Carlos Hank Guerreiro and Golden Horta topped the Junior Grand Prix, and Victoria Colvin (USA) and another Zidane were victorious in the Young Rider Grand Prix.

USA’s Steve Stephens and Ken Krome were the course designers in the International Ring at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) for CSIO week at WEF. In their final competition of the week, Stephens and Krome saw 50 entries in the Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix, with five riders qualifying for the jump-off.

Matt Williams and Wyndmont’s Valinski S were first to qualify, and first to return for the short course, completing the track without fault in the third place time of 45.79 seconds. Roberto Teran, Jr. was next to jump off aboard Ark Partners’ Woklahoma, with another clear round and a faster time of 44.89 to finish second. Next in the ring, Darragh Kenny and Red Star d’Argent clocked the winning time of 42.83 seconds. Hardin Towell (USA) and Jennifer Gates’ Emilie de Diamant AS had one rail down in 46.84 seconds to finish fifth. Last to go, Ben Maher (GBR) and Jane Clark’s Sarena also dropped a rail, but finished in a faster time of 44.43 seconds to place fourth.

Watch Darragh Kenny and Red Star d’Argent in their winning jump-off round!

Red Star d’Argent is an 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding (by Quick Star) that Kenny’s Oakland Ventures owns in partnership with Spanish rider Sergio Alvarez Moya. This was the second win of the circuit for the newly paired duo, who also topped the $130,000 Grand Prix CSI 3* during week six competition at The Stadium at PBIEC.

Speaking of their partnership and what he has learned about the gelding over the last several weeks, Kenny remarked, “I am learning that he is a really good horse. He can go anywhere and do anything at the moment. The horse gives me a great feeling every time I jump him; he is getting better and better.

“I was working a lot with the rideability, and getting him confident, and feeling confident with me,” Kenny explained. “Today, I must say he jumped excellent from the word go. He felt super. He feels really happy and he is jumping great. Up until this week I had never even jumped him over the water. I called Sergio on Wednesday and was like, ‘Does he jump the water?’ I must say, I am lucky to have the horse, and Sergio is great. He puts no pressure on me and lets me do what I want with the horse, and it is paying off. He is going to want him back next week!”

Kenny had the opportunity to watch Williams complete his jump-off round before he entered the ring, and had an idea of what he needed to do to get the win.

“I watched Matt go, and Matt’s horse was amazing and he had a super round,” Kenny stated. “I felt that I just wanted to go as fast as I felt comfortable. I know the horse is very fast. I know I did one less stride after the black skinny, and I just had a feeling where I was and that I was up a little bit (on the time). I did not realize I was going as fast as I was, but it ended up being great.”

“He is just a great horse; it does not matter you do with him,” Kenny continued. “You can go fast, slow, deep, long and he just wants to jump the jumps, and that is what a great horse does. He has been stepping up every time. I did not know what he was going to do today. He was very good week six, and I gave him week seven light, and I knew my plan was to gradually build him up towards this grand prix. Right now my plans are working.”

Roberto Teran, Jr. has had his mount, Woklahoma, for three years and continues to earn very consistent results with the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Sheraton x Calvados).

“She has been improving month by month, year by year, and now she is at a point where she is a very good Nations’ Cup horse,” Teran detailed. “She went to the Pan American Games and was outstanding. Our goal is to make it to Rio in good shape. Now it is about good management to get us from here to there in the best condition possible. She is super careful, super serious, and is getting better every day. She is a dream to ride.”

Matt Williams also has his sights set on the Olympic Games in Rio and has a great new partnership with Valinski S, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Nijinski x Julius.

“I have not had him that long. I got him at the beginning of the winter and every time he has gone in a big grand prix, he has been clear or four faults, so he is consistent and giving me a great feeling,” Williams said of his mount. “He jumps with a lot of heart, so at the moment I just have to keep him fresh and hopefully it will keep going to way it is going.”

Speaking of his opening ride in the jump-off, Williams noted, “I have not jumped this grand prix in four years, and the last time I did it, I was first to go in the jump-off as well, but unfortunately there were 12 in the jump-off that time and it did not work out as well. I went out there today with an idea to do as much as I could and leave the jumps up. I got a little bit wide to the last jump. I drifted out a little bit, but I do not think I would have gone any quicker if I was after Darragh. I would not have been able to catch him; his round was as good as it comes.”

Red Star d’Argent’s groom, Nickki O’Donovan, accepted the Groom’s Initiative Award presented by Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners, to reward her dedication and hard work as an integral member of the winning team.

Kenny was also presented the Niall Grimes “Cheers” Perpetual Trophy, which is presented each year to the top Irish rider during the CSIO Nations’ Cup week.

Another special award was presented to fellow Irishman Conor Swail. Swail earned the Kate Nash Boone Style Award as the international equestrian who exemplifies best style of riding along with maintaining a sportsmanlike composure while competing in the CSIO Nations’ Cup week at WEF.

Canada’s Tiffany Foster was also presented the award for Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider for week eight, an award sponsored by Martha Jolicoeur of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

Mexico and USA Win Hollow Creek Farm FEI Children’s, Junior and Young Rider Grand Prixs

The Hollow Creek Farm FEI Children’s Grand Prix was the first class of the day in the International Ring on Sunday with a win for Mexico’s Luciana Gonzalez Guerra (13) riding H.R.M. Melse’s Zidane.

The class saw 31 entries, and an eight-horse jump-off, with three double clear rounds. Gonzalez Guerra and Zidane completed the fastest clear round over the short course in 39.40 seconds. Madison Hilderman (CAN) and Kenzo placed second with a time of 41.88 seconds, and John Gallagher (IRL) and Sportsfield Eterina, owned by Noel Delahunty and Thomas O’Brien, finished third with their time of 45.01 seconds.

Luciana Gonzalez Guerra and Zidane
Luciana Gonzalez Guerra and Zidane

Gonzalez Guerra is from Mexico City and has had her horse Zidane, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Celano x G. Ramiro Z), for two years.

“I could not match with him at first. It was very difficult, but now we are one,” the rider stated. “I started to win everything with him, so I had to bring him to Wellington. He is a very lazy horse, but when you kick him, he just wants to run and you cannot stop him, so it is a little bit difficult.”

This was Gonzalez Guerra’s first time competing in Wellington and she had a great experience, finishing second in the Welcome class on Thursday, winning the Nations’ Cup with her team from Mexico on Saturday, and now finishing out with a win in the grand prix.

Speaking of her strategy for Sunday’s jump-off, Gonzalez Guerra detailed, “My plan was just to not have any knock downs and go as fast as I could to try to win.”

Commenting on her experience in Wellington, she added, “It is amazing. The group was perfect. I did my job, my horse did the job, and my team did the job, so it was great.”

The division also presented a leading rider award to the competitor with the best overall placings in the week’s children’s classes. The award went to Juana Trosch of Argentina riding Emanuel Andrade’s Black Pearl.

The $2,500 Hollow Creek Farm FEI Junior Grand Prix was next to go in the International Ring Sunday morning with another win for Mexico. The junior class saw 28 entries, with a seven-horse jump-off, and four double clear rounds. The win went to Carlos Hank Guerreiro aboard Eurohorse BVBA’s Golden Horta with the fastest time of 30.01 seconds.

