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*Featured/Spotlights, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z Victorious in $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*

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McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z. Photos © Sportfot.

Farrington and Waomi Take $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final; Kenny Leads Suncast® Series Overall; Danhakl and Starina B Earn First Championship

Wellington, FL – March 29, 2015 – McLain Ward (USA) and Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z won the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* in front of a packed house at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) Saturday night to conclude International show jumping at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Forty of the circuit’s best horses and riders representing 13 different countries jumped for the winter’s top prize. Daniel Bluman (COL) and Conconcreto Sancha LS finished second; Georgina Bloomberg (USA) and Lilli placed third.

The $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final was also held on Saturday with a win for Kent Farrington (USA) and Amalaya Investment’s Waomi. Darragh Kenny (IRL) won the 12-week series overall.

Steve Stephens (USA) designed the courses for Saturday’s competition. He set a challenging track for the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*, the biggest class of the circuit, which yielded three entries to advance to the jump-off.

Bloomberg and Gotham Enterprizes LLC’s Lilli jumped first with eight faults in 44.39 seconds. Bluman returned next with one rail in 41.64 seconds. Last to go, Ward and HH Carlos Z knocked the top plank off the second fence, and everyone held their breath. The pair cleared the rest of the course, coming home in 41.25 seconds for the win.

Hunter Harrison of Double H Farm purchased HH Carlos Z, a 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chellano Z x Voltaire), for Ward to ride last winter and the horse has continued to impress.

“He is very careful and very competitive, but we did not buy him to jump this level of grand prix,” Ward detailed. “Last year in the summer we had to call on him a few times when Rothchild was resting for the WEG (World Equestrian Games) and he stepped up beautifully, including the Spruce Meadows Masters in September. We knew we had a little more in the tank than we had planned. I would say coming into WEF, it would not have been the horse I thought I would have ridden tonight, but as I always say to Mr. Harrison, he is one of those horses that is always worth getting dressed for because he is going to fight and try and dig. You really appreciate those kinds of athletes.”

Commenting on his jump-off round, Ward explained, “With three in the jump-off, the plan was not going to be too complicated. Kent Farrington is a great friend and competitor and we were talking about it as we were warming up. Georgina had the unenviable position of going first. When Daniel had the fence down, I said to Kent, ‘Okay, we can win this two ways.’ That plank was a bogey; it was very dark up there with the crowd behind. It was hard to jump in the first round and even harder to jump in the second, so our plan was to try to go fast and clear obviously, but fast so that if you did have a fence down, you could make up the time. Luck was a little on my side. I had two weeks in the $1 million grand prixs where I lost by a hair and that is what sport is about. It is great. Probably at the end of the year that evens out; sometimes you are on the upper hand and sometimes you are on the lower.”

Along with the winner’s share of $165,000, Ward was presented the Dennis D. Dammerman Perpetual Trophy. The trophy was created to honor the contributions to equestrian sport of Dennis D. Dammerman, a longtime owner of horses and founding member of the Wellington Equestrian Partners. Ward was also awarded a beautiful timepiece courtesy of Rolex Watch USA.

Saturday marked Ward’s third win in the finale grand prix of WEF over the years. His last was in 2011. Commenting on the evening’s course, Ward noted, “It was very difficult, but it was forty of the best from the circuit. There was a very unique, eye opening triple combination. I cannot say I have ever seen three oxers in a row. It was a good test. There was the difficult bicycle jump, which is always tough. There were some careful jumps. You really had three planks on the course. That is what the test should be for this grand prix. It is the premier event of the season and obviously I liked the result.”

Watch McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z in their first round!

Second place finisher, Daniel Bluman, previously won the finale grand prix in 2012 and was out for a repeat, but the cards did not play in his favor this year. Bluman was still very happy with his mount, Sancha LS, and acknowledged the experience that he has gained since their first win.

“For me, this grand prix means a lot because I won it already once before,” Bluman stated. “I was a little bit young to win it back then and lots of things have happened since. I have learned a lot of things. This year, I was able to understand what I was doing right back then. I knew I was coming back to a jump-off with three riders and I was already very excited. Georgina has had an amazing circuit and would be a hard one to beat and I knew I had McLain coming after me. McLain is McLain. I opened the door for him to do it. It was great sport, and I am very pleased with Sancha and my whole team. I have nothing but good feelings in my heart right now.”

For Bloomberg, Lilli was a second horse that has stepped up to fulfill the grand prix role this winter and exceeded expectations.

“I have to echo what McLain said, that if you had asked me at the beginning of the circuit who I would be riding in the class, I probably would have picked Juvina,” Bloomberg admitted. “We have had a little bit of bad luck with Juvina for a couple weeks and she is back and healthy now, but we decided to give her one more week before Miami. It is such a nice surprise that Lilli has stepped up to be a horse that I never knew she could be. I am pleased to be ending the circuit with another top ranking horse. She really did save our year.”

Joining the riders in the press conference were Peter Nicholson, Senior Advisor Rolex Watch USA, and Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions.

Commenting on the evening, Nicholson stated, “It is an honor to be involved. This is our second year and another successful year. We look forward to a very bright future with lots of improvements year after year. The level of competition is amazing, and we could not be happier to be down here.”

Bellissimo added, “The relationship we have had with Rolex has been inspiring for our organization. It is great to have a partner with such a great commitment to the sport, our venue and the organization. We are very proud of that relationship. With their help we have been able to have four 5* competitions here and I think that is very important for the sport, the venue, our organization and the riders. When we took over it was $2.6 million in prize money and I think it was close to $9 million this year. In general it has been great to see. The crowd here tonight was the best we have ever had. It is great to see it build every week. I think that is something that has never happened for the sport in this country.”

In addition to the grand prix, several other awards were presented Saturday evening for the final week of competition in Wellington. Ben Maher accepted the Simba Run Perpetual Trophy on behalf of Tatiana Korsakova as the owner of Diva II, the open jumper who has earned the most prize money in classes held at 1.45m or more during the 2015 WEF. Diva II’s groom, Daley Fischer, was presented with the Oliver O’Toole Perpetual Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the groom of the horse who has earned the most money in the grand prix jumper classes. Artisan Farms was presented with The Harrison Cup Perpetual Trophy, which is awarded to the owner whose horses won the most jumper money in all of the open jumper classes held throughout the circuit.

Other awards included the Overall Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider for the 2015 circuit, which was presented to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (GER) on behalf of Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties. Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Artisan Farm LLC’s Fine Lady 5 were presented with the Overall Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award, which is awarded to the jumper whose style best exemplifies a show jumper based on scope, rideability, technique and competitive spirit. Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade earned the Hermès Talented Young Rider Award as the young jumper rider between the ages of 16-25 that has earned the most points in all WEF FEI rated jumper competition. Michael Hughes (USA) was the recipient of the USET Foundation’s 2015 Maxine Beard Award, an honor based on a rider’s competitive record and potential to represent the United States in international competition.

Farrington and Waomi Take $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final; Darragh Kenny Leads 1.50m Series Overall

The $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Final concluded on Saturday with a win for Kent Farrington (USA) and Amalaya Investments Waomi. The competition saw 63 entries in the first round during the day, and the top 25% returned to compete in round two on Saturday evening. Fourteen clear entries and the two fastest four fault scores from round one returned to jump off. Their cumulative scores from both rounds were combined to determine the winner.

Kent Farrington and Waomi
Kent Farrington and Waomi

In the second round, two out of the 16 competitors were able to clear the course without fault. McLain Ward (USA) and HH Azur, owned by Double H Farm and Francois Mathy, were first to complete the jump-off clear in 44.05 seconds. They finished second overall. Farrington and Waomi took the win with two clear rounds and the leading jump-off time of 42.07 seconds.

Watch Kent Farrington and Waomi in their winning jump-off round!

“I thought it was a difficult track right from the first round,” Farrington said following his win. “I was actually surprised there were that many clear. I think the lighting made it a bit more difficult for the jump-off, which also was still technical. When you have 16 horses coming back and a lot of fast riders, you know that it is going to be competitive, so I think everybody was putting it out on the line to try to win tonight. No one was conservative, and I think that is why you saw so many faults tonight in the jump-off.”

On where he was faster than Ward, Farrington noted, “First, I think my horse is naturally faster across the ground, and I think my turns were probably a bit shorter. McLain was on a green horse, and I don’t think he was really able to turn quite as short as I was to the fences.”

The victory marked Farrington’s fourth in the 1.50m series for 2015. Three wins came with Waomi, a twelve-year-old KWPN mare by Lupicor x Boreas. He also topped one class with Amalaya Investments’ Willow.

“I started riding Waomi in the fall during the indoor season, and she pretty much started winning right from the beginning,” Farrington said of their partnership. “At the National, she won back-to-back 1.50m. Then she came to Florida here and kept right on track. I started her early in the WEF (Challenge Cup) classes, and she jumped one grand prix and also placed. As my other horses were stepping up, I put her more in the position to jump the 1.50m classes, and she has been super consistent and a real winner for me.”

As the conclusion to the twelve-week Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, Saturday’s class served as the final allocation of points for the overall standings for the Leading Rider Award. Ireland’s Darragh Kenny took the series overall with consistent results throughout the winter. For his win, Kenny was awarded a pre-paid two-year lease on a beautiful new 2015 Range Rover Evoque.

Kenny had the opportunity to compete multiple horses throughout the series, and had his most consistent placings aboard Spruce Meadows’ Quiz, including a win during week five.

“Last year he was also very consistent in the 1.50m classes. I think he finished third in the league,” Kenny recalled. “This year he was really, really good. He is just a great horse to have in my string of horses. He has been very good all winter. He has done a lot and he has really produced some great results, so I am very happy with him.”

