Wellington, FL – February 29, 2012 – Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin and Germany’s Jörg Oppermann and Lux As If each jumped to victory in Wednesday’s double $5,000 Welcome Stake classes during week eight’s CSIO 4* competition, sponsored by G&C Farm, at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Due to a large number of entries, the Welcome Stake was held as two classes, with half of the entries showing in the afternoon, and the remaining entries showing later in the evening. $5,000 in prize money was awarded to each section.
Anthony D’Ambrosio, of Red Hook, NY, is the course designer in the International Arena this week. Each Welcome Stake class was held in a one round format against the clock with a time allowed of 77 seconds. In the day session, D’Ambrosio saw 13 clear rounds, the fastest time of 58.94 seconds winning the top prize for Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin, owned by Double H Farms.
Yann Candele (CAN) and Game Ready, owned by Susan Grange, finished second in 60.76 seconds. Third place was awarded to Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Lipton De L’Othain, owned by Windward Farm, in 61.71 seconds. Fourth place honors went to Australia’s Matt Williams and Bolero Van’t Heike in 62.03 seconds.
HH Palouchin is a 1999 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Baloubet Du Rouet x Chin Chin. With Pessoa in the irons, the always fast horse also won last week’s $32,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic, along with several other classes throughout the circuit. Commenting on his win today, Pessoa stated, “It was a good course. This horse is very fast and if you leave them up he always has a good chance to take the win.”
“He jumped really good,” Pessoa added. “He won a really good class last week and we are looking forward to the G&C Farm speed class and the 1.45m classic coming up this week.”
With the high number of entries, the $5,000 Welcome Stake continued with the second section occurring Wednesday evening under the lights in the International Arena. The win went to a new FTI WEF rider, Jörg Oppermann from Germany, riding Lux As If owned by Heinz Eufinger. There were 12 clear rounds out of a total of 53 entries.
Oppermann went early in the class and his time of 63.15 seconds was able to hold up. Oppermann reasoned that his time went unbeaten because, “A lot of riders used this class in preparation for Nations Cup and didn’t push their horses as hard.”
Of the course, Oppermann thought, “It was a welcoming one. It was great to have the water option to introduce the horses to it before the Nations Cup class.”
The red ribbon in tonight’s class went to Alexandra Thornton of Great Britian, riding Blue Curacao owned by Dunwalke Ltd. Third place went to Cedric Angot of France, riding Olympic de Chamant owned by Nicolas Paillot.
The first of two of his entries, Lux As If, a 2001 Irish Sport Horse mare, arrived in the country Friday from Amsterdam and Oppermann arrived the following day. Of his mount, Oppermann believed his horse was good. “It is his first time here and we chose to ride the water option,” he said.
His second entry, Che Guevara 17, also owned by Heinz Eufinger, is a 2001 Holsteiner Stallion by Concept and Rebel Z. Oppermann will be riding him in Friday evening’s FEI Nations Cup event. Oppermann is looking forward to the class and enthusiastically stated the German team “is a young, but nice team. We will see.”
In addition to the Nations Cup class, Oppermann will ride both of his horses in tomorrow’s WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 class.
Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm Horses Excel in Wednesday Competition
Also competing in the International Arena on Wednesday, Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino, owned by Monica Carrera, won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m. Conor Swail and Winand, owned by Vanessa Mannix, won the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m speed class, and Shane Sweetnam and Everly Chin De La Pomme, owned by Spy Coast Farm, won the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class.
Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm had a great day with other top finishes in the classes as well. Sweetnam rode O’Splendido to second place in the 1.45m and Cyklon to second place in the 1.40m speed class.
All three of Sweetnam’s mounts are young, up and coming talents, and the rider was pleased with their efforts today. In the second 1.40m class, Sweetnam and Everly Chin De La Pomme took the lead early, and held on through 17 jump-off rounds to win out of 48 entries. Everly Chin De La Pomme is an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Malito De Reve out of Werly Chin De Muze.
Spy Coast Farm bought Everly Chin De La Pomme last year as a seven-year-old. “She is going to be a very good horse,” Sweetnam noted. “She is out of the same mare as Eric Lamaze’s horse Derly Chin De Muze. We own the mother also and she is breeding in Kentucky, so it is a very interesting line for us. It looks like she will go on and do great things hopefully, so that is a good start for her.”
Sweetnam was surprised that his time held on, having shown so early in the class, but he was thrilled with the win nonetheless. “Normally in these classes if you are early and you go into the lead, there is always someone quicker later on. I went quick and I was tight, but I wasn’t really as fast as I could have been. This morning I was really going fast and I finished second, so it is just funny how it works out,” Sweetnam laughed. “So far this circuit I have had a lot of seconds and thirds, and not too many wins, so it was great to get the win today.”
Sweetnam’s mount in the 1.40m speed class was Cyklon, a new horse for Spy Coast Farm, recently purchased in Sweden. Cyklon is a stallion by Cardento. “He should be a very competitive horse. He is very quick and I am just getting to know him, but I really enjoy riding him,” Sweetnam stated.
O’Splendido, his mount in the 1.45m is another promising young stallion, a Selle Francais by Burggraaf. “O’Splendido is still a little bit green even though he is ten,” Sweetnam acknowledged, “but he is coming along. He is very quick and I think he should be a very good horse as well; he just needs to get some time in the ring.”
During this week’s CSIO competition, Sweetnam looks forward to showing his top stallion, Amaretto D’Arco, in Friday night’s $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm.
“Every year I love Nations Cup,” he said with a smile. “There is a good atmosphere and it is a good class. There are plenty of good teams and good jumping, so I really look forward to it.”
G&C Farm’s CSIO week eight will continue in the International Arena tomorrow featuring the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 at 12 p.m. In the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring, the Regular Conformation Hunters will present championship honors. 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.