Also riding for Mexico, Mauricio Huesca Perez finished second riding Mauricio Huesca Bustamante’s Adermie PP through the timers in 30.86 seconds. Ireland’s Conor McMahon finished third in a time of 31.13 seconds aboard Pine Hollow Farm’s Casinjo Ex Z. Canada’s Jennifer Mattell rode Joe Mattell’s Cherokee ET to fourth place honors in 31.97 seconds.

For his success throughout the week, Guerreiro earned the leading rider award for the junior division. He and Golden Horta also placed fourth in the Welcome class on Thursday.

The 15-year-old rider, from Mexico City, trains with Brazil’s Eduardo Menezes and has been competing at WEF since the beginning of the circuit in January. His mount, Golden Horta, is a ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood by Lord Z x For Pleasure.

Commenting on his win and a great week of competition, Guerreiro stated, “I am really happy. We have been here since the beginning of the winter, and I have just been training up to this weekend with my horse and he has been jumping great. All weekend he jumped really good; I felt confident, and I am really happy.”

“He is a little hot,” Guerreiro said of his mount. “You have to be patient with him. In the warm-up he is a little crazy. He is special, but then when he gets in the ring, he gets concentrated and then he jumps his best always.”

Commenting on the jump-off, Guerreiro detailed, “This jump-off did not have a lot of space to run. It was tight turns and you just had to make the most of the spaces you got. To the second to last jump, and the last jump, you just had to go all out.”

This was Guerreiro’s third year coming to Wellington to compete in the Hollow Creek Farm Series. He won the gold medal with team Mexico in the 2014 Children’s Nations’ Cup and also showed on the junior team in 2015.

“It is great experience for bigger Nations’ Cups later on,” Guerreiro acknowledged. “It is a fun weekend with your team. It is always good and I like it very much.”

The $10,000 Hollow Creek Farm FEI Young Rider Grand Prix concluded the 2016 series with a win for USA’s Victoria Colvin. The Young Rider Grand Prix saw 13 competitors, with six advancing to the jump-off, and four double clear rounds. For the win, Colvin and Springfield Showjumpers’ Zidane were last to go on the short course, completing the track in 34.97 seconds.

Fernanda Rodriguez de Haene (MEX) and Fernando Rodriguez Cerdan’s Teuz DLN Liban finished second in 35.11 seconds. Cormac Hanley (IRL) and Missy Clark and Stephex Stables’ Twan placed third in 38.88 seconds, and Giulia del Canton Scampini (BRA) and Constantino Scampini’s Keep on Fighting finished fourth in a time of 39.67.

Colvin and Zidane made a clean sweep of the Young Rider classes this year, winning the Welcome class on Thursday, topping the Nations’ Cup with Team USA on Saturday night, and finally winning the closing grand prix. For her success, she was also presented the young rider’s leading rider award for the week.

Colvin (18), of Loxahatchee, FL, watched the very fast round of Fernanda Rodriguez de Haene before entering the ring for her jump-off, and was not sure if she could beat it.

“I had watched on the Jumbotron and then I saw the horse galloping by the in gate and I was like, ‘Yeah, there is probably no way I can beat that,'” Colvin admitted. “But I went in there and I was like, ‘Well, Zidane, we are gonna go.’ I have not done too many jump-offs with him, but he was really game for it, so we just went for it.”

Colvin has been riding Zidane, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Sam R x Calvados), throughout this year’s Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series at WEF.

“It has gone well so far; he has been a great horse,” Colvin stated. “He is basically like a hunter. You do not really want to touch his mouth. You just leg him at the base of the jumps.”

Speaking of her experience competing in the Hollow Creek Farm Series for the first time this year with such great success, Colvin stated, “Yesterday was a fantastic opportunity. I did not show in the second round to save him for this class, but it was amazing to go in the first round and for him to put in a clear, and to know that you got a clear round for your country was really amazing.”

Christina Rogalny and Marvelous Top the Engel & Volkers Low Children’s Hunter 2’6″

Christina Rogalny piloted Marvelous, a sixteen-year-old Oldenburg gelding, to the Engel & Volkers Low Children’s Hunter 2’6″ division championship honors this Sunday afternoon. A competitive field of twenty-eight horse and rider combinations battled it out for the tricolor honors, but Rogalny and her catch-ride Marvelous, who is owned by Maarten Huygens, came out on top. The duo won three of the four over fences classes and placed second in another. They also earned the blue ribbon in the under saddle class.

Rogalny, of Wellington, FL, has a great deal of experience catch-riding horses. “I usually catch-ride because I don’t own a horse or pony of my own,” Rogalny commented. Her experience paid off with new mount Marvelous, who she rode for the first time this week.

“I rode him in a schooling class on Friday and then showed him this weekend,” Rogalny said. “He was great; he was awesome!”

“He’s a really good horse,” Rogalny commented. “His trainer told me he’s been all around the world and done a lot of things, but now he’s older and they wanted him to do a few little classes to see how it would go with a smaller kid.”

Trained by Ali Sweetnam and the team at Sweet Oak Farm, Rogalny enjoys a lot of success catch-riding different horses each week. She especially enjoyed riding Marvelous for owner Maarten Huygens. “He’s actually pretty easy, but he’s a little spooky sometimes on the ends of the ring. That was a little hard, but overall he was really good,” she smiled.

Rogalny has been around horses her entire life. “My mom always rode as a kid, so we had a barn when we were younger. Riding was in the family,” she commented.

As a full-time resident of Wellington, she does not have to commute each weekend to compete at WEF. “It’s great; I get to show all circuit!” the 15-year-old freshman of King’s Academy School exclaimed.

Rogalny currently competes in numerous classes each week at WEF. “I show in a lot of the pony divisions and also the equitation classes. I do the THIS medal and the 12-14 equitation,” she stated. Rogalny hopes to qualify for indoors this year and she also aspires to move-up to compete in some of the bigger classes. “I want to go to indoors and do the big equitation and the bigger hunter classes.”

The 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival continues with its ninth week of competition sponsored by Douglas Elliman on March 9-13, 2016, featuring CSI 5* jumper and ‘AA’ rated hunter divisions. The week’s highlight event is the $380,000 Douglas Elliman Real Estate Grand Prix CSI5* on Saturday night, March 12. For full results and more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Callie Seaman for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Dressage, Jennifer Wood

Lars Petersen and Mariett Win Palm Beach Dressage Derby FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W

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Lars Petersen and Mariett. Photos: ©SusanJStickle.

Wellington, FL – March 5, 2016 – Lars Petersen (DEN) and long-time mount Mariett proved they have hit their stride at the right point during the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) circuit, taking a commanding win in the Palm Beach Dressage Derby FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage, with a score of 78.025%. Competition at AGDF continues tomorrow with the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI-W, presented by Today’s Equestrian and Diane and George Fellows, along with the second annual Palm Beach Dressage Derby class beginning at 1 p.m.

Fellow Danish rider Mikala Gundersen and My Lady finished in second with a 75.700%, while Katherine Bateson-Chandler and Alcazar represented the United States in third place, receiving a 73.450%.

Petersen and Mariett have been working towards their big score all season long, as Petersen has discussed getting back into a rhythm with the 1998 Danish Warmblood mare (Comeback II x Zendi). After enjoying most of the 2015 season off after AGDF competition concluded, Petersen and Mariett seem to be peaking at the right point in time as Danish riders are still looking to fill their four-member squad for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The pair performed a balanced and energetic test, which judge at C, Gary Rockwell (USA), commented may have been the best freestyle routine he’s ever seen the pair perform. Petersen was quick to praise the seemingly ageless mare on her efforts in the ring, which earned them a score near the 80% mark.