“The series is brilliant for us to produce our younger horses,” Kenny continued. “I am not in the position that Kent is in right now; I don’t have that many grand prix horses. I have a lot more horses that are building up and doing the 1.50m classes, so I focused more on this league. We are so lucky to have the Tisbo Family and Suncast® as sponsors. I think it has been a great series all winter, and I was very happy to end up on top.”

On his prize, Kenny added, “I have never won a car before. This is my first one, so I am actually quite happy with that. It is really nice.”

Also showing on Saturday, the $15,000 SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic was held in the International Arena with a one-two finish for Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade. Andrade won the class with Natif des Roches. He was second aboard Rufus de Violaines.

Stephanie Danhakl and Starina B Earn First Championship in The Bainbridge Companies Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35

During the final week of WEF, Stephanie Danhakl from Philadelphia, PA won her first championship ribbon with her own horse, Starina B, in The Bainbridge Companies Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35. The pair was unbeatable the first day, winning all three classes, and finished third and fifth over fences the second day. With the top performance this week, Danhakl and Starina B also finished WEF 2015 as circuit champions of the Bainbridge Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 division.

Reserve Champion honors went to Savannah and Tracy Scheriff-Muser. Scheriff-Muser rode her own horse to a first, a second, and a third over fences in the division.

Danhakl purchased Starina B during week 5 and has enjoyed getting to know her new horse during the second half of the circuit. “We clicked right off the bat! I was reserve champion with her [Starina B] our first week showing during WEF 6, so I got to do her in the Peter Wetherill Hunter Spectacular, which was great,” Danhakl explained.

“She [Starina B] has been such a great horse,” Danhakl smiled. “Every week and every round she goes in and wants to win. She always tries, and I’m very lucky to have her.”

After breaking her collarbone in the fall, Danhakl started showing week 4 and worked on getting back in riding shape throughout the circuit. “I started showing with my horses that I have had longer and know better. I was a little rusty, but this is the first week I feel that my riding is back to where it was before my injury,” Danhakl commented.

With Danhakl’s WEF season complete, she is looking forward to taking a break before gearing back up for the Devon Horse Show in the spring.

Kelley Farmer and Mindful Earn the High Score in the First Round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

On Saturday afternoon, 51 riders took on the course designed by Ken Krome in the first round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Two panels of judges scored each round, and riders were awarded extra points for jumping the high options. At the end of the first round, Kelley Farmer and Mindful found their names at the top of the leader board. Farmer earned scores of 90 from both sets of judges, plus 8 bonus points for jumping all 4 high options to finish with a grand total of 188.

Darcy Hayes rode Danielle Baran’s horse, Say When, into the second position with scores of 84 and 86, along with 8 bonus points for a total of 178. Vaillero, an entry of Heritage Farm, and Victoria Colvin finished the first round with a score of 175 to take over the third spot. Peter Wylde and Candor 15 ended the day in the fourth position and Hannah Isop and Red Ryder rounded out the top 5 after the first round of competition.

The top 25 riders will move to the derby field tomorrow at The Stadium at PBIEC for the second round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby to conclude hunter action for the 2015 WEF season starting at 1 p.m. The class will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/1H5mkfF. For full results and more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Maddy Stover for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Classic Company, Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

What a Weekend! Atlanta Spring Classic Update

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Sydney Long and her own Venchy De Bornival won their first grand prix on Saturday in the Olympic Arena.

The Atlanta Spring Classic at the Georgia International Horse Park has been jumping! The weekend kicked off on Thursday with the $5,000 Open Welcome followed by the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on Friday and Saturday brought the $25,000 EMO Grand Prix to home of the 1996 Olympic Games.

Pan American Games Course Designer, Michel Vaillencourt, designed the jumper courses Week II and used the $5,000 Open Welcome as his ‘opener’. Leann Kelly of Valatie, New York rose to the challenge and piloted Honorway Farm LLC’s Leander to the win after posting double clear rounds in times of 75.712 seconds and 30.881 seconds, respectively. In second place Daniel Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina, winner of last week’s $5,000 Horseflight Open Welcome with Chivas, rode The Kenwood Group’s Kenwood to a second place finish after turning in double clear rounds in times of 72.224 seconds and 31.973 seconds, respectively. Ashley Foster of Brookeville, Maryland and Rolling Acres’ Carlot finished in third after posting double clean rounds in times of 74.437 seconds and 35.895 seconds, respectively. For complete results, click here.

The $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby saw a field of twelve horse and rider teams compete over a course designed by Vaillencourt in the Olympic Arena. Pony Lane Farm’s Sterling, ridden by Elizabeth Boyd of Camden, South Carolina, won the class after earning a combined score of 354. Second place finisher was Ava, owned and ridden by Kathryn Jarriel of Collins, Georgia, after they posted an overall score of 340. Their second round score of 175 gave them the lead over third and fourth place finishers who also earned a combined score of 340. Kathleen Feely of Canton, Georgia and her own Albrecht earned a second round score of 173 and a total score of 340 which placed them third. Fourth place finisher Daniel Geitner and Thomas Visconi’s Signal Hill had a second round score of 172 combined with their first round score of 168, placed them in fourth place.

Elizabeth Boyd and Sterling
Elizabeth Boyd and Sterling

Fifth was awarded to Brandon Gibson and Rube & Select Show Horses’ Jus D’O for their overall score of 331. Geitner returned for his sixth place ribbon in the irons of Barbar Risius’ Long Street after turning in an overall score of 318. For full results, click here.

Saturday at the Olympic Venue is Grand Prix showing jumping day and the $25,000 EMO Grand Prix saw a field of 13 compete for the win in the Olympic Arena over a course designed by Vaillencourt. Sixteen-year-old Sydney Long of Atlanta, Georgia in the irons of her own Venchy De Bornival posted the only clear round in a time of 77.163 seconds, beating the 80 seconds time allowed and won the class.

This was not only the second grand prix the duo tackled; it was their first win! “The course was tricky, but we just listened to what Terry [Brown] told us to do,” said Long. “Venchy and I felt very confident,” Long continued. “He [Venchy] just loves his job,” she said. Long has been riding since age six and started training with Terry Brown at Showcase Ltd last September. Long purchased ‘Venchy’ last November and showed him for half of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Circuit in Gulfport. She competed in Gulfport in the 1.20m and 1.30m competitions and only started at the grand prix level during Week I of the Atlanta Spring Classic. “I rode last week in the prix and really wanted to come back to try it again this week. I asked my parents and they could tell it meant a lot to me to compete this week, so they let me,” she said. “I am so happy they let me come back and really appreciate all they do for me,” she added.

Sydney Long and Venchy De Bornival
Sydney Long and Venchy De Bornival

Long balances her high school academics and riding along with her travel basketball league, which keeps the family busy shuttling between activities. Future plans for Long and Venchy include shows in Kentucky and then back to the Georgia International Horse Park for the Atlanta Summer Classics.

The fastest of the four-faulters, Afandina, owned and ridden by Lexy Reed of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, took the second place ribbon after their first round effort in a time of 74.337 seconds with four jump faults. Third place finisher Daniel Geitner and The Kenwood Syndicate’s Kenwood took third place honors after posting a first round time of 75.437 seconds with four jump faults. Leann Kelly of Valatie, New York and Honorway Farm, LLC’s Leander posted a first round effort in 78.092 seconds with four jump faults for a fourth place finish. For full results on the $25,000 EMO Grand Prix, click here.

Today is the last day of the Atlanta Spring Classic and according to Bob Bell, President of the Classic Company, “The rings are packed and going full steam.”

The Classic Company is a USHJA’s Members Choice Award winner, recognized for producing top quality show jumping events in the United States. For more information on Classic Company and its exhibitor-friendly, top quality hunter jumper events, please visit them at classiccompany.com or call them at 843-768-5503.

All sponsorship, marketing and press inquiries should be directed to Lisa Engel, Sponsorship, Marketing and Public Relations Director at lisa@classiccompany.com.

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See you at the ring,
Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd.
www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX: (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311 Johns Island SC 29457

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, FEI

Graves Records 2nd Ever 80% at AGDF in Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Freestyle

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Laura Graves and Verdades. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.

Bateson Chandler, Gundersen, Wilcox, and Fraser Record CDI Wins

Wellington, FL – March 28, 2015 – Laura Graves (USA) and Verdades wowed the crowd again at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, this time receiving an 80.175% in their FEI Grand Prix Freestyle as part of the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*. The class, which combined pairs from Intermediaire-1 Freestyle and the Grand Prix Freestyle, was the individual portion of this year’s Nations Cup competition. Chris Von Martels (CAN) and Zilverstar finished in second with a 75.600% performing the I-1 Freestyle and fellow Canadian Belinda Trussell and Anton followed in third with a 75.475% in the Grand Prix Freestyle. Four other CDI classes were held today at AGDF as well to conclude the 2015 season.

Graves and Verdades have won the final three Grand Prix Freestyles of the 2015 season at AGDF, and the pair is moving towards a very competitive showing at the FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas in two weeks’ time. “The ride I felt he was very consistent throughout. We had one little hiccup in our right canter half-pass where my rein actually got hooked around my foot and my spur I think. I went to give my right rein and I couldn’t because my hand was stuck so I had to kind of move my leg and untangle myself,” she laughed. “I got it out before the end of half-pass which was very lucky and I was going back towards ‘A,’ but my horse could not have cared less about it. I’m so thankful he has matured this far in his life that he will allow me to handle situations like that, and I couldn’t be happier with him.”

Watch the 80% ride for Laura and Verdades! Videos courtesy of Campfield Videos.

Today was the second occasion on which the pair has scored above 80% in the Grand Prix Freestyle, as they recorded an 82.036% at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, last August. This was also only the second time in AGDF history that a rider has scored at least 80%; Lars Petersen and Mariett are the other pair.

