The second week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty. The third week, sponsored by Horseware, is on January 25-29. The 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.
Upcoming Events for Week Three – Don’t Miss These Exciting and Fun Activities!
The Ride & Learn Series is composed of weekly mounted riding clinics that will be conducted by some of the most well-known and experienced professionals in the business. The cost to ride in the clinic is $125, and auditing is free. These clinics will take place every Tuesday, with a clinic by Frank Madden 3’3″ Equitation Clinic in the International Arena on January 31. Space to ride in the clinics is limited, so contact Rosemary Bertin at 561-371-9598 or cubbybertin@comcast.net to join in.
The Lunch & Learn Series, presented by World Development Group, will continue this week on Thursday, January 26, at The Wellington Club. Admission is free and lunch is provided. No prior equestrian knowledge is required to attend the events. This week’s class, “We All Make Mistakes: A Lecture on Using the Positive Instead of Negative Reinforcements When Working with Our Animals and Using Them to Reflect in Our Own Lives,” features speaker Sheri-Lyn Traylor with BellaDog Magazine/Pet Pride Magazine and is sponsored by Draper Therapies. Every attendee at the Lunch & Learn Series will be entered to win a grand prize.
An Equine Law 101: Business Essentials for Horsemen will be held on Mondays from January 23 to at 3:30-5:30pm at the Special Events Pavilion. The course will focus on the “business” of horses and introduce business law concepts relevant to those engaged in either professional or recreational equestrian activities. For more information, contact Krysia Nelson at 434-979-0053 or eqlaw@aol.com.
The Sanctuary Open House will be held on Wednesday, January 25, from 3-5 p.m. The open house will provide hors d’oeuvres and drinks to those who want to learn about The Sanctuary and its services. All of the equipment at The Sanctuary will be showcased.
The 2nd Annual Vinceremos “Buck Off” mechanical bull riding contest will take place on Thursday, January 26, at 6:30 p.m. at The White Horse Tavern Outdoor Patio. The event benefits the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, is hosted by Mark and Katherine Bellissimo, and is sponsored by Palm Beach Equine Clinic and the Floridian Community Bank. Admission is free, practice rides are $10, and there is a $100 fee per team of four riders. The winners of each event will challenge the 2011 champions on February 10 at the Vinceremos Dinner and Auction.
The Artisan Farms Young Rider Series will have a pre-series Rider Meeting on Friday, January 27, at 4:30 p.m. at The Wellington Club. The meeting will go over general information for the series and riders can pick up their informational packets.
On Saturday, January 28, the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival will be a gold sponsor of the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure of South Florida. The race takes place on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach. The FTI WEF will have an informational booth at the race, so come downtown to see the action!
Join Equestrian Sport Productions and Nespresso for the Official Season Kick-Off Party of the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The party will be held Saturday, January 28, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at The Gallery at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center prior to the $55,0000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes. The Nespresso Official Season Kick-Off Party is open to all FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival and Global Dressage Festival riders, trainers, owners and sponsors. The event will be the perfect pre-party before the exciting ‘Saturday Night Lights’ festivities and gift bags will be handed out to the first 500 guests. Exciting door prizes will also be provided by Nespresso, Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach and Eau Spa. Guests will enjoy Nespresso inspired recipes by world-renowned chefs, Chef Ryan from the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach and Chef Ted from White Horse Tavern, as well as Nespresso Sensory Cocktails. DJs will spin all the latest hits and the brand new dance floor will be open for celebration. There will also be a Nespresso wine pairing with Lapostolle wine, from Moët Hennessy USA. Pick up your ticket in the Chronicle Connection/Exhibitor Services Building (one per person) on Tuesday-Friday during week three of the FTI WEF.
The $55,000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes will take place on Saturday, January 28, at 7 p.m. in the International Arena. Watch the men battle the women in a three-phase event where the winners get bragging rights for another year. Can the men break the women’s four-year winning streak?
The 2nd annual Jump For HomeSafe event will be an entertaining evening for the hundreds of spectators in attendance on Saturday, January 28, 2012 during the $55,000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes. The event will be held at The Wellington Club, and proceeds from the event will support HomeSafe, a non-profit organization helping victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Each year HomeSafe serves more than fifteen thousand infants, children and families in Palm Beach County and South Florida. Anyone that is interested in making a donation, sponsorship and tickets to the event can visit www.HelpHomeSafe.org, email MeghanMayo@HelpHomeSafe.org or call 561-383-9809.
The 7th Annual Shady Ladies Dinner and Celebrity Sunglass Auction for the benefit of the Lupus Research Institute will be held on Saturday, January 28, at 6:30 p.m. in The Special Events Pavilion. The Guys and Dolls themed evening will feature ringside dinner, cocktails, and live and silent auctions. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on autographed celebrity sunglasses to raise money for the benefit of the Lupus Research Institute. The Lupus Research Institute (LRI) is the world’s leading private supporter of innovative research in lupus. Tickets are still available. Admission is $250 per person; $175 junior ticket (18 and under). For further information or to buy tickets, please contact Kim Tudor at kim@TudorandCompany.com or 908-512-2828.