Watch Lars Petersen and Mariett win the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle here!

“It always feels good to win. This was two weeks in a row for her to show and it’s, I think on all of the horses, a lot, but she was really fresh,” said Petersen. “It was a fun night.”

“For Mariett, it’s very important that she stays fresh. That is my main goal with her. She’s not the easiest horse in the world, but tonight, you know, I’ve had some good tests this season and more not so good. I was just determined,” continued Petersen.

It is always a question of how Petersen keeps Mariett in such fine shape to compete and his plan is very simple: keep her loose and keep her happy. Detailing his preparation this week, it is clear that the more relaxed Mariett stays throughout the week, the better she performs.

“Last Saturday she had off. Sunday she hacked out. Monday and Tuesday we rode her in the field. Wednesday we jogged and then on Thursday, Melissa, my wife, and I did a little bit of test riding on her before and that was it since the last week. She’s just been kept loose and happy. There’s not too much more I can teach her, I don’t think,” he explained.

Gundersen and My Lady have dominated the circuit again this season, but their test tonight could not match the fellow Danish combination of Petersen and Mariett. Gundersen opened up about a moment of distraction, which led her to forget the first moments of her test.

Mikala Gundersen and My Lady
Mikala Gundersen and My Lady

“The pilot didn’t remember where to go tonight. I started going the wrong way, and I lost my focus a little bit. I was not riding the way I normally ride the test and I will say that,” commented Gundersen. “On the other hand, I’m so proud of this second place. I’m really happy that Lars won tonight. It was so important that he got a really good score tonight, as we’re still trying to get the fourth spot for the Olympics. I’m very happy for my second place tonight.”

Originally vying for a position in the FEI World Cup Finals competition to be hosted in Gothenburg, Sweden in April, Gundersen announced that she and My Lady will forego the opportunity to compete in the competition, and instead turn their sights to Rio de Janeiro.

“I had a long talk with my trainer last night and we’ve decided that, while originally we were trying to qualify for the FEI World Cup Finals, we will not go. We’re going to try to focus on earning a spot on the Danish team for the Olympics,” expressed Gundersen, when asked about her upcoming plans with My Lady. “We want to save Lady for that. Now that we’ve changed our plans for that, I may come back to ride the last CDI here for the Grand Prix Special, because we have not done one yet this season.”

The only American pair to sit in the top three in the freestyle, Bateson-Chandler and Alcazar have also been steadily improving throughout the season. Typically based in England during the remainder of the year, Bateson-Chandler finds importance in basing in Wellington, FL for the winter months.

“He was quite nervous in the warm-up, and he’s been pretty solid the past couple of times I’ve gone under the lights. It threw me a little bit in the warm-up, but he came into the ring and actually is learning that’s his safe place and he settles,” she said. “He’s still a green horse and is getting used to having more atmosphere, which is why I keep putting him into more ‘under the light’ situations. He keeps stepping up to the plate, and I’m really proud of him.”

Bateson-Chandler has been careful to not overwhelm Alcazar this season with CDI competition, but feels that the more spaced out competitions give the pair a strong opportunity to improve and gain experience.

“It’s a long season here and you can get greedy with so many international shows. I have taken a couple of CDIs off, so he’s going to do the last two that are here because they’re spread out a bit more,” she noted.

Judge at C, Gary Rockwell (USA), who will also sit on the panel for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, noted the several combinations that seemed to struggle in the nighttime atmosphere, but praised Petersen for his accurate and forward ride.

“I was a little surprised that a lot of horses were electric tonight and it’s pretty far into the season. It seemed to have been a really electric atmosphere tonight,” commented Rockwell. “I was very pleased though with Lars’ ride. I thought it may be one of the best tests I’ve ever seen him do with this horse. He made so many wonderful transitions, which we love to reward when we see them. He pulled them off tonight very well, and to me, it was a very quality win.”

The Palm Beach Dressage Derby is a staple for the dressage community each season, and has been a part of the winter circuit in south Florida for nearly three decades. Everglades Dressage is a key sponsor in the success of the AGDF circuit. Representative Endel Ots sat on the press conference panel to discuss the importance of dressage in Wellington.

“Everglades Dressage, with Bethany and Rose Peslar, has sponsored dressage here in Florida for two decades and to sponsor the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is super important to them. They want to continue to support the sport and the riders here every year,” noted Ots.

Title sponsor Adequan® has brought the competition to new heights in 2016 and continues to play a major role in the overall success and growth of the largest dressage circuit in the western hemisphere.

“I really enjoyed the fans (in the grandstand). As the riders were going down and acknowledging the applause, and it really was like a wave of applause. How cool is that to see? We are just thrilled that we can have a little piece in making this a special place for dressage in this country and the world,” noted Allyn Mann, representative for title sponsor Adequan®.

In what has become a tradition at AGDF, a number of owner awards were distributed throughout the night, recognizing performances at both the national and international levels of competition, each sponsored by Adequan®. Rocking Diamond S, owners of Bismark J, were awarded with the AGDF 7 National Show High Score Award, as Bismark J and rider Melissa Fladland earned 78.409%. Joanne Troat accepted the Prix St. Georges Owner Award for the performance of Belissima 23, ridden by Neve Myburgh (GER), where the duo earned a 71.474% for the win. Marcia Pepper accepted the Grand Prix Freestyle Owner Award for Petersen’s win aboard Mariett. Petersen’s groom, Mallory Brown, accepted the Groom’s Initiative Award, presented by Thomas Baur on behalf of Mark Bellissimo and Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC.

Juan Matute, Jr. (ESP) and Dhannie Ymas, owned by Yeguada de Ymas S.L., took top honors in the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle, presented by Peacock Ridge Farm, with a score of 74.917%. Katharina Stumpf (AUT) and her own For My Love, earned second place with a personal best score of 71.583%. Christer Egerstrom (CRC) and his own Bello Oriente finished in third place, scoring a 69.833%.

Competition at AGDF continues tomorrow with the FEI Grand Prix Special, presented by Today’s Equestrian and Diane and George Fellows, at 9:45 a.m., followed by the Palm Beach Dressage Derby Exhibition at 1 p.m. For more information on AGDF, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.pbiec.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Carly Weilminster
Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Dressage, Jennifer Wood

Belinda Trussell and Anton Win FEI Grand Prix CDI-W at AGDF 8

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Belinda Trussell and Anton. Photos: ©SusanJStickle.

Wellington, FL – March 4, 2016 – Belinda Trussell (CAN) and Anton, who have performed with impressive consistency this season, rose to the occasion once again at the AGDF 8 Palm Beach Dressage Derby. They won the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by Today’s Equestrian and Diane & George Fellows, at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Competition at the 2016 Palm Beach Dressage Derby continues through Sunday, March 6, and the highlight will be a special Saturday night FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, presented by Everglades Dressage, beginning at 7 p.m.

Trussell and Anton received a 73.700% to secure first place in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W, presented by Today’s Equestrian and Diane & George Fellows, while Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady fell just short of the win with a 72.980%. Lars Petersen (DEN) and veteran mount Mariett rounded out the top three with a 71.080%.