“I don’t ever go into a competition with any expectations and to go in and be called double gold-medal winning, kind of gives you goose bumps,” stated Graves about her team and individual performances. “I’ve never really been in the position to be on a podium except here at Nations Cup, and it’s a really nice event to have sponsored by Stillpoint Farm and Adequan® and really bring home gold medals. It’s an amazing thing.”

Chris Von Martels has also had consistent success this season aboard Zilverstar and feels confident in where the pair will be heading in the coming months. “He really has stepped up to the plate this season, and I feel that there is always room for improvement, as we as riders know,” explained Von Martels. “I feel that we’re on a good path at the moment, and as long as we can keep going in that direction we will be quite happy.”

As for the future, the Pan American Games are in their sights and Von Martels will take advantage of the opportunity to compete at Palgrave, the site of equestrian competition at the games this summer. “We’re lucky that we’ve competed there in the past and it will be a good first show to do when we get back. I also would like to take some time to focus on the training and give him a break because it has been a long season, and he has been spectacular.”

Fellow Canadian Belinda Trussell had a fantastic week aboard Anton, finishing the Freestyle competition today in third place. The pair will contest one of the three CDI competitions in Toronto before the Pan American Games and will ultimately vie for a spot on the Canadian team. “He’s at a place in his life where he is very confident and understands his job, and he’s also happy to do it,” commented Trussell.

The pair finished with a silver medal yesterday in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* team competition and adding a bronze today was a thrilling experience for Trussell. “Sometimes going into events like this, you don’t know if it’s always possible to come out with a medal because there is really tough competition,” she explained, “For Canada to have a second and third place rider up here is a big deal for us too. It’s so rare to have an opportunity to have a competition like this in North America, and I can’t thank the organizers and sponsors enough for giving us this opportunity.”

Graves, who received the Best Horse Owner Award for the Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty three consecutive weeks in a row for her wins, has decided to donate the awarded $15,000 to the United States Equestrian Team Foundation. She commented on her decision to donate to the USET Foundation, “This is a real pleasure for me to donate money. Personally I’m not in a financial situation to be able to donate funds like that. For it to be presented that I have this gift to give in my name is a feeling that I get to be generous and give back to a program that has supported me for so long and has given me opportunities that I would not have been able to have any other way.”

Graves hopes the money will allow another up and coming American rider an opportunity to really showcase their talents. “Hopefully I will be able to give that opportunity to someone else, another fellow American, and that is really heartwarming. It feels so nice to be able to give back,” she said.

Arlene “Tuny” Page, owner of Stillpoint Farm, sponsors of the FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* this week, was thrilled with the performances and success of the show, explaining its imperative importance to riders in North America. “I think it is impossible to overstate how it important it is honestly,” she said. “I think we’ve seen sport here this winter and certainly this weekend on an exceedingly high level and I think we can give Europeans a run for their money.”

Page also commented on the need for riders to experience team competition in a setting and venue such as AGDF. “It’s also very important as riders that we have the opportunities to compete in the team format like Laura said and feel the support from our countries. It’s so important to the building of our national programs.”

The show, which was postponed yesterday due to severe weather, took a serious level of organization to reschedule and the team at AGDF could not have pulled it off any better. “It was a bit tricky and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the people working here at AGDF, including Lloyd Landkamer and his team, the ground crew, judges, stewards, officials, and Jim Pitzer and the crew in the pavilion,” remarked Thomas Baur, Director of Sport at Adequan® Global Dressage Festival. “This season has been absolutely spectacular, and we are already looking forward to 2016.”

Mikala Gundersen and My Lady
Mikala Gundersen and My Lady

Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady topped the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, to cap off an incredible season for the pair. They received a 76.450% to take the win. Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Denzello finished just behind Gundersen with a 76.050%, and Susie Dutta (USA) aboard Currency DC placed third with a 74.350%.

Gundersen and My Lady are a crowd favorite each season at AGDF, and 2015 was no different. The mare has continued to flourish under the reins of Gundersen, and the two will look to take their talents to Las Vegas for the FEI World Cup Finals. “We only found out on Monday that we made the cut for Vegas so I’m actually glad we decided to do this show. I needed to go one more time and I just rode today. I love my music so much, and I just enjoy it,” she smiled when describing her test today.

Watch Mikala’s and My Lady’s winning test!

Gundersen and Wilcox, longtime friends, were so excited to be a part of the winners circle together. “I’m so happy to be up here with Lisa. This has been a long time coming,” laughed Gundersen. Wilcox added, “We go way, way back and this has been something we have always talked about and to think that twenty years ago we talked about it and now we’re sitting here together. It’s really special.”

Wilcox and Denzello had a great week of competition with two-second place finishes behind Gundersen. “He felt great today, just perfect. He’s in a place now where he’s confident,” commented Wilcox, as the horse is known to react to intense environments. “At first he was petrified and now I know he has let go and I can really ride him. He was so nice to ride and when I started hitting all of these points in the music, it just felt great,” she continued. “He loves his music and I think it almost calms him when he hears it, and he let go of that tension today.”

Katherine Bateson Chandler and Alcazar
Katherine Bateson Chandler and Alcazar

The successful AGDF season has come to an end for Gundersen and My Lady and Gundersen commented on the improvements she’s seen in “Lady” throughout the circuit. “I feel like I have more piaffe and passage from her and I think that was a highlight this circuit, but every day is a highlight on her,” she remarked.

Katherine Bateson Chandler (USA) and Alcazar took home the win in the FEI Grand Prix Special CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, with a score of 71.529%. Lara Griffith (GBR) and Rubin Al Asad followed in second and Arlene Page (USA) and Alina in third.

Bateson Chandler, who will fly back to her summer base with Carl Hester in the U.K. in a few short weeks, is proud of the progress Alcazar has made so far this season and is looking forward to developing his newfound confidence this summer with Hester. She explained, “He’s very green and new to the Grand Prix, so it’s fun when it comes together. He’s suffered a lot from show and ring nerves in the past, and he’s a much easier Grand Prix horse than a Small Tour horse.”

The duo has just tapped into the potential Bateson Chandler and Hester see in the gelding and now that there is more confidence, she’s thrilled to see what else Alcazar has in store. “He still has tons of room for improvement, and I don’t even feel like that’s the most he can do. He had a couple of mistakes and he gets a little nervous still and then we work through that. But even when he’s doing that, he’s still getting great scores.”

Confidence is key when teaching a young, green horse the ropes of Grand Prix, and Bateson Chandler is returning to the U.K. with more than she arrived with, which was the goal of the season. “He seems to really like this arena and now he’s starting to understand that when he gets in the ring, it’s a place where he can feel safe and confident,” she said. Bateson Chandler explained that is a new feeling for the pair and she is looking forward to their progress, as she truly believes the gelding is world-class.

See Katherine and Alcazar in their test!

Lara Griffith and Rubin Al Asad have made the most of their time in Wellington after also traveling from the U.K. to compete at AGDF alongside trainer Laura Tomlinson. “Rufus was amazing today, and I was so impressed with him. I felt like our Grand Prix earlier in the week was a little bit underpowered, but today I could fire him up and that was main thing I was looking to do,” commented Griffith.

The pair is still new to the level and Griffith was pleased with the fact that she was able to tap into a level of power she had yet to achieve in competition. “The power was there today which has been the most promising thing for us so far this season. He answered me without a single question or feeling like he was starting to suck back. It was definitely our best test so far this season,” she remarked.

Both pairs will return to England this month and will begin their competition season in Europe competing against each other once again at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle in May.

The FEI Intermediaire-1 CDI 1* class, presented by Regal Horse Products, began on Friday but due to thunderstorms rolling in, it was halted, and the final three riders of the class completed their tests on Saturday morning. With the most exciting test of the week, Brittany Fraser of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, and All In showed grace under pressure by winning the class with a score of 72.632%.

Fraser and All In began their test yesterday. She recalled, “I just finished the walk, and I picked up the canter and lightning struck almost right by the ring actually. Then immediately there was a crack of thunder and everyone screamed, ‘Get out!’ I had to stop, and the weather was too bad to carry on.”

She and All In, who train with Ashley Holzer, recouped this morning to put in “one of his better tests.” She explained, “I went in and had to pick up where I left off yesterday. I just trotted around and walked at B, then picked up my canter at P and started from there. It’s for sure the most interesting class I’ve ever won. I’ve never experienced that before. My horse was really good for me. He worked for me. It was a good way to end the season.”

Second place in the class was Belinda Trussell (CAN) riding Tattoo with a score of 70.500%, while third place went to Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Galant, who scored 70.263%.

Lisa Wilcox and Galant
Lisa Wilcox and Galant

In the FEI Intermediaire-1 Freestyle CDI1*, presented by Regal Horse Products, Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Galant won their second class of the week, this time with a score of 71.475%. Susanne Hassler and Harmony’s Boitano came in second place with a score of 70.825%, and third place went to Katharina Stumpf and For My Love on a score of 70.300%.

Wilcox and Galant have been paired together since he was four years old, and their ascent just over the months of AGDF has been particularly gratifying for Wilcox. “It’s been amazing how much he’s grown since the beginning of the season. I’ve watched him change to what he is now over three months; (it’s) amazing,” she expressed. “We knew we had a scopey horse and that he has talent, but what he was able to muster up with a few little tweaks that Robert did with me with him have just made a difference and the horse we’re seeing today.”

This was only the third freestyle that Galant has performed, so Wilcox feels that a victory today was very meaningful. She picked out specific music for him that would fit his personality and relative inexperience riding to music.

She explained, “I’ve specifically selected something a little more subtle that isn’t going to key him up. Especially with these horses that have the potential of being expressive, I want to be careful. This is where you make or break their desire to ride to music. I don’t want to scare him. We already have atmosphere, so I selected piano. It’s beautiful, and he’s very elegant, so it fits him perfectly.”