The Bank of America Family Festival will have festivities on Saturday, January 28 at 6 p.m. inside the spectator entrance. Families are invited to come and watch the $55,000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes and spend time having fun with a bounce house, petting zoo, pony rides, face painters, balloon artist, street performers, and more. The Gypsy Lane Band will be playing live music too, so bring your dancing shoes!
Showjumpers will come out to compete on the grass field at The Stadium on Sunday, January 29, at 2 p.m. for the $50,000 Horseware Grand Prix, CSI 2*. Come out and see them in a new environment!
A charity golf cart wash will be held on Sunday from 12-2 p.m. at the Spectator Entrance. Proceeds will benefit the Okeehelee Middle School, which is a part of the Equestrian Sport Productions public school initiative. Support the school and get your golf cart sparkling!
Week Two Wrap-Up: Scott Brash and Intertoy Z Top $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix, CSI 2*
A great crowd came out to watch the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix, CSI 2* on Saturday night. Topping a full field of competitors and winning in front of more than 4,000 spectators was Great Britain’s Scott Brash on Stan Brash’s Intertoy Z. Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze (CAN) was second on Torrey Pines & Ashland Stables’ Derly Chin de Muze. Eighteen-year-old Katherine Dinan (USA) was third on Grant Road Partners’ Vancouver.
Last week’s course designer in the International Arena is Luc Musette of Belgium. The class had 50 entries, and 12 of those were clear to advance to the jump-off. Brash noted, “The course was good. It wasn’t overly big, but it is nice to not have to jump big every single weekend. Although it wasn’t too big there were still not too many clear. Twelve clear was good, and the jump-off was good. It caught a lot of people. It was a good class.”
The jump-off started slowly with the first four riders having faults, but then Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) recorded a clear round on Cantano, owned by Octavia Farms LLC. She crossed the timers in 42.16 seconds, which would hold up for fourth place. The next clear round came from Andrew Bourns (IRL) on Roundthorn Madious. They stopped the clock in 42.50 seconds for fifth place.
Brash was the next in, and he brought the winning pace down to 40.02 seconds. “He is a big, slow jumper but he was fast tonight. The big ring suits him,” Brash said.
Eric Lamaze went for the victory with Derly Chin de Muze, but they were just off the pace in 40.23 seconds.
“I saw Scott go and he was very fast,” Lamaze remarked. “I did one less to the double, but she is a big horse and she is fairly inexperienced, so I was very happy with the result. I think I went as fast as I could go; it just wasn’t fast enough tonight. It was close, but I am really happy.”
The final horse on course was Vancouver and Katherine Dinan. They were quick and clean in 41.20 seconds for third place. Dinan was also named the Leading Lady Jumper Rider, an award sponsored by Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.
“I am just excited to be consistent in the classes here. Last year I did a few grand prixs here but this is really the first year where I am trying to do them consistently every weekend in bigger classes,” Dinan said. “I am lucky to have Vancouver who is perfect. He is a brave soul and he will try anything for me, so that made me feel a lot of confidence going into these big classes under the lights. I am just thrilled to be in the jump-off and to go clear and try to go as fast as I can while staying composed. That is a big thing for me.”
Dinan trains with McLain Ward, who was injured last week and still recovering at home this week. “This week has been a little different because my trainer is at home, so I have been kind of having to figure a few things out for myself a little more, but for the most part I just try to figure what I am going to do walking the course, and then try to execute it as well as I can,” Dinan pointed out. “I was glad to be able to do something to put a smile on his face while he is at home.”
The 26-year-old Brash already has a wealth of international experience, and has had his own business for seven years. Brash has owned Intertoy Z, a 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Interadel x Centauer, since he was five years old, and they have grown up together to compete in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the European Championships. Brash has come to the FTI WEF for the entire circuit this winter and brought four horses. He hopes to get his top horses ready for an Olympic Games bid.
“It is great to win here. Hopefully I can continue to do as well. It is quite important. You want to come here and get up and running for the season and get your horses going early and then hopefully just tick along really, but you have to prove a bit of form,” Brash explained. “When it comes down to championships there are only so many horses that can do them to be honest and you just have get your horse in good form and then keep it sound really and then keep things right until the championships. That is the main idea.”
For sponsors Wellington Equestrian Realty, the class was a a great event in a successful week at the FTI WEF. “I think for a couple of weeks now we have had a great crowd,” said Matt Varney. “It is Wellington coming out to support the sport. It is just something that we as a company are proud to be a part of.”
Jumper Results: Wednesday through Sunday
The main class in the International Arena on Wednesday was the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers. Matt Williams (AUS) and Bolero van’t Heike, owned by Matt Williams, took the win. There were seven clear rounds, and the fastest of those was Williams and Bolero van’t Heike, who finished in 67.081 seconds. Daniel Bluman (COL) and Fatalis Fatum were second in 67.381 seconds, while Cian O’Connor (IRL) rode Sinead and Oonagh Kennedy’s Alligator Alley to third in 67.843 seconds.