Trussell and Anton have been a force this season on the winter circuit, collecting two consecutive wins in week three at AGDF in both the FEI Grand Prix and the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle.

The pair, who encountered some difficulties in their outing at the FEI CDI 5* only a few weeks ago, buckled down on relieving the tension Anton can carry into the ring with large crowds and applause.

“Since the last show I had with him here, I felt like I had some tension issues, so I went home and did some sound training with him,” noted Trussell. “I downloaded the sound of applause onto my phone and we got some Bose speakers to play it for him. He didn’t really seem concerned, but my focus was on trying to get him to relax.”

Watch Belinda Trussell and Anton win the FEI Grand Prix here!

“He was relaxed today and he’s so steady and secure in his movements that it’s a nice place to be with him. When I have that relaxation, I can have a better walk and a softer frame. All of that was the difference in jumping back from the last show to this show,” she continued.

Gundersen and My Lady, who are currently ranked first for earned prize money at AGDF this season, only improve with each outing. The pair, who scores consistently above the 70% mark in the Grand Prix, performed another nearly faultless test and Gundersen was pleased with their performance.

Mikala Gundersen and My Lady
Mikala Gundersen and My Lady

“I think I had so many good movements in the test today. I don’t know where I could improve, but some of the judges said to me after the class something about her mouth, but I need to look at it on the video,” she explained. “She felt just very nice in the connection, and I had a very good frame.

“She’s 16, and looking around we have a group of older horses up here, seniors! Two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-old, but Lady just keeps getting stronger and better in the ring and this was probably the best walk tour I’ve ever had. Her extended walk to the collected walk and the transitions were amazing. I’m very pleased with that,” Gundersen said.

Competing in the Palm Beach Dressage Derby week at AGDF is a bit sentimental for Gundersen, whose owner and friend, Janne Rumbough, was one of the first dressage riders in south Florida and was an integral member in starting the historic Palm Beach Dressage Derby years ago.

“It means so much to my owner, Janne Rumbough, to do this show and it’s one of the reasons that we decided to do it. It’s very close to Janne, and she was part of the whole beginning of this show,” commented Gundersen.

Fellow Danish rider Lars Petersen and Mariett also continued their impressive ways in the Grand Prix, notching another top three finish this season. Petersen, who commented a few weeks ago that he felt was still trying to find his rhythm with Mariett, said that he was pleased with their performance.

“I was happy with her today. Maybe when I grow up and can figure out how to make a canter depart from passage, then I’ll do better, but hey, I’m still young,” laughed Petersen. “To be honest though, she was fresh and that was one of my worries competing two weeks in a row with an older horse. She felt great though, and I thought it was a good test for us.”

The FEI Intermediaire I, presented by Peacock Ridge Farm, was held today in the Van Kampen Covered Arena. Neve Myburgh (GER) and Belissima 23, who won yesterday’s FEI Prix St. Georges, also presented by Peacock Ridge Farm, took the class with a 72.675%. Juan Matute, Jr. (ESP) and Dhannie Ymas earned an additional second place with a score of 71.009%, while Jaimey Irwin (CAN) and Donegal V finished in third place with a 70.482%.

Yesterday’s competition at AGDF highlighted the FEI Prix St. Georges CDI-W, presented by Peacock Ridge Farm. Myburgh (GER) and Bellissima 23 won with a score of 71.474%. Juan Matute, Jr. and Dhannie Ymas finished in second place with a 69.763%, while Leida Collins-Strijk (NED) and Zantros collected third receiving a 69.711%.

Competition at AGDF continues tomorrow with the FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle, presented by Peacock Ridge Farm, as well as the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W, presented by Everglades Dressage, beginning at 7 p.m. For more information on AGDF, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.pbiec.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Carly Weilminster
Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Hollow Creek Farm Offers Team Opportunities with Children, Junior, and Young Rider Nations’ Cups

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Having competed in the Hollow Creek Farm Junior Nations’ Cup in 2013 and 2014, Emanuel Andrade, 19, is now on track to represent Venezuela at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo credit – Starting Gate Communications.

Wellington, Florida – March 1, 2016 – For the fourth consecutive year, the Hollow Creek Farm Nations’ Cup Series will spotlight the next generation of show jumping superstars through its Children, Junior and Young Rider Nations’ Cup program. Having proved extremely popular the past three seasons, the program gives young competitors from around the globe an opportunity to come together and experience team pressure and camaraderie by competing in their own marquee Nations’ Cup events.

On Saturday, March 5, three separate Nations’ Cup team events will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Following the same format as the traditional Nations’ Cup, a featured event at the Winter Equestrian Festival since 2002, teams of four riders each, with the best three scores counting, will represent their countries in the Nations’ Cups for Children, Junior, and Young Riders.

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela will all be fielding Nations’ Cup teams, cheered on by legions of fans who are encouraged to show their patriotism.

For many of the participants, the Hollow Creek Farm Nations’ Cup represents the first opportunity to compete as members of a team for their country under International Equestrian Federation (FEI) rules.

“Hollow Creek Farm really enjoys hosting the Nations’ Cup for Children, Junior and Young Rider competitors,” said Angel Karolyi of Hollow Creek Farm. “For many of the riders, this event will be their first opportunity to compete under FEI rules in a team competition that also has the importance of a top championship.

“The idea is to begin to set the groundwork for young riders to compete together as a team,” continued Karolyi, a veteran of Nations’ Cup and major games competition. “The Hollow Creek Farm Nations’ Cup Series gives them the opportunity to experience the team format before they reach the top levels of international competition. It is very important to expose these young riders to the responsibility of not only performing well for yourself, but for others who are relying on you.”

The first round of each Nations’ Cup competition will be held in the International Arena during the afternoon, with the second round held under the lights at night. In the evening session, the Children’s Nations’ Cup for riders aged 12 to 14 will be held first, followed by the Junior Nations’ Cup for riders aged 14 to 18. The Young Riders Nations’ Cup will be Saturday’s third and final team competition, featuring competitors aged 16 to 21.

Competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival, considered by many to be the winter mecca of show jumping sport, is the dream of numerous riders around the globe, regardless of age.

“To be able to give these young people exposure to such a high quality event as up and coming athletes in the sport is very important to Hollow Creek Farm,” said Karolyi, who represented Venezuela at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. “We hope the experience inspires them to dream of how far they could go in this sport, and to start setting goals in order to get there. We want these young riders to be excited for the future.”

Hollow Creek Farm has a living example of the springboard its Nations’ Cup Series can provide. Its star rider, 19-year-old Emanuel Andrade, competed in the Junior Nations’ Cup in both 2013 and 2014 representing his native Venezuela. He has since gone on to compete at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, and at the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Canada, where he was involved in the jump-off for the individual bronze medal.

While Andrade got his first taste of international team competition in the Hollow Creek Farm Junior Nations’ Cup, he will be a member of Venezuela’s senior Nations’ Cup team at the Winter Equestrian Festival for the second time in 2016. His story proves the success of Hollow Creek Farm’s mission to provide talented young riders with the opportunity to grow and develop in the sport, both as team members and as individuals.

In addition to the Nations’ Cup events, Hollow Creek Farm also sponsors Children’s, Junior, and Young Riders’ Welcome classes on Thursday, March 3, as well as Grand Prix classes on Sunday, March 6, for individual honors. All competition takes place in the International Arena, putting the future of the sport in the spotlight.