AGDF would like to thank all of the exhibitors, sponsors, staff, and spectators for making 2015 such an incredible success. For more information on the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.equestriansport.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations

Phelps Media Group, Polo

Arellano Clinches 9-8 Win for Coca-Cola, Defeats Las Monjitas in First Game of US Open

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Facundo Sola and Pelon Stirling. Photos: Alex Pacheco.

Wellington, FL – March 28, 2015 – Coca-Cola defeated Las Monjitas 9-8 in the final seconds of the opening match of the 111th U.S. Open Polo Championship at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).

In a match fraught with tension, Coca-Cola fought nonstop for the win. Arellano, a steady hand in the Coca-Cola backfield, slammed in the game-winning goal just seconds before the final horn. It was a highly physical game throughout, with ride-off after ride-off dominated by Astrada and Arellano. All the while, Stirling’s cool, calm and collected hand on the reins kept Coca-Cola’s eyes on the prize.

Both teams leapt into action from the get-go with fast and even play that characterized the entire game. When a penalty three defended shot was called in favor of Coca-Cola, Las Monjitas seized the opportunity. Eduardo Astrada blocked the shot and took it out of the Coca-Cola goalmouth, shooting a pass to Sebastian Merlos. Merlos took the ball downfield and sent a pass to Astrada, who maneuvered the ball through two Coca-Cola defenders to score.

After heavy defensive plays by Coca-Cola and some wide shots by Las Monjitas, Julio Arellano – the high-scorer of the game with seven goals – evened the score 1-1 at the end the first chukker. Pelon Stirling struck like lightning out of the first throw-in of the second chukker, driving a goal in within the first 25 seconds. A penalty conversion by Facundo Sola tied the score again.

Astrada and Sola teamed up for Sola to tap in a goal, giving Las Monjitas a momentary lead. Arellano, a consummate gamesman, shot a pass to Sugar Erskine, who scored, retying the score. In the next play, Sola wove his way through traffic to regain the lead for Las Monjitas at the end of the second chukker.

Sugar Erskine, Sebastian Merlos and Julio Arellano
Sugar Erskine, Sebastian Merlos and Julio Arellano

A penalty conversion by Arellano tied the score 4-4 at the top of to the third chukker. Power plays by both teams had spectators on the edge of their seats as both teams continually fought for control of the ball. A penalty conversion by Arellano gave Coca-Cola the lead for the first time in the game. Astrada and Sola once again demonstrated their passing game, resulting in another goal for Las Monjitas. A wide penalty shot by Stirling kept the score tied going into the second half.

A string of wide shots at the start of the fourth chukker had everyone guessing as to who would be the first to score. Astrada ended up the winner, stealing the ball from Stirling to tap in a goal and make the score 6-5. Wide shots continued to plague Coca-Cola, which was scoreless in the fourth chukker. Arellano broke that streak in the next chukker, accelerating into breakaways and dodging defenders to make two consecutive goals.

With that, Coca-Cola took charge of the game, opening up the pace and making numerous attempts on goal. A turning penalty in favor of Coca-Cola was overturned after a challenge by Las Monjitas. A conversion by Arellano put Coca-Cola back in a one-point lead at the end of the fifth chukker.

Arellano took a Coca-Cola knock-in, bringing the ball back into play and sending it downfield to Stirling, who snatched it out of the air. Stirling sent the ball along to speed demon Gillian Johnston, who took it to the goalmouth. Arellano backed her up and tapped the ball in, shifting Coca-Cola into a two-point lead. Sola responded with a goal on a nearside neckshot.

Las Monjitas won yet another challenge. Sola took off and scored out of the throw-in, tying the score 8-8. Then a center hit penalty call was challenged by both teams (one on the validity of the call and the other on ball placement) but was upheld. Coca-Cola jumped on an opportunity and ran the ball through traffic. Arellano scored the game-winning goal with 29 seconds left in regulation play.

Arellano was excited and grateful about Coca-Cola’s victory. “I’m glad we were able to pull it off because a lot of times you can’t,” he said. “In the last two chukkers, Pelon said, ‘Let’s open it up’ – and it worked.”

Erskine also credited Stirling with ruling the outcome. “Pelon controlled the whole game all by himself from the back. That’s what made the difference,” he said. “We had to play a lot of defense. We knew the game was going to be like that. They played a very controlled game, so we didn’t get to run up and down the field the way we usually do.”

Stirling agreed that stepping up the pace led to Coca-Cola’s victory.

“The way we’ve been playing this season is more open polo,” he said. “During halftime I decided to tell the boys that we were kind of playing their game, and I think that made the difference in the last two chukkers. We managed to run a little bit more and get those last two plays, which gave us an advantage.”

The U.S. Open continues Sunday, March 29 with three games at IPC. Audi opposes FlexJet at 10 a.m., followed by Orchard Hill vs. Valiente at noon. Lechuza Caracas plays Alegria Assist Card in the featured match at 3 p.m. on Engel & Völkers field.

International Polo Club Palm Beach Fast Facts

What: Created by players for players, the International Polo Club Palm Beach was born out of the dream to build a facility to showcase the incredible skills of the ponies and players that dominate the sport.

Members and guests enjoy panoramic views of the action from field side box seats or lawn and terrace seating. Sponsors and fans convene at The Winners Circle to congratulate the players during the awards presentation following the games.

Gourmet brunches, après polo celebrations and the prerequisite charitable events will take place in The Pavilion, designed to accommodate large parties, corporate clients, as well as family and friends.

Featured Highlights:

Herbie Pennell Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 1-4, 2015

Joe Barry Memorial Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 4-25, 2015

Ylvisaker Cup – 20 Goal
Jan. 28 – February 22, 2015

Iglehart Cup – 20 Goal
Feb. 28 – March 8, 2015

USPA C. V. Whitney Cup – 26 Goal
Feb. 15 – March 1, 2015

Piaget USPA Gold Cup® – 26 Goal
March 4-22, 2015

111th Maserati U.S. Open Polo Championship® – 26 Goal
March 25 – April 19, 2015

Directions:

From the Turnpike:
Take the Lake Worth Exit
Head west on FL-802 W/Lake Worth Rd toward Hooks Rd
Continue to follow Lake Worth Rd (3.9 miles)
Turn right onto 120th Ave S
Destination will be ahead on the left (0.4 miles)

From I-95:
Exit Forest Hill Blvd, head West
Make Left turn onto 441/St Rd 7
Make Right turn onto Lake Worth Rd
Make Right turn onto 120th Ave S
Destination on Left

Information:
3667 120th Ave S, Wellington, FL 33414
International Polo Club Palm Beach: 561-204-5687
Mallet Grille: 561-282-5340
Spa & Fitness Center: 561-282-5288
Tennis Pro Shop: 561-795-7228
Polo Operations Office: 561-282-5283
Polo Hotline: 561-282-5290

Website:
www.internationalpoloclub.com

For Tickets:
http://internationalpoloclub.ticketleap.com/

Hotels:
Hampton Inn & Suites – (561) 472-9696 – Approximately 2 miles
Hampton Inn – (561) 472-5980 – Approximately 4 miles
Four Seasons Resort – (561) 582-2800 – Approximately 9 miles
The Breakers – (561) 655-6611 – Approximately 9 miles
Kimpton Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa – (561) 540-6440 – Approximately 9 miles

Management:
John Wash – President of Club Operations
jwash@internationalpoloclub.com
561-282-5353

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping, Wellington Turf Tour

Conor Swail Swoops In to Steal $24,990 Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour Grand Prix Finale

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Conor Swail and Dillinger.

Wellington, FL – March 27, 2015 – The picturesque polo fields of the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC) are accustomed to a vibrant social scene, the traditional bottles of champagne while stomping divots and the fast-paced game of polo. This week, as the 111th U.S. Open Championship 26-goal is about to commence, The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour Finale highlighted the kick-off of the weekend with an astonishing race to the finish during the $24,990 1.40m Grand Prix Finale event. It was the 2015 Leading Rider, Conor Swail, who narrowly held onto the lead with Dillinger.

The talented Irishman has dominated the series this winter, cruising to six of the 12 Grand Prix victories aboard a talented string of mounts. Riding for Susan and Ariel Grange, Swail has continually supported the series from its first week until the last. The IPC generously sponsored the 2015 Leading Rider Award, donating an exclusive Equestrian Membership, valued at $6,000 for the winningest rider. Beginning January 2016, Swail will be able to enjoy all of the private accommodations of the world famous venue.

“It’s a great prize,” Swail smiled. “It is fantastic to have won such a wonderful prize, and very generous of IPC. I train Vanessa Mannix, and her brothers play a bit of polo here, so I come over to watch and sometimes have dinner. I am excited to be able to use the membership. It is perfect for an equestrian like me; I am looking forward to it.”

As only the eleventh rider of the day, Swail did not think that his time of 35.200 seconds would hold for the first place finish. He narrowly beat out Alex Granato and Zenith Dance, the first pair to go double clear in the jump off in a time of 36.378 seconds.

“Dillinger is a fantastic horse. He is only 8 years old, and he is only just starting to jump at the 1.40m and higher levels,” Swail said. “He has been extremely consistent down here in Florida. He has jumped a lot of double clears here at The Ridge. Today, he had a great round, but we have a lot of riders behind us.”

Swail was able to surpass Granato by leaving out a stride down the first line from the opening oxer to the vertical, as well as navigate the rollbacks to clear the bogey obstacle of Nick Granat and Eric Hasbrouck’s short track, the oxer-oxer double combination.

“The course seems to be a little more difficult today, and it takes a bit of jumping. There were faults everywhere,” Swail described. “The jump off for me was more suited toward a smaller and faster horse today, whereas my guy is a big mover with a slower step. I had to really take a lot of risk today to go as quick as I could. I get a really fast distance over to the skinny, and he was really good to leave it up for me. I think it puts pressure on the people behind me, but I think there is a little room left there for anyone who wants to take it.”

