Tag Archives: Kent Farrington

Uceko Makes a Comeback in Progress Energy Cup 1.55m at Spruce Meadows

Kent Farrington and Uceko. Photos © Spruce Meadows Media Services.

Kenny and Picolo Win $35,000 PwC Cup 1.50m; Ward and Zander Take $33,500 Suncast Cup 1.45m

Calgary, AB, Canada – July 3, 2014 – RCG Farm’s Uceko quickly returned to the winner’s circle with Kent Farrington (USA) at this week’s Spruce Meadows ‘North American’ Tournament after nearly six months out of competition for a well-deserved rest. Farrington and Uceko jumped to an impressive victory in Thursday’s $85,000 Progress Energy Cup 1.55m over McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z (second), and Pablo Barrios (VEN) with Zara Leandra (third). Ward settled for second in that class, but got a win earlier in the day in the $33,500 Suncast Cup 1.45m aboard Zander. The $35,000 PwC Cup 1.50m was also held on Thursday with a victory for Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Picolo.

Watch highlights from Thursday’s competition!

The ‘North American’ Tournament continues through July 6, featuring the $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday and the $210,000 Cenovus Energy Classic 1.50m Derby on Sunday.

Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela is the course designer in the International Ring for the week and showcased another day of fantastic show jumping in Thursday’s competition. In the $85,000 Progress Energy Cup, Palacios saw 42 entries with nine in the jump-off and six double clear rounds. Kent Farrington and Uceko stopped the clock in 36.93 seconds for the win.

McLain Ward and Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z clocked in at 38.49 seconds to finish in reserve. Pablo Barrios and ZL Group Inc.’s Zara Leandra placed third in 38.57 seconds.

Thirteen-year-old Uceko, a KWPN gelding by Celano x Koriander, has had an illustrious career with Farrington including some big wins at Spruce Meadows. Following a fantastic 2013 season, Farrington decided to give Uceko a rest while he focused on some of his other horses. Uceko has not shown since December and came out for the first time this week looking immediately back on form.

“That horse has worked really hard for me for four years,” Farrington explained. “Now that I have some other horses that have stepped up to be competitive, I thought he deserved a break. I gave him six months to not even look at a jump and forget about showing for a while. This is his first week out. He feels really fresh and better than ever and really excited to be back at a show. I could not be happier with him.”

Commenting on their winning round, Farrington noted, “My horse has a very big stride, so the field really suits him. He is also quite brave, so he can kind of go on the attack at the jumps. With him, it’s really just playing to his strengths as a horse.”

Often a consistent winner at Spruce Meadows each year, Thursday’s win was actually Farrington’s first victory at the Summer Series. He has gotten a lot of good experience in with his younger horses, but was happy to finally take a round of honor.

“That’s sometimes our sport and how it goes. It’s a game of inches and half-seconds,” Farrington acknowledged. “I had a couple things not break my way so far, so it is good to get a win under our belt, so to speak. I didn’t bring as many experienced horses as in the past. I really just brought Voyeur for the bigger classes. I have a bunch of younger ones that are getting a lot of miles and they are competitive, but they aren’t really ready to win. When you have an experienced horse like Uceko, it is really nice to go in a class and know that you can put the pressure on, put the hammer down, and go to really compete and not have to hold back.”

As Uceko continues to get back in shape, Farrington will likely jump him one more time this week with the ultimate goal of competing in the final grand prix of the Summer Series, the $400,000 Pan American Cup presented by Rolex on Sunday, July 13. He plans to jump Voyeur in Saturday’s $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

“Voyeur has done more, so that was my plan,” Farrington stated. “I think he is really a great horse as well, but he doesn’t have as much experience. This is one of the best venues not just for the top horses, but also to produce a horse. If they jump here in this ring over these jumps, you can feel pretty comfortable that they can go almost anywhere in the world.”

Darragh Kenny and Picolo
Darragh Kenny and Picolo

Kenny and Picolo Win Again

The $35,000 PwC Cup 1.50m was held on Thursday with a win for Ireland’s Darragh Kenny aboard Oakland Ventures LLC’s Picolo. Thirty-eight entries jumped the first round track followed by a seven-horse jump-off with three double clear rounds.

Eric Lamaze (CAN) was first to go over the short course with Artisan Farms LLC’s Zigali P S and set the time to beat at a very fast 38.69 seconds, but eventually settled for second place when Kenny and Picolo took the challenge, next to go. They blazed through the course in 37.33 seconds to take the lead. Kevin Babington (IRL) and Shorapur LLC’s Shorapur completed the only other double clear round in 40.00 seconds to finish third. Quentin Judge (USA) and Double H Farm’s HH Dark de la Hart had the fastest four-fault round in the jump-off in 37.96 seconds for a fourth-place finish.

Kenny and Picolo have been on quite a roll this summer, including a win in Wednesday’s $33,500 AON Cup 1.45m as well as two victories in the ‘National’ Tournament. Although Kenny has many fantastic mounts, he owns Picolo himself through his Oakland Ventures LLC, and has a special appreciation for the talented gelding.

“He’s my pet,” Kenny smiled. “He’s my favorite. He is not a 1.60m horse; he never will be a 1.60m horse, but I gave everything I had to buy him. I got him, and he has never put a foot wrong for me. He goes in the ring every day and tries harder than any horse I know. Today I turned back to the second to last jump in the jump-off and I was at no distance, no anything, and I was like, ‘Ok, here you go,’ and he was like, ‘I got it, it’s no problem.’ When you have a horse like that, it’s an incredible feeling. It is also great because he is my own. That makes it even more special.”

Kenny spoke about his winning round in Thursday’s competition, explaining that although he won, Picolo was a big help in the jump-off.

“The course was quite tough. The time allowed was very tight in the first round,” he noted. “I went very early on before the break, so he had a lot of time to rest, which seems to be working for him. It’s difficult to keep your concentration for that length of time and go back in, but the horse is an incredible horse. I don’t think today was one of my best rides in jump-off rounds, but I think he saved me a lot. I don’t think I have ever ridden something so careful that wants to win so much. I stepped him up a little bit today to 1.50m, which isn’t a huge problem for him. I have been using him in the 1.45m classes because I know he definitely wins those! He coped super today. I was a little worried about Eric. Zigali is one of his best horses. He went first and he went very fast, so I had a lot to do, but when you have a horse like that, it’s easy.”

Kenny has had a phenomenal summer and praised his great horses. “I’m very happy! I have been very lucky,” he smiled. “All of my horses have been going great. They seem to like it a lot here. Like everyone, confidence is a huge thing. It doesn’t matter who you are, from me to Eric Lamaze to somebody in the 1.20m division, it’s all about confidence. If you can believe in yourself and believe in the horse, when you win classes, you get more confident, and then you just get on a roll. When you’re winning, it’s a lot easier to put the bad rounds behind you. It is a massive advantage to have a lot of nice horses. I have eight horses that I’m showing in the FEI division here. It’s an incredible opportunity and I think that is the main key to my success, that I have super, super horses.”

McLain Ward and Zander
McLain Ward and Zander

Ward and Zander Secure Victory in Suncast Cup

The $33,500 Suncast Cup 1.45m was the first competition of the day in the International Ring with a win for McLain Ward (USA) and the 10-year-old KWPN gelding Zander (Cantos x Saygon), owned by Ward and Grant Road Partners LLC. The pair was incredibly fast over Leopoldo Palacios’ speed track, setting the winning time of 63.61 seconds out of 78 competitors. In total, the course saw 17 clear rounds.

Ward finished almost three seconds faster than second place finisher Will Simpson (USA) aboard Monarch International’s Warrant with a time of 66.50 seconds. Nick Dello Joio (USA) and Coker Farm’s Contiki finished third in 67.38 seconds.

Ward and Zander have already had a great summer at Spruce Meadows with a win in the $33,500 Westmoreland Cup 1.50m during the ‘National’ Tournament in June as well as a second place in the $85,000 ATB Financial Cup 1.55M that same week.

Kicking off this week’s ‘North American’ Tournament, Zander jumped in Wednesday night’s 1.55m competition, but had some trouble on course that resulted in elimination. Ward chose to step down to the 1.45m track on Thursday to give his horse a positive experience.

“We went at a funny time of the day, and obviously it wasn’t a great round,” Ward acknowledged. “He was very backed off in that line on the side (of the ring). It was a different kind of test, and I would have handled some things different in my preparation. I went with a small spur; I should have had something bigger. I made a few errors in my prep, but actually, I had a feeling he would come back pretty strong today. I did decide to put him in this class because of it, to try and get him to even out a little bit. The speed class is normally pretty good for that.”

Ward had Zander revved up and flying from the start for Thursday’s 1.45m round. The first fence was set straight at the side of the ring where they had an issue the night before, but the rider was on it.

“It was going up into that same kind of slot that he struggled with yesterday,” Ward noted. “Yesterday was a little bit darker when I went, but I wanted him in front of my leg. He had a really good warm-up today. He’s the type of horse where you set the pace, and he’s careful enough to stay on it like that.”

The pair also went 35th out of 78 entries, and Ward knew that he had to set an unbeatable time to maintain the lead to the end.

“There were 40 coming behind me. Here, when you have those kind of numbers, you have to keep that in mind,” he detailed. “It’s not like a jump-off where I typically go with the philosophy, ‘beat what’s in front of me, the chips will fall where they are.’ That’s my way of thinking. This is a situation where you have to be aware of what’s coming behind you in a class. Forty entries, at this level, if you just beat what’s in front of you, you end up in the middle of the pack.”

“Zander was great,” Ward stated. “He is great at these speed competitions. He is careful, and he has a huge stride. I knew it was a big field, and I knew there were some fast ones coming behind, so I was going to try and set a pace that was a challenge for them, and fortunately it held up.”

