Wellington, FL – March 21, 2012 – Week eleven of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival kicked off on Wednesday with the exciting first round of the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. Eight of the USA’s top show jumping duos stood out from the pack with clear rounds in Selection Trial #1, including Reed Kessler and Cylana, Charlie Jayne and Athena, Margie Engle and Indigo, Laura Kraut and Teirra, Kirsten Coe and Baronez, Kent Farrington and Uceko, Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One, and Mario Deslauriers and Urico.
Today’s class was the first of four challenging rounds in the USEF Selection Trials. The next two rounds, similar to Nations Cup format, will be held on Thursday, March 22. The first round is at 1 p.m. and the second round starts with festivities at 7 p.m. and the first horse at 8 p.m. The final round in jump-off format is on Saturday, March 24, with festivities starting at 7 p.m. and first horse at 8 p.m.
Four horse/rider combinations have already been named to the USEF Show Jumping Long List for the 2012 Olympic Games and do not have to contest the Selection Trials: McLain Ward and Sapphire, McLain Ward and Antares F, Laura Kraut and Cedric, and Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo.
Thirty-seven of the United States’ top horse and rider combinations showed on Wednesday in Selection Trial #1, held in a speed format over a course set by Alan Wade of Ireland. Riders were not competing against the clock since only their scores count, but there was a 90-second time allowed. Eight entries cleared the course without fault to tie at the top of the standings.
Eighteen-year-old Reed Kessler, of Armonk, NY, and her mount Cylana were the first pair to produce a clear round. Kessler is showing in her first Selection Trials and was thrilled to go clear through the challenging course. Cylana, a ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Skippy II x Darco, is also showing in her first Selection Trials and this was the pair’s biggest class together to date. Kessler also showed her horse Mika today and had one rail.
“I’m still in shock; I’m so happy,” Kessler beamed. “I’m so thankful for my trainers, Katie and Henri Prudent, my owners (my parents), and my sponsors. I’m just very happy to be here. It’s a very big day in my short life thus far.”
“It’s my first trials. I’ve only been old enough to do any of these big classes since January,” Kessler detailed. “I’m shocked and thrilled. I couldn’t have possibly dreamed that it could happen. I know it’s only the first day and it will get a lot harder, but I’m thrilled with how my horses went. I couldn’t be happier.”
Charlie Jayne, of Elgin, IL, immediately followed with the second clear round aboard Athena, owned by The London Group. Athena is a twelve-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Toulon x Capital.
Wellington residents and Olympic veterans Margie Engle and Laura Kraut were the next two to go clear. Engle cleared the course aboard her top mount Indigo, owned by Griese, Garber, Hidden Creek & Gladewinds. Indigo is a twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Indoctro, who Engle hopes to take to his first Olympic Games this year. Indigo got an abscess in his hoof a few weeks ago and had some time off, but seems back to form.
“He felt very sound today and hopefully he’ll be fit enough. That’s the only issue I’m worried about,” Engle noted. “He hasn’t had the chance to jump too much in the last ten weeks, so we’ll just have to see how things go.”
“You have to go with what you have and roll the dice and hopefully everything works out,” Engle stated. “You do as much as you can as far as the preparation. After that, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. Once you get in the ring, you’re thinking about the course and what you have to do ahead of you.”
Kraut has already been named to the Long List with her 2008 Olympic partner Cedric, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm, Inc., and rode her second horse Teirra, owned by Stars and Stripes, to a clear round today. Teirra is a twelve-year-old KWPN mare by Tolano Van Het Riethof x Aldatus.
Even with her name already on the long list, Kraut admits to feeling nervous coming into today’s competition. “I think you don’t know what to expect. We got the speech from George (Morris) yesterday that this was a dress rehearsal for London. You have visions in the night of what that means,” Kraut laughed. “Fortunately I am riding a mare named Teirra, who has an enormous heart and is a real trier. I think I may have felt a little more comfortable than some other times. I know she is going to give it a good go. I might mess up, but she is going to try hard. I’m also feeling at ease a little bit knowing that Cedric didn’t have to jump. He’s back in the stable laughing at her. I’d say I feel fortunate at this moment, but there are still three long rounds to go.”
Kraut commented on the course for today’s trial, noting, “I have to say I thought it rode really nicely. It was plenty big. The horses jump well off this ground and Alan is an excellent course builder. Whether it goes well for me here on in or not, he’ll do a great job with the courses.”
A few rounds after Kraut cleared the course, Kirsten Coe, of Johnston, SC, was the fifth rider to jump clear aboard her own and Ilan Ferder’s Baronez. Baronez is an eleven-year-old Warmblood mare by Heartbreaker.
2011 Pan American Games Show Jumping Team gold medalists Kent Farrington, of Chicago, IL, and Christine McCrea, of East Windsor, CT, were the next two to jump clear. Farrington guided Lara Kelly and RCG Farm’s Uceko, an eleven-year-old KWPN gelding by Celano x Koriander, to the sixth clear round of the day.
McCrea and Windsor Show Stables’ Romantovich Take One (who were also Pan Am Individual Gold Medalists) followed with their faultless trip through the course. Romantovich Take One is a twelve-year-old KWPN gelding by Numero Uno x Karandasj.
Commenting on her round today, McCrea stated, “Today ended up great for me. My horse felt fantastic. He was jumping sharp and he just felt back in form. I was really thrilled with him.”
On her preparation for this week, McCrea explained, “I had to change my plans a couple times just based on how he felt. I showed him in some small classes the last couple of weeks and I jumped at home last week and I felt like I got him ready enough for this.”
Mario Deslauriers, of New York City, NY, and Urico, owned by Jane F. Clark, were the final pair to clear the course without fault. Deslauriers and Urico, an eleven-year-old KWPN gelding by Zandor Z x Fedor, were most recently a part of the U.S. Show Jumping Team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and hope to claim their spot on the Olympic Team. They are off to a good start with a clear round today.
In addition to the trial today, the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic was held this morning in the International Arena. Laura Kraut rode Azzaro Van’t Hagenhof, owned by Susan Grange, to the win. Twelve of 43 entries went clear to jump-off, and Kraut had the fastest of seven double clear rounds for the victory. Johannes Ehning (GER) and Winley Farm LLC’s Cayenne 162 finished second, while Conor Swail (IRL) and Donatello, owned by Haras De La Rogue & Normandie Connection, were third.
The USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games will continue tomorrow at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center with two rounds. In the hunter arenas, the High Performance Working Hunters will be awarded their championship ribbons.
For full results please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
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About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival
The 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 11 through April 1. The FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival 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 $6 million in prize money will be awarded.
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 23 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 $1.4 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2010. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.