Beezie Madden & Simon. Photo: The Chronicle of the Horse.
Gothenburg, Sweden: Beezie Madden and Simon, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Abigail Wexner, rose to the top of the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals leader board today to be crowned the 2013 Champions, keeping the title for the United States of America and becoming only the 5th woman to hold the title. After 3 rounds made up of 6 courses of world-class competition over 4 days, Beezie and John Madden are on top of the world!
“It feels fantastic; I am so proud of Simon and my team. I can’t thank Abigail Wexner enough for her support,” said Madden of her win.
Madden started the competition at the Gothenburg Horse Show with a bang on Thursday, April 25th by claiming her first ever Rolex FEI World Cup Finals win of an individual round, the speed round. Friday’s course, by course designer Uliano Vezzani, was impressive with Madden ending in 9th place for the round but in second place going into today’s two final rounds.
The first of the two courses today proved to be very challenging with no horse and rider combination delivering a clear round. Madden and Simon had 4 faults in this round, placing them back on top of the overall standings going into the final course. Both Madden and fellow Olympic medalist, Steve Guerdat of Switzerland, emerged from today’s second course with a total of 9 faults overall, forcing a final jump-off between the two riders. Guerdat lowered two obstacles in the final stages of the jump-off, leaving Madden in the very best possible situation. Madden’s task was to not lower more than 2 jumps and stay in front of Guerdat’s time, and that is what she did! Simon laid down another beautiful clear round with a time of 41.66 seconds, walking out of the arena victorious!
When asked about today’s win aboard Simon, Madden stated, “I always consider it an honor to ride for the US, and there are no words to describe how it feels to deliver a win. Simon has just been amazing. He is an incredible partner. The World Cup Finals definitely test the horses at every level. This was a marathon, and I am so proud of him.”
Madden is trained by husband John Madden. Together they own and operate John Madden Sales, Inc. in Cazenovia, New York. “It is very hard to put into words what this win feels like,” said Madden of Beezie’s win today. “This is what Beezie and I live for and not just for ourselves but for our owners, our JMS Team, our sponsors, our family and friends in Cazenovia and Nelson as well as our students at Trelawny Farm and Coral Reef Ranch. This is such a great honor, and we are very proud to bring the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals Championship Title home for Team USA.”
John Madden Sales, Inc. is owned and operated by John and Beezie Madden in Cazenovia, NY. The Maddens train, sell and compete world-class show jumpers around the globe. Accomplishments include two team Olympic Gold medals and an individual bronze as well as the FEI Rolex World Champion title and a World Equestrian Games individual silver medal. They have also trained and been instrumental in the development of many top horses, riders and trainers competing today.
The USA’s Beezie Madden holds the trophy aloft after her sensational victory with Simon at the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2012/2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
Gothenburg (SWE), 28 April 2013 – America’s Beezie Madden and Simon claimed the 2013 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping title at the end of an epic battle in the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden today. It was a back-to-back win for the USA following last year’s victory of Rich Fellers and Flexible who ended a 25-year drought for his country in 2012, and Madden is only the fifth woman ever to hold the coveted trophy in her hands. Fellow-Americans Melanie Smith (1982), Leslie Burr Lenehan (1986) and Katharine Burdsall (1987) succeeded over the early years of this prestigious tournament, while Californian-born Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum flew the German flag to register a hat-trick of successes in 2005, 2008 and 2009.
This was a tough day of jumping and a cliff-hanger of a competition right to very end. Not one of the 23 starters managed to complete Uliano Vezzani’s first-round track without penalty, and only three left all the fences up in the second round and one of those – Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson – collected just a single time fault. Madden went into a third-round head-to-head with Olympic champion Steve Guerdat, but the 30-year-old Swiss rider had to settle for runner-up spot for the second year in a row while it was the strains of the Star Spangled Banner that rang out around the arena during the emotional prize-giving ceremony as 49-year-old Madden claimed the spoils.
Not for the Faint-Hearted
Vezzani’s first-round track was tall, wide and definitely not for the faint-hearted. When questioned afterwards about the intensity of the test he had set throughout the entire day, he said, “I think it wasn’t too easy for the riders and horses but these are the best in the world. It was big, difficult and technical, but the horses jumped well.” And Guerdat interjected to point out, “The course was tough, but there were a lot of four-faults; you didn’t see horses struggling, and if we riders did our job as well as him (Vezzani) then we would have had more clear rounds!”
In the first round, Vezzani sent them off at a gallop with a triple bar as the first fence, and the pressure remained relentless to the very last. The 12-fence course demanded accuracy and control and tested the riders ability to shorten and lengthen the stride, with no room for indecision. The back bar of the innocuous-looking oxer at fence two claimed both Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya (Carlo) and Frenchman Kevin Staut (Silvana HDC) amongst its victims, and the only one of the 12 obstacles that remained undisturbed throughout the entire first round was the vertical at three.
Option
There was an option of four forward or five holding strides between the oxer at four and the following double of very tall verticals of bright red planks but, surprisingly, a number of the leading contenders managed to negotiate this only to hit the following oxer off a right-hand bend. There was no time to recover before continuing right-handed to the following vertical, while the dog-leg left-hand bend to the oxer at eight came up very quickly and sometimes at cost.
With just four more to go, riders had to set their horses up carefully for the triple combination of oxer to vertical to oxer, and then it was time to turn for home. But before they got there they had to clear the wavy planks at 10 and then run down the long side of the arena over the penultimate oxer and the final vertical. It was here that Olympic champion Steve Guerdat’s round unravelled. Clear to that point, he suddenly urged Nino des Buissonnets forward and although they left the second-last intact, their rhythm was upset and the last came down to add four penalties to their scoreline.
Pole Position
As the class began, with 23 starters, it was Portugal’s Luciana Diniz who held pole position with Lennox, but three fences down first time out compromised their chances. Second-placed Madden therefore moved into the lead with Simon when one of the eight horse-and-rider combinations to lower just a single fence, their error coming at the second element of the influential double of red planks.
As round two began, Kevin Staut was lying second ahead of Guerdat and America’s McLain Ward, but Guerdat’s clear this time out left him on a running total of nine, so when Madden dropped the second element of the penultimate double these two were now on level pegging and it would take a jump-off to separate them. And you couldn’t have predicted what was going to happen next.
Guerdat and his Olympic partner Nino des Buissonnets are possibly the fastest horse-and-rider duo on the planet, and the Olympic champions set off like a rocket over the new jump-off course. They looked set to present Madden with a near-impossible target until, turning too tight to the penultimate vertical, the Swiss rider found himself with no real sight of a stride and when that fell, they galloped down to the last and hit that too.
“I was trying to go clear and fast as possible. I have a very fast horse, and I just wanted to win. Last year I had to go first in the jump-off but I wasn’t quick enough so I finished second and I didn’t want it to happen again. Maybe I took too much risk; maybe I could have been a bit smarter to the second-last and I could have put more pressure on Beezie, but I think I had to try,” he explained.
Wide Open for Madden
The door was now wide open for Madden, and she was about to step smartly in. “I watched Steve’s jump-off on TV. Once he had two down I just wanted to check what the time-allowed was. I was so relieved; I thought he would be so hard to beat; it took quite a bit of the pressure off!”