The ‘North American’ Tournament continues on Friday with the $33,500 Pepsi Challenge 1.45m and the $50,000 LaFarge Cup 1.50m in the International Ring. For more information and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

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Farrington Wins Second Leg of Longines Final, but Guerdat and Delaveau Share the Lead Going into Monday’s Decider

Kent Farrington and Voyeur galloped to a thrilling victory in the second leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Lyon (FRA), 19 April 2014 – America’s Kent Farrington and Voyeur galloped to victory in the thrilling second leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final 2013/2014 at Lyon, France tonight. From a starting field of 38 there were 21 into the jump-off and the US rider produced a devastating turn of speed against the clock that rocketed him up from overnight 18th place to lie equal-10th going into Monday’s third and deciding competition following tonight’s success.

Olympic champion, Steve Guerdat from Switzerland, lined up second ahead of defending FEI World Cup Jumping champion Beezie Madden from the USA, while Germany’s Daniel Deusser finished fourth ahead of French rider Patrice Delaveau in fifth.

After the results of the first two competitions have been calculated, it is Guerdat and Delaveau who top the leaderboard going into the last day when they will both start on a zero score, followed by Deusser carrying two penalty points, and Madden, Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, and first-day winner Pius Schwizer from Switzerland next in line carrying four penalty points apiece. It’s going to be a close-fought affair right to the very end, as only six penalty points separate the top 10.

Course

The first-round course included a vertical at fence five followed by a looping turn to another, with an option, at six and that led to the triple combination at fence seven which consisted of two big square oxers followed by a vertical. A left-hand bend led on to a rustic Swedish oxer at eight and a four-stride run to a double – gate to oxer – at nine before tackling the delicate white gate at 10, three fences from home. A right-bending line after the oxer at 11 led on to the penultimate vertical and another four-stride distance to the final oxer.

In the jump-off the ability to make a tight loop back from the vertical at five to the one at six proved pivotal in every sense, while the rollback from the oxer at seven to the two elements of fence nine was also critical. However, it was the long run from there to the final oxer that had the spectators gripping their seats and gasping with excitement as the cream of the sport battled it out in the intense jump-off.

American riders have always demonstrated a particular flair for running and jumping against the clock and, fourth to go in the timed round, Charlie Jayne and Chill RZ were the first to do just that when setting the target with a second clear in 42.52 seconds. US colleague, Katie Dinan, had two down with Nougat du Vallet, and although Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander was clear with Ego van Orti, her careful tour of the track in 50.51 seconds presented no threat.

Next in was Farrington however, and the Florida-based 33-year-old electrified the arena with an amazingly tight turn from five to six and a heart-stopping gallop to the last that broke the beam in 39.69 seconds. That was now the time they all had to beat, and none of them could do it.

Chances were dashed

Kevin Staut’s chances were dashed when the Frenchman’s mare, Silvana HDC, jammed on the brakes at 10 after lowering the first element at nine, and two fences on the floor left both Britain’s Michael Whitaker and Viking and America’s McLain Ward and Rothchild out of contention. Leslie Burr-Howard was having a fine cut at it until her bay stallion, Tic Tac, hit fence six but fellow-American Beezie Madden left all the poles in place to slot, temporarily, into runner-up spot with Simon in 40.35 seconds.

World No. 1, Britain’s Scott Brash, steered Ursula Xll to a smooth round in 42.16 seconds and, celebrating his 40th birthday today, Germany’s Marcus Ehning gave yet another exhibition of superb jumping with the fabulous grey Cornado NRW but didn’t pose any problem for the leader when crossing the line in 43.66 seconds. Fellow-German and 2011 champion, Christian Ahlmann, steered Aragon Z home in 42.13 while Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten posted a clear in 43.74 with VDL Groep NOP, so it wasn’t until the closing stages that Farrington’s supremacy really came under further attack.

Daniel Deusser put Germany near the top of the scoreboard when producing a super-smooth run from Cornet d’Amour that brought them across the line in 40.61 seconds, but Guerdat’s round that followed shaved a half-second off that. His Olympic ride, the 13-year-old gelding Nino des Buissonnets, is always a spectacular horse to watch as he looks so busy and seems to do the impossible time and again, particularly against the clock. And tonight was no exception, the spectators gasping when the pole on top of the second element of the double at fence 9 jumped out of the cups and then back in again, while the Swiss man’s breathtaking run to the last and Nino’s enormous leap at the final fence were nothing short of sensational.

But it still wasn’t quick enough to oust Farrington from the head of affairs, and when Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum and Chiara hit the second element at nine, French challenger Delaveau stayed clear but almost two seconds slower with Lacrimoso HDC and first-day winner Pius Schwizer also faulted at fence nine with Toulago it was game over.

Super-speedy

Farrington talked about his super-speedy 12-year-old horse afterwards. “He’s naturally fast by himself so I try to let him run at his own speed – his speed is his speed – and the more I can leave him alone the better he jumps!” he explained. “I got Voyeur as a nine-year-old and he has come back from an injury. I have high hopes for him – he is strong and aggressive but I think he is a spectacular horse,” the Florida-based rider added.

Runner-up Guerdat talked about the 2014 Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final and what it means to him, especially since he came so very close to victory last year. “I have been very motivated for a long time about this Final. Today was important but in the end you don’t remember the one who finishes second. There is a lot of pressure because you want to make sure you don’t make any silly mistakes and let it slip away,” said the man who is clearly targeting the trophy.

He was happy with Nino des Buissonnet’s performance today. “He’s jumping very well, but we saw in the first round a few times where he was over careful – he jumped the triple combination too high and then it makes life a little bit hard keeping him under control, so hopefully he’ll calm down a bit for the final on Monday, because if it’s big, I need to have a little better round.”

When asked if he wants to win, he replied, “Yes, but I think everybody else does too – there are many other riders who want to win it and who also have the quality to win it, so we’ll see who’s the best on Monday!” One of those others is Delaveau who shares the top of the leaderboard going into that final competition and who will have the roar of the home crowd behind him as he attempts to clinch the crown of indoor Jumping – the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping title – for the host nation of France for only the second time in the 36-year history of the prestigious series. And, lying joint-fourth and just a single fence off the leading pair as the action gets underway, is another – defending champion Madden who is most unlikely to give up that trophy of trophies without a serious fight.

FEI YouTube: http://youtu.be/Tej3aSUtgz4

Full result here.

Facts and Figures:

America’s Kent Farrington flew to victory in the second leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final at Lyon, France tonight riding the 12-year-old Voyeur.

Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat finished second with his Olympic gold medal winning ride Nino des Buissonnets and shares the top of the leaderboard going into Monday’s third and deciding competition with Patrice Delaveau from France who, tonight, slotted in fifth place.

38 horse-and-rider combinations lined out in tonight’s second Final competition and 21 went into the second round against the clock.

11 double-clear rounds were recorded.

Germany’s Daniel Deusser finished fourth and lies third on the leaderboard after the first two legs of the Final.

Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, defending champion Beezie Madden from the USA, and first-day winner Pius Schwizer from Switzerland share fourth place, and only a single fence separates the top six riders going into Monday’s last test.

Quotes:

Kent Farrington USA, talking about his winning ride Voyeur: “Producing horses and bringing them along, you have to go at the steps that they’re ready for, so I’m excited to have him at that level and I think with more experience he could be a superstar!”

Frank Rothenberger, course designer: “I was expecting between 10 and 12 clears but we got a few too many. Unfortunately the time wasn’t a factor, a few seconds less and we would have had 10 to 12 clears. The course was big enough, the oxers were at 1.90m and the verticals were 1.60m – to me it was big enough. We have another two rounds on Monday and I didn’t want to take too much from the horses tonight, but 21 (into the jump-off) was definitely too many.”

Vicky Roycroft, former champion rider from Australia, talking about the big number of competitors in the jump-off: “The footing makes a big difference; horses make up a lot of ground on this surface and the ring is big, so taking out strides is easy which makes the time easier to get.”

Patrice Delaveau FRA talking about his jump-off ride: “I didn’t take a risk from the start. You can go really fast and have a rail down or go slower and end up finishing halfway between the two. I took an extra stride to the last and was slightly slower as a result, but so far so good!”

Daniel Deusser GER: “It is difficult in a jump-off with 21 riders but in the end I was always coming here to win so I had to try to be clear. I’ve had two good results; yesterday I was sixth and today fourth but there were three ahead of me today and if you have one down you drop a lot so I decided to take the medium risk in the jump-off and have a good result and it worked out well for me.”

Audio Files:

Kent Farrington
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Lyon_farrington_day2.mp3

Steve Guerdat
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Lyon_guerdat_day2.mp3

Scott Brash
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Lyon_brash_day2.mp3

Daniel Deusser   German Version
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Lyon_deusser_day2_ger.mp3

Daniel Deusser English Version
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Lyon_deusser_day2.mp3

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Rider biographies: view online and download from http://fei.org/fei/your-role/media/biographies.

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Kent Farrington and Voyeur Triumph in $125,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9

Kent Farrington and Voyeur. Photos © Sportfot.

Ben Maher and Aristo Z Top $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Speed; Nicole Bellissimo and VDL Bellefleur Win $25,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Semi-Final

Wellington, FL – March 7, 2014 – The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) hosted a full schedule of international show jumping at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Friday with several feature competitions during the day and night. The morning kicked off with the remaining jump-off competitors from Thursday’s $125,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9 and a victory for Kent Farrington (USA) and Voyeur. A $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class was held later in the afternoon with a win for Ben Maher (GBR) and Aristo Z. The $25,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series Semi-Final was also held in the evening with a win for Nicole Bellissimo (USA) and VDL Bellefleur.