Hollow Creek Farm Media Contact: Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439
www.startinggate.ca

Please visit www.pbiec.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Richard Spooner and Chivas Z Win $86k Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic at WEF 7

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Richard Spooner and Chivas Z. Photos copyright Sportfot.

Sarah Bian Rides to Top of THIS Children’s Medal 15-17

Wellington, FL – February 28, 2016 – Week seven of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), sponsored by Suncast®, concluded on Sunday featuring the $86,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. The win went to Richard Spooner (USA) aboard Little Valley Farms’ Chivas Z, with Eduardo Menezes (BRA) and Caruschka 2 in second, and Eric Lamaze (CAN) aboard Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable’s Rosana du Park in third. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money.

Santiago Varela of Spain was the course designer in the International Ring for week seven’s competition. Varela concluded the week with 75 entries in the 1.50m class and 25 clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. In the tiebreaker, 11 entries jumped double clear rounds, the fastest of which belonged to Richard Spooner and the 17-year-old Zangersheide gelding, Chivas Z (Cumano x Lord Gotthard).

The second through sixth place finishers all clocked in within the 39-second mark, while Spooner was the only rider to break through to a time of 38.67 seconds for the win. Menezes and Carushka 2 finished second on their time of 39.32 seconds. Lamaze and Rosana du Park were just behind with the third place time of 39.35 seconds. Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) and Stephex Stables’ Egano van het Slogenhof finished fourth in 39.55 seconds. Laura Kraut (USA) and Star and Stripes’ Andretti S placed fifth in 39.64 seconds, and Lamaze and his second mount, Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable’s Check Picobello Z, crossed the timers in 39.85 seconds to finish sixth.

Speaking of his round on the short course, Spooner detailed, “It was just top speed. With that many in the jump-off and that many fast riders, there is not a lot of thought work that goes into it, which is good for me actually. It suits my brain. The horse was just absolutely fantastic. I am really proud of him. He has been spectacular the whole time here.”

“He went clear in one of the other Suncast® classes, and I made a bit of a mistake to the liverpool in the jump-off,” Spooner continued. “I just went too fast, and then today I was a bit nervous about doing it again, but today I slowed down for about half a stride before the liverpool and that suited him just fine. He just does not like to hit liverpools full hack, so the fact that I was able to do a little half-halt before the liverpool made it work, and it made the turn to the combination very quick. I would say he really gave me a present, a gift, at the last jump in the jump-off because a) I was on an angle, b) I was going too fast, and c) he does not love the gap and I did that as well. It was also away from the back gate. Everything said, ‘Do not jump this jump,’ and he did it, so my hat is off to him today.”

At 17 years of age, Chivas Z has been around the world, and Spooner is happy to have such a dependable horse in his stable. He explained that it does not take any special care to keep his veteran mount going at the top level.

“He is just kind of a fresh horse. Knock on wood – he is a real solid horse physically and mentally. He is just a good egg,” Spooner stated. “It is a horse that I got very late in his career. I got him when he was about 15, so he had already had a career before I came along. I had known him for a long time. Ashlee Bond had him for all those years, and I always had a real affinity for him and a desire to have an opportunity to ride him. When he was older and I saw the opportunity to buy him, I really did not care what the ultimate result was going to be. It was just a horse I always wanted, so for him to do this for me at this point, it really means a lot to me.”

Speaking of the courses set by Santiago Varela this week, Spooner remarked, “I think he did a wonderful job. I thought last night’s grand prix was incredibly difficult, which it should have been. Funny enough, when I walked the course today, I thought, ‘Wow, that is a big 1.50m!’ It was big, and it was tricky. This is a great field of horses and riders, and this place brings out top-notch sport from top riders and top horses. Any time you win here it is a good day, so I have to say, this was a good day.”

Spooner tries to show his horses two weeks on and two weeks off to keep them fresh and happy, so Chivas Z will compete again next week and then get a break. The gelding has some vision issues, so he does not usually compete in the night classes. Instead, Spooner continues to aim him at the week’s 1.45m FEI World Ranking classes and the Suncast® 1.50m classes during the day.

“I am lucky with the format here at WEF because there are some good prize money classes during the day,” Spooner noted. “He gets to come out and jump 1.50m instead of 1.55m, which is really nice for him, especially at his age. I have been trying to do him on that second tour with the 1.45m and 1.50m classes because I felt that if I placed him there that he could have quite a bit of success. I have Big Red and Cristallo also here this year for the bigger classes, so it is nice for Chivas to get to take a deep breath and get some good wins. He was fantastic the third week here as well. He has had a lot of good placings, so he does not owe me anything, and I am just proud of everything he gives me.”

Also competing in the International Ring on Sunday, the win in the $10,000 Sleepy P Ranch High Junior Jumper Classic went to Emma Heise and Old Willow Farms’ Viper Vrombautshoeve Z. The $10,000 Hollow Creek Farm Medium Junior Jumper Classic saw a win for Madison Goetzmann and Coral Reef Wise Guy.

Following McLain Ward’s exciting win in Saturday night’s $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5*, the groom of winning horse, HH Azur, received a special award. Kirsty Bond accepted the Groom’s Initiative Award presented by Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners, to reward her dedication and hard work as an integral member of the winning team.

Sarah Bian Rides to Top of THIS Children’s Medal 15-17

Sarah Bian won the THIS Children’s Medal 15-17, sponsored by Taylor Harris Insurance Services, on Sunday morning in Ring 8. A competitive field of 30 horse and rider combinations competed over a first round course in the hopes of earning one of the five slots for the second round test.

Sarah Bian and Wodan
Sarah Bian and Wodan

Bian, of Washington State, has ridden with trainer Cara Anthony at Potcreek Meadow Farm for seven years. A tenth grade student at the Forest Ridge School, Bian was the fourth rider to challenge the test course aboard her own Wodan, who is a 13-year-old Warmblood gelding. A solid and effective performance over the shorter course propelled Bian to the top of the class and secured her the blue ribbon.

“I thought today went really well,” Bian said. “I felt I was really connected with my horse and that we were working together as a team.”

The first course proved to be a challenging one for the exhibitors. Bian earned a 79 in the first round, which was the second highest score. “I thought my first round was pretty good, but it could have used some work,” Bian said.

Bian came back in the second round with the goal of improving upon her first round. “Having my pace, being with my horse, and being relaxed and riding in the moment,” is what Bian said set her apart from the rest of the pack.

Bian takes her equestrian pursuits seriously, focusing all of her free time on riding. She will spend three weeks at the Winter Equestrian Festival this year, competing in the 15-17 equitation divisions and the Children’s Jumpers. “I like the equitation divisions the most,” Bian remarked.

The 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival continues with its eighth week of competition running March 2-6, 2016, featuring CSIO 4* jumper and “AA” rated hunter divisions. The week will highlight the $150,000 FEI Nations’ Cup on the evening of Friday, March 4. The Hollow Creek Farm FEI Children’s, Junior and Young Rider Nations’ Cups will be featured on Saturday, March 5. The $216,000 Lugano Diamonds CSIO 4* Grand Prix will conclude the week on Sunday, March 6. For more information and full results, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Callie Seaman for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

McLain Ward and HH Azur Rule the Night in $380,000 Suncast Grand Prix CSI 5* at WEF 7

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McLain Ward and HH Azur. Photos copyright Sportfot.