She entered the arena knowing that a sensible clear would be good enough to take the title and that was exactly what she produced. “It was great to win the first leg, but I was kicking myself after the second day. And today it was different again. It was a bit like the cards landed right for me when Steve left the door open in the jump-off,” the new champion said afterwards. A last-fence error in the second round cost Staut dearly as, without that, his running tally of six would have been good enough to clinch it. But he was stoic in the aftermath, and he even suggested that he had just experienced a learning curve where his faithful grey mare, Silvana, was concerned.
Happy
“I am very happy about third place, although I was a bit disappointed I had the last down. It has been fantastic sport here, my fourth Rolex World Cup Final, and I never jumped as big as we jumped today. My mare is 14 years old and I never knew she could jump as big as that so maybe she’s younger than I think and she can jump even more!”
Madden talked about the 14-year-old Dutch-bred gelding Simon who has been in a Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping line-up before with his previous rider, The Netherlands’ Jeroen Dubbeldam, when third at the final in Leipzig, Germany in 2011.
“He’s a very sensible horse; there has always been a question about rideability and we’ve played around with bits and found one he likes now. He can get strong, but he’s not so difficult and he’s careful; he wants to do his job and he makes it easy for me as long as I can get him there in range. I got him 18 months ago, and he’s great because he’s a fighter!” she said.
Debt of Gratitude
There was an air of a job well done as the event drew to a close, and one man who was feeling particularly delighted with the end result was the winning rider’s husband, John Madden. At the closing press conference he said, not surprisingly, “Personally, I think this was a fantastic event!” He continued: “I am Executive Board member and Chairman of the FEI Jumping Committee and Beezie’s husband, so this is great for me; I’m very proud to be Beezie’s husband but also proud of my connection with the FEI and I want to extend our deepest debt of gratitude to Rolex. It has been a unique, exciting event here, and we can look back on seven finals with Rolex, each unique and each excellent in their own way. For 50 years Rolex has contributed to our sport.
“We have had great sport here; it has been a long, hard battle but everyone including the FEI staff, the Organising Committee of Gothenburg and the country of Sweden have all done a great job and it has been a pleasure to be here.” Meanwhile his wife stood holding the trophy that, as she said today, “is one I’ve always wanted.” She has it now.
Standings at the end of Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final competition 3:
1, Simon (Beezie Madden) USA 0/41.66; 2, Nino des Buissonnets (Steve Guerdat) SUI 8/30.33; 3, Silvana HDC (Kevin Staut) FRA 10; 4, Carlo (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP 12, 5, Super Trooper de Ness (McLain Ward) USA 13, 6, Quintero la Silla/Casall la Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) SWE 13, 7, Sterrehof’s Tamino/Sterrehof’s Uppity (Marc Houtzager) NED 16; 8, Gotha FRH (Henrik von Eckermann) SWE 20; 9, Lennox (Luciana Diniz) POR 20; 10, Cylana (Reed Kessler) USA 25. Full standings here: http://results.scgvisual.com/2013/goteborg/worldcup.html.
23 horse-and-rider partnerships started in today’s final competition which took place over two rounds and two different courses.
17 competed in the second round and two horse-and-rider combinations went into a third-round jump-off against the clock.
Course designer, Uliano Vezzani from Italy, was assisted throughout the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2012/2013 by Peter Lundstrom (SWE) and Pier Francesco Bazzocchi (ITA).
12 obstacles and 15 jumping efforts in both rounds.
11 gelding, 8 stallions and 4 mares competed in today’s deciding competition.
The oldest horses in the class were both 15-year-olds – the Swedish-bred bay gelding Lunatic, ridden by Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and the Holsteiner stallion Quintero la Silla competed by Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson.
The youngest horse was the 9-year-old Belgian-bred bay gelding Ego Van Orti, ridden by Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander.
There were 6 lady riders in the field of 23 starters.
This was the 13th time for the FEI World Cup Jumping Final to take place at the Scandinavium Arena in Gothenburg where the very first final was held in 1979.
Attendance figures were the highest ever, with over 90,000 spectators throughout the week including a packed house again today.
Quotes:
Rolf-Goran Bengtsson – “I’m quite happy; it was fantastic sport. I got caught in the double of planks (in the first round) but I always said I wanted to finish in or around fifth place and I finished sixth so I’m still happy.”
Beezie Madden, talking about the challenge of moving horses from outdoor tournaments to indoors – “I think sometimes the horses can be fresher coming to a show like this from outdoor tournaments. It wouldn’t be so easy for less experienced horses, but the older ones quite like it I think.”
For further information on the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2012/2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden (24-28 April), check out www.gothenburghorseshow.com.
Beezie Madden riding Simon USA, winner of the Rolex World Cup 2013. Photo – Kit Houghton/FEI.
Riding Simon, Beezie Madden won the Final, ahead of 2nd place Steve Guerdat (SUI) riding Nino des Buissonnets, and 3rd place Kevin Staut (FRA), riding Silvana HDC.
Beezie Madden & Simon (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group)
Gothenburg, Sweden – Valuable World Cup points were at stake Friday evening in the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final as riders vied for a place in Sunday’s final competition. Uliano Vezzani tested the 38 riders that returned for round two over a flowing 13-obstacle track in the Scandinavium Arena. Riders within the top 26 placings following tonight’s round qualified to jump in Sunday’s final competition and of those entries seven will be representing the United States.
Thursday’s Speed Leg winner, Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY), proved why she is consistently ranked among the best in the world as she guided Simon to another clear round over Vezzani’s course. The pair returned as the final pair in the jump-off and looked ready to maintain their lead going into Sunday. However, Madden made an aggressive move to the final oxer with Abigail Wexner’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding resulting in four faults.
“I thought the pace was good for my horse,” said the Olympic and FEI World Equestrian Games medalist. “I got a little too excited to the last; I’m kicking myself.” The pair finished in ninth position in tonight’s class and lay second in the overall standings heading into Sunday’s finale on one fault.
“I think he’ll be good; he’s relaxed and comfortable in this place. I can be on the real offensive,” said Madden of her strategy heading into the final rounds of competition. “It’s pressure but we’ve been in that position before.”
McLain Ward and Super Trooper De Ness (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group)
Finishing just ahead of Madden in tonight’s competition was her teammate from the last three Olympic Games, McLain Ward. Riding Grant Road Partners LLC’s 11-year-old Belgain Warmblood stallion Super Trooper De Ness, Ward (Brewster, NY) looked to seize valuable World Cup points with a strong finish on Friday evening. In the jump-off the pair set a quick pace from the beginning but an additional stride to the second jump resulted in four faults. The two-time Olympic Team Gold medalist nonetheless was very pleased with his rising star who is stepping up to everything asked of him.
“I was thrilled with Super Trooper; he jumped fantastic. This is his first time indoors and I wasn’t even sure if I would use him in this leg,” said Ward. “I added up in the seven in the first line; it wasn’t his rail, it was mine. I feel like he’s within a hair of winning at this kind of show.”
Ward stands in a three-way tie for sixth in the overall standings on five faults. The final U.S. entry in tonight’s 15 horse jump-off was 18-year-old Reed Kessler in her Final debut. Kessler (Lexington, KY) demonstrated why she and her 11-year-old Belgain mare Cylana were chosen to be part of the U.S. effort at the London Olympic Games with a stylish clear round this evening. In the jump-off the pair posted a competitive time but a rail jumping into the double resulted in four faults and a 12th place finish. They head into Sunday on nine faults and in tenth place overall.