FTI WEF week nine, sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies, continues through Sunday, March 9. The $280,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI-W 4*, presented by The Bainbridge Companies, will be the highlight on Saturday night and the $84,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic will be held on Sunday. The FTI WEF features 12 weeks of world-class competition through March 30, awarding $8 million in prize money.

FTI WEF hosted the start of its $125,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9 on Thursday with 89 entries and 23 jumping clear to advance to the jump-off over the Alan Wade (IRL) designed course. Unfortunately, only ten of the jump-off entries were able to complete their rounds before a severe storm blew through the show grounds. The remaining 13 entries showed on Friday morning with Kent Farrington (USA) and Amalaya Investments’ Voyeur jumping to victory. The pair cleared the course in the fastest time of 42.86 seconds.

Lauren Hough (USA) and Ohlala were the leaders coming into Friday morning after completing their jump-off round on Thursday in 45.21 seconds. Hough then beat her own time in 44.91 seconds aboard Karina Rotenburg’s Böckmanns Lazio on Friday. Hough finished third and fourth with her two mounts when Farrington and Voyeur blazed the fastest pace, followed by the second fastest round of Daniel Deusser (GER) and Stephex Stables’ Cornet d’Amour in 44.55 seconds.

Farrington explained that Voyeur, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Tolano van’t Riethof x Goodwill, has had some time off since an injury last summer and is just coming back. “This is his first bigger class back,” the rider noted. “I have been bringing him back real slow and jumping just smaller classes here. He is naturally very fast and he is a spectacular horse, so hopefully he stays healthy. He’s an unbelievable horse.”

“He is on the attack right from the get go,” Farrington said of his impressive jump-off round. “He has a massive, massive stride and he is very fast on his feet at the same time, so he has sort of the best of both. He has the foot speed of a small horse and the stride length of a big horse.”

“Over the time bringing him back, I have really worked on his control,” Farrington added. “He has always been a great jumper and obviously his gallop has always been like that, but my control wasn’t very good before. He was running off with me a lot of times in the jump-offs, so rollbacks or a very short line at the end was a real challenge with him.”

It was a little bit of a different situation for the riders that had to compete in the jump-off on Friday as their first round of the day, but that did not affect Farrington or Voyeur’s performance. “It was a little strange,” he admitted. “It is kind of like a speed class with only eight jumps, but it is very good money for this class and for me it is more about getting this horse back and going well. I wanted Voyeur to be able to do this jump-off more for my practice and his experience.”

“I think you have to make the best of the situation,” he said of the decision to postpone the remainder of the jump-off. “Had there been a way to see the weather coming, obviously it would have been better if everybody in the jump-off went together, but that wasn’t possible. I don’t think they had any other choice.”

Farrington plans to show Voyeur again on Saturday and will plan the horse’s schedule from there. “I haven’t planned too far ahead,” he explained. “I am just excited that he is back in the sport and that he feels good and that he is going as well as he is. I will go step by step and see where it takes us.”

In addition to the prize money for the class, Farrington earned a special $3,000 bonus as part of the SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion for wearing his SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves. Each week of the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series, a $3,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning rider if they are wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves in all rounds of competition with the SSG logo clearly visible.

Ben Maher and Aristo Z
Ben Maher and Aristo Z

Ben Maher and Aristo Z Top $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m

A $34,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class was held Friday afternoon in the International Arena at PBIEC with an exciting win for Ben Maher (GBR) and Jane Clark’s Aristo Z. The class saw 60 competitors with 20 clear rounds and an increasingly fast pace as the rounds went on. Fifth to go, Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Spy Coast Farm LLC’s Cyklon 1083 set a very tough time to beat at 63.23 seconds. The pair held the lead through most of the class until two of the finals competitors eventually pushed them into third.

Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Oakland Ventures LLC’s Picolo were the first combination to edge out Sweetnam’s time in 62.97 seconds, eventually finishing second. A few rounds later, Ben Maher and Aristo Z completed the fastest round in 62.23 seconds. Last to go, Meagan Nusz (USA) and Amalaya Investments’ Vesuvius jumped into fourth in 64.11 seconds.

Aristo Z is a ten-year-old Zangersheide gelding that Maher has had for several years, but is showing this year under new ownership for Jane Clark. Since the change, this is Aristo Z’s first win.

“He is normally a winner at those sorts of speed classes,” Maher noted. “Jane secured him for me just before Christmas. He was with another owner for the last couple of years, and he has won a lot of classes in different arenas. He is a great asset to the team.”

“I said to Jane before we got here that he might not love Florida,” Maher said. “It is a really big ring, and he is quite good in small arenas where he can kind of bounce off the walls a little bit. He has been jumping well, but we put him back in his old bridle today because I switched him to something else when I arrived and he wasn’t winning. I spoke to Jane on the phone, and I said that I was going to try him in the old bit. We put it on and Jane made it back to watch and he won, so I am just happy that he has kind of ‘broken the duck’ for Team Clark.”

Maher explained that Aristo Z’s speed and agility are what gave him the winning time in Friday’s class. “He is a useful horse,” he stated. “He has jumped some bigger classes in one or two grand prix when I have needed him to, but this is kind of his division here, the 1.45m or 1.50m speed classes. He can bend his body very well. He is naturally very fast everywhere and today there were options to leave strides out in the course and I actually didn’t. I kept the correct amount of strides, especially early on, and luckily his speed over the jumps and across the ground just was fast enough. These are difficult classes to win. There are quite a lot in them and a lot of galloping, and I am just happy he won a class here now.”

Also showing on Friday, Laura Chapot earned her fifth win of the week in the International Arena at FTI WEF. Chapot has been unstoppable this week, winning back to back classes on Wednesday in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m speed class with Bradberry and the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class riding Mary Chapot’s Umberto. On Thursday, she won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m jump-off class aboard Quointreau un Prince, a horse she co-owns with McLain Ward. On Friday, Chapot added two more wins to her week, topping the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge with Bradberry and the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class riding Umberto.

Bradberry, a 16-year-old Selle Francais gelding, has been winning classes for several years with Chapot in the irons and kept his streak alive this week. He also posted back to back victories in both the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m speed class and the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge during weeks six and eight.

Chapot has won classes outside of the International Arena this week as well, winning both the $2,500 Derby Gold Pine Shavings 1.35m speed and jump-off classes with Mary Chapot’s Castellana, and topping a $1,500 Adequan 8-Year-Old Young Jumper class with Out of Ireland for owner The Edge. She continues to be one of the top riders at FTI WEF each year.

Nicole Bellissimo and VDL Bellefleur
Nicole Bellissimo and VDL Bellefleur

Nicole Bellissimo and VDL Bellefleur Win $25,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series Semi-Final

The $25,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series Semi-Final was held on Friday night, presented by the Dutta Corporation in association with Guido Klatte. Fifty young riders under the age of 25 competed under the lights in the International Arena, with seven clear rounds to jump-off, and a win for 20-year-old Nicole Bellissimo of Wellington, FL.

Riding Bellissimo LLC’s VDL Bellefleur, an eight-year-old KWPN mare by Cardento x Emilion, Bellissimo jumped the only double clear round in the jump-off to take top honors in 51.64 seconds. Twenty-four-year-old Jordan MacPherson of Toronto, Ontario finished second aboard JEM Stables’ Piccobello du val de Geer with the fastest four-fault round in 45.39 seconds. Twenty-year-old Adrienne Sternlicht of Greenwich, CT jumped into third with four faults in 47.24 seconds aboard Starlight Farms’ Oreade de Dames.

The young rider series was developed thanks to Artisan Farms as a stepping stone for up-and-coming riders as they gain experience competing at the grand prix level. In addition to great experience for the riders, it can also be a stepping stone for young horses. In the case of Nicole Bellissimo and VDL Bellefleur, the series serves as an amazing opportunity for both horse and rider.

“She is actually a very special horse for me,” Bellissimo stated after her win. “I have had her for about a year and a half. She is only eight, so I got her when she was turning seven, and I am the only one that has shown her. I did her throughout her seven-year-old year and I brought her to Spruce Meadows last summer, so she has done a lot as a young horse. We moved her up this year and this is the biggest class that she has ever done, so it is really exciting for me that she went out and did so well. She is just stepping up to doing this level.”

Bellissimo showed in the young rider series two years ago in 2012, but explained that she did not have a horse to compete with last year. “This year is the first year that I have done all of the classes,” she noted. “It is fantastic for bringing up young horses that aren’t quite ready to go in the WEFs (Challenge Cup) or the grand prix classes, but maybe you want to step them up from the High Amateurs or the High Juniors. It is also great for riders such as me who are stepping up to the WEFs, but maybe aren’t as competitive in that, and want another stepping stone. I want to thank Artisan Farms for sponsoring the series because it is really great for the young horses and riders such as me that are moving up to the next level.”

In her freshman year at Harvard University in Boston, Bellissimo commutes back and forth from Wellington each week to compete between a full schedule of classes. This week was especially busy, but the extra traveling paid off in the end.

“This week was a little bit hectic because I had a midterm,” Bellissimo detailed. “I go to school in Boston, and I actually had an exam yesterday. I usually fly in Wednesday nights so I can show my horse on Thursdays. I am the only one that shows her, so we didn’t want to change anything and have my trainer (Candice King) show her, but I was a bit panicked because I couldn’t fly in to show yesterday. She just had to walk into the class tonight and I was really scared going in, but she really took care of me. She ended up being fantastic.”

Going second to last in the jump-off with everyone before her having rails, Bellissimo’s main goal was a clear round. “I just wanted to go in and do a nice clear and hope that it was nice enough to be quick enough if the last person went clear, but at the same time if the last person had a rail also,” she said.