Natalie Jayne Triumphs in the THIS Children’s Medal 14 and Under

Wellington, FL – February 27, 2016 – McLain Ward (USA) and HH Azur jumped to an electrifying win on Saturday night under the lights at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. Competing in the seventh week of competition at the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), Ward and HH Azur raced to victory in a four-horse jump-off to win the $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5* over Harrie Smolders (NED) and Apollonia 23 in second, and Doda de Miranda (BRA) and AD Cornetto K in third.

WEF 7, sponsored by Suncast®, concludes on Sunday featuring the $86,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money.

Ward’s victory on Saturday night marked his second 5* grand prix win in three weeks at WEF, after also topping week five’s $380,000 Fidelity Investments® Grand Prix CSI 5* aboard his longtime mount, Rothchild. The two-time Olympic team gold medalist and 2015 Pan American Games individual gold medalist is grooming his young mount, HH Azur, for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The 10-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Sir Lui), owned by Double H Farm and Francois Mathy, continues to exceed expectations and jumped flawlessly to win her first “Saturday Night Lights” grand prix in front of a packed house.

Santiago Varela (ESP) set the course for 44 starters in the competitive 5* grand prix with only four qualifying for the jump-off. Doda de Miranda and AD Cornetto K were first to go in round one and kicked off the class with a clear effort. They were then first to go in the jump-off, completing a second clear round in 45.90 seconds, to finish third. Cian O’Connor (IRL) also qualified his mount, Aden Springs and Ronnoco Jump Ltd.’s Good Luck, for the jump-off and went next with one rail down in 47.58 seconds to place fourth overall. Smolders and Copernicus Stables’ Apollonia 23 were next to go, jumping the second place round, clear over the short course in 45.64 seconds. Last to go, Ward and HH Azur gave it their all, racing through the course in an impressive 42.99 seconds for the win.

Watch McLain Ward and HH Azur in their winning jump-off round!

Following his victory, Ward spoke off HH Azur’s incredible development this past year and her great effort in the night’s competition.

“As far as her evolution and talent, I have never sat on a horse like this. I have never been around a horse like this,” Ward stated. “If I am within range of the fence, it’s good. In the jump-off, I thought Doda rode a very smart round. There were not too many in the jump-off and there were a couple of careful verticals. I thought it was quite calculated. Then I got to see Harrie go, and he was a touch faster, but I would not say it was a crazy fast jump-off. Sometimes for me, I find that a little more difficult because I try to monitor the speed and I get a little out of the rhythm, which I almost did to the last fence. But the mare has so much ability, it did not really matter, and it worked out great.”

Saturday night was HH Azur’s first time jumping in front of the enthusiastic crowd under the lights at PBIEC, but she handled it like a pro.

“It affected her for sure,” Ward noted. “The atmosphere here is very electric. I worked her a long time today anticipating that. We went last in. It is after the break and they hear the band, and when I went to get on her she was up, and I was a little bit concerned. I thought maybe I did not do enough and I did not know how she was going to handle it. Once we got in the ring, she settled into a rhythm after the first line, and you cannot say enough about the way the horse performed. To be honest, it is a little bit unfair to the other people.”

Harrie Smolders settled for second place with his mount, Apollonia 23, but was very happy with his horse, and said that Ward and HH Azur deserved to win. He has ridden Apollonia, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood mare (Bogegardens Apollo x Bogegardens x Capello), for 10 months and explained that she is very scopey and jumps well in big outdoor arenas.

Speaking of the night’s competition, Smolders detailed, “I think it was a really tough course today. In the first round, Doda was first to go, and he was very fast I thought. Then the course designer did not decide to change the time, so I knew it was going to be tough. We did not have that many clears. That is why I was very pleased with my horse and that result. You always hope for more, but I think McLain and Azur deserved to win. It is a top horse, a top combination, and it is hard to beat them.”

Doda de Miranda was not even supposed to compete in Saturday night’s class after a tough round in Thursday’s qualifier, but after one rider scratched, he moved into the first position in the order. His mount for the night was AD Cornetto K, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Cornet Obolensky x Calido) that he owns in partnership with Victory Equestrian Sport BV, and has ridden for just five months.

“He is a very good horse; maybe one of the best horses I have ever ridden,” the rider stated. “He was doing quite well, but I was not so happy with my round in the WEF (Challenge Cup). I am very happy because I thought I was not going to ride. Today, I made small changes to the bit, and earplugs, and spurs, and he was great. I was very happy with both rounds. In the jump-off, I decided to go fast, but not take too much risk because I do not know him very well. I am very happy, especially to see a combination that deserved to win.”

Ward spoke highly of the course for Saturday night’s competition and praised Santiago Varela on a job well done.

“I thought the course was excellent,” he stated. “Santiago is, I think for the riders, one of the top three builders in the world, if not the most popular. He builds like a horseman; I think he has a super feeling. This is his first time here. In the WEF (Challenge Cup) there were a lot clear, but he tightened the screws today, and in a really good way because you saw problems all over the course. The time allowed made people hurry and caused late rails. For me, it was a brilliant course, and he had four very strong horse and rider combinations in the jump-off. That is great to see.”

With the Olympic Games in Rio on the horizon, Ward will continue as planned with HH Azur’s preparations, and feels great knowing that she is currently performing so well.

“Like my bosses say, just don’t get in her way,” Ward laughed. “We have a plan. This win is great, but if we had a rail down tonight and she jumped well, the plan would have stayed the same. I think I am known for that in my career – to stick to the plan even if things go great or not so great. I have had the plan for a long time. She will show a couple more times here in Florida and then do a few shows in Europe leading up to Rio, and hopefully we will have a little good fortune. I have unbelievable people behind me and they do not make any mistakes. If there is a mistake, it is mine. We will just try to stay on course. You also have to not get too far ahead of yourself in the moment and stay focused.”

One of the people that has supported Ward for many years is Hunter Harrison, owner of Double H Farm. Harrison was on hand for Ward and HH Azur’s fantastic win and spoke of the incredible partnership.

“It is pretty exciting. As McLain has told me, this could be a one-time experience to have a horse of this caliber and talent,” Harrison stated. “She is obviously special. I saw that at Spruce Meadows when I really became a true believer in her. She did some things there that were pretty special. It is exciting to be in the position to see a mount like this with a talented jockey like this and see what they can do.”

Along with the top prizes for Saturday night’s class, a special award was presented to Tiffany Foster (CAN) as the Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider for week seven’s competition. Martha Jolicoeur presents the award in honor of Dale Lawler.

Also competing in the International Ring on Saturday, Alonso Valdez Prado and Chichester 3 topped the $15,000 MAYBACH – ICONS OF LUXURY SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, and McKayla Langmeier and Charlie won the $1,500 Sleepy P Ranch High Junior Jumper speed class.

Natalie Jayne Triumphs in the THIS Children’s Medal 14 and Under

The THIS Children’s Medal 14 and Under, sponsored by Taylor Harris Insurance Services, took place in Ring 8 on Saturday morning. Twenty-seven young riders displayed their best equitation over a first jumping round, with the top four coming back for a second round test.

Natalie Jayne and Cyril Van De Mespel Z
Natalie Jayne and Cyril Van De Mespel Z

The THIS Medal often serves as a stepping-stone for young riders hoping to later transition in to the big equitation classes. This week, the exhibitors showed a great deal of promise, as the cut-off for the test was a competitive score of 84. Natalie Jayne was the first of the four riders to return. Entering the ring in fourth place, Jayne had nothing to lose, so she was able to go in and ride her best. An accurate and efficient round propelled the 12-year-old to the top of the class and secured her the win.