Although riders attempted to catch his pace, it turned out that nobody could.

Faults were found throughout the course, with the triple combination and the final double combination seeing the most rails fall. However, there was one jump that mattered the most – the final fence, the Panthera Vertical. For every time the jump was cleared, friends of the Panthera Conservation donated $50 to the organization, furthering their mission to ensure the future of wild cats through scientific leadership and global conservation action.

Granato continued to hold the second place position, just behind Swail as the competition continued. He has seen his name at the top of the jumper leader board throughout the 12-week series, and he knew that he would have to be efficient and quick to keep the consecutive competitors chasing his time.

“It is a very good course, and it is a bit tough. There were a lot of related lines and bending lines, as it should be for the final,” Granato said. “They have really been doing a great job here all circuit really building up to this. I thought they did a really nice job with the course today. I know both of my horses fairly well, so I think it was a bit to my advantage to see how I could work it to my best interest.”

Granato continued, “We have tried to bring a horse every week, whether it is a young horse or for the grand prix. They are putting on a great event, and we really want to support it. It is nice to be able to jump this much on grass. For young green horses it is good experience. You can bring young kids, young horses and really develop them outside of the limitations of the other horse shows.”

Lisa Goldman and Morocco
Lisa Goldman and Morocco

As the day was coming to an end, Chicago’s speed demons, Lisa Goldman and Morocco, laid down an astonishing round, but one additional stride in the opening line would separate them from Swail’s time, finishing in 36.104 seconds, but pushing Granato into the third place.

“Morocco was so good all circuit,” Goldman smiled. “He won a couple of the big classes with me at WEF, and I thought we would come over here and have a nice hoorah. He likes it out here, and it is a lot of fun. I thought it was a really good course; it wasn’t all short or all long. There were places you had to gallop and places you had to be steady. He doesn’t have the biggest stride, so it generally works to my advantage that we can run right up to the jumps.”

Goldman continued, “For once, I didn’t have to improvise at all. I knew I couldn’t do the five up the line in the jump off. I knew I could be fast and do the six. I definitely added a couple steps to the two-stride and went a little wider. From the rounds I saw, the double combination was the bogey.”

Fourth place was awarded to McLain Ward and Best Buy, while fifth place went to Amy Millar and Heros. Quentin Judge and Ciske Van Overis took the sixth place, with Karina Ulenberg and Umbra 34 in seventh place. Laura Kraut and Constable broke the beams for the eighth place. Swail and Game Ready took the ninth place, with McLain Ward and Dulien Van De Smeets finished in tenth.

The exhibitors and guests of The Ridge at Wellington Finale event were treated to an array of food during the champagne lunch, sponsored by IPC. Throughout the series, the hospitality has been unparalleled, with complimentary breakfast and lunch for attendees of the event. Whether exhibitors stayed for their round of competition, an hour, an afternoon or the whole day, rave reviews resounded throughout the equestrian community about how Nona Garson and George D’Ambrosio brought the tradition of show jumping back to the discipline.

Swail concluded, “You will indeed see me back here next year. We had seven here today. We definitely support it and thought it was very beneficial for our horses. Nona and George do such a nice job, when you believe in something so strongly and the benefits that accompany it, you want to come back every week and look forward to next year.”

The Ridge would like to thank the cooler and banner sponsor throughout the series, Dover Saddlery. They are very grateful to their jump sponsors Panthera, Hollow Brook Wealth Management and PJ Saddles.

For videos of the competition, please visit www.shownet.biz.

The Ridge at Wellington Horse Show Series Fast Facts

Events:
The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour offers their popular 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix for its third year, with an open in gate format taking place once a week at beautiful venues throughout Wellington. The Ridge at Wellington Grand Prix Finale will take place March 27, 2015.

The Turf Tour also will host 1.30m-1.35m Jumpers every Wednesday beginning January 7, 2015 and running until March 18, 2015.

Young Jumper Classes and both Children’s/Senior Jumper Classics will find their home intermittently throughout the Wellington Turf Tour, running concurrently with the 1.30-1.35m and 1.40m Jumpers.

The Ridge at Wellington offers Equitation Shows every Tuesday of the month from January 6 – March 23, 2015. There will also be a series of schooling shows at the Ridge at Wellington for all experience levels.

Two USHJA International Hunter Derbies will take place February 6, 2015 and March 20, 2015.

What:
The Ridge at Wellington series includes several weeks of competition throughout the Winter Season with USEF Rated Equitation Shows. This winter will also feature five two-day schooling shows. The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour will offer 1.30m-1.35m Jumpers, 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix, Young Jumpers, Children’s/Adult Classics, Masters Jumpers, Junior/Amateur Classics, two hunter derbies and the Pre-Green Incentive Stake.

Information:
Before Show – (561) 791-1471, Email: RidgeShows@aol.com
During Show – Telephone: (561) 791-1471, Fax: (561) 791-1543
Text: (908) 500-0996

Website: http://www.theridgefarm.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/359668144211383/

Management:
Nona Garson
14415 Palm Beach Point Blvd. East
Wellington, FL, 33414
(561) 791-1471 (show office)
(908) 839-3859 (show cell)
(561) 791-1543 (show fax)
Email: RidgeShows@aol.com
Website: http://www.theridgefarm.com

Media Contact:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd.
Suite 105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

Competitions, Dressage, FEI

Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Freestyles Postponed to Saturday

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Mikala Gundersen and My Lady. Photo copyright SusanJStickle.com.

Gundersen and My Lady Capture Another Win in the AGDF 12 CDI 3* Grand Prix

Wellington, FL – March 27, 2015 – Mikala Gundersen (DEN) and My Lady, veterans at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) circuit this season, added another win to their resume in the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, with a 73.380%. Lisa Wilcox (USA) and Denzello followed in second with a 72.160%, and Arlene “Tuny” Page (USA) aboard Woodstock in third receiving a 71.840%. Competition was postponed this evening due to thunderstorms, moving the usual “Friday Night Stars” freestyles to Saturday afternoon. Competition at AGDF will continue tomorrow following a revised schedule.

Saturday’s schedule highlights feature:

  • FEI Intermediaire 1 CDI1*, presented by Regal Horse Products – remaining three riders from Friday’s class that did not finish due to inclement weather: start time 8 am
  • FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDI1*, presented by Regal Horse Products: start time 11 am
  • FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle CDIO3*, presented by Stillpoint Farm: start time 12:30 pm
  • FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO3*, presented by Stillpoint Farm: start time 2:50 pm
  • FEI Grand Prix Special CDI3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties: start time 4 pm
  • FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties: start time 6:30 pm

Gundersen and My Lady are the second winningest pair on the circuit this season behind fellow Danish teammate Lars Petersen and Mariett. The mare has been incredibly consistent and has really settled into the routine Gundersen has created. “She was great today. She felt great and when I came into the warm-up, she was so supple in my hand, just like butter,” smiled Gundersen describing her test.

“She was so nice, soft and relaxed. I was debating on doing this show and I’m so glad that I did because we got the invitation to go to World Cup Finals in Vegas, and I didn’t know if it was the right thing to compete her here again or not,” she explained. “There were some things I had been working on at home that I wanted to work on in the ring, and we really got that done today.”

The duo, who recently received their invitation to Las Vegas, originally thought that World Cup Finals were out of the cards for them this season, so Gundersen gave “Lady” a lengthy vacation after her last showing and it has been incredibly beneficial for the pair. “She is just so fresh and ready to go. She enjoyed coming here today and going down the centerline. That’s the most important thing for me, that she wants to go in the ring and do well,” she expressed.

Lisa Wilcox and Denzello performed beautifully and rode a very clean test to finish in second in the last CDI competition of the 2015 season at AGDF, their first outing of the season. Wilcox said, “We gave him a long break and now he’s found his peace of mind, and I feel like he’s really about to step into an amazing area. He just has sensational expression.”

A long break has proven to be an excellent choice for Denzello as he is feeling more confident in the ring, and Wilcox feels that she can continue to ask for more. She explained, “He’s trusting, relaxed, everything I was hoping he would become we’re starting to see come together.”

As for the future, Wilcox is planning on letting her string of successful horses rest after circuit and then will begin to plan their summer schedules. “We will have the goal to take him [Denzello] and Cerro to Saugerties in the fall and then we will head to Europe if all goes to plan for between six to eight weeks, which will be very exciting.”

Competition will continue tomorrow at AGDF following a revised schedule due to the inclement weather that resulted in the postponement of the “Friday Night Lights” Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* Freestyles today. To view the revised schedule and to learn more about the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.equestriansport.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Darragh Kenny and Dirocco B, Sarah Scheiring and Eros SCF Win Adequan Young Jumper Classics

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Darragh Kenny and Dirocco B. Photos © Sportfot.

Say When and Danielle Baran Start and Finish WEF 2015 as Champions of the Triple Crown Blankets Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Section A

Wellington, FL – March 27, 2015 – Week twelve of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), sponsored by Rolex, continued on Friday featuring the rising equine stars of the circuit in their young jumper finals. The $20,000 Adequan® 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic saw a win for Darragh Kenny and Dirocco B, and the $15,000 Adequan® 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was won by Sarah Scheiring and Eros SCF. The $10,000 Holtgers 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was held in the morning, rewarding clear rounds from the circuit’s youngest horses.

WEF 12 continues through Sunday, March 29. The week features the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, March 28, and the $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final will also be held on Saturday. The 1.50m jump-off and the Rolex Grand Prix, starting at 6:30 pm, will be live streamed here: http://bit.ly/1MaVwBa. The $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will host its first round on Saturday; its second round on the derby field Sunday, starting at 1 pm, will be live streamed at http://bit.ly/1H5mkfF.