Charlie Jayne (Elgin, IL) was aiming to improve his 11th place position following round one and looked capable of doing so with Chill R Z as they set off on course. However, Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher’s 10-year-old Zangerscheide stallion let enthusiasm get the better of him, rolling poles at 8A and 11B. They finished in 28th position in round two and occupy the 18th position with a score of 16 heading into Sunday.
Additionally, Katie Dinan, Kent Farrington and Karl Cook have all qualified to represent the U.S. in Sunday’s finale. Dinan (Wellington, FL) was looking to repeat her clear performance from the night before with Grant Road Partners LLC’s 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding Nougat De Vallet but three rails over the course left them in 35th place for round two. In their Rolex/FEI World Cup Final debut they head into Sunday on 18 faults in equal 20th place. Farrington (Wellington, IL) repeated his eight-fault effort from the previous night with his 2011 Pan American Games Team Gold medalist Uceko. R.C.G. Farm’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding finished in 29th on Friday and stands 23rd overall on a score of 19. Cook (Woodside, CA) is also making his Finals debut and guided Signe Ostby’s 11-year-old Zangerscheide stallion Jonkheer Z to an eight-fault trip in round two. They complete the U.S. entry for Sunday on a 20 faults in 25th position.
The U.S. was also represented by Rich Fellers, Lucy Davis, Ashlee Bond and Christine McCrea in Friday’s competition. The 2012 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final Champions, Fellers (Sherwood, CA) and Harry Mollie Chapman’s Flexible were looking to make up for a disappointing trip in round one, but an additional four faults in the second round will keep them out of continuing their title defense on Sunday. Davis (Los Angeles, CA) and Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119 jumped a five-fault round, a rail at 11B and one time fault, to finish in 24th place in round two. Bond (Hidden Hills, CA) returned in round two with Little Valley Farms’ Wistful and, in an improved effort over the previous night, completed with eight faults in 25th place. Pan American Games Gold medalists McCrea (East Windsor, CT) and Candy Tribble’s Romantovich Take One incurred 12 faults over the course of their round and completed in 32nd place on Friday.
Portugal’s Luciana Diniz heads into Sunday’s final two rounds with a total of zero faults and the overall lead. Kevin Staut of France lays third overall behind Madden on two faults. The top five riders are all within a rail of one another.
The winner of the second round of the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final were 2012 Olympic Games Individual Gold medalists Steve Guerdat and Nino Des Buissonnets of Switzerland, posting a speedy time of 34.09 seconds in tonight’s 15-horse jump-off.
The final competition of the Rolex/FEI World Final, which is being held in conjunction with the annual Gothenburg Horse Show, gets underway Sunday at 2:00pm CEST.
Beezie Madden & Simon (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group)
Gothenburg, Sweden – Speed and efficiency were the order of the day in the Scandinavum Arena as the 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final kicked off with the first of four rounds of competition. Utilizing the faults converted format competitors were asked to balance forward riding and efficient turns with tidy jumping. A total of 39 combinations lined up to tackle Uliano Vezzani’s 13 effort track and for the second year running an American rider posted an unassailable time. Beezie Madden and Simon, jumping 17th in the order cruised to a time of 62.28 and while a few came close, no one could catch the classy pair.
Madden (Cazenovia, NY) and Abigail Wexner’s 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding may not have appeared as the quickest combination, but tight lines and the horse’s massive stride propelled them to the lead. The hard trying Simon never looked in doubt of jumping a clear round as he gave each element of Vezzani’s track ample room.
“I didn’t really plan to win; I planned to go as fast as my horse could go to keep him good for the rest of the week,” said the Olympic Team Gold and Individual Bronze medalist. “He’s naturally a fast horse; I knew if I could ride my plan and tight lines he could be fast.”
Simon is no stranger to Rolex/FEI World Cup success having placed third in 2011 with former rider Jeroen Dubbledam. Madden has had her sights set on the 2013 Final with the talented gelding and plans to ride him in the remaining rounds.
“I think I’ll go with Simon if everything goes well,” Madden commented about her strategy for the remainder of the week.
Katie Dinan (Wellington, FL) defied her age and experience as she piloted Nougat Du Vallet to an efficient clear round. The 19-year-old Harvard freshman is making her Final debut with Grant Road Partners LLC’s 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding and finished on a score of 66.50.
Katie Dinan & Nougat Du Vallet (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group)
“I’m thrilled; I really wanted to ride well this week and my horse felt fantastic in the warm-up,” said Dinan. “To go clear in my first World Cup Final is a dream come true.”
The pair stands in ninth place following the first round.
The U.S. has three additional riders in the top 15 after Thursday’s competition. McLain Ward, Charlie Jayne and Reed Kessler all looked poised to rocket into the top spot but rails late in the course kept all three down the order. Riding Grant Road Partners LLC’s 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion Super Trooper De Ness, double Olympic Gold medalist Ward (Brewster, NY) set a quick pace from the beginning. However, a rail jumping out of the double at 12 meant they added four to their time and completed on 66.63. Jayne (Elgin, IL) incurred a similar fate with Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher’s Chill R Z. The 10-year-old Zangerscheide stallion, who was named as reserve for the 2012 Olympic Games with Jayne, was jumping out of his skin in a quick pace but had the final vertical, number 13, down to finish on a score of 66.69. Kessler (Lexington, KY) is also making her Rolex/FEI World Cup Final debut with her 2012 Olympic partner Cylana and like Jayne heartbreakingly added four to their score at the last jump. The 11-year-old Belgain mare completed round one on a score of 67.46.
Currently, Ward stands 10th, Jayne 11th, and Kessler 13th.
Kent Farrington (Wellington, IL) is making his second Finals appearance with R.C.G. Farm’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Uceko. They would have challenged the leaders with their time but rails at fences 12B and 13 meant they finished in 16th place on a score of 69.49.
Standing 18th and 19th respectively are Karl Cook and Christine McCrea. Cook (Woodside, CA) and Signe Ostby’s 11-year-old Zangerscheide stallion Jonkheer Z had a single knock-down at 7B to finish on 69.53. They too are making their Rolex/FEI World Cup Final debut. Pan American Gold medalists McCrea (East Windsor, CT) and Candy Tribble’s 13-year-old KWPN gelding Romantovich Take One had a careful, clear round to stop the timers at 69.59.
Lucy Davis (Los Angeles, CA) jumped a poised round with Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119, just rolling the pole at 12A. In their Final debut, the Stanford University student and 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding stand 30th after posting a score of 76.08.
The reigning champions, Rich Fellers (Sherwood, CA) and Harry Mollie Chapman’s Flexible, were in the midst of a fabulous round until a mistake jumping into the double at 12. The 17-year-old Irish stallion was unable to jump out of the combination after having the A element down. They stand in 34th after posting a score of 77.54.
Ashlee Bond (Hidden Hills, CA) is jumping Little Valley Farms’ Wistful in her third Finals appearance. The 10-year-old KWPN mare had three rails over the course to finish on a score of 78.28 and stand in 35th place.