This is the biggest win of the young rider’s career, and a very exciting accomplishment on home turf. “It is my biggest win so far and it is extra special with a horse that I have kind of brought along myself,” Bellissimo acknowledged. “She means a lot to me, and she is always fighting for me so much every time she goes in the ring. She has never done anything wrong. It was just really exciting that other people can see how great she is.”

A student in her fourth year at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, Jordan MacPherson has had success in the young rider series before and was very happy with her rounds aboard Piccobello du val de Geer, a 15-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare (Kannan x Skippy II).

“It was exciting,” MacPherson smiled after the class. “I have had her for about four years now, and I have done two other years with her in this series. She came out here like a pro tonight and was amazing. She gave me her heart, so I couldn’t be happier.”

Adrienne Sternlicht, a sophomore at Brown University, also had a great experience with her mount Oreade des Dames, a 12-year-old Selle Francais mare by Kannan x Hurlevent. “I have had her for three years, and she was really my horse that we intended for these classes,” Sternlicht explained. “I bought her as a nine-year-old for these young rider classes, and she has ended up doing some more. She jumped the ‘WEF’ yesterday. I think it is nice for her to be challenged with a bigger class every once in a while and then we bring her in this level and 1.45m/1.50m is really her comfort zone and she is quite a fast horse. I was really just trying to be a medium double clear and that didn’t work out, but she was fantastic tonight and I am thrilled with the way she went.”

Sternlicht first jumped in the young rider series two years ago and then was out last winter with an injury. “This year for me has been the first year that I really feel competitive at this level, and I am starting to be competitive at a bigger level,” Sternlicht acknowledged. “For me, I was more nervous for today than I was for the WEF (Challenge Cup) because I kind of put pressure on myself in these classes to really perform. I think it is a fantastic series, and it is a really neat experience.”

Week nine competition will continue on Saturday with the feature $280,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI-W 4*, presented by The Bainbridge Companies at 7 p.m., which will be live streamed at http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/2014-280000-fei-world-cup-grand-prix-live. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

About FTI Consulting, Inc.

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 4,000 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.58 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2012. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival

The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 8 through March 30. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded.

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

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel Smoke the Competition in $84,000 Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3*

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel. Photos © Sportfot.

Amateur-Owner and Junior 3’3″ Hunters Crown Champions of WCHR Competition at FTI WEF

Wellington, FL – February 14, 2014 – A special $84,000 Salamander Hotels & Resorts Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* was held on Friday night at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) with another exciting win for Kent Farrington (USA) and his speedy mount, Blue Angel. The pair has been on fire this season and topped the class almost three seconds faster than second place finishers Cian O’Connor (IRL) and Carolus Z. Australia’s Benjamin Meredith and Bernadien van Westuur finished third.

FTI WEF week six, sponsored by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, runs February 12-16, 2014. The week features the coveted World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) competition, with hunters taking to the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) for their daily classes, weekly championships, and a chance to compete in Saturday night’s $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

The $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular will be livestreamed on Chronicle TV on Saturday, February 15, at 7 pm here: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/2014-wchr-hunter-spectacular-live.

As the hunters are featured on the main showgrounds at PBIEC, the highlight jumper competition will be held on the adjacent showgrounds at The Stadium at PBIEC. Exciting jumper classes will be held on the beautiful grass derby field at The Stadium, including the $34,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, and the $50,000 Equestrian Sotheby’s Jumper Derby at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

On Friday night, Great Britain’s Richard Jeffery set the course for 42 starters in the grand prix, held in the International Ring at The Stadium at PBIEC, with eight clear rounds to jump-off. Third to go in the order, Kent Farrington and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel slammed the door on the other competitors, not leaving little room for improvement on their blazing fast time of 36.58 seconds for the win.

Cian O’Connor and Ronnoco Jump Ltd.’s Carolus Z tried their best and finished second in 39.28 seconds. Benjamin Meredith and River Farm Sporthorses’ Bernadien van Westuur finished third in 41.56 seconds. The only other pair to clear the short course without fault, Thomas Dresler (DEN) and Never Say Never, placed fourth in 42.52 seconds. Emanuel Andrade (VEN) and Hollow Creek Farm’s ZZ Top VH Schaarbroek Z had the fastest four-fault round in 37.89 seconds.

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel kicked off the winter with a great win in the $125,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix CSI 2*, presented by Rolex, in January and also had a great start to this week with a win in Thursday’s $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6. The momentum of that win just one day prior definitely helped keep the pair on their toes for Friday night’s class.

“Blue Angel is a very consistent horse. She has been a real winner for me over the last year, and I think she is just starting to hit her stride for this season,” Farrington stated after his win. “Yesterday was a great warm up. A ‘Table A’ class like that really suits the horse in this venue, and I thought it was the same tonight. It really suited the horse’s strengths, and in the jump-off, I really just let her do her thing.”

“I thought I got a couple lucky rubs actually in the first round, and she came out for the jump-off and really upped her game and jumped much better,” Farrington noted. “She was back on form and felt more like herself in the jump-off.”

Talking about his super-fast pace through the short course, Farrington detailed, “It’s a very competitive horse. She has had a lot of experience and we have gotten to know each other really well, so she’s looking for the fences now off the corner. More and more, the more I ride her, the more she knows me. We know each other’s moves, and she knows what to expect.”

Farrington also acknowledged the great venue at The Stadium at PBIEC for Friday’s class, which was a nice change for both horses and riders as well as a more intimate setting with the fantastic Friday night crowd.

“I think this is a great change of pace from the other venue,” Farrington stated. “It’s great for the horses not to feel like they are showing in the same ring over and over again. This has an indoor feel to it in terms of dimensions with a close audience to the arena, and I think they could really use this ring for World Cup qualifiers. I think it would really help prepare our horses for World Cup Finals much better than the bigger arena over there (on the Main Grounds). It’s always sort of a shock to our horses to go from a huge gallop outside to a tiny indoor ring, so that could be really beneficial to us in the future.”

Blue Angel has won classes in many different venues and proved that she likes the ring at The Stadium with back to back wins this week. “She’s pretty versatile like that, but I think as rideable as she is, she can really excel in an arena like this,” Farrington said.

Cian O'Connor and Carolus Z
Cian O’Connor and Carolus Z

For Cian O’Connor, the second place finish was great with Carolus Z, who he explained is a fairly new mount.

“It’s the first grand prix placing with him, so I’m pretty happy,” O’Connor stated. “I knew it was going to be mission impossible to beat Kent, so I just tried to jump a clear round and hopefully hold on for second place. It was great prize money tonight, so thanks very much to the sponsor. It is fantastic to come to a different venue, but also to jump for this kind of money is fantastic. Some people are jumping younger horses or new horses, and it’s great; it’s worthwhile.”

“I just got him in the winter, so I did a few indoors with him,” O’Connor said of Carolus Z. “He is a big horse to keep together and I’m just getting the hang of him, so hopefully good things to come.”

Benjamin Meredith was quite pleased to get a top finish with his mount, Bernadien van Westuur, and explained that this was his first time showing in a big grand prix at the FTI WEF.

“I’m stoked to be here with these guys; this is very exciting for me,” Meredith said. “Thank you very much to Sheila Johnson for sponsoring the class. My partnership with this horse is relatively new, and I’m actually not the rider of this horse. My client, Haley Schaufeld, who normally rides it, is up north at a funeral and Fred Schaufeld is part owner of a couple of things with Salamander, so it is really exciting that this could work out.”

“This is actually my first big grand prix in Wellington, so it’s pretty exciting really, and it’s really cool to ride here,” Meredith acknowledged. “The horse was really great tonight. She has not jumped this big in a while, so halfway through the first round she was jumping a little too high, and then she went ‘Oh right, I remember,’ and then it was fine.”

“She has to keep going, and I just thought, ‘Why not?'” Meredith said of the decision to jump in the night class. “I did the ‘WEF’ (Challenge Cup) and she was really fun, so I thought I would give it a go and it worked out!”

Sheila C. Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, was thrilled with the fantastic class and praised the riders on a job well done.

“First of all, I would like to thank the Bellissimos,” Johnson stated. “This is incredible. I think all evening, I have been hearing how much the spectators love this venue and I think the riders like it, it’s much more intimate. We love the other ring also, but this is much more of a European-type ring. I just have to say that as the sponsor, I live my life believing in the double bottom line. The sport has been so terrific for my family and my daughter. Kent is my daughter’s trainer, which I am thrilled about. This is my way to be able to give back to the sport and I think that’s very important. I hope that there are many other families that want to give back to the sport as well.”

“It has been terrific for my children to grow up in this environment, and to be able to really see them strive for the passion that they have and for the love of the sport,” Johnson continued. “It is really just an honor to be able to be a sponsor tonight. It is also a way of showcasing the third act of my life- this is my third company, so it just really fits into this venue with the equestrian feel. The resort in Middleburg is an equestrian resort of the highest caliber, so we are just very excited for its future and invite anyone to come see it, especially the riders!”

Amateur-Owner and Junior 3’3″ Hunters Crown Champions of WCHR Competition

As World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) competition continues at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), Amateur-Owner and Junior Hunter divisions set at the 3’3″ height awarded top honors on Friday afternoon. For the victories, Friday’s champions will earn spots in the $5,000 WCHR Amateur-Owner Junior Hunter 3’3″ Classic on Sunday morning.

Enough Said and Stephanie Danhakl
Enough Said and Stephanie Danhakl

The FarmVet Amateur-Owner 18-35 3’3″ Hunter division was the first to announce division championship recipients, with Stephanie Danhakl taking champion with Enough Said as well as reserve champion with Quest.

Danhakl was thrilled with her one-two finish with her two new mounts. Enough Said, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding, won the under saddle class and finished first in the final over fences round for the division in the International Arena. Quest, a seven-year-old Warmblood gelding, was second to Enough Said in the under saddle before earning first and sixth place ribbons over fences.