Steve Stephens (USA) set the courses for Friday’s young jumpers classes. The $20,000 Adequan® 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic concluded the day with a win for Ireland’s Darragh Kenny aboard Oakland Ventures and Missy Clark’s Dirocco B. Seventy-eight entries showed in the class, with 18 clear to jump-off, and seven double clear rounds. The riders were given the option to jump-off immediately following their first round or to wait until the end.

Kenny waited until the end of the class to jump off and raced to the winning time of 36.531 seconds with Dirocco B. He edged out Laura Chapot, who had jumped off earlier with Mary Chapot’s BEC Hugo in 38.40 seconds. Lauren Tisbo and Tequestrian Farms LLC’s Hip Girl finished third in 39.42 seconds.

Kenny and Missy Clark purchased Dirocco B two months ago. The Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zirocco Blue VDL x Lux Z) previously had great success as a six-year-old with rider Devin Ryan, and Kenny has high hopes for the horse’s career.

“I got him through a good friend of mine, Andy Kocher,” Kenny detailed. “He had the horse, and I tried him once or twice and really liked him. He is unbelievably competitive. He is super careful, really fast, and extremely brave. He reminds me a lot of my good horse Picolo. He is the same type of horse that will win every class, and you can go all the time. I think it is a super nice horse.”

“We bought the horse together as a horse for the future,” Kenny said of his partnership with Clark. “I think it is going to be really talented. I am very lucky that Missy is helping me to get a few horses together to build up my career. I am very lucky that I have some very good owners right now, and I just want to keep trying to have younger horses coming up through the levels so that I have them when my older horses are ready to be done.”

Kenny continued, “It is hard to know what they will do. He is one of those horses where you are not going to know until you do it. He jumps every height just as easy as he likes, and then you move up and he does that the same way, so I’ll never know until I have to try to do it.”

Commenting on his jump-off round, Kenny detailed, “He is a really naturally very quick horse. You do not really need to change the pace. You just pick up a good pace, and he stays going and then all I had to do was put him at the right distance.”

Scheiring and Eros SCF Go for the Win

In the $15,000 Adequan® 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, 57 horses showed, with 14 clear for the jump-off and seven double clear rounds. The riders were once again given the option to jump-off immediately or wait until the conclusion of the first round. Lisa Goldman and Melissa Hirt’s Roc N Groovy jumped off early and eventually finished second with their time of 33.66 seconds. Sarah Scheiring and Lauren Gristwood’s Eros SCF jumped off later, taking the lead with their time of 32.22 seconds. Sarah Kerins and her own Tykillen Livella clocked in at 35.77 seconds to place third.

Sarah Scheiring and Eros SCF
Sarah Scheiring and Eros SCF

Eros SCF is a Dutch Warmblood gelding by Balou du Rouet x Coriano, bred by Karin Jimenez (USA) at Sporting Chance Farm in Pennsylvania. His rider, Sarah Scheiring, is based out of Chester Riding Club in New Jersey with trainer Jamie Maillet. His owner, Lauren Gristwood, was a working student at the farm five years ago, and was looking for a project after selling her previous horse. They found Eros SCF as a yearling, and Gristwood immediately bought him after seeing the horse’s great movement and quiet demeanor.

Gristwood, of Virginia, broke the horse herself. She occasionally rides Eros at home when she has the time, but leaves the showing duties to Scheiring. She currently works as a groom for Canadian show jumper Ben Asselin.

“The first time I ever got on him was bareback in a field,” Gristwood noted. “Sarah is the only other person that has ridden him. He was my first yearling. I love the young ones. It is really cool starting them from the ground up and see the progress.”

“You would not believe how many people told Lauren how bad of a decision she was making when she first got him,” Scheiring explained. “Every single person said, ‘Why would you do that? That is so dumb! Why would you buy a one-year-old horse? Who knows what it’s going to be?’ But she believed in me. She always has. Last year she turned the reins over to me, and he has been unbelievable ever since.”

“He is perfect. He is wonderful, and he never lets me down,” Scheiring said of Eros. She then described the day they first saw him.

“He walked great,” she remembered with a laugh. “It was winter; the ground was rock hard with snow. We put a pole in the round pen, made him trot over it, and he would not canter. We said, ‘Okay, we can work with that.’ Also, a dog came barreling in the barn when he was on the crossties, and he did not flinch at all.”

Eros SCF only showed in three classes this winter as Scheiring geared him toward Friday’s final classic. Commenting on their winning round, Scheiring detailed, “I saw Lisa Goldman go first, and she is always fast. She is hard to beat. My horse jumps really high and spends a lot of time in the air, so I knew I had to make it up in the lines and I had to leave one out. He is really good at turning, so I could land and turn. I walked the line from the Sotheby’s jump to number 15 and walked a seven and stuck to it. It was a little bit scary, but that horse is so careful, I know he is not going to knock it down if I can get him there.”

In addition to their winning prize, Scheiring and Eros SCF accepted the Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award for week twelve. With a great day to conclude his winter, Eros SCF will have a little time off and then show in the summer with the main goal of competing in the Young Jumper Championships at the Hampton Classic Horse Show in August.

Also showing on Friday, the $10,000 Holtgers 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was held in the morning, awarding prize money for clear rounds overall from the promising young horses. Todd Minikus and Spring Girl, Victor Amaya and Donald Cheska Stables’ Foreigner, Nick Novak and Ricochet, Ronan McGuigan and Blythe Masters’ Maximus, Charlie Jayne and Haylie Rolfe’s Zara, Emily Hill and KBS Ronnin, and Candice King and Bellissimo LLC’s First VDL all cleared the course without fault.

Say When and Danielle Baran Start and Finish WEF 2015 as Champions of the Triple Crown Blankets Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Section A

No stranger to the winner’s circle, Danielle Baran, from Ontario, Canada, and her horse, Say When, added another tricolor ribbon to their collection during the final week of WEF. This past weekend Baran earned a first, a second, and two fourths over fences on their way to topping the field of 17 riders in the Triple Crown Blankets Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Section A. After kicking off WEF as champions during week 1, Baran exclaimed, “We haven’t had a down time during this entire circuit, which is incredible!”

Claiming the reserve champion spot was Carlotta with owner and rider, Ashley Hodges. Hodges rode Carlotta to a first, a second, and a fourth over fences in the Triple Crown Blankets Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Section A.

With a final championship during week 12, Baran secured the circuit championship with Say When in the Adult Amateur 36-49 Hunter division. Baran also finished as reserve circuit champion with her horse, Vizcaya. “She has had an amazing season!” trainer Chris Sorensen stated. “Wellington is always a big test for us because we go up against the best horses and riders in North America. Danielle [Baran] has been one of the top hunter owners in Canada for the past couple of years, so it is nice to see her come down here and have a great season.”

Coming to Wellington with the same horses as last year, Baran credits the extra help from trainer Darcy Hayes for her best WEF circuit yet. “I’ve never had a year this consistent. Darcy [Hayes] has really helped prepare the horses, and I enjoy having two trainers supporting me at the ring,” Baran explained.

After an amazing start to 2015, Baran is looking forward to fine tuning her riding throughout the rest of the year. “I want to make sure it doesn’t look like luck,” Baran smiled.

Baran went on to say, “Eventually I would like to move up to the Amateur-Owner 3’3″ and will probably buy another horse with Chris [Sorensen] in the next couple of years to add in some new ones. Hopefully I can keep my horses going as long as possible because I adore them and feel blessed to have them.”

While Baran is done showing, Say When will compete tomorrow in the USHJA International Hunter Derby with Hayes. At the conclusion of the weekend, Baran and her horses will take a break before returning to Ontario for the summer shows.

WEF 12 continues on Saturday evening featuring the $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final jump-off followed by the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* in the International Arena. Hunter coverage returns to the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter ring for the Bainbridge Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 and the first round of the USHJA International Hunter Derby. For full results and more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Maddy Stover for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Dressage, FEI, Jennifer Wood

North American Teams Record Impressive Performances at Final Day of FEI Nations Cup CDIO3*

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Allison Brock and Rosevelt. Photos copyright SusanJStickle.com.

Wellington, FL – March 26, 2015 – Team competition for the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* at Adequan Global Dressage Festival concluded today, with Team USA 1 finishing atop the leaderboard with a total score of 452.599 after two days of competition in Small Tour and Large Tour classes. Today’s Small Tour combinations contested the FEI Intermediaire 1 test and Large Tour rode the FEI Grand Prix Special. Team USA 1, composed of Kimberly Herslow, Allison Brock, Olivia LaGoy-Weltz, and Laura Graves, bested the rest of the competition with a combination of superb results. Team Canada 1 finished behind the U.S. in second with a combined 438.966, and Team Canada 2 came in third with a total of 424.774.

Competition will continue tomorrow in the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO3* with individual competition in the FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle and the Grand Prix Freestyle as the final “Friday Night Stars” event of the season, for which gates open at 6 pm. The freestyles will be live streamed here: http://bit.ly/1H0wMEZ. The CDI 3* presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties will host the FEI Grand Prix and Regal Horse Products’ FEI Intermediaire 1 CDI 1* class will also be held in The Stadium arena.

Team USA 1 put together a very strong team, as all four riders performed tests scored well above the 70% mark. U.S. team members Kimberly Herslow and Rosmarin had the highest score in the Intermediaire 1 on a personal best of 76.158%, and Laura Graves and Verdades led the Grand Prix Special with 75.882%.

Watch the leading ride for Laura Graves and Verdades! Video courtesy of Campfield Videos

Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover was incredibly proud of the performances from both U.S. teams so far in competition. “These riders really stepped up to the plate today and for me, (it was) just glorious to watch. I love getting goose bumps when I watch rides, and I got them today from this team,” remarked Dover about the team’s overall performance. “We had our third rider and a fourth horse for Team USA be able to go above 74% and that was with some errors. I feel not only extremely confident moving towards the Pan American Games and the European tour we are about to go on, but also on our way to Rio with more and more depth in America in this sport than we have ever seen before.”