Heading into Friday’s second day of competition, Madden holds the lead with 40 World Cup points in front of Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer who jumped Verdi II to a score of 62.79, and stands second with 38 World Cup points. Lying third following day one with 37 World Cup points is crowd favorite Rolf-Goran Bengtsson of Sweden; he and Casall La Silla jumped clear in a time of 64.20.
Rolex/FEI World Cup competition, which is being held in conjunction with the annual Gothenburg Horse Show, continues Friday with the first horse on course at 6:00pm CEST.
Beezie Madden and Simon won the first of the three deciding competitions at the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final. She is pictured being presented with her prize by Anthony Schaub from Rolex. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
Gothenburg (SWE), 25 April 2013 – America’s Beezie Madden and Simon won the first competition of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2013 at Gothenburg, Sweden tonight. In a field of 39 starters from 17 countries, the 49-year-old from Cazenovia, New York produced the quickest run when 17th to go with the Dutch-bred gelding Simon, stopping the clock in 62.28 seconds to set a target that could not be bettered.
Runner-up was Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer whose record in the prestigious Rolex Final includes third place in 2012 and equal-second in 2010. And, pleasing the home crowd, Swedish hero and reigning FEI European champion Rolf-Goran Bengtsson slotted into third tonight.
Rewarded
Course designer Uliano Vezzani set a clever track that rewarded those prepared to attack the course and take all the tight turns. The curved shape of the Scandinavium Arena encouraged him to include a range of bending lines, but the biggest test of control came after the second element of the double of verticals at seven. Most riders managed to turn sharply left-handed here to take a line inside the third fence en route to the following double at fence eight, as neatly demonstrated by the pathfinding partnership of Olympic champion Steve Guerdat and Nino des Buissonnets from Switzerland. But their round also revealed the risks of the temptation to gallop down to the final vertical at fence 13 where they were penalised along with many others.
With time added for fences down or other errors of course it would take good, clean jumping to ensure a place at the top of the order, although America’s Charlie Jayne and Chill R Z were so speedy that they still managed to secure 11th place despite faulting at the last. US riders were highly impressive, filling five of the top 13 finishing spots at the end of the day, but for defending champions Rich Fellers and Flexible the dream of a back-to-back double already seems to be shattered.
Firing on All Cylinders
They were firing on all cylinders until turning to the penultimate double, vertical to oxer. Fellers came around the third fence so quickly on the approach that the 17-year-old stallion seemed to be taken by surprise by the double and scrambled through the first element before grinding to a halt at the second. They composed themselves and finished without further drama, but the mistake was very costly indeed as they are lying in 34th place going into tomorrow’s second day of competition.
Schwizer enjoyed the advantage of a late run when, second-last to go with Verdi, but his great round which earned him second place only served to demonstrate just how fast Madden had been, as his time of 62.79 left him more than a second shy of her target of 62.28.
Bengtsson had the disadvantage of being just the fourth rider into the arena with the stallion Casall La Silla, but as he said afterwards, “When you go early you just have to be as quick as you can. I was very happy with the horse; I finished in the area (on the leaderboard) where you need to be at this stage in the World Cup Final. I liked the way my horse jumped; I got my round really the way I wanted it. I would have been disappointed to have been faster but to have a fence down. I decided before I went in how it should be – you make your plan and stick to your plan and do your best; that’s all you can ever do,” he said wisely.
Great Round
It was Portugal’s Luciana Diniz who slotted into fourth with a great round from the 12-year-old Lennox who has been continually growing in confidence throughout this winter season, while Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya and Carlo also looked very special when claiming fifth place. However the happiest man of the day seemed to be Kevin Staut whose face was a beam of delight after steering the great mare, Silvana HDC, into sixth. The Frenchman’s form in the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series over the past few seasons has been incredibly consistent and somehow it seems it just might be time for his light to shine.
Sweden’s Jens Fredricson and Lunatic finished seventh, with Penelope Leprevost and Nayana in eighth for France ahead of Katie Dinan and Nougat du Vallet in ninth and fellow-American McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness in 10th.
History shows that a prominent placing in the opening speed class is essential to remain in contention for the Rolex title and, last man in, Christian Ahlmann from Germany knows all about that. But his chances were blown tonight in almost a perfect replay of Fellers’ unfortunate error when he also turned so tight to the penultimate double that his 2010 champion ride, Taloubet Z, ground to a halt with surprise.
Preparation for the Final
Winning rider, Madden, talked about her preparation for the Rolex Final this year. “We competed in the Nations Cup at Wellington and then in Paris two weeks ago. Simon is a very seasoned indoor horse so that seemed to be enough before coming here. He’s been lying low a little this year ahead of the Final,” she explained. Today’s win was the biggest in their career together so far. “Before this my biggest successes with Simon were winning the Queen Elizabeth Cup at Spruce Meadows and coming second in the Masters there last September,” she pointed out.
Talking about pressure at this level of the sport, she said, “I have some age and experience on my side and I hope I can handle it okay. There’s always pressure no matter who you are. There is still a long way to go (in the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final) so we will see,” she added.
Bengtsson meanwhile admitted that riding in front of his home crowd was an intense experience because the expectations are so high. “You have to try to handle that pressure and not be too hard on yourself. It’s so easy to make a mistake – look at Rich Fellers and Christian Ahlmann today; they were both having fantastic rounds but a small mistake caused them a very big problem, but they are both still very good riders,” he said.
Madden will line out again with Simon in tomorrow’s second leg of the 2013 Rolex Final, but Bengtsson will change over to Quintero, while Schwizer will line out with Picsou du Chene. There is still a long way to go, but it is shaping up for a cracking conclusion to another classic Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping season.
Results: 1, Simon (Beezie Madden) USA 62.28; 2, Verdi III (Pius Schwizer) SUI 62.79; 3, Casall la Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) SWE 64.20; 4, Lennox (Luciana Diniz) POR 64.40; 5, Carlo (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP 64.79; 6, Silvana HDC (Kevin Staut) FRA 65.04; 7, Lunatic (Jens Fredricson) SWE 66.23; 8, Nayana (Penelope Leprevost) FRA 66.26; 9, Nougat du Vallet (Katherine Dinan) USA 66.50; 10, Super Trooper de Ness (McLain Ward) USA 66.63.
Winning rider was 49-year-old American Beezie Madden riding the 14-year-old Dutch-bred gelding Simon, by Mr Blue.
Today’s runner-up, Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer, has been consistently placed at the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Finals in recent years, finishing third in 2012 and equal-second in 2010.
Reigning FEI European champion, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson from Sweden, finished third.
Defending champion, America’s Rich Fellers, finished in 34th place with the 17-year-old stallion Flexible after a costly mistake at the penultimate double.
13 fences on the course designed by Italy’s Uliano Vezzani.
Quotes:
Course designer Uliano Vezzani: “The horses jumped well today so I am very, very happy. Today was a speed course but tomorrow it will get bigger – a lot bigger.”
Beezie Madden: “My plan was to go as fast as I could go with my horse and still keep him right for the rest of the World Cup competition. Simon is naturally fast and I relied on that, stuck to my turns and it all worked out.”
Pius Schwizer: “I wanted to make a good placing with Verdi today. I will ride Picsou du Chene in the next class.”
Beezie Madden – “I walk the course with my husband and then with Robert Ridland, our Chef d’Equipe, and then again after that so I make my plan. And then I usually go in the ring and change it all!”