Jayne, of Elgin, IL, lives in Florida for the winter season with her family. “We just come down here for the winter because most of our clients come down here,” Jayne explained. Her mother Lynn Jayne runs Our Day Farm and is Natalie Jayne’s primary trainer. When in Florida, however, Jayne is also trained by Patricia Griffith of Heritage Farm.

Jayne piloted her own Cyril Van De Mespel Z to the win this morning. “He’s 16 so he’s a little bit older, but he’s easy to ride,” she said. “He’s usually lazy, but he’s a sweet horse.” Cyril is a Zangersheide gelding that Jayne purchased a few months ago through Heritage Farm.

Jayne was pleased with her win this morning. “I thought the first round was good, but that I needed to help him a bit more to fit in the last stride to the last jump,” she remarked.

Jayne also competes in the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunters, the Children’s Jumpers and many of the Pony Hunter divisions. While she is a student at Elgin Academy in Illinois, she is fully committed to her equestrian pursuits.

As the seventh week of WEF competition concludes on Sunday, the THIS Children’s Medal 15-17 will be featured in Ring 8. International jumper competition concludes in the International Ring featuring the $86,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. For more information and full results, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Callie Seaman for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Lorenzo de Luca Captures $35k Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic at WEF 7

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Lorenzo de Luca and Egano van het Slogenhof.

Annabel Revers Tops Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search

Wellington, FL – February 26, 2016 – Italy’s Lorenzo de Luca and Stephex Stables’ Egano van het Slogenhof jumped to victory in the $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic on Friday during week seven of the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival.

WEF 7, sponsored by Suncast®, runs February 24-28, 2016. The week’s remaining highlight classes include the $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday evening and the $86,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money.

Santiago Varela (ESP) set the speed track for 69 starters in Friday’s 1.45m with 20 clear rounds. Lorenzo de Luca and Egano van het Slogenhof were the winners in a blistering time of 64.72 seconds. Laura Chapot (USA) took second and third place honors, finishing second aboard her own and Mary Chapot’s Thornhill Kate in 65.12 seconds, and placing third with her own and McLain Ward’s Quointreau un Prince in a time of 65.41 seconds. Richie Moloney (IRL) and Equinimity LLC’s Alsvid clocked in fourth in 65.73 seconds. De Luca also took fifth place honors aboard Stephex Stables’ and his own Limestone Grey with a time of 65.78 seconds.

De Luca went 26th in the order aboard his first mount, Limestone Grey, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding by Try-Time. His time with Limestone briefly held the lead, until Chapot and Quointreau un Prince came in 37th to take over. De Luca was not to be outdone, however, and returned three rounds later with Egano van het Slogenhof to reclaim his top spot. Chapot then jumped into second with Thornhill Kate, and Moloney jumped the fourth place time with Alsvid, pushing Limestone into fifth place overall.

Class winner Egano van het Slogenhof is a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Electro x Nagano. The horse showed successfully under Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet until very recently when the horse flew to Florida and De Luca took over the ride.

“Last week he jumped a couple of classes and today was already good,” De Luca stated. “He is a very competitive horse; so sweet, so fast, so I am really happy to have him here.”

De Luca has been riding for Stephex Stables since December 2014 and brought eight horses to compete for Stephex at this year’s Winter Equestrian Festival. Speaking about his two rounds aboard Limestone and Egano, De Luca noted, “I tried a little bit with Limestone and then Laura Chapot went straight away into the lead. I know she is always really fast, so I tried again with Egano. Even if I do not know him that well, I know that he is really fast and smooth, and he jumped everything good. I am pleased about Limestone too. He jumped really well today. I have a few horses that are in really good shape, so I am happy about that.”

Speaking about the difference between the two mounts, De Luca detailed, “Limestone is a really light horse. He is really, really careful. I have known him a little bit longer than Egano, so he is really easy. He is really elastic. I will try to build him in the bigger classes over the next few weeks and try to jump him in some grand prixs.”

“Egano for me is a new horse,” the rider continued. “I tried today to win, but of course he has already jumped a lot of big classes with some other riders. He has all the potential to do something bigger. I stay here until the end, so they are all going to have the chance to jump in bigger classes.”

Speaking of his winning round and where he caught Chapot’s time, De Luca added, “I think I made up time a little bit everywhere. The time was so quick and so careful. The last line I was quite close on the vertical, and then I kept going for the five (strides), and everything worked really well. He is a really nice horse. His brain is like a computer. He is a genius.”

Also competing in the International Ring on Friday, Jorge Matte and Conquest topped the $2,500 MAYBACH – ICONS OF LUXURY Power & Speed. The $6,000 Illustrated Properties 1.40m Speed Challenge was held in the afternoon in a California Split with 113 entries in total. Georgina Bloomberg and Gotham Enterprizes’ South Street were the winners of Section A with the fastest time overall. Alex Granato and Paige Tredennick’s Carlchen W topped Section B with the second fastest round.

Annabel Revers Tops Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search

In the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, Annabel Revers (16) of Weston, MA, rode Quax, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Quite Capitol owned by Beechwood Stables LLC, to the win. Revers, who trains with Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde, started riding Quax a year ago and they converted the horse from the jumper to the equitation ring.

Annabel Revers and Quax
Annabel Revers and Quax

“I’m so happy with our win today. We have been working on getting him smooth for the equitation,” she said.

Revers topped a strong field of 32 riders for the win over Madison Goetzmann on Contelido and Sydney Shulman with Snatch de Cordrac. T. J. O’Mara and Kaskade were fourth, while Francesa Dildabanian and Checkland were fifth.

The Talent Search has both over fences and on the flat phases. For jumping, Revers commented, “The course was great. It tested adjustability. You could make the lengthening and shortening necessary. If your horse wasn’t adjustable, it was tough. We were thinking about having a forward pace for this course. You needed it for the forward lines.”

The overall look of Revers and her mount helped them secure victory. “Quax is awesome on the flat. He makes a nice picture and is really beautiful, which always helps. He really makes my flatting what it is.”

Revers, who is in tenth grade, comes to the Winter Equestrian Festival on the weekends and also competes in the hunter and jumper rings. She has been victorious in the ASPCA Maclay and WIHS Equitation classes so far this circuit.

She said, “I think the equitation helps, because it teaches you the skills you need for the jumper ring, the smoothness you need in the hunter ring.”

WEF 7 continues on Saturday, featuring the $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5* in the International Ring in the evening. The THIS Children’s Medal 14 & Under will be the highlight in Ring 8. For more information and full results, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Jennifer Wood for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Championships, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Eric Lamaze and Fine Lady 5 Win $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 7

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Eric Lamaze and Fine Lady 5. Photos copyright Sportfot.

Victoria Colvin Captures Antares Pre Green Hunter Level 1 Championship

Wellington, FL – February 25, 2016 – The seventh week of competition at the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival continued on Thursday with the $130,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 7 featured in the International Ring at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and a win for Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Fine Lady 5. The victory marks Lamaze’s fourth win in the series this year, including wins in weeks two and three with Rosana du Park, and a win week four aboard Check Picobello Z.