Allison Brock and Rosevelt rode to a personal best in the FEI Grand Prix Special with a 74.255%, which included some bobbles in the one-tempis, still the second highest placing test in the class behind fellow American Laura Graves. “It is an absolute honor to be on this team, and it was really fun. We supported each other and I’m a rookie at this, so is Olivia, and it is so different to be on a team. There’s a different kind of pressure to it, but you also find new support in that from your teammates,” said Brock.

She continued, “He was again really going for me the whole time, and I’m so proud of him. He’s maturing and he’s showing that he can come out and do a competition in this atmosphere and come out stronger the next day. That’s really important in a team type of horse. You need them to be consistent and carry through.”

LaGoy-Weltz and Rassing’s Lonoir, who rode the Small Tour tests, have learned from their experience so far this week as “Lono” was very hot for LaGoy-Weltz both days and had some uncharacteristic moments in both tests. “Part of the challenge of having a Grand Prix horse in the Small Tour is that they don’t always think there’s enough to do,” joked LaGoy-Weltz about some of the ringside antics from the big bay gelding. “This has been a tremendous learning experience for us and we were able to harness that energy and move on in the test, which is about being composed and riding through it. You also get the opportunity to support your teammates and receive that support in return.”

With a stunning fault-free test that Herslow described as “possibly finding the fifth gear,” it was clear that Rosmarin was completely on his game in the arena tonight. “Robert and Debbie really revved me up the right way. We needed that expression in the ring and be able to carry it in there, and we really rocked it. It was a personal best for us in the I-1, and there were still a few places I felt like I could have asked for a bit more too,” explained Herslow. “I have to know how to ride that in the ring, and I’m thrilled with the result. He’s so consistent and honest. It is just on me now.”

Laura Graves and Verdades
Laura Graves and Verdades

The anchor again for Team USA 1, Laura Graves, in her first time riding the Grand Prix Special with Verdades since last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, posted a 75.882% to lead the class. Even though the duo will not need to perform the Special at the FEI World Cup Finals, Graves still feels she needs to prepare for it more.

“I’m looking forward to having this summer with Robert and Debbie to work on it and polish it up. Obviously tightening that up is a priority. There are places where we improved and places that still need work,” commented Graves. “It’s always great to be able to meet and become close with riders I may not have known as well before, and it makes you really excited for where we’re going on this team in this country. I hope that we can take this gold medal winning streak global very soon.”

Christopher Von Martels and Christilot Boylen, both riding for Canada, were the highest placed riders for their respective teams, Canada 1 and Canada 2. Von Martels was joined by Diane Creech on Robbie W, Megan Lane and Caravella, and Belinda Trussel riding Anton. Boylen’s teammates included Tina Irwin and Fancy That, Shannon Dueck on Cantaris, and Jill Irving riding Degas 12.

Von Martels and Zilverstar have had a truly impressive beginning to their 2015 season with top finishes in almost all of their classes. “Firstly, I’m very happy with our team result and my individual results over the past two days. I think that it was a very strong competition and when you look at the results in the Small Tour, the differences are very narrow. The level of competition is great,” said Von Martels about Canada Team 1’s second place finish. “I think it’s a very exciting time in our sport because there are some very strong combinations in several different countries. I was thrilled with my horse; he’s grown a lot and has become more confident and strong. The growing relationship is what I’m most proud of.”

Christilot Boylen and Donatella 79 can be marked as the definition of improvement this season, as the pair has increased their average marks by 6% in the Small Tour within the last month. “Donatella”, who was out with an injury for most of last year, debuted at the Small Tour in January and has really hit her stride. “I’m so thankful to have a horse of her quality and her owner. You can’t walk around the ring by yourself, and they deserve so much credit,” smiled Boylen. “I really feel like Team Canada is finally pulling together and the future is looking very bright. Like Chris said, it is just a team game and it’s onwards and forward for this team.”

All of the riders thanked their owners and teams for helping them, as well as Adequan and Stillpoint Farm as sponsors of this special event.

With AGDF serving as the only host of an FEI Nations Cup Series leg in North America, it is important to recognize the significance of the event and what it means for presence of international competition in the United States. “This is a real pleasure to have this CDIO here in Wellington. It’s the only one that is outside of Europe, and we get to show our European friends that we can have a show like this successfully,” said Thomas Baur, Director of Sport at AGDF. “We have several great teams, including some from Central and South America, which was originally the idea too, to give them a chance to compete in the Nations Cup in an easily accessible location.”

Competition will continue at AGDF tomorrow with the FEI Grand Prix CDI 3*, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Maria Mendelsohn of Illustrated Properties, the FEI Intermediaire 1 CDI 1*, presented by Regal Horse Products, as well as the Stillpoint Farm FEI Nations Cup CDIO 3* FEI Intermediaire 1 Freestyle, FEI Grand Prix Freestyle, and the individual medals award ceremony. For more information and full results of AGDF 12, please visit www.globaldressagefestival.com.

About the Adequan Global Dressage Festival:

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) is one of the world’s largest international and national dressage circuits featuring 7 FEI Dressage events, including a 5* and the only FEI Nations’ Cup Series CDIO in the Western Hemisphere. The AGDF offers more than $650,000 in prize money for the seven international competitions, making it one of the richest circuits in the world. The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center facility includes the Van Kampen covered arena (made possible by Kimberly and Frederic Boyer and family) and four outdoor arenas with world-class footing, 200 permanent stalls, and a VIP seating area.

Please visit
www.globaldressagefestival.com
www.equestriansport.com
or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Adequan Global Dressage Festival is located at
13500 South Shore Blvd, Wellington, Florida 33414

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Madden and Cortes ‘C’ Repeat Victory in $50k Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12

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Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’. Photos © Sportfot.

Andres Rodriguez and Caballito Win $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m Speed; Clean Sweep for Iconic and Amanda Lyerly in the Loddon Stalls Pre-Green Hunter 3 & 4 Year Olds

Wellington, FL – March 26, 2015 – The Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series concluded on Thursday with its twelfth and final round of competition at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). For the second year in a row, Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ were the winners in the $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12. The duo, named 2014 USEF Equestrian and International Horse of the Year, easily laid down the winning track. Conor Swail (IRL) and Grand Cru vd Jijf Eiken finished second; Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Tripple X III placed third.

Watch Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ in their winning round!

The second $34,000 1.45m FEI speed class of the week was also held on Thursday with a win for Venezuela’s Andres Rodriguez and Caballito. They jumped the fastest of 15 clear rounds out of 75 competitors with Kent Farrington (USA) and Cha Cha Cha 7 in second and Alvaro Tejada (GUA) with Voltaral Palo Blanco third.

WEF 12, sponsored by Rolex, runs March 25-29. The week features the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* on Saturday, March 28. Other highlights include the $10,000 Holtgers 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, $15,000 Adequan® 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, and $20,000 Adequan® 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic on Friday. The $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final will be held on Saturday, and the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will host its first round on Saturday and its second round on the derby field Sunday. Saturday night’s 1.50m Final Round and Rolex Grand Prix, along with Sunday’s second round of the hunter derby, will be live streamed at www.COTH.com.

Steve Stephens (USA) set the track for 46 starters in Thursday’s WEF Challenge Cup. Nine advanced to the jump-off, where seven of those jumped double clear. Last to go, Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’ clocked the winning time of 35.52 seconds. They edged out Conor Swail and Grand Cru vd Jijf Eiken, owned by Vanessa Mannix, with their time of 35.99 seconds. Tiffany Foster and Artisan Farms LLC’s Tripple X III set the pace, first to go in the jump-off in 36.48 seconds, finishing in third. McLain Ward (USA) and Double H Farm’s HH Azur placed fourth in 37.09 seconds.

Believe it or not, Thursday’s win was actually Madden’s first of the year. She was happy to see Cortes ‘C’ in top form and knew that Stephen’s track suited her mount, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Randel Z x Darco).

“This is my first win of the whole season. I have been second a couple times, but it feels great to win in week 12. It feels great to not go through the whole circuit without winning,” Madden laughed. “My horses have been going well. We have not put a lot of pressure on them yet, so it was nice that Cortes came through this week.”

“Today I went for it,” Madden said. “The jump-off suited him. It was not a real running track where you had to fly to the fences. I could make neat turns without running a lot, and still be quite fast today, so it was a good jump-off for that.”

Madden picked Cortes ‘C’ to show in the final week because of the tracks she expected from Stephens in the final CSI 5* competition.

“Usually he builds a course for a nice, big, scopey horse, so hopefully it will suit Cortes Saturday night too,” Madden explained. “The top few were all big, scopey horses today. This is a 5*, so it should be difficult this week. You can kind of plan on that.”

Madden will show Cortes in Saturday night’s $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5* to conclude the circuit and then plans to give the gelding a rest while her mount Simon steps up to compete in Miami and then travels to Las Vegas for World Cup Finals.

“Cortes feels really good. This is only his third week of showing, so I think he is just coming on to form for the year,” Madden detailed. “After this, he will have a bit of a break. I am going to take Simon to the World Cup (Finals) because the venue in Las Vegas is so small that I think it suits him more than Cortes. Cortes will probably do a few classes at Old Salem in the spring, and then I am planning to take him to Aachen for the grand prix in May. Then he will go to Spruce Meadows from there. Simon will also do Miami to get ready for the smaller venue in Vegas. It is good for me to practice with him in the smaller ring.”

Andres Rodriguez and Caballito Win $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m

A $34,000 1.45m FEI speed class was also held at WEF on Thursday with a win for Venezuela’s Andres Rodriguez and Caballito. Seventy-five entries showed, with 15 clear rounds. Rodriguez and Arao Enterprises Caballito had a blazing fast time of 62.13 seconds. They beat Kent Farrington’s round in 63.31 seconds with Haity McNerney and Amalaya Investments’ Cha Cha Cha 7. Alvaro Tejada (GUA) with Palo Blanco Stables’ Voltaral Palo Blanco stopped the clock in 63.73 seconds. Conor Swail (IRL) and Simba de la Roque placed fourth in 65.36 seconds.