Beezie Madden – “I will compete Simon in all three World Cup classes. I have been competing Simon for just over a year.”
$10,000 G&C Speed Stake Victory Goes to Darragh Kenny and Delilah; LDM Dramatik and Amy Smith Secure Championship Title in Low Adult 2’6″ Hunters Section A
Wellington, FL – March 1, 2013 – The powerhouse U.S. show jumping team of Kent Farrington, Reed Kessler, Laura Kraut and Beezie Madden earned victory in Friday night’s $75,000 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm, at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Teams representing seven different countries participated in the evening’s competition with a win for Team USA over Canada in second and Germany in third.
Week eight CSIO competition runs February 27 – March 3, 2013. The Hollow Creek Farm FEI Children’s, Junior, and Young Rider Nations Cups will be featured on Saturday, March 2. The $150,000 CSIO 4* Grand Prix, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will be held on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition running from January 9 – March 31, 2013, and will be awarding almost $7 million in prize money throughout the circuit.
Friday’s nights Nations Cup competition consisted of two rounds shown over a challenging course set by Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. Teams of four represented the countries of Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, USA, Colombia and Venezuela.
After the first round, each team dropped their highest score. In the second round, all seven teams returned in order of highest to lowest total faults. The winner was determined by the lowest total of each team’s top three riders from each round.
Watch an interview with U.S. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland
The winning team from the United States was represented by Kent Farrington and RCG Farm’s Uceko, Reed Kessler and her Cylana, Laura Kraut and Cherry Knoll Farm, Inc.’s Cedric, and Beezie Madden riding Abigail Wexner’s Simon under the guidance of new Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland.
In round one, Farrington had four faults aboard Uceko and Kessler, Kraut and Madden all jumped clear rounds to lead the way into the second phase of competition. In round two, Farrington and Kessler each jumped clear rounds, Kraut and Cedric had four faults, and when it was determined that the USA could not be beat, the team decided that Madden and Simon did not have to jump. They finished on a two round total of four faults for the victory.
Beezie Madden had a little trouble at the water in round one but still jumped clear for her team. She noted, “I probably had the most interesting round. Other than the water jump, he felt great. He was fantastic. I looked at the scoreboard afterwards; I thought he was clear of it. I knew he hit the box, but that was probably putting it mildly. I was just happy he recovered from that and he finished off with a clear.”
Eighteen-year-old Reed Kessler had her first win as well as her first double clear in a Nations Cup class and was very excited.
“To ride on the home team in front of the home crowd is a really big honor so I’m thrilled that it went the way it did,” Kessler smiled. “Cylana was awesome. She has shown pretty lightly all of circuit to prepare for this. It’s my favorite thing when I ride her to hear the crowd scream and she gets so animated and so wild. When she heads to the first jump, she has total focus. She could not have done better.”
Kent Farrington had a rail in round one but came back strong for the second round. He commented, “I’ve known that horse a little while and our first ride wasn’t our best. Towards the end of the round he just got too strong and he took over at the last oxer. I was actually pleased with how he came back in the second round. He performed more like himself and was more relaxed.”
Laura Kraut had a great night with Cedric and enjoyed winning on home turf.
“I was thrilled with Cedric tonight,” Kraut smiled. “Both rounds he was fantastic. The second round I was maybe a little overly cautious down the last line and he had such a light rub. I think he thinks he was double clear. I think he’s pleased right now. As Reed said, it was very comforting to ride tonight. Normally, I would be very tense about riding in front of the home crowd, but when you have three horse/rider combinations going with you, I felt pretty comfortable that if I did something really stupid they’d be there to back me up. I’m thrilled that we won and I’m really happy for Robert because he was really nervous. He just sort of listened to what we thought we wanted to do and supported us. We’re all getting to know each other and our new system. But I think it worked quite well.”
Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland was very happy with his team and admits to being a little nervous.
“I was told I was pacing a lot,” Ridland laughed. “What do you do? For me, this has been a long journey and great to get here. It was about a year ago that I was named coach and we went through the Olympic trials and all that. At the same time, Furusiyya and the FEI changed the Nations Cup and there are a lot of us that feel this is one of the best things that will have happened to the sport in a long time. It will revive the Nations Cup. We knew this was going to be a really big deal coming in being a qualifier for the Final and we made it a huge priority before the beginning of the year, not only to try to win this, but to be in a good position for the Final.”
Friday night’s Canadian team consisted of Eric Lamaze and Morningside Stud & Torrey Pines Stables’ Wang Chung M2S, Tiffany Foster and Artisan Farm LLC’s Victor, Mac Cone and Chadburn Holdings, Inc.’s Amor van de Rostal as well as Ian Millar and Ariel and Susan Grange’s Dixson with Chef d’Equipe Mark Laskin.
In round one, Lamaze had five faults for a rail and one time fault, Foster and Millar jumped clear, and Mac Cone was eliminated for the drop score. All four riders continued on into round two where Lamaze, Foster and Millar all jumped clear. Mac Cone’s score was once again dropped to leave the team on five faults total for their second place finish.
Third place finisher, Team Germany, included Janne Friederike Meyer aboard Meyer, Friedrich and Anne Sophie’s Cellagon Lambrasco, Johannes Ehning and Nybor Pferde GMBH & Co. KG’s Salvador V, Andre Thieme and his Contanga 3, and Daniel Deusser aboard Stephex Stables & Pedro Veniss’s Cornet d’Amour headed by Chef d’Equipe Dietmar Gugler.
In round one, Germany dropped Ehning’s score of eight and kept Meyer’s four fault score and Theime’s one time fault with a clear round from Daniel Deusser. In round two, Deusser once again jumped clear, Meyer was clear, and Ehning and Theime each had four faults, one of which was dropped. The team finished on five faults from round one and four faults from round two for a nine point total.
The fourth place team from Ireland finished with eleven faults. Other teams included Colombia, who finished on a score of 41 to place fifth, Venezuela, who had a two round total of 48 to finish sixth, and Mexico, who finished on a score of 59 to place seventh.
All in all, there were five double clear rounds for the night, including Reed Kessler, Tiffany Foster, Ian Millar, Daniel Deusser and Cian O’Connor on Splendor. Foster was especially enthusiastic about her performance aboard Victor.
The 2013 season has seen the introduction of a new formula for the FEI Nations Cup. Following a new sponsorship deal with the Saudi Equestrian Fund, this historic series will now be known as the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup. Under the new rules, the world has been divided into six regions for the purpose of qualifying teams for a World Final. The six regions are Europe 1 and 2, North America, South America, Middle East, Asia and Africa.
On behalf of Furusiyya, HH Prince Faisal Al Shalan was present for the class and commented on the evening. “First of all we are very happy for the American team for their win today,” he stated. “They were amazing and they had really good horses coming in. The other teams also performed really well and it was very close.”
“To start off, Furusiyya is a single Arabic word and it is based on embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry and equestrian knowledge in general,” he added. “The term is a derivation of ‘faris,’ the horseman and the horse, so it’s a combination of both. In time, Furusiyya will become the brand name under which Saudi Arabian equestrian products will be licensed and marketed. To date, there is a perfume called Furusiyya which is a product for sale in Saudi Arabia. It is our duty in Saudi equestrian to sponsor Saudi equestrian activities for the nobility. Not only in the narrow sense of their history and heritage, but rather in the cultural and behavioral aspects that surround the sport in celebration of the horse. It has instilled chivalry, honor, value and virtue. This is the essence of our mission in the Saudi Equestrian Fund-the connection between horse and rider is universal and we are fortunate that the horse is so noble that they allow us to share their strength and passion.”