WEF 7, sponsored by Suncast®, runs February 24-28, 2016. The week’s highlight classes include the $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic on Friday, the $380,000 Suncast® Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday evening, and the $86,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday. The 12-week WEF circuit runs through April 3 offering more than $9 million in prize money.

On Friday, February 26, the EQUUS Foundation’s Fete Cheval Etoile will feature the second annual Best Performance Team Invitational showcasing teams of grand prix riders judged on their style, function, and execution by Timmy Kees and Frank Madden with live commentary by Don Stewart and Jimmy Torano. One-hundred percent of event proceeds benefit horse welfare in the United States. Starting at 6 p.m. in PBIEC’s International Club, guests will enjoy cocktails, an auction, dinner, and a tribute to the 2016 Horse Stars Hall of Fame inductees. This event is not part of the International Club ticket holder schedule, but tickets and tables are still available for purchase. RSVP at equusfoundation.org/fete. Contact Shannon Coakley at shannon@equusfoundation.org or 203-259-1550 for more information.

Santiago Varela (ESP) set the track for Thursday’s WEF Challenge Cup for 71 starters. Twenty-nine entries jumped clear in round, and 27 moved on to the jump-off, where 11 were clear over the short course.

Tiffany Foster (CAN) was the first rider to clear the jump-off track in 37.77 seconds, eventually finishing third with her mount Victor, owned by Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable. Hardin Towell (USA) and Jennifer Gates’ Lucifer V were next to clear the track in 37.83 seconds, holding on for fourth place. Todd Minikus (USA) then took the lead in 37.42 seconds aboard Quality Girl, but soon settled for second as Lamaze and Fine Lady 5 raced to the finish in a time of 36.30 seconds.

The 13-year-old Hanoverian mare (Forsyth x Drosselklang II), owned by Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable, won the Challenge Cup class three times with Lamaze in the 2015 Series and notched her first win for this year.

“I thought the course was nice,” Lamaze said of the competition, “but at the end, there were a lot of clears. The jump-off almost became another class, so strategy is quite simple.

“I think whenever you are in a jump-off like that, you basically just go as fast as you think your horse can go and hope that some of those forward distances keep showing up so that you can keep going fast,” Lamaze explained. “With her, I can really trust her and show her some hard angles and believe that she will do the right thing, so I was again on the right horse for a jump-off with so many in it. A lot of it becomes about risk and what you are willing to risk. That is how you win those classes.”

Lamaze also spoke about his students and fellow Canadian riders that were successful in the class.

“I was really happy today also with Tiffany (Foster) being third, and another student, Kara Chad, that was in the jump-off. Also, Elizabeth Gingras that had to go first and finished with a very fast four faults to qualify for the grand prix, and Yann Candele that finished tenth,” Lamaze continued. “As a group, I am really proud and happy that everybody did great and everything is coming together. We have a plan, and so far everybody is really doing great, and I am very happy about that. It means as much to me as winning.”

In addition to the winning prize money, Lamaze picked up a $3,000 bonus for the fourth time this season for wearing SSG ‘Digital’ style riding gloves as part of the SSG Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion. That brings his tally up to $12,000 in bonus money for the circuit so far.

Also competing in the International Ring on Thursday, Kent Farrington (USA) and RCG Farm’s Creedance topped the $8,000 Douglas Elliman 1.45m jump-off class. A $2,500 MAYBACH – ICONS OF LUXURY High Amateur-Owner Jumper speed class was also held with a win for Rogelio Pellerano and Precieuse Platiere.

Victoria Colvin Captures Antares Pre-Green Hunter Level 1 Championship

Victoria Colvin piloted her own mount My Way to the Pre-Green Hunter Level 1 3′ division championship on Thursday morning. Colvin topped the division with 30 points, winning two of the four over fences classes and the under saddle. Sandy Ferrell settled for the reserve tricolor honors aboard Hemmingway. Ferrell earned a first, second, and two third-place ribbons over fences for owner Stephanie Bulger.

Victoria Colvin and My Way
Victoria Colvin and My Way

Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL recently acquired the seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding as part of her new string of hunters. She purchased him from Chad Keenum following a successful trial four months ago at Keenum’s farm in Virginia. “He’s been a darling to work with,” Colvin commented about the pair’s growing partnership.

This week was Colvin’s second outing with My Way. “It was quite good for his second show,” Colvin remarked. “The first rounds of each day this week were a little spooky, but he actually jumped around pretty great.”

Putting in flawless rounds on a green horse is always a challenge, but the windy conditions today added another obstacle for the horses and riders to contend with. “He’s still a little spooky with the wind and everything, but he is very smooth across the ground,” Colvin explained. “I was hoping he was going to win the second round!”

My Way is a pretty young horse and beautiful mover, and Colvin said that she recalls one of her famous junior hunter mounts when she rides My Way. “He reminds me of Ovation a little bit, especially in the way that he canters. He’s quite smooth and pretty to look at,” Colvin stated. “I just let him figure out himself. I make a big trot toward all the jumps so he can have a look at them and then I just let him do what he wants.”

Colvin plans to continue showing My Way in the Pre-Green Hunter division. If he continues to do well, she hopes to move him up to the 3’3″ by the end of the year.

WEF 7 continues on Friday, featuring the $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic in the International Ring. The Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search will be the highlight in Ring 6. For more information and full results, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Callie Seaman for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Dressage, Jennifer Wood

Stage Set for Competitive Seventh Week of Adequan Global Dressage Festival

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The AGDF Lead Line class will be held on Friday, February 26, during the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle competition. ©MegBanks/ESP.

AGDF Lead Line Class on Friday Night

Wellington, FL – February 24, 2016 – The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) began the seventh week of international competition today, Wednesday, February 24, commencing with the FEI CDI-W Grand Prix presented by The Axel Johnson Group, which will conclude tomorrow, Thursday, February 25, with the final portion of the class. The week’s competition, presented by sponsor The Axel Johnson Group, will host a full week of world-class dressage, including another installment of the successful “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 26.

The FEI CDI-W Grand Prix boasts representation of 16 nations, making the AGDF 7 CDI-W one of the most diverse Large Tour classes in competition history at the facility. AGDF 7 will also highlight Small Tour entries, with classes presented by Engel & Völkers, including FEI Prix St. Georges (Thursday), FEI Intermediaire I (Friday), and FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle (Sunday), alongside a number of Junior, Young Rider, and Amateur divisions.

After the first day of competition, Kasey Perry-Glass (USA) and Goerklintgaards Dublet hold the lead moving into tomorrow’s finale in the FEI Grand Prix CDI-W with a 74.500%. Laura Tomlinson (GBR) and Unique currently sit in second place after receiving a 68.500%, while Ashley Holzer (CAN) and Tiva Nana hold third place with a 67.260%.

The AGDF Lead Line class, an exciting new component of the 2016 circuit, will take place at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 26, in the Global International Ring during the “Friday Night Stars” FEI Grand Prix Freestyle competition. Entries are still welcome to this fun class where prizes are given to competitors. The Series is held every CDI week, and the final during AGDF 12 will feature special awards.

The FEI Grand Prix Special, presented by The Axel Johnson Group, will begin at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, February 27. The FEI Intermediaire I Freestyle, presented by Engel & Völkers, begins at 8:45 a.m. and will be followed by FEI Consolation Grand Prix concluding competition on Sunday, February 28.

For more information on the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.pbiec.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com