Andres Rodriguez and Caballito
Andres Rodriguez and Caballito

Rodriguez has had a fantastic WEF circuit, with multiple wins, including a big win with Caballito in week ten’s $127,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI 3*. On Thursday, the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Contendro x Argentinus) took the class by storm in a fantastic round.

“It was very fast today,” Rodriguez stated. “It was sort of one of those classes where you go all in, and if it works, it works. Our plan at the beginning was to take a lot of risk and if a rail comes down, then we school the horse for the 1.50m class that has $100,000, but if everything keeps going then obviously keep going. I was going pretty fast in the last line, which when I walked it, I thought it was crazy to do six strides. But I jumped the vertical and it was right there, so I took the chance and it worked.”

“When I saw Conor’s round, I said, ‘Okay, this is really annoying because it is getting very fast.’ Then Kent almost beat him by two seconds, and then it was to the point where I had to go all in,” Rodriguez continued. “Kent did seven strides. I did one stride less than him from jump four to five. I did eight strides and he did nine strides, and on the last line he did seven and I did six.”

Rodriguez plans to jump Caballito again in Saturday’s $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final to conclude the circuit. The pair finished second in the class last year. He will jump his horse Verdi in the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*.

Also showing on Thursday, the Adequan® 6-Year-Old Young Jumpers jumped their speed class in the International Arena with a win for Gemma Paternoster and Julia Harrison Lee’s EBay.

Clean Sweep for Iconic and Amanda Lyerly in the Loddon Stalls Pre-Green Hunter 3 & 4 Year Olds

To conclude WEF 2015 on a high note, Amanda Lyerly rode Kelly Bauernschmidt’s horse, Iconic, to the championship prize in the Loddon Stalls Pre-Green Hunter 3 & 4 Year Olds. The pair was dominant over the two days of competition, winning all of the classes in the division. “We bought him [Iconic] for Kelly [Bauernschmidt] to do in the amateur hunter divisions eventually, but I feel very lucky that I get to show him right now,” Lyerly explained.

Reserve championship honors in the Loddon Stalls Pre-Green Hunter 3 & 4 Year Olds went to Grayceland and Thomas Serio. Grayceland, an entry of Kathy Serio, finished second in two over fences classes and was third in the under saddle.

Iconic, a four-year-old gelding, had never been to the WEF show grounds until this past Tuesday. “Kelly [Bauernschmidt] bough him [Iconic] 10 days ago,” Lyerly started. “When we brought him over to the show we didn’t know what to expect, but he is an old soul and was great in the ring.”

Lyerly further went on to compliment Iconic, saying, “He is so sweet on the ground and is very straight forward and simple to ride. He is definitely one of the nicest horses I have ever ridden!”

After starting with such a great performance, Lyerly is excited about Iconic’s future. “I didn’t really have any goals before this week, but after how he went, I’m excited to show him in the pre-greens and eventually the First Year Green Hunters,” Lyerly commented.

For the rest of this year, Lyerly is hoping to show Iconic in the Pre Green incentive classes in the summer and Future Hunter classes held at Capital Challenge in the fall.

WEF 12 continues on Friday featuring the $10,000 Holtgers 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, $15,000 Adequan® 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, and $20,000 Adequan® 7-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic in the International Arena. The Triple Crown Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Section A kicks off hunter competition Friday morning in the Rost Arena. For full results and more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Maddy Stover for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Community/Charity, Dressage, Show Jumping

Team Purina Performs in Pink to Capture 2015 Challenge of the Americas

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Team Purina, winners of the 2015 Challenge of the Americas. Photos by Mary Adelaide Brakenridge and Alexandra Lynch.

Wellington, FL – March 25, 2015 – The 2015 Challenge of the Americas (COTA), presented by Deloitte, brought elite dressage athletes and show jumpers to the International Polo Club (IPC) Palm Beach on Friday evening to showcase their skill, entertain the crowd, and do their part to raise money for breast cancer research. Team Purina earned a hard-fought win in the Challenge, defeating Team ShowChic and Team Merrill Lynch to take home the title.

COTA is dedicated to raising money for breast cancer research. Proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through their partner, Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate Diagnosis, New Technology, Knowledge). COTA has grown over the years from a small luncheon dressage exhibition at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby to its current status as a one-of-a-kind exhibition and gala. Mary Ross created it in honor of her mother, Jean Cruse, who died of breast cancer.

“It was a wonderful evening from start to finish,” Ross said. “I’m truly grateful to all of the riders and coaches who devoted so much time and hard work to preparing for the Challenge, as well as the sponsors, committee members and volunteers who did so much to support the event. I can’t thank them enough. Their commitment allows us to make a real difference and contribute to the fight against breast cancer.”

Following the opening ceremonies, the show jumpers led off the 2015 COTA with a fast-paced gambler’s choice competition. Two show jumpers for each team tackled the course, trying to rack up as many points as possible within the time allowed. Juan Manuel Lander, jumping for Team ShowChic, was the top scorer of the group, with Purina’s Spencer Smith and Merrill Lynch’s Javier Berganza not far behind.

Michael Klimke and Christoph Koschel performed a pas de deux sponsored by John and Leslie Malone. Dressage letters and jump standards at the event carried the names of new COTA sponsors Gardy Bloemers & Nick Duke.
Michael Klimke and Christoph Koschel performed a pas de deux sponsored by John and Leslie Malone. Dressage letters and jump standards at the event carried the names of new COTA sponsors Gardy Bloemers & Nick Duke.

As the action shifted over to the dressage arena, two exhibition groups took the stage. Germany’s Michael Klimke and Christoph Koschel teamed up to perform a pas de deux sponsored by John and Leslie Malone. The pair showed impressive harmony and synchronization. Allison Brock, Kati Dagge and Jim Koford of the U.S. put on a fun, engaging pas de trois, sponsored by Deloitte. The creative choreography by team coach Tigger Montague of Spirithorse Productions told a story using upbeat tunes like “Call Me,” “Big Spender,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and “This Is How We Do.”

Team ShowChic was first up in the quadrille competition, and they made an impression before the horses even entered the ring: baton twirler Kayden Muller-Janssen led the way as a group of women and girls, including young riders from Dressage4Kids, carried in a giant pink ribbon. The team rode nicely in time to the music throughout their challenging routine. Erin Swaney of Erin Swaney Dressage was the coach and choreographer for Team ShowChic with assistance from Mary-Cameron Rollins, and Karen Robinson of Applause Dressage arranged the music.

The next team to go, sponsored by The Seley Parker Group of Merrill Lynch, came into this year’s COTA on a two-year winning streak. They put in a spectacular performance to try to defend their title, and they kept the audience guessing with letters on the back of their shirts that spelled out “Breast in Show” when they eventually lined up. Ruth Hogan Poulsen of Freestyles from A-C choreographed the routine and coached the team with assistance from Melissa MacLaren.

The competition came down to the wire, and the pressure was on the last to go, Team Purina. They delivered in style, earning nearly perfect marks from the judges for their harmony, artistry and technical merit as they danced to “On the Floor,” “Fireball,” “Uptown Funk,” and other popular hits. Canadian Olympian David Marcus, FEI 5* judge Linda Zang and FEI 4* judge Lois Yukins comprised the judges’ panel for the event.

Zang remarked that Team Purina had a great plan and stayed in beautiful harmony throughout their ride, and Yukins said the performance was so good, she was sad to see it end. Marcus added that he appreciated the technical difficulty of their routine.

“They were doing Grand Prix movements and doing them really well,” Marcus said. “On top of that, it was a huge crowd-pleaser. The music was great, and it was executed well. That’s hard to beat.”

Team Purina riders were Betsy Steiner, Pamela Goodrich, Jim Koford, Bent Jensen, John Zopatti and J. J. Tate. Terry Ciotti Gallo of Klassic Kur was the team’s choreographer and coach with assistance from Bill Warren. The majority of the riders on Team Purina have performed together at COTA for a long time, but Tate was new to the team and taking part in her second COTA.

“I was really excited to be asked to be a part of it,” Tate said. “We were very committed and very serious at practices every Tuesday. Terry did a superb job putting the music and the choreography together, and I think we knew from the beginning it was going to be pretty cool.”

She appreciated the opportunity to participate in an event that has personal meaning to her.

“What really makes it special for me is that my mom is a 15-year breast cancer survivor,” Tate said. “For me, it hit home how important breast cancer research is. This is a way to give back and be part of something bigger than yourself, something that’s incredibly important to many women as well as men.”

The Challenge Gala put the finishing touch on the evening of entertainment with an elegant dinner and dancing in the IPC Pavilion, drawing a large group of VIPs to enjoy the night and raise additional funds for breast cancer research. Along with exquisite food and an active dance floor, highlights of the Gala included a live auction featuring two fantastic items and a silent auction with fine art, tack and supplies, jewelry and much more.

During the live auction, guests bid on safe and comfortable transportation for a horse from Wellington to Kentucky with popular equine shipping company Brook Ledge Horse Transportation as well as a chance to have themselves or a person of their choice included in “The Bitter Season,” the next book by bestselling author Tami Hoag.

Deloitte teamed up with COTA for the first time this year as the event’s presenting sponsor. Judy Sloan of Deloitte said the professional services firm was glad to get involved with an Olympic sport in which men and woman compete on a level playing field.

“This is Deloitte’s first foray into equestrian sport,” Sloan said. “I’m really thrilled that we can take on our equestrian adventure and sponsorship of all things horses with this event. This is a great cause.”

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

MEDIA CONTACT:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Blvd #105
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
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PhelpsMediaGroup.com