“I am so happy with them. They were both so amazing!” Danhakl beamed. “Enough Said was a little spooky yesterday, but ended up winning the hack. I came in here today thinking there was no way [Enough Said wouldn’t be spooky again]! He’s really green, and he’s only been to a few shows. But he was just perfect.”

Both horses are relatively new to Danhakl, who just acquired them at the end of last year. Enough Said and Quest are both still green, evidenced by Enough Said’s extra spirit during the jog for the class in the International Arena. Danhakl admitted she’s enjoying still getting to know them, and both horses’ talent is undeniable. In addition to Friday’s results, trainer Scott Stewart rode Quest to the Equine Tack & Nutritionals First Year Green Working Hunter championship on Thursday morning.

Despite being mounted on green horses, Danhakl was excited to take on the sprawling International Arena, explaining that it suited Enough Said quite well. “Enough Said has a huge stride, so I’m constantly thinking about steadying and collecting everywhere in the ring, so it was nice today to just be able to go on his natural stride and go with a little more pace. It was definitely fun for me to ride him in here and it was lucky that we didn’t get going too fast!” she said with a smile. “It’s nice to have the space to just get out and gallop and have fun.”

Seasoned partners Daryl Portela and Winner, an eleven-year-old Warmblood gelding, were next to pick up top honors. Portela and Winner were second under saddle before finishing second and first over fences. Reserve champion for the division was Positano, owned and ridden by Missy Luczak-Smith. Positano and Luczak-Smith won the under saddle class and placed third and second over fences.

Winner has continued to live up to his name, picking up countless division championships with Portela in the irons over the last several years, but his worth goes far behind his raw talent. “I’m really competitive, so it’s nice that I can always count on him and trust him. It’s different going into that big [International Arena], but I can trust him and know he’s not going to do anything stupid,” Portela expressed.

As with many top horses, Portela and trainer Jimmy Torano carefully pick which shows Winner goes to in order to keep him in top form without over-showing. Winner is always aimed at WCHR week at the FTI WEF, and Portela believes he can sense when an important class is at stake.

“We pick and choose our shows, but I think he knows. He knows the prestige and he rises to the occasion for sure. We’re both really competitive and aim for the same thing, and the results have been good!” Portela smiled.

One of the highlights of the week for Portela was her top score in the handy round for the division. Winner has always done well in those classes, but Portela was particularly excited to win the class with a 90.

“It’s nice when you get 90s thrown at you. You see 90s in the professionals and the top juniors, but [not as often] in the amateurs. You’ll get the 86s and 88s, maybe an 89. So it’s nice,” Portela acknowledged.

Thirteen-year-old Daisy Farish picked up the final division championship of the day with Larkspur in the Junior 3’3″ Hunter division. Larkspur, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, and Farish won two over fences classes and placed second in another to clinch the championship title. The reserve champion for the division was Bombay, ridden by Samantha Cohen and owned by Lyn Pedersen. Bombay and Cohen were first in the under saddle and first and second over fences.

Farish has earned plenty of championship prizes in the pony divisions, and as she continues to transition up into horses, she’s maintained her edge. Her first time riding Larkspur was only a few days ago, but the pair kept their cool in the International Arena for the final class of the division. The Jumbotron, towering palm trees, and spread out course tripped up quite a few riders and horses, but Farish laid down a consistent round with “Larry” to win the class.

“Larry is such a great horse. He doesn’t spook at anything. He was more confident than I was about the course!” Farish laughed. “He makes me feel like I don’t have to worry about him doing anything bad or being fresh.”

She continued, “He’s really fun. He’s got a really great rhythm and the jumps come right up. He was really easy to get to know. He’s very sweet and consistent. He made it easy.”

Farish has enjoyed learning the ropes of the horse divisions, which she admitted were an entirely different world from ponies. “I like it. Horses are so different from ponies because the competition is harder. There’s people that have been doing it longer and I’m smaller [than most other riders in the division], but it’s definitely fun!”

Farish’s win wrapped up WCHR competition on Friday. The 3’6″ junior and amateur-owner divisions will kick off the final round of championships on Saturday before the feature event that evening, the WCHR $100,000 Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

For full show results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

About FTI Consulting, Inc.

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 4,000 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.58 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2012. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival

The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 8 through March 30. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded.

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

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Scott Stewart Clinches First Year Green Working Hunters to Kick Off World Champion Hunter Rider Week

Scott Stewart and Quest. Photos © Sportfot.

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel Top $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6

Wellington, FL – February 13, 2014 – Hunter competition took over the International Arena during Week 6 of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The country’s best hunter riders and horses will compete throughout Week 6 for a qualifying spot in the week’s feature event, the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular on Saturday evening.

FTI WEF week six, sponsored by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, runs February 12-16, 2014. The week features the coveted World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) competition, with hunters taking to the International Arena at PBIEC for their daily classes, weekly championships, and a chance to compete in Saturday night’s $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

The $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular will be livestreamed on Chronicle TV at the following link on Saturday, February 15, at 7 pm here: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/2014-wchr-hunter-spectacular-live.

Friday night’s $84,000 Salamander Hotels and Resorts Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* at The Stadium will also be livestreamed at this link: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/2014-salamander-grand-prix-live.

As the hunters are featured on the main showgrounds at PBIEC, the highlight jumper competitions will be held on the adjacent showgrounds at The Stadium at PBIEC. Exciting jumper classes will be held on the beautiful grass derby field at The Stadium, including the $34,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, and the $50,000 Equestrian Sotheby’s Jumper Derby at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. A special $84,000 Salamander Hotels and Resorts Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* will also be held in the International Ring at The Stadium at PBIEC at 7 p.m. on Friday night as part of the “Friday Night Stars” series. Anyone who wants to purchase a VIP table for Friday night’s grand prix should contact vip@equestriansport.com.

Thursday brought the first round of hunter division champion awards, with Scott Stewart and Quest topping the Equine Tack & Nutritionals First Year Green Working Hunter division. Quest, a seven-year-old Warmblood owned by Stephanie Danhakl, won two over fences classes with Stewart and was third under saddle. The pair was also fifth in the handy round. Reserve champion for the division was Scripted, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Glefke & Kensel LLC and ridden by Kelley Farmer. Farmer piloted Scripted to first and third over fences out of 37 entries for the division. Stewart and Quest were also presented with the Music Row Perpetual Trophy, donated by Susan Stanley, for their victory in the division.

The expansive International Arena and its surrounding stadium seating could be a lot for any green horse to handle even without the towering palm tree additions, but Quest took it all in stride on Thursday morning. “He was awesome. I was a little worried because he schooled a little bit fresh today and it was tough out there with everything blowing around, but not in a bad way. He felt perfect the whole time, so I was really happy with him,” Stewart commented.

Stewart actually owned the gelding up until a few months ago, after buying Quest as a three-year-old with Ken Berkley. Since then, Quest hasn’t seen much of the show ring, showing only once last year at Capital Challenge. Despite being a little inexperienced, Stewart aimed the gelding at WCHR competition during the FTI WEF and also hoped his owner could debut with him in the FarmVet Amateur-Owner 18-35 3’3″ Hunter division the same week. Danhakl and Quest are also off to a good start, wining an over fences class on the first day of competition.

“That was our goal in mind to hope to peak for Hunter Week and for Stephanie to show him this week, so that turned out great,” Stewart smiled.

Peaking in time for WCHR competition is on the mind of every competitor, and Stewart acknowledged that each horse needs a different plan, whether it means showing them early on and giving them time off, or doing a week of prep-work leading up to “Hunter Week.”

“Quest is better the less he does,” Stewart explained. “He’s really brave, always. He’s usually better the first time in the ring.”

That’s lucky for Stewart, since the annual trip south to Wellington from Flemington, NJ, where Stewart’s River’s Edge Farm is based, seems to make Quest uncharacteristically feisty. “He’s always been pretty mature, but for some reason, each year when he comes to Florida he gets a little wild! He’s naturally a very quiet horse. This is only his third show of the season because he was a little bit too fresh to get going well [and keep focused in the ring],” Stewart commented.

Earlier in the day, Stewart swept the Perfect Products High Performance Hunter division with Everly and Golden Rule. Everly, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, was champion of the division after finishing third and first over fences and winning the under saddle to wrap up the division. Stewart rode Golden Rule to reserve champion with third, first, and third place finishes over fences. Stewart was presented with the Peterbilt Special Perpetual Trophy, donated by Leslie Clarke, for his win with Everly.

Up until August, Everly could be seen jumping around 1.50m show jumping courses with Irish show jumper Shane Sweetnam. Stewart and Parker purchased the mare in August and were able to easily transition her into the ideal High Performance Hunter mount for Stewart.

“She started off really well. We’ve had it pretty easy,” Stewart smiled. “We showed her the next week [after we bought her] in Kentucky. I was already there for USEF Pony Finals [Lexington, Ky.], so I got to ride her every day. It was pretty simple. It was just getting her to realize she could be quiet. She’s such a naturally good jumper; there’s nothing really to train her to do!” Stewart remarked.

Keeping Everly relaxed has continued to be Stewart’s focus with the mare, which is why he is unsure of whether she’ll be showing under the lights Saturday evening for the Hunter Spectacular. “I’m worried that she might get a little bit lit up under the lights. I might let her wait [until next year]. I don’t know if that atmosphere might give her flashbacks to her old jumper days! I don’t want to get her upset, so I’m going to wait and see until tomorrow,” Stewart explained.

Stewart picked up his third championship of the day in the Shapley’s Green Conformation Hunter division, this time with Lucador. Stewart was presented with the Wrenwood Farm Perpetual Trophy after winning four of the six classes for the division aboard Lucador, including wins in the model and under saddle. Lucador is a six-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Dr. Betsee Parker.