Class and weekly sponsor Gustavo Mirabal of G&C Farm also spoke about the evening. “I am very proud to again be the Nations Cup sponsor as well as many FEI classes,” Mirabal stated. “I think we have to do this in America-more FEI classes and more FEI points so we can have more riders in the top of the world. I recognize all of the American riders as amazing riders and people, and I am proud to be the sponsor.”
Also commenting on the class, John Madden, representing the FEI, noted, “I think we witnessed a little bit of history tonight. This is the first Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup here in North America. Last week we witnessed it in Abu Dhabi and we think it’s a really bright future for our sport.”
“I would like to, on behalf of the FEI, thank the USEF as our host federation and ESP, Michael (Stone) and everybody for a great job this evening,” Madden acknowledged. “I think we really have to thank Gustavo and G&C. They really bring the hemisphere together. They bring the Americas together like a family and we really have to thank His Highness Prince Faisal and Furusiyya. Thank you, on behalf of the FEI for bringing the world together.”
Equestrian Sport Productions’ CEO Mark Bellissimo added, “I’d also like to thank the sponsors and His Highness. This is an amazing start of a tradition in the United States and it is great that the U.S. team was able to prevail here. Canada and Germany also did very well and I think we’re just pleased to have top sport in Wellington.”
“I’d like to thank my friend Gustavo Mirabal, who stepped up very early in our ownership of this and has just been an amazing sponsor and supporter through all dimensions of the sport,” Bellissimo said. “It takes great sponsors to elevate the sport in the United States and we hope this is a relationship for many years to come. Again, we thank the FEI and USEF for creating the platform for this great demonstration.”
Darragh Kenny and Delilah Dash to Victory in $10,000 G&C Farm Speed Stake
G&C Farm’s $10,000 Speed Stake was also held on Friday with a win for Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and Delilah, owned by Derbypie, LLC. In a field of 35 international starters, Kenny and Delilah completed the fastest of 9 clear rounds in 59.07 seconds. Germany’s Johannes Ehning and Cayenne 162, owned by Winley Farm LLC, finished second in 59.63 seconds. USA’s Reed Kessler and Ligist were third with a time of 61.54 seconds.
Delilah is a 13-year-old KWPN mare by Lancelot x Gracio owned by young American rider Hasbrouck Donovan, who has shown successfully in the junior jumpers. Kenny explained that he has been keeping the mare fit for her rider over the winter and asked if he could use her as a speed horse this week.
“It is a super horse,” Kenny stated. “She is so easy and brave and uncomplicated and careful. She has a huge stride and you can really gallop with her. She wants to win, so it makes my life really easy.”
Commenting on Friday’s class, Kenny noted, “It was a really nice result. I thought it was a really good course for a speed class. There were enough questions and tight turns, but also a lot of galloping. It was really interesting because in a really good speed class you have to be careful about leaving the jumps up too and a good few people at the start had faults. You just had to be a little bit careful and then you had to go pretty quick.”
Kenny is frequently one of the fastest riders in any class and explained that confidence in his horses is key. “I am lucky; I just know how to go fast,” he smiled. “At this stage I have had a lot of practice. It is a simple thing. If you can trust your horses to jump the jumps clear, then speed comes a lot easier. Delilah is so careful and she tries so hard that when I turn back to anything, even if I am not at the perfect distance or even if I am going too fast, I know she is going to try. That makes it easier; it gives you more room to go faster.”
Also showing in the International Arena on Friday, McLain Ward and Tequestrian Farm’s Coco 135 earned a victory in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge. Johannes Ehning and Appearance 2, owned by Nybor Pferde GMBH & Co. KG, triumphed in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class.
LDM Dramatik and Amy Smith Secure Championship Title in Low Adult 2’6″ Hunters Section A
Amy Smith and her newly acquired mount, LDM Dramatik, topped the Low Adult 2’6″ Hunter Section A division during week eight of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Smith and her fourteen-year-old Westphalian mare were fifth and fourth over fences on day one of competition for the division. The pair was second, fourth and first over fences on day two.
Reserve championship honors went to Elizabeth Reed and her own Serenade. Reed and Serenade were third over fences day one and earned a blue ribbon over fences on day two.
Smith bought LDM Dramatik from Lynn Berg only two weeks ago, who was competing the mare in Adult Amateur divisions at the FTI WEF. While their relationship may be new, the pair is clearly a winning match.
“She’s been awesome. Last week, [during World Championship Hunter Rider Week], we were fifth in the classic out of 73 and ninth and eleventh out of 73 in the other two over fences classes,” Smith recalled.
Smith has enjoyed getting to know her new mount as the two continue their success at the FTI WEF. “My horse that I had for six years was totally different from her – it’s like night and day. She stays consistent, while he would change at every jump. If you saw a long one on him, he might go for it or you might chip. I’m adjusting to her well. She makes it easy,” Smith described.
“She’s such a good girl, she’s really right there for you,” Smith continued. “She helps you out and she never changes unless she needs to.”
Smith also praised LDM Dramatik’s way of going for making her so competitive at a high-caliber competition like the FTI WEF. “A lot of it is the way she goes across the ground. She’s just so smooth and she jumps the same style from any distance. She doesn’t stay in the air too long over jumps and she’s got just the right amount of arc. She can cover up your mistakes, also. If you get a little too deep to a fence, she’ll still jump it very well,” Smith explained.
Smith has been competing at the FTI WEF since 1990. She looks forward to her annual trip south from Nashville for more than just the Florida sunshine. “The facilities are beautiful, first of all. The competition is the toughest in the country which makes me ride better. It makes me more competitive,” Smith commented.
“And of course, who couldn’t love being in Palm Beach in the winter?” Smith added with a smile.
Week eight of the FTI WEF, sponsored by G&C Farm, will continue Saturday, March 2, 2013, with the THIS National Children’s Medal 15-17 class in Ring 8 of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The Hollow Creek Farm FEI Children’s, Junior, and Young Rider Nations Cups will be held in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI 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 $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
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 24 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 $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland surrounded by the winning team from the USA, Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden, Reed Kessler and Laura Kraut with HH Prince Faisal Al Shalan. Photo: FEI/StockImageServices.com
Wellington (USA), 1 March 2013 – The host nation secured a convincing win in the second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series at Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre in Florida, USA tonight. Their final score of four faults belied the fact that Kent Farrington (Uceko), Reed Kessler (Cylana) and Laura Kraut (Cedric) had the result secured without calling on their anchor partnership of Beezie Madden and Simon in the second round, leaving the remaining six teams to battle it out for the minor placings in the closing stages.
Bolstered by foot-perfect performances from Tiffany Foster (Victor) and Ian Millar (Dixon), and despite first-round elimination for Mac Cone (Amor van de Rostel), Canada finished second with a final tally of just five faults, while Germany won through in a battle with the Irish for third place. Venezuela finished fifth, Colombia slotted into sixth and Mexico finished last of the seven competing countries.