Nick Skelton (GBR) accumulated another win at the FTI WEF on Thursday in the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup 2, this time taking the top prize with Beverley Widdowson’s Carlo 273. The Irish took the next two places, with Richie Moloney on Slieveanorra, owned by Equinimity LLC/Richie Moloney in second and Cian O’Connor on Ashkirk Ltd. & Cian O’Connor’s Blue Loyd 12 in third.
The $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series had 59 entries, and there were 18 first round clears. The best in the jump-off round was Skelton on Carlo 273, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Contender x Cascavelle, who were able to clear the shortened course in 38.39 seconds for victory.
Laura Chapot and Valentia, a 2002 KWPN mare by Calvino Z, were last year’s FTI WEF Circuit Champions in the 1.35m division. They have continued their success this year and have already posted three wins in the division.
The PRO DerbyCross held their event on Friday evening, and Team Guardian – Captain Karen O’Connor, Clark Montgomery, Marilyn Little-Meredith, John Gobin, and Ben Meredith – won the event. Individual honors went to Buck Davidson (eventer), Aaron Vale (show jumper), and Kris Kampsen (polo player) for winning in their respective categories.
The second week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival came to a close on Sunday, and competition in the International Arena was fierce with the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Marie Hecart (FRA) was the fastest clear round in the jump-off on Ecurie Michel Hecart’s Oceane de Nantuel. Second place went to last week’s 1.50m winners, Nick Skelton (GBR) and Beverley Widdowson’s Unique. Yann Candele (CAN) and Lansdowne, owned by Susan Grange, were third.
There were 38 entries in the class, and nine were clear into the jump-off. As the second pair into the ring for the jump-off, Hecart and Oceane de Nantuel set the winning time at 37.552 seconds and couldn’t be beat. Skelton and Unique made a great bid for the win but were just 5/10ths of a second slower in 38.025 seconds. Candele and Lansdowne posted a time of 39.783 seconds for third place. Laura Kraut (USA) rode Woodstock O, owned by Joan Kalman, to fourth place in 40.147 seconds. Riding Sinead and Oonagh Kennedy’s KEC Alligator Alley, Ireland’s Cian O’Connor placed fifth with a clear round and a time of 40.239 seconds.
Hunter Results: Thursday through Sunday
Ken Berkley and Gina Day’s six-year-old Zangersheide gelding Prestige took home a championship tricolor and Horseware Ireland cooler in the Sanctuary First Year Green Working Hunters for week two of the FTI WEF. Prestige and Berkley won two classes over fences today and earned two fourth place ribbons yesterday. Scott Stewart rode his own Caldwell to the reserve championship, finishing first over yesterday’s handy course and second under saddle, and placing sixth in today’s stake class. Prestige was circuit champion in the Pre-Green 3′ Hunters during last year’s FTI WEF and this was his first time showing in the First Year division.
Forty-one of the nation’s top young riders showed in the USEF/Platinum Performance Show Jumping Talent Search in Wellington on Friday morning with a win for Lillie Keenan aboard Chansonette Farm LLC’s Monterrey, an eleven-year-old KWPN gelding by Calvados. Riders showed over a course set by Danny Moore, of Spring Hill, FL, and the top twelve were invited to return under saddle. Following Keenan in the prizes, Kristen Lutz rode Roseberry, owned by Heritage Farm Inc., to second place. Schaefer Raposa and Heritage Farm’s Zendor Z finished third. Catherine Tyree placed fourth aboard Missy Clark and North Run’s Co Co Pop. Abby Bertelson and her own Eclypso finished fifth, and Alexandria Desiderio rounded out the top six aboard Heritage Farm’s Gentle R.
Sambalino and Becky Gochman, of New York, NY, scored the championship tricolor for week two in the Elite Shavings Amateur-Owner Hunter Over 35 division at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The pair placed first, second and second over fences and finished second under saddle. Katie Robinson and Deeridge Farm’s Lady O received the reserve tricolor, placing first, second, third and fifth over fences and earning sixth place under saddle.
Sambalino is a ten-year-old Brandenburg gelding by Samba Hit. Scott Stewart imported the horse from Germany as a four-year-old and he has been winning classes throughout the country ever since. On the way to earning the division championship this afternoon Sambalino scored an impressive 92 in the stake class. High scores of 86 and 89 also kept the gelding in the top ribbons.
Alexa Effron, of New York, NY, swept the Coldwell Banker Children’s Hunter 14 & under division during week two of the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Effron and her mount Maxim took home the championship tricolor winning two firsts, a second and a third over fences and finishing fourth under saddle. Maxim was followed closely by Effron’s second mount Sirius Black who received the reserve tricolor and finished third, second and fifth over fences and placed first under saddle. Following her win, Effron explained that this was only her second time showing both Maxim, a fifteen-year-old Holsteiner and Sirius Black, a sixteen-year-old Dutch Warmblood.
For full results please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
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.