The reserve champion for the division was also a familiar face: Kelley Farmer collected reserve honors with Scripted, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Glefke & Kensel LLC. The pair won the stake round over fences in addition to placing second and fourth in the model and under saddle, respectively.

Stewart and Farmer continued to trade off division championships, with Farmer topping the Shapley’s Regular Conformation Hunter division with Quotable. The pair won two over fences classes and the model as well as placing second under saddle and eighth in the handy round. Quotable, a nine-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Glefke & Kensel LLC, and Farmer were presented with the Montoga Perpetual Trophy for their victory. The reserve champion for the division was Scott Stewart with Showman. The pair was second in the model, first under saddle, and second, eighth, and second over fences.

Quotable was already familiar with the International Arena after contesting the Hunter Spectacular last year with Farmer. The gelding has been wildly successful with Farmer over the past year, and Farmer couldn’t be more grateful for their success. “Every time, he’s been a winner. He’s done nothing but win for us!” Farmer expressed.

While Quotable is quite a handsome dark bay now, Farmer revealed he wasn’t always so polished looking. Nevertheless, Lane Change Farm knew they had something special on their hands.

“It was funny, when we got him, he was not hugely fat and was sort of that liver chestnut [color]… or really [the color] of this dirt!” Farmer laughed, gesturing to the arena footing. “He walked off that truck though, and we thought, ‘God, he’s going to be a pretty horse!'”

Havens Schatt conquered the Equine Tack & Nutritionals Second Year Green Working Hunter division, winning champion with Balin, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Ainsley Sadlo. Balin and Schatt were first, second, and eighth over fences and fourth under saddle. Schatt was also reserve champion with Bacardi, an eight-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Caroline Moran. The pair was sixth, first, and sixth over fences and finished fifth under saddle. For her win with Balin, Schatt was presented with the Pin Oak Farm Perpetual Trophy.

Balin is a star in his own right, but sharing a barn with a horse like Bacardi, who Schatt has piloted to multiple division championships over the last year, has kept Balin out of the limelight despite multiple wins in the Green Conformation divisions at last year’s FTI WEF. “Balin is great. It’s hard to be in the same barn as Bacardi. Everybody’s all about Bacardi!” Schatt laughed. “But Balin has always held his own.”

She continued, “Balin has always had to catch up to Bacardi in two ways. He only had one year of Pre-Green, where Bacardi did two. Bacardi’s never really done amateur [divisions] all the time, whereas Balin has always had to do both. Balin is just one you can always count on, no matter where you go.”

Balin will get the chance to step into the spotlight on Saturday night. Schatt has decided to leave Bacardi in the barn and let Balin shine. It’s exciting for every rider to qualify for the Saturday evening Hunter Spectacular, but Schatt was especially pleased with Balin’s performance after she asked owner Sadlo to let her show the gelding during FTI WEF 6.

“I had to beg her to let me show him here. She lives in Atlanta, and she was supposed to fly down yesterday. With the ice and everything, they’d already cancelled her flight on Monday. So she was like ‘I can’t come, so what if we just wait and show him Week 7?’ So I had to be like ‘Please? It’s Hunter Week!'” Schatt recounted.

Schatt continued, “She was ecstatic when I called her and told her. It was nice that it worked out!”

Schatt, like all the professional riders qualified thus far, is also looking forward to increased prize money for this year’s Hunter Spectacular. At an impressive $100,000, it’s on par with USHJA International Derby Finals (Lexington, Ky.).

“I think it’s great for the hunters. Any time we can get more money going is good, especially for this kind of class. It’s only open to champion and reserves, and it’s a special thing and a special night,” Schatt commented.

The Performance Hunter divisions wrapped up competition on Thursday evening. The CWD Performance 3’6″ Hunter division was split due to the number of entries, ultimately pinning two division champions. Come Monday, owned by Davlyn Farms, Inc., and ridden by Tara Metzner, were champions of Section A after winning the under saddle and placing fourth, first, and third over fences. The reserve champion was Fonteyn, ridden by Hayley Barnhill and owned by John & Stephanie Ingram. Barnhll and Fonteyn were third under saddle and first and second over fences.

Section B champion was By The Way, owned by Ruth Kanner and ridden by Jeff Gogul. Gogul rode By The Way to fourth under saddle and two blue ribbon over fences rounds. The Section B reserve champion was Illusion, ridden by Tara Metzner and owned by Dogwood Hill, LLC. Metzner and Illusion were third, second, and fourth over fences.

The Amberway/Kraft KT1 Performance Hunter 3’3″ division was also split, awarding tricolor honors in Section A to Caliber, owned by Laura Karet and ridden by Hayley Barnhill. Barnhill piloted Caliber to a first place finish under saddle and fourth and third place ribbons over fences. The reserve champion for Section A was Smiles, ridden by Havens Schatt and owned by Bruce Duchossois. Schatt and Smiles won the under saddle and were second in two over fences rounds.

The Section B division champion was Rookie, owned by Belhaven Stables, LLC. Tim Goguen was in the irons and rode Rookie to second under saddle and first, second, and third over fences. The reserve champion in Section B was Endeavor, ridden by Christopher Payne and owned by Hunt Tosh. Payne and Endeavor were third under saddle before jumping to first, third, second, and third place finishes.

WCHR competition will continue on Friday in the International Arena with championships for the Amateur-Owner 3’3″ Hunter divisions and the start of the Amateur-Owner 3’6″ Hunters and junior hunter divisions.

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel
Kent Farrington and Blue Angel

Farrington and Blue Angel Fly to Win

It was a win for Kent Farrington (USA) and Blue Angel in the $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6. Held as a speed class, the pair topped the two fastest times both held by Ireland’s Kevin Babington, who finished second and third respectively with Shorapur and Mark Q.

Great Britain’s Richard Jeffery is the course designer at The Stadium at PBIEC for week six competition and set a challenging speed track for 74 competitors in Thursday’s $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 6 with 14 clear rounds. Kevin Babington and Mark Q were the first pair to clear the course, fifth to go, with a time of 75.34 seconds that held on to the lead for most of the class to eventually finish third. Fifty-seven rounds later, it was Babington again who beat his own time to move into the lead with Shorapur in 72.91 seconds. It looked like the rider might have a one-two finish on his hands, but Kent Farrington got the edge with Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel to win it in 71.51 seconds with just four horses left to go.

Farrington and Blue Angel have developed a great partnership and are no strangers to the winner’s circle. The rider noted that the day’s tight speed track suited his horse quite well in addition to the advantage of going at the very end. Blue Angel is a 2002 Anglo European mare by Luidam x Ascendant.

“I saw Kevin’s first horse go,” Farrington noted. “Kevin is a great rider; I thought he had a really competitive round to start, but I had an advantage there going at the end. I have a very fast horse, so for her it is kind of just doing her round and knowing if there is something incredible that she has to do. I thought today the course really suited her. In the small arena, her natural speed just kind of carried her around all by itself.”

“I think generally the horse is very fast across the ground,” Farrington said of his winning round. “I did the leave-out strides the same as everybody else. I think she had a great turn to the skinny fence and a great rollback to the last line, that’s probably where she made up the time. When there’s a small ring like that and all of the horses have to do more or less the same track, it is an advantage to be on a handy horse like that, that has natural foot speed. You are already going to be a second up on everybody just with the horse’s gallop.”

“It is a very consistent horse,” the rider described. “She has been a great addition to my team of horses and she is a real winner. She is an opinionated mare like most of the good mares are. She has a little bit her own way of going and the way she wants to do things. I think now, I know her well enough that we sort of have an agreement of terms, a little bit my way and a little bit her way, and it works out pretty well.”

In addition to the prize money in Thursday’s class, Farrington earned a special $3,000 bonus as part of the SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion for wearing his SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves. Each week of the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series, a $3,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning rider if they are wearing SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves in all rounds of competition with the SSG logo clearly visible.

Farrington plans to show Blue Angel again in Friday night’s $84,000 Salamander Hotels & Resorts Valentine’s Grand Prix CSI 3* and will then bring her back out for CSIO week.

Although he got beat in the end, Kevin Babington had a great day with his second and third place finishes aboard Shorapur and Mark Q, and spoke about each of his mounts.

“It’s never over until Kent has gone,” Babington admitted. “I was very surprised that Mark Q’s time held up as long as it did. It was a careful course and those table A speeds always end up harder than you think. He tried really hard today, but I knew there were a few places that they could catch me. It just turned out that a lot of the very fast ones had faults, so it just kind of worked out.”

“When I went on my younger horse, it’s her first time really moving up to this level here in Florida, so she really impressed me that she was able to go as fast as she did,” Babington noted. “She is naturally a faster horse than Mark Q. She is fast across the air, she is just learning to turn a little better.”

Shorapur, a 2005 Hanoverian mare by Stakkato Gold x Drosselklang II, did the eight-year-old young jumper classes last year and moved up to some national grand prix classes this summer, but Babington is taking his time with her. “I have really high hopes for that horse,” the rider stated. “My plan down here is just to keep her in the 1.50m and not do Saturday night classes, but we are just playing it by ear right now.”

“She is quite sensitive,” Babington detailed. “She is very much a mare, but she is leveling out in the ring. She was very hot when I first got her. She likes you to sit a little bit quiet, and I ride her without a spur. She has so much scope and she is extremely careful, so I am just trying not to move too fast with her and not move her up the ranks too fast. She is the kind of horse you could easily do that because she is so brave, but she is also extremely careful, so I have to be careful”

Babington has a list of great achievements with his more experienced partner, Mark Q, a 2002 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Obos Quality 004 x Positively. He explained that although it is a comfortable relationship, the horse always keeps things interesting.

“He is a different kettle of fish,” Babington laughed. “He comes out and you never know what hat he is going to have on. The first week I jumped him down here he was too strong and then I thought he jumped extremely well last week, but I over bridled him. On Sunday I did him in the 1.50m and put him back in a softer bridle and he was fantastic, and he was really good today, so I think I have the bridle sorted out now.”

“He has never felt better in his body,” Babington added. “He feels very strong and straight. I am hoping he has turned the corner. He was always weaker on one side, and it just took a long time to get him balanced. He is quite opinionated, so he doesn’t allow you to train him much, but he is getting better all the time. He is eleven this year, so he has matured a lot. I love that horse; he keeps me thinking.”

For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

About FTI Consulting, Inc.

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 4,000 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.58 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2012. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival

The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 8 through March 30. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded.

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

Lauren Fisher and Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel Win $125,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix CSI 2*

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel. Photos © Sportfot.

Palm Beach, FL – January 5, 2014 – Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel added another victory to their roster of recent wins with a top finish in Sunday’s $125,000 Trump Invitational Grand Prix, presented by Rolex. Held at The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, FL, the second annual event brought together many of the best in equestrian show jumping for a day of great competition and charity fundraising, set on the lawn of Mr. Donald Trump’s scenic estate. Despite substantial rain, the grass footing that was newly replaced after last year’s event held up well throughout the day’s competition to give Farrington his second consecutive victory. He won the inaugural competition in 2013 aboard Amalaya Investments’ Dynamo.

International course designer Anthony D’Ambrosio, of Red Hook, NY, set the track for Sunday’s highlight competition with twenty-eight horse and rider combinations, eight of which cleared the course without fault to advance to the jump-off. Seven entries returned over the short course with three double clear efforts. Kent Farrington and Blue Angel, a 2002 Anglo European mare by Luidam x Ascendant, led the victory gallop with a time of 36.85 seconds.

Candice King (USA) and Bellissimo LLC’s Kismet 50 finished second with a clear jump-off round in 38.76 seconds, and Todd Minikus (USA) and Legacy Stables LLC’s Uraguay were third in 38.88 seconds. Lauren Hough (USA) and The Ohlala Group’s Ohlala had the fastest four-fault round in 38.30 seconds for fourth place.

Following an exciting class, Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo praised the event and its many contributors, including the addition of new turf footing installed by Mr. Trump. “I think this event was amazing,” Bellissimo acknowledged. “To see the riders take very significant horses into the ring and ride in this condition is a testament to the great investment that Donald had in this class. Congratulations to Kent – another great job and a gutsy ride. I also want to reach out to all of the sponsors and all of the phenomenal contributors to this event. I am very excited about this class, and I think that this will grow in stature each year.”

Donald Trump had another great year hosting the event and looks forward to 2015. “I just want to congratulate Kent and our great champions,” Trump smiled. “They are amazing athletes. As a novice, I think the weather made it more exciting. Last year we had the sun beaming down, and it was hot. I had no idea that these athletes could even perform in this kind of weather. I was very surprised by it, and it was amazing. I think it really made it quite exciting.”

After back to back wins, Farrington expressed his gratitude for another victory, as well as the improved conditions this year. “I think all of the riders want to applaud Donald and Mark for redoing the footing,” he stated. “I think that is a huge effort for them to undertake, and part of making this a really top-notch, high level event so that we can bring our best horses here and know that we can count on great footing even in conditions that aren’t ideal, like today. I think it is really exciting having Donald get involved in our sport. I think that raises not only the level of competition, but also the exposure here in Florida. Also thank you to Rolex for getting involved, I think that is huge for show jumping in North America.”

Commenting on his success with Blue Angel, Farrington noted, “That horse was already a winner before I started riding it. Lauren Hough had a lot of success with it, and it continues to be a great horse. It’s great to win two in a row (here). A big win is always exciting and for this event, to be part of it and to win it, is really special for me.”

Farrington went into the jump-off after some very fast rides and a clear round already posted by Todd Minikus and Uraguay, but he shaved almost two seconds off of their time for the winning round.

“These are fast riders that I’m against, so it was more to measure the competition and to see how fast they were going so that I could plan my ride accordingly,” he said of the jump-off. “Todd is one of the fastest riders in the world, so today I relied on the speed on my horse and I just tried to stay very smooth. That horse is a seasoned competitor. She knows her job and she is all business when she comes to the show.”

Candice King and Kismet 50
Candice King and Kismet 50

Candice King was pleased with her second place finish aboard Kismet 50, who put in a great effort in Sunday’s class as well. “Kismet 50 is quite special to me,” the rider stated. “I am usually one to go double clean and not so fast, but I was going last, so I wanted to really put it all out there as best I could. I knew I could go as quick as I safely could on this footing in the rain, so I tried to put it as smooth as I could, be quick and efficient, and see where it brought me.”

Commenting on the course, King added, “Anthony is seasoned; he builds all over the world and he did a fantastic job. This arena and this setting are fantastic, and the footing this year was great. There is no way that we could have competed like we could today at a lot of venues on grass. That is a testament to the new footing put in, and we are really appreciative as riders for our horses and their safety.”

Third place finisher, Todd Minikus, also had a great day. “I thought Uraguay jumped a fantastic first round and, going earlier in the jump-off, my plan was to put in a double clear and hope everyone else had a rain storm come in and give them a little bad luck,” Minikus joked. “I left the door open. I told the handlers of Uraguay when I came out, ‘That was a third place round,’ and it was. Nevertheless, we are very happy to be part of this event. I know everybody is extremely thrilled, and even though it was a little wet, it was a great day.”

Paige Bellissimo, chairwoman of the event along with Georgina Bloomberg and Ivanka Trump, summed it up nicely with her take on the day, stating, “Unfortunately, we couldn’t control the weather, but we tried our best to control all of the other elements, and I think everything else came out really well. The whole team put in so much work, and I think you could really see it. Everything came together except the weather, and all of the riders did an incredible job and really showed what great athletes they are to prevail through these conditions.”

Cloe Hymowitz and Bon Vivant Top $5,000 Junior/Amateur Speed Exhibition Class

A $5,000 Junior/Amateur Jumper Speed Exhibition class, sponsored by EnTrust Capital, was also featured on Sunday afternoon following the main event. The exhibition class gave junior and amateur riders a special opportunity to compete at this unique venue and saw an exciting win for Cloe Hymowitz and Rose Hill Farm’s Bon Vivant. The pair had the fastest of three clear rounds with a time of 53.42 seconds. Heather Hooker and her longtime partner Perle finished second with a time of 56.83 seconds. Kira Kerkorian placed third aboard Lisa Kerkorian’s Rashmo Z in 59.46 seconds.

Cloe Hymowitz and Bon Vivant
Cloe Hymowitz and Bon Vivant

Hymowitz explained that she had not ridden in a month before Sunday’s class and was very happy with her ride. “I didn’t expect much, but I have confidence in my horse and myself,” she remarked. “With the conditions, it is definitely more challenging. With the rain, you want to be more careful and cautious when you make turns, but I went out there and rode my hardest and did my best, so I’m very happy and excited.”

“It is an amazing opportunity,” she said of showing at The Mar-a-Lago Club. “This is probably the nicest horse show I have ever been to. I was really excited when I heard that I was invited to compete. It was nice to see all of the top grand prix riders compete first and be able to watch how they executed their course and learn from them. It is definitely an honor to come and ride here with all of these great riders.”

Heather Hooker has had her horse Perle for almost five years and had confidence in her ride on Sunday. “We have done horse shows all over the place together,” Hooker stated. “Any conditions, you name it, she’s game. I can always trust her. The conditions definitely made it a little more challenging, but it was a really nice course and the footing held up really well.”

Michael Stone, President of Equestrian Sport Productions, concluded the day by thanking EnTrust Capital for their support of the new class. “We wanted to add something special for the riders that don’t often get to jump in front of the limelight like this, and then we were very lucky that EnTrust really wanted to sponsor it,” Stone noted. “We are really delighted that they wanted to do it because the enthusiasm from the riders is fantastic.”

The second annual Trump Invitational, presented by Rolex, would not be possible without the generous sponsors that support the event. Equestrian Sport Productions would like to recognize Mar-a-Lago Club; Rolex; Suncast Corporation; The Bainbridge Companies; Gucci; Nespresso USA; EnTrust Capital; Salamander Resort & Spa; Carol A Sollak PA, Engel & Völkers; Braman Motorcars; Perrier-Jouët; Rosebaum Mollengarden, PLLC; Remarkable Partners; Debbie Burrows; and Gut Einhaus.

Sunday’s class also served as a kick-off to the season for the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The 12-week circuit begins this Wednesday, January 8, and runs through March 30, 2014. The Mar-a-Lago Club is the title sponsor of week one competition as well as the presenting sponsor of the $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix, which will be held on Sunday, January 12, at the beautiful Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Another highlight of the week is the $75,000 Nespresso Battle of the Sexes, which starts the “Saturday Night Lights” series on Saturday, January 11, with gates opening at 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel Are Divine in $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix, CSI 3*-W

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel. Photos © Shawn McMillen Photography.

Meredith Darst Tops Hermès WIHS Equitation Finals; Hooker and McArdle Win Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classics

Washington, D.C. – October 26, 2013 – Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel beat out Brianne Goutal (USA) and Remarkable Farms’ Nice de Prissey in an exciting one-on-one jump-off for victory in Saturday night’s $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix CSI 3*-W presented by Events DC at the 55th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS). The FEI World Cup qualifying grand prix was a highlight event of the week at WIHS, which concludes competition on Sunday with the Pony Hunters, WIHS Pony Equitation Finals, and WIHS Regional Finals.