Just three nations – USA, Canada and Mexico – are competing for the two available qualifying spots from the North American, Central American and Caribbean League. And the USA now carries the maximum 100 points into the second of the two regional qualifiers at Spruce Meadows, Canada in June where the hosts will be snapping at their heels as they lie just 10 points behind their traditional rivals. For Mexico however it will be a tough ask, as their last-place finish tonight saw them earn just 65 points in the battle for a spot at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 Final in September where just 18 teams from the 22 qualifying rounds over seven leagues will line out.
Improved Performances
Course designer, America’s Anthony d’Ambrosio, had to create a track that would test the best without over-challenging the less-experienced and, as a testament to his skills, there were many improved performances in the second round.
The double at fence three proved relatively trouble-free, the following oxer hit the floor on a number of occasions but the real pressure began after the wall at fence five with the run to the open water at six followed by a double of vertical to oxer at fence seven. Ridden on a right-hand bending line this penalised a number of competitors whose horses were running too freely, while the water-tray oxer and vertical at fences eight and nine also proved influential. However it was the final line from the penultimate double of flimsy verticals at fence eleven to the final oxer at twelve that spoiled the chances of many who looked set to return perfect scores.
Impressively, Colombia’s Mario Gamboa and Unico demonstrated just how much they had learned on their first tour of the track during which they collected 12 faults when registering a really nice clear second time out.
Already in Control
The Americans were already in control by the halfway stage, with the only blemish on an otherwise clean scorecard the final-fence four faults picked up by their opening partnership of Farrington and Uceko. Germany, Ireland and Canada were all next in line with five faults apiece, the time-allowed of 77 seconds playing its part throughout the competition, while Venezuela had 12 on the board, Colombia had 24 and the Mexicans were already bringing up the rear with 30.
Farrington got it absolutely right second time out, and when 18 year old US sensation Reed Kessler followed with the second part of a fabulous double-clear from her London 2012 Olympic Games ride Cylana, the USA looked fairly invincible already.
Eric Lamaze strengthened Canadian chances when improving from a five-fault first round effort with a clear at his second attempt with Wang Chung M25 who was much bolder this time out, while team-mate Tiffany Foster was double-clear with Victor to hold Canadian ground. German pathfinders Janne Friederike Meyer and Cellagon Lambrasco were fault-free in round two, but Johannes Ehning, a member of the winning German side at this fixture in 2011, lowered the oxer at fence four and when third-line rider Andre Theime and the extravagant Contanga added four faults to their tally it seemed the Irish might take advantage.
Vulnerable
But they had become vulnerable when first-line rider Shane Sweetnam withdrew, and although Richie Moloney again picked up just one time fault with Ahorn van de Zuuthoeve and Olympic individual bronze medallist Cian O’Connor completed a double-clear with Splendor, they needed a clear from Darragh Kerins and Lisona to fend off the Germans.
By now, Canadian anchorman and living legend Ian Millar had secured runner-up spot with his double-clear from Dixon which negated another difficult round for Mac Cone, while Daniel Deusser had ensured the final German scoreline of nine faults with his second clear performance of the night from Cornet d’Amour.
The Irish would finish on six faults if Kerins could leave all the fences up, but the very last oxer claimed him as one of its many victims.
It was the first part of the previous double that fell for America’s Laura Kraut, but as she crossed the line with the gallant little grey, Cedric, the crowd erupted in the knowledge that the home team had clinched the Furusiyya honours without even having to call on the services of their final partnership. It was especially significant from a US perspective, as this result brings the host nation onto level pegging with Canada in the roll of honour for this annual FEI Nations Cup clash with five wins each.
Thrilled
The youngest US team-member, Reed Kessler, said afterwards, “It was my fourth time to ride on the team and my first win and my first double-clear in a Nations Cup – I’m thrilled!”
The prodigiously talented young lady, who hails from Kentucky, described it as “a great honour” to compete alongside Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut “because since I was little I’ve always looked up to them,” she said. Kessler has been competing against top US riders since she was 15, but due to her age wasn’t permitted to ride at Grand Prix level until last year when she instantly burst to prominence with Olympic selection. She describes Cylana as “the horse of a lifetime”, and pointed out tonight that although they have turned into an amazing partnership, her early competition experiences with the mare were “a bit of a disaster”.
Talking about their time together she said, “I have her for about a year and three months, she was doing small classes in Switzerland before I got her, she was a speed horse and it took about four or five months for us find our way together. She’s a monster! She has to jump and she has to show – it’s what she loves to do!”
And she added, “Now that I’ve won a Nations Cup it’s really fun – and I’d like to do it again!”.
The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series now moves to Europe where legs will be staged at both Lummen in Belgium and Linz in Austria on Friday 3 May.
Facts and Figures:
The second leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 series took place at Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre in Wellington, Florida, USA tonight.
Seven nations competed, but just three – Canada, Mexico and USA – were battling for qualifying points for the Final which will take place at the end of September.
Canada, Mexico and USA are competing in the North American, Central American and Caribbean League and will line out again at the second and final qualifying opportunity for this region at Spruce Meadows, Calgary, Canada in June.
A total of 41 nations will seek a place at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2013 Final.
The series consists of seven leagues with 22 qualifying competitions.
A total of 18 teams will qualify for the Final.
Course designer at Wellington tonight was America’s Anthony D’Ambrosio.
This was the fifth win for the USA at Wellington, and puts the host nation on level pegging with their rivals from Canada who have also recorded five FEI Nations Cup victories at the Florida venue.
Five riders recorded double-clear performances in tonight’s competition – Canada’s Tiffany Foster (Victor) and Ian Millar (Dixon), Ireland’s Cian O’Connor (Splendor), Germany’s Daniel Deusser (Cornet d’Amour) and the USA’s Reed Kessler (Cylana).
Furusiyya “Furusiyya” (Arabic: فروسيه) this single Arabic word conveys so much, embracing the idea of horsemanship, chivalry, and equestrian knowledge in general. The term is a derivation of faris, or horseman, and faras, a horse.
Longines is the Official Timekeeper of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping series.
Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.
Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when a timepiece was made with a horse and jockey engraved on the watch face. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1926, for the first time, the brand was involved as timekeeper for the Official International Equestrian Competition of Geneva. Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.
Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.
Parkland and Lillie Keenan Are an Unstoppable Force in Small Junior 16-17 Hunters
Wellington, FL – February 16, 2013 – Two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ were victorious on Saturday night in the $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix, CSI 3*-W presented by Spy Coast Farm, during week six of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) in Wellington, FL. Madden beat out an impressive roster of top riders and finished in first place over Katie Dinan (USA) and Nougat du Vallet and Shane Sweetnam (IRL) aboard Amaretto d’Arco, who finished second and third respectively.
Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge set the track for 46 entries in Saturday night’s grand prix with nine jumping clear to advance to the jump-off. Four were able to complete the short course without fault, with the fastest time of 41.50 seconds belonging to Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ took top prize.
Margie Engle (USA) and Elm Rock, LLC’s Royce were first to clear the jump-off course in 45.69 seconds and eventually placed fourth. Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm, LLC’s Amaretto d’Arco cleared the jump-off track in 42.56 seconds to place third. Up next, Katie Dinan and Grant Road Partners, LLC’s Nougat du Vallet upped the ante with their time of 41.84 seconds to place second. They were immediately followed by an even faster clear round from Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ in the winning 41.50 seconds. Week four grand prix winners Ben Maher and Jane Clark’s Cella had the fastest time of the night in 40.46 seconds, but had one rail down in the short course to place fifth.
Spy Coast Farm owners Robert and Lisa Lourie were thrilled with the success of the evening and the great class along with a third place finish for their horse and rider. Lisa Lourie commented, “I think it was an extremely exciting grand prix. It was very competitive and you could not have asked for a better lineup for the jump-off. It was a world-class event and we were happy to be a part of that jump-off. As they say, anytime you lose to Beezie when she is riding at her best, that is not a bad thing. We are very pleased with how it went and very happy to do it.”
Madden’s winning mount for the evening, Cortes ‘C’, is an eleven-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Randel Z x Darco that Madden has now had for three years. Madden describes Cortes as a horse with fantastic ability. “He can jump the moon,” Madden stated. “He’s a bit of an internal worrier and I think he is just starting to come into his own. If he can relax like he did tonight under the lights in a big atmosphere I think he’s going to be fantastic.”
This was the first big grand prix of the year for Cortes and Madden was happy with his performance. “He felt fantastic,” she smiled. “Last year he was a little inexperienced under the lights and he was very tense when he came up here each time. This time he started out very relaxed and he felt terrific.”
“He felt very relaxed in the first round; very rideable and jumping well,” Madden continued. “I saw Katie go right before me. I was lucky to go right behind her so I could see how fast she went, so the strategy became try to pull out all the shots you can and it worked.”
In addition to the grand prix win, Madden was named the Leading Lady Jumper Rider, an award presented by Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.
“I’d just like to thank Spy Coast and the Louries,” Madden said. “They are great enthusiasts of the sport and without people like them we wouldn’t be here.”
Second place finisher, nineteen-year-old Katie Dinan, has grown up with Beezie Madden as a riding idol and was excited to finish in the top of the class with her. Dinan’s horse, Nougat du Vallet, jumped two great rounds as well. “He felt great,” Dinan smiled. “He jumped so well in the first round and we had a good school before the jump-off. I knew he wasn’t going to try to touch any of the jumps. It was just up to me to go fast. He can do most things for me, but I have to tell him when we need to go fast. He felt really good.”
Shane Sweetnam was pleased to finish in the top three for Spy Coast Farm with their top stallion Amaretto d’Arco, and had a great night.
“I was very happy with my horse tonight,” Sweetnam stated. “Obviously, the Spy Coast Grand Prix, I would have liked to have won it, but I was very happy. It is his first grand prix of the year and I’m just happy to be here.”
“Guilherme did a good job with the course,” Sweetnam said. “I think nine is a good number for clear rounds. No one got hung up anywhere, so for the young riders it was good experience for them as well as a good class for the public.”
Also showing in the International Arena on Saturday, Jessica Springsteen and Stone Hill Farm’s Vindicat W won the $15,000 RCG Farm SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Lucas Porter and Mill’s Georgia, owned by John Roche, won in the Hollow Creek Farm Medium Junior Jumpers. Alvaro Tejada Arriola and Isabel Tejada’s Velinta Palo Blanco won in the Animo USA Medium Amateur-Owner Jumpers, and Diederique Van Der Knaap and G&C Con Air won in the Griffis Residential High Junior Jumpers.
Parkland and Lillie Keenan Are an Unstoppable Force in Small Junior 16-17 Hunters
Parkland and Lillie Keenan continued their domination of the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division during week six of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The pair has taken home championship honors every week they have competed in the division, making this win their fourth tricolor victory. Keenan and Parkland, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jennifer Gates, were a force to be reckoned with throughout the two days of competition for the division. They placed third and first over fences on day one and won both over fences rounds day two before wrapping up the division with a fourth place on the flat.
Reserve champion was Romance, ridden and owned by Spencer Smith. Smith and Romance were sixth over fences on day one and placed second in both over fences rounds day two. The pair edged out Keenan and Parkland under saddle, placing third in the final class of the division.
Romance and Smith were also honored with the Owner/Rider championship title for the division. The award recognizes riders in junior divisions competing on their own horses and is tallied separately from overall division championship awards. Reserve Owner/Rider champions were MTM U Call It and Cloe Hymowitz.
Keenan, of New York City, and Parkland began their partnership during week one of the FTI WEF, when the pair first took home the tricolor prize. Since then, the two have proven that it wasn’t just beginner’s luck that earned them top honors.
“He’s a really special horse. He’s really fancy and it’s nice to have [a horse] in the division that you can trust to do his part. He’s a great mover and his strongest quality is how beautiful he is across the ground. His owner, Jennifer Gates, is so nice and comes to see him all the time, so it’s nice to have a lot of support behind you with a horse as special as Parkland,” Keenan stated.
“We’ve gotten closer as circuit has gone on,” Keenan continued. “He’s really part of the [Heritage Farm] family. When he first came, I’d never ridden him before he got to Florida but we’ve gotten to know each other very well. We can rely on each other in the ring.”
Keenan attributes much of her success with Parkland to the gelding’s incredible natural talent, but the bond the two shares is an undeniable factor. “I know what he likes and I know what to expect. He’s a very reliable horse. The style I ride is very similar to the way he wants to go. It’s a lot easier to match up with a horse that goes the way you like to ride. We naturally have a connection and we’ve worked on it a lot,” Keenan described.
“He’s dead brave and he moves and jumps well, which is a great foundation to work from. I just have to hold him together and keep him in a solid rhythm. It’s really just monitoring his pace and that’s all it takes,” Keenan continued.
Keenan and Parkland will aim to continue their winning streak over the remaining six weeks of the FTI WEF. Keenan is eager to return for week seven of the FTI WEF for the World Championship Hunter Rider Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, hosted in the International Arena next week.
Week six of the FTI WEF concludes Sunday with the La Mundial Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 Section B division, which will determine its champion in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Arena. The $33,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic will conclude jumper competition in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI 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 $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
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 24 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 $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.
LeeAnne Colamarino and Erin Krasner award Beezie Madden the Dyer Equestrian Leading Lady Rider Award. Photo by Parker/Russell-The Book LLC
North Salem, NY – September 28, 2012 – Beezie Madden earned the Dyer Equestrian Leading Lady Rider Award at the American Gold Cup. With Cortes “C,” Madden clinched the award by earning fourth place in both the $50,000 American Gold Cup Qualifier and another fourth place prize in the $200,000 American Gold Cup.
Madden certainly deserves the honors. She is a three-time Olympian and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. She is the winner of multiple Grand Prix events, including the American Gold Cup. In 2004, Madden was the first woman in the sport of show jumping to pass the one million dollar mark in winnings.
Equestrian LLC, a retailer of premium equestrian apparel for women and children, introduces a fresh, fashion forward approach to the equestrian market while maintaining the heritage that defines equestrian sport. The name Dyer was inspired by the founders’ first horses, Dylan and Ernie. It was those first horses that brought Dyer’s founders, LeeAnne Colamarino and Erin Krasner, together and cultivated their love of equestrian sport and equestrian fashions. Dyer offers high fashion garments that focus on fit, cutting edge fabric technologies and strategically placed details designed to enhance the functionality of the garment.
