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Winter Equestrian Festival2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Week Eight Wrap-up: March 3-7, 2010Wellington, FL – March 10, 2010 – The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) was full of top competition during week eight, held March 3-7, 2010. The week featured the USEF World Equestrian Games (WEG) Show Jumping Trials 3, 4, and 5, presented by Fidelity Investments, and the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup, presented by CN, along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week eight title sponsor was CN. CN is North America’s railroad with a commitment to speed and precision, and they are proud to support the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Along with their weekly title sponsorships, they are the presenting sponsor of the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup and the title sponsor of the $150,000 CN U.S. Open Grand Prix, CSIO 4* during week eight. In week nine, they are the presenting sponsor of the $200,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, CSI 3*. They were also the title sponsor of the $50,000 CN Palm Beach Jumping Derby, which was held at The Stadium during week six. For more information on CN, please visit www.cn.ca. The $150,000 CN U.S. Open Grand Prix, CSIO 4* was Sunday’s highlight event and Laura Kraut (USA) with Cedric, owned by Happy Hill Farm, were victorious. Second place went to Beezie Madden (USA) and Danny Boy, owned by Abigail Wexner, while Nicole Shahinian-Simpson was third with Tristan, owned by Ilan Ferder and Tal Milstein. Nearly 3,000 spectators turned out to watch the grand prix, which also incorporated the USEF WEG Trial #5. Laura Kraut and Cedric Capture Top Prize in $150,000 CN U.S. Open Grand Prix, CSIO 4* at 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Nicole Shahinian-Simpson and Tristan. All photos © 2010 Randi Muster Nicole Shahinian-Simpson Rides Tristan to Top of the List for USEF WEG Selection Trials Wellington, FL – March 7, 2010 – The $150,000 CN U.S. Open Grand Prix, CSIO 4* was today’s highlight event and Laura Kraut (USA) with Cedric, owned by Happy Hill Farm, were victorious. Second place went to Beezie Madden (USA) and Danny Boy, owned by Abigail Wexner, while Nicole Shahinian-Simpson was third with Tristan, owned by Ilan Ferder and Tal Milstein. Nearly 3,000 spectators turned out to watch today’s grand prix. For the USEF WEG Selection Trials, the final leader was Nicole Shahinian-Simpson on Tristan, who finished with just 9 faults over the five trials. In second place for the trials were Richard Spooner and Show Jumping Syndicate’s Cristallo, who had 14 total faults. Mario Deslauriers and Urico, owned by Jane Clark, sit in third with 16 total faults, tied with Beezie Madden and Danny Boy. The eighth week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by CN and concluded with today’s competition. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and they will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit. 24 Local Charities Selected to Share $400,000 in Prize Money from Great Charity Challenge on March 20 Mark Bellissimo (ESP CEO), Michael Stone (ESP President), and Paige Bellissimo watch as Wellington Vice Mayor Carmine Priore and Councilman Matt Wilhite select 10 charities from over 50 entrants. Photo © ManciniPhotos. Wellington, FL – March 4, 2010 – Mark Bellissimo and his Wellington Equestrian Partners believe it is important to give back to the community, and so do many of the world-class and Olympic riders competing at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington. Bellissimo and 23 other equestrian families are putting their money where their hearts are as two dozen charities with Palm Beach County connections will be the beneficiaries of the inaugural Great Charity Challenge on Saturday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The event, conceived by Bellissimo and his eldest daughter Paige, will link 24 of the world’s top riders, including 2008 U.S. Olympic gold medalists Laura Kraut of Wellington, McLain Ward, Beezie Madden, and Will Simpson as well as Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil and Eric Lamaze of Canada, and Olympian Lauren Hough, in a unique show jumping competition where all the prize money is donated to charity. Richard Spooner & Cristallo Stand at Top of USEF WEG Trials Standings at 2010 FTI WEF Richard Spooner and Cristallo. All Photos: © 2010 Randi Muster/Mustphoto, Inc., Official Sport Photographer of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, www.mustphoto.com. Georgina Bloomberg Rides Radio City to Win in $5,000 Welcome Stake, CSIO Wellington, FL – March 3, 2010 – Today’s schedule at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival featured show jumping at two facilities of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The USEF World Equestrian Games (WEG) Show Jumping Trial #3 was held at The Stadium, while the CSIO competition opened up on the main show grounds in the International Arena. In Trial 3, McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, and Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms, came home with the win over Rich Fellers of Wilsonville, OR, and Flexible, owned by Harry and Molly Chapman. Third went to Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY, and Abigail Wexner’s Danny Boy. For the current standings in the USEF WEG Trials, Richard Spooner of Agua Dulce, CA is leading the way with six faults on Cristallo, owned by Show Jumping Syndicate. Tied for second with eight faults are Nicole Shahinian-Simpson of Thousand Oaks, CA, on Ilan Ferder’s Tristand and Candice King of Wellington, FL, on Skara Glen’s Davos, owned by Skara Glen Stables. Laura Kraut and Cedric, along with Lauren Hough and Quick Study have both been awarded byes to join McLain Ward and Sapphire on the long list. Erynn Ballard and Sincere Are Victorious in the Equisport Agency Inc. Pre-Green 3′3″ Hunters at 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Erynn Ballard and Sincere are victorious in the Equisport Agency Inc. Pre-Green 3'3" Hunters. © 2010 Randi Muster Wellington, FL – March 4, 2010 – Young hunters were showcased over the past two days at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. All divisions of the Pre-Green Hunters are generously sponsored by Equisport Agency Inc., and Erynn Ballard rode Victoria Daniel’s Sincere to the championship in the Pre-Green 3′3″ Hunter division today. The reserve championship was awarded to Molly Sewell and Raise the Bar, owned by Lisa Hunt. Ballard has had the ride on Sincere, an eight-year-old Swedish Warmblood, since September, when owner Victoria Daniel purchased him. Although Ballard has ridden Sincere since the fall, she did not show him until they arrived in Wellington for the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, where the duo has experienced much success. “He’s a dream horse. He’s the sweetest horse in the world, has a great expression, and really loves his job. It’s nice to ride a horse like that,” Ballard commented. Ballard and Sincere dominated the Pre-Green 3′3″ Hunters this week, placing first, first, and second over fences, as well as winning the under saddle. Ballard described her mount and said, “He’s eight years old, which makes it nice. It’s not like riding a five-year-old. He’s game to be competitive.” “It has been a hard winter with the wind and the cold. He got a little green with the flowers, but we gave him last week off, and he’s taken in all the information and everything we’ve taught him. He was really on his game this week,” Ballard continued. Sincere also currently competes in the Amateur-Owner 3′3″ Hunters with owner Victoria Daniel. After returning to their home base of Toronto upon the completion of the FTI WEF, Sincere will step up to the 3′6″ divisions and compete in the First Year Green Hunters as well as the Amateur-Owner Hunters. “I didn’t think he should do the First Years here because he had no experience. We wanted to take advantage of the 3′3″ divisions here. In Toronto he’ll move up to the First Years,” Ballard explained. Ballard will continue to show Sincere for the duration of the FTI WEF, and then will return home to Toronto to compete on the circuit there. Her goal for Sincere is to qualify for the prestigious Royal Winter Fair in both the First Year Green Hunters and the Amateur-Owner Hunters. More hunter competition will continue tomorrow with Amateur and Junior Hunter competition. For full results please visit www.shownet.biz or www.equestriansport.com. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 13 through April 4. WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $5.5 million in prize money will be awarded. WEF is proud to be supported by their title sponsor, FTI Consulting, Inc. FTI Consulting, Inc. exists to help companies and their stakeholders protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex economic, legal and regulatory environment. FTI is the trusted advisor entrenched in many of the game-changing events that make headlines, move markets and create business history. For more information, please visit www.fticonsulting.com. During the 12 weeks of WEF, “Saturday Night Lights” headlines the entertainment each Saturday night where spectators not only enjoy the Grand Prix class, but a street carnival, live music, and numerous dining options with box seats, sports bars, and the famed Tiki Hut for front row fun. Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information. Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. Heather Buchanan Jaime Azcarraga Speeds to Round Eight Victory in $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup CSIO at 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Jaime Azcarraga rode Presley Boy to the win in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Eight CSIO at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. © 2010 Randi Muster Wellington, FL – March 4, 2010, 2010 – Jaime Azcarraga (MEX) aboard his own Presley Boy produced a blazing time to win the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Eight, CSIO. Second place honors went to Nick Skelton (GBR) on his mount Carlo 273, owned by Beverly Widdowson. The third place award went to Keean White (CAN) on Celena Z, owned by Angelstone Farms & The Ashland Group. The eighth week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by CN and runs through Sunday, March 7, 2010. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and they will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit. Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY designed the course in the International Arena with 13 numbered obstacles in the first round, which included a careful vertical to a water jump, a double of verticals, and a two stride as one of the last elements of the course. The time allowed in the first round was 86 seconds. A total of 36 competitors came out to compete from 16 different countries, but only eight managed to pass the first round test and went on to the short course. Noblige Wins Draper Equine Therapy Baby Green Hunter Championship at WEF Noblige, a six-year-old gelding owned by Ole Strigel’s DK-USA Sporthorse farm in Durham, North Carolina, won the Baby Green Hunter Championship during the seventh week of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. (Photo courtesy of Randi Muster Photography) Wellington, FL (March 4, 2010) – A six-year-old hunter prospect named Noblige, owned by Ole Strigel’s DK-USA Sporthorse farm in Durham, North Carolina, proved he has what it takes to be a successful hunter when he won the Baby Green Hunter Championship during the seventh week of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Draper Equine Therapy, makers of therapeutic products for horses and riders, sponsors the Baby Green Division. Noblige, known as Ziggy, was the Reserve Champion of the Baby Green division during week six, but came back his second time out this year to win the championship. The young gelding, who was ridden by trainer Denise Monopoli, is a 16.1 hand Dutch Warmblood by Quite Easy. “Congratulations to Ole, Denise and Ziggy,” said Kat Wojtylak, Product Manager of Draper Equine Therapy. “He is a beautiful gelding and is having great success at WEF this year. The competition at WEF is the toughest in the country, so I am sure we will be hearing plenty about this dynamite horse in the near future.” 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Week Seven Wrap-up: February 24-28, 2010Wellington, FL – March 1, 2010 – The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) had a busy week of competition on February 24-28. The week featured the start of the USEF World Equestrian Games (WEG) Show Jumping Trials along with a full schedule of hunter, jumper, and equitation classes. The week seven title sponsor was Fidelity Investments. Fidelity Investments is proud to sponsor the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Fidelity is known for helping people invest in their financial future. But they also like to invest in the communities where they do business. Bringing together friends and family to enjoy special events like the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival is one way to do just that. Get the insights you need to help you navigate the markets at your local Fidelity Investor Center. Their representatives will work with you to develop strategies to help you reach your financial goals. At the local branch, investors can meet with Fidelity representatives to evaluate retirement readiness and prepare a retirement income plan; conduct a comprehensive portfolio review with Fidelity-trained specialists; and access useful information on estate planning, charitable giving, life insurance and college planning. Call 1-800-624-2696 to schedule a complimentary consultation or attend a free educational seminar at the Fidelity Investor Center located at 2465 South State Road 7 in Wellington, FL. Or call 1-800-FIDELITY to find a Fidelity Investor Center near you. Visit www.Fidelity.com for the latest news from Fidelity. It was a full night of show jumping and entertainment for equestrian fans as they saw some of the best horses and riders in the world compete in the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2*. Saturday’s class was also the USEF World Equestrian Games (WEG) Trial #2 and led to exciting results for America’s show jumping team. The winner of the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2* was Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) on Champ 163, owned by Legacy Stables LLC. Nicolas Pizarro of Mexico finished second on Crossing Jordan, while Laura Kraut (USA) and Happy Hill Farm’s Cedric were third. $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2* Victory to Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 at 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163. All Photos © 2010 Randi Muster Laura Kraut and Cedric, Lauren Hough and Quick Study Lead USEF WEG Trial Standings Wellington, FL – February 27, 2010 – It was a full night of show jumping and entertainment for equestrian fans as they saw some of the best horses and riders in the world compete in the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2*. Tonight’s class was also the USEF World Equestrian Games (WEG) Trial #2 and led to exciting results for America’s show jumping team. The winner of the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2* was Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) on Champ 163, owned by Legacy Stables LLC. Nicolas Pizarro of Mexico finished second on Crossing Jordan, while Laura Kraut (USA) and Happy Hill Farm’s Cedric were third.  Lauren Hough on Quick Study Kraut, of Wellington, FL, and Cedric are on the top of the leaderboard for the USEF WEG Trials, tied with Lauren Hough of Wellington, FL, on Quick Study, owned by Laura Mateo. Sitting in third with just one fault is Hillary Dobbs of Sussex, NJ, on Quincy B. The seventh week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by Fidelity Investments and runs through Sunday, February 28. A crowd of nearly 3,500 spectators were on hand to watch the combined grand prix and USEF WEG Trial. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and they will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit. Guilherme Jorge of Brazil designed tonight’s challenging course, which featured a difficult opening line as well as a very careful triple combination. There were 14 numbered obstacles and 17 jumping efforts. Out of the 49 entries in the class, eight were clear in the first round. Of those eight, three were USEF WEG Trial riders who did not return for the jump-off because of horse declaration. The first to go in the jump-off was McLain Ward on Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms. They had a rail for four faults and finished in 40.46 seconds for fourth place.  Nicolas Pizarro on Crossing Jordan Next in was Nicolas Pizarro of Mexico, who rode his own horse Crossing Jordan to a double clear round to set the early lead in 41.13 seconds. “I went the fastest I think I could go,” Pizarro said. “My turn from one to two was probably a little bit wide. The horse doesn’t have a big stride. Normally he does nice turns, but I got a little bit late.” Pizarro and Crossing Jordan were especially impressive considering it was their first grand prix at WEF, and it was Pizarro’s first time ever showing under lights at a nighttime grand prix. Pizarro has had Crossing Jordan for a year and a half, and they started doing major grand prix classes at Spruce Meadows last year. They helped the Mexican team win the bronze medal at the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows, and next week’s FEI Nations Cup, presented by CN, is their main goal for this winter. He noted, “Today I felt he was fantastic.” This is Pizarro’s first time competing at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. “I think it’s incredible,” he commended. “The facility couldn’t be better.” Lauren Hough and Quick Study were next in but had an unfortunate rail at jump 11b to finish with four faults and a time of 40.64 seconds for fifth place. However, with their first round clear, they sit tied atop the leaderboard in the USEF WEG Trials standings with Kraut. “For me personally, the horse jumped the first round as good as he could jump. He’s a horse with a lot of energy. With only five in the jump-off, I wasn’t going to go full speed, but I didn’t think it would hurt to jump another round tonight. He’s a horse where the more rounds he jumps, the better he is,” Hough explained. “I’m very pleased with where we’re sitting at the moment.” Hough also praised the system that is used to determine the United States’ championship teams. “I am where I am in my career because of the idea that in America, everybody has a chance, and I think that’s important,” she remarked. “I do believe in our process, and I think we have a lot of good riders here. Everybody should have a chance to make it to Europe, and then you have to prove yourself again.”  Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 Riding Champ 163, a 1999 Holsteiner stallion by Kornblume xx Coronado, Rodrigo Pessoa would set down a clear round in a winning time of 39.41 seconds to take the lead. Pessoa felt that today’s stout, challenging course suited his horse. “He has a very big stride. There were a lot of place to open up and get going. When you open his stride, he covers a lot of ground. The overall track was really good for him,” he said. Pessoa and Champ 163 were paired together a year ago, and Pessoa has had to adapt himself to the big stallion. “He’s a larger horse that what I’m used to,” he explained. “The last couple of weeks here, we changed his way of going a little bit, and it seems to be working. We give him more room to take off. I was coming too close (to the jump) and now I ride him a little bit different, and he seems to like it.” This was their first grand prix win together.  Laura Kraut and Cedric Pessoa would not be challenged by Laura Kraut and Cedric, who would take an easy clear round in 42.16 seconds to finish in third. “My goal was to jump a nice double clear,” Kraut confirmed. “I made the turn from one to two, but I did it much slower than Rodrigo. I wanted him to get back in the ring. It’s the beginning of the year for us and there’s a lot of work to do. We had to get the rust out.” It was another great day for Kraut and Cedric, who won the Olympic Games Trials at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in 2008. Kraut believes that this year is different, thanks to Cedric’s experience in the show ring. “I haven’t felt him better ever,” she remarked. “He’s now more seasoned; I can rely on him, whereas before I had to help him a lot. Now he’s doing most of the work and I just go along for the ride.” Kraut also feels that Cedric’s success this week is meaningful. Peter Wetherill of Happy Hill Farm, Cedric’s owner, passed away this past week. Kraut said, “I wish he was here to see this, but hopefully he knows about it. He would be very pleased.” The Fidelity Investments week of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival concludes tomorrow with the Suncast 1.50m Classic. The USEF WEG Trials continue with the $40,000 1.60m third trial on Wednesday, March 3, at 3 p.m. at The Stadium. The $30,000 1.60m CSIO fourth trial will run on Friday, March 5, at 12 p.m. in the International Arena, while the FEI Nations Cup, presented by CN, follows that evening at 7 p.m. The fifth trial will run in conjunction with the $150,000 CN U.S. Open Grand Prix, CSIO 4*, on Sunday, March 7, at 1 p.m. For full results and more information, please visit www.shownet.biz or www.equestriansport.com. Final Results: $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2* 1. CHAMP 163: 1999 Holsteiner stallion by Kornblume xx Coronado RODRIGO PESSOA (BRA), LEGACY STABLES: 0/0/39.41 2. CROSSING JORDAN: 2000 WB stallion by Champion du Lys xx Calypso II NICOLAS PIZARRO (MEX), NICOLAS PIZARRO: 0/0/41.13 3. CEDRIC:1998 KWPN gelding by Unknown xx Unknown LAURA KRAUT (USA), HAPPY HILL FARM: 0/0/42.16 4. ROTHCHILD: 2001 WB gelding by Artos xx Elegant De L’ile MCLAIN WARD (USA), SAGAMORE FARMS: 0/4/40.46 5. QUICK STUDY: 1999 Selle Francais gelding by Quick Star xx What A Joy LAUREN HOUGH (USA), LAURA MATEO: 0/4/40.64 6. CRISTALLO: 1998 Holsteiner gelding by Carentino xx Cicero RICHARD SPOONER (USA), SHOW JUMPING SYN.: 1/91.560 7. QUINCY B: 1996 Holsteiner gelding by Quidan De Revel xx Lagos HILLARY DOBBS (USA), HILLARY DOBBS: 1/91.810 8. ATHENA: 2000 BWP mare by Toulon xx Capital CHARLIE JAYNE (USA), THE LOUDON GROUP: 4/ 85.790 9. GRAF LANDO: 1997 Hannoverian gelding by Graf Grannus xx Landadel ROBERT KRAUT (USA), MEGHAN KRAUT: 4/89.930 10. PRESLEY BOY: 1997 KWPN stallion by Concorde xx Damiro JAIME AZCARRAGA (MEX), JAIME AZCARRAGA: 4/90.00 11. TORONTO: 2000 KWPN gelding by Furore xx Indorado CANDICE KING (USA), AAA EQ LLC: 5/91.33 12. FIEDI 3: 1998 Hannoverian gelding by Graf Top xx Palisander GEORGINA BLOOMBERG (USA), GOTHAM ENTERPRIZES: 6/95.59 CLEAR FOR THE USEF WEG TRIAL #2 URICO: 2001 KWPN gelding by Zandor Z xx Fedor MARIO DESLAURIERS (USA), JANE CLARK: 0/87.410 MADEMOISELLE: 1997 Holsteiner mare by Libetino I xx Silvester BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), ABIGAIL WEXNER: 0/90.180 SKARA GLEN’S DAVOS: 2000 Zangerscheide gelding by Carthago Z xx Pericles XX CANDICE KING (USA), SKARA GLEN STABLES: 0/90.950 The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 13 through April 4. WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $5.5 million in prize money will be awarded. WEF is proud to be supported by their title sponsor, FTI Consulting, Inc. FTI Consulting, Inc. exists to help companies and their stakeholders protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex economic, legal and regulatory environment. FTI is the trusted advisor entrenched in many of the game-changing events that make headlines, move markets and create business history. For more information, please visit www.fticonsulting.com. During the 12 weeks of WEF, “Saturday Night Lights” headlines the entertainment each Saturday night where spectators not only enjoy the Grand Prix class, but a street carnival, live music, and numerous dining options with box seats, sports bars, and the famed Tiki Hut for front row fun. Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information. Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. Heather Buchanan ![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=bf17c3fc-549f-4921-906c-c2fb0a931eb1) Maggie Savoie Claims the Win in the Taylor Harris Insurance Services Children’s Medal 14 & Under at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Maggie Savoie Claims the Win in the Taylor Harris Insurance Services Children's Medal 14 & Under © 2010 Randi Muster Wellington, FL – February 27, 2010 – The Taylor Harris Insurance Services (T.H.I.S.) Children’s Medal 14 & Under kicked off the day in Ring 6 this morning at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Twenty-two competitors vied for the blue ribbon today, and a chance to help qualify for the T.H.I.S. National Children’s Medal Finals that will take place at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in October 2010. Maggie Savoie received first place honors aboard her horse Danico. The 14-year-old Massachusetts native is currently a freshman in high school at the Lincoln School for Girls in Providence, and she commutes to Florida on weekends to compete at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. “I get really tired, but this is what I do, and I don’t do anything else, so it’s worth it,” Savoie explained of her busy travel schedule. Savoie has owned Danico, a 12-year-year old Westphalian gelding, for about three years and credits him for much of her winnings. “It was definitely a team effort between the two of us. I couldn’t have done it without him,” she acknowledged. “If he wasn’t underneath my leg when I asked him to move up or slow down, I wouldn’t have gotten the distances that I did,” she continued. After the first round, the top four competitors were called back for the test. The test was described to the riders who stood in the middle of the ring, and they were instructed to have no further communication with anyone. The test started over a direct approach to an oxer off of a very short turn, followed by a rollback to another oxer. The test continued over a trot jump, then riders rode directly to the last vertical, and were instructed to halt and back up afterwards. The final instruction was to return to the line at a walk on a loose rein. Savoie returned for the test in the top position with a score of 83 from the first round and held her lead throughout. The riders were tested in reverse order based on their scores from the first round. The cut-off to return for the test was a 79. The test was very difficult for the competitors, and the first rider went off course, which caused some confusion amongst the remaining riders. Savoie commented on this, and said, “For the testing I watched everybody else’s courses, and I knew which jumps I needed to go to. I don’t normally get nervous, but when people did different courses, I knew what I was supposed to do, but I wanted to make sure I got it right.” Ailish Cunniffe finished behind Savoie in second place. The third place ribbon was awarded to Hannah Baumann, and the fourth place honors went to Nikki Carr. Savoie competed at the finals of the T.H.I.S. Children’s Medal last year, and placed 15th. She hopes to qualify again this year and improve on last year’s results. If Savoie continues to be successful, she hopes to show in the ASPCA Maclay classes next year. Children’s Hunters will continue tomorrow with both the Children’s Hunter 14 & Under and the Children’s Hunter 15-17 divisions competing on the North Grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. For full results please visit www.shownet.biz or www.equestriansport.com. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 13 through April 4. WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $5.5 million in prize money will be awarded. WEF is proud to be supported by their title sponsor, FTI Consulting, Inc. FTI Consulting, Inc. exists to help companies and their stakeholders protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex economic, legal and regulatory environment. FTI is the trusted advisor entrenched in many of the game-changing events that make headlines, move markets and create business history. For more information, please visit www.fticonsulting.com. During the 12 weeks of WEF, “Saturday Night Lights” headlines the entertainment each Saturday night where spectators not only enjoy the Grand Prix class, but a street carnival, live music, and numerous dining options with box seats, sports bars, and the famed Tiki Hut for front row fun. Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information. Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. Heather Buchanan |