Earlier on Saturday, Meredith Darst won the 2013 Hermès WIHS Equitation Finals. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 triumphed in the $15,000 SJHOF Ambassador’s Cup High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, and Heather Hooker and Perle were victorious in the $7,500 Senator’s Cup Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic.

Venezuela’s Leopoldo Palacios set the course for this week’s show jumping competition at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. Palacios set a challenging course for Saturday night’s grand prix, which featured 25 international horses and riders. Just two entries were able to clear the first round course without fault to advance to the jump-off, and both cleared the short course in a race against the clock. Brianne Goutal and Nice de Prissey were first to jump off and stopped the timers in 32.23 seconds to finish second overall. Kent Farrington and Blue Angel followed and shaved off almost two seconds for the win in 30.81 seconds.

For their victory, Farrington and Blue Angel were presented with the President of the United States Perpetual Cup. As Leading Jumper Rider, an award sponsored by Robin Parsky, Farrington was also presented with the Margaret Chovnick Memorial Trophy and awarded a Rolex luxury timepiece from Tiny Jewel Box. Parsky then received a special award as the Leading Jumper Owner, sponsored by The Reid Family.

In the jump-off, Farrington and Blue Angel had the benefit of going second, and the 11-year-old Anglo European mare (Luidam x Ascendant) put in a great effort on course.

“When you only have two horses going in the jump-off, going second is obviously a huge advantage, and what you want to do is just watch the first rider go and match their round or pick a spot where you can be a little bit quicker,” Farrington noted. “I thought I was a little faster to the double and to the orange jump. I tried to play it safe coming home. I had a hard rub at the liverpool, but you need a little luck in these things.”

“Blue Angel is going great right now, and I am very happy with the horse,” Farrington acknowledged. “The horse is a winner. It is a winner all by itself. I don’t think that is anything I am doing special. When you have nice horses to ride, it is more about managing the horses, choosing the right venues that are the best for them to succeed, and minimizing your mistakes.”

Second place finisher Brianne Goutal explained her strategy over the short course with the 12-year-old Selle Francais stallion Nice de Prissey (Rosire x Amarpour). “It is hard going first in the jump-off,” she stated. “My horse is fast, but not super fast. My goal was really to be clear, and fast enough. I was hoping Kent would make a mistake or get a little unlucky, but it was his day, not mine.”

“He is a fantastic horse,” Goutal described. “He is very careful; he has all the scope and tries very hard. There is not so much more that you can really ask from them. He has had a great last two years. It is about managing them, keeping them happy and making sure they are sound. It’s about playing your cards well and benefiting from the good qualities your horse has.”

Nice de Prissey also finished second in this class in 2011 and Goutal explained that he jumps well in the venue. “I am very surprised actually how well he jumps here,” she said. “He really likes the nation’s capital I guess.”

Third place honors went to Beezie Madden (USA) and Coral Reef Via Volo for the fastest four-fault round in 62.39 seconds in round one. Lauren Tisbo (USA) and Tequestrian Farms’ La Centa placed fourth with four faults in 62.50 seconds.

Course designer Leopoldo Palacios explained that he would have preferred to see at least four riders make it to the jump-off, but was okay with just the two. Farrington knew that the course would be difficult and it worked out well for his mare.

“I think we have all been doing these shows long enough, you sort of know what to expect,” he stated. “If you have a horse that is better at adding strides, or is very rideable, that is a huge advantage. That is what I tried to do. Blue Angel is a very fast horse, (and) she is very good at adding strides. A venue like this really plays to her strengths.”

Other awards were also presented following the grand prix. Ireland’s Darragh Kenny was named the Leading International Rider for the week. Conor Swail (IRL) accepted a special award for his mount Ariana, owned by Susan Grange. She earned a $5,000 SHF Enterprises, Inc. Young Jumper Championship Incentive Bonus, which is awarded to WIHS rated jumper division champions who were also graduates of the Young Jumper Championship Series.

Meredith Darst Wins 2013 Hermès WIHS Equitation Finals

The 2013 Hermès WIHS Equitation Finals concluded this evening with an exciting win for 16-year-old Meredith Darst of Lebanon, OH. Darst rode Elizabeth Gabler’s Soldier, a seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Carolus II, through the first two phases of competition finishing with a score of 88.75 in the hunter phase and a 91 point total in the jumper phase. Returning for the final work-off sitting in first place overall, Darst’s ride aboard Charlotte Jacobs’s mount Patrick scored an 87.25, giving her a three round total of 267 for the win.

Darst was presented with The WIHS Equitation Classic Trophy donated by Mr. and Mrs. G. Ralph Ours, III as well as a brand new Hermès ‘Cavale’ saddle. Soldier was awarded The Lugano Memorial Trophy donated by Stoney Hill as the winning horse of the night. Darst was accompanied by the trainers of Beacon Hill Show Stables for her winning presentation, including head trainer Stacia Madden.

Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, finished second with a 263 point total. Colvin rode her horse Monsieur du Reverdy in the first two rounds with a score of 86 in the hunter phase and an 85.5 in the jumper phase. A great ride aboard Caitlin Boyle’s mount Loredo in the final work-off gave Colvin a 91.5 to finish in second place overall.

Michael Hughes of Morriston, FL, placed third with scores of 86.25 and 89.5 riding Whipstick Farm Ltd.’s Joey and an 86 in the work-off aboard Meredith Darst’s mount Soldier to total 261.75.

Darst rode Soldier for the first time at the Capital Challenge Horse Show a few weeks ago and then showed him in Harrisburg last week. The gelding competed successfully in USHJA International Hunter Derby classes with professional hunter rider John French in California. Since Darst and Soldier were first paired up, she has worked to get to know him better, and the effort paid off. “I kind of just played around with him a little bit,” she explained. “He learns so fast and has come really far since then.”

Meredith Darst and Patrick
Meredith Darst and Patrick

Darst’s mount in the final round was Patrick, the same horse that topped the final work-off last year with 2012 winner Elizabeth Benson. Darst gave trainer Stacia Madden her third win in a row, and Benson was on hand to pass on the title as 2011 winner Chase Boggio was for her.

“I had seen him a lot,” Darst said of Patrick. “He is very lazy. I had to keep him going. I am not used to riding quiet horses, so it was a bit of a different ride for me. He was super easy, and he had a huge stride.”

Madden noted, “I was really fortunate to work with Patrick last year in the ride-off. Archie Cox had the horse, and I texted him and asked him what I needed to know. He said, ‘He will not lose for you.’ What I did for Maddy was that Elizabeth was here. She took a moment to sit with Elizabeth, and she looked at the video and Charlotte’s round. I was ecstatic when I found out that was the horse I got. A top horse with a top rider; you just need the chips to fall right.”

Darst and Colvin have been showing at WIHS and top horse shows around the country since they were kids on ponies and have each won major hunter championships at this horse show. The experience of catch riding many different horses has taught them to be versatile, adjustable riders, which is a great advantage in these equitation finals.

“I think catch riding definitely helps being able to ride so many different horses. I definitely thought about that,” Darst noted. “Confidence in my horse is important; I was very confident. I got to go to the farm and practice a lot. I knew he would try his hardest, and I would try my hardest.”

“What made this win special was that last year was her last year on ponies,” Madden stated. “That is quite the achievement for her. It’s not a fluke. She has worked very hard. She made the effort.”

This was Colvin’s third year showing in the finals and her best finish yet at just 16 years old. She was proud of her ride on both of her mounts, including Monsieur du Reverdy and a beautiful round in the work-off riding Laredo.

“I had never really been in the top in the equitation finals. It felt amazing to be top three,” Colvin said after the class. “The horse I rode in the second round was amazing and very easy. Monsieur du Reverdy was supposed to be in the High Junior Jumpers. He has never done a hunter round or an equitation round. For him to go in there and go how he did, he was just amazing.”

Colvin has trained with Scott Stewart and Ken Berkley for most of her young riding career and has had help from Missy Clark and John Brennan at North Run for her ride in the equitation. Clark also coached third place finisher Michael Hughes and fifth place finisher Charlotte Jacobs tonight. She was very proud of Colvin and noted the qualities that make her an exceptional rider.

“I always say it’s like going to the basketball court with Michael Jordan,” Clark stated. “She’s amazing. She has an innate feel that nobody can teach and she is a competitor beyond belief and a great human being and a hard worker. She’s all of it. She’s a unique and special person.”

“Her abilities to smooth it out and make a jumper-type of horse go and have that hunter round really is a testament to her abilities as a horsewoman,” Clark continued. “She can finesse one around and do it as well as anybody. With Loredo, there wasn’t any doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t get in and nail it.”

The judges for the class tonight were Walter Kees of Norwalk, CT, Sue Ashe of Wellington, FL, Patrick Rodes of Argyle, TX, and McLain Ward of Brewster, NY. The judges weighed in on the class upon its completion and were very happy with the top talent that they saw.

“It was a wonderful class, exciting to judge,” said Rodes. “It was extra exciting when they switched horses. You really got an idea of how they ride and the background they have to ride somebody else’s horse around.”

“The kids absolutely rose to the occasion,” stated Ashe. “The most fun part of the class is of course tonight where there are ten instead of 40. The pressure these kids are under, and they rose to the top. I am so proud of them, and I am sure the other judges are too.”

Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers Compete in Classics

Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20
Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20

The $15,000 Ambassador’s Cup High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic sponsored by Ellen and Daniel Crown, saw a win for Abigail McArdle of St. Charles, IL, riding David McArdle’s Cosma 20. McArdle and the 10-year-old Hanoverian mare (Couleur Rubin x Stakkato) won the Ambassador’s Cup Perpetual Trophy donated by Ambassador and Mrs. Marion H. Smoak.

Twenty-one entries showed in the class with four advancing to the jump-off and two clear rounds over the short course. McArdle and Cosma 20 were first to go in the jump-off and galloped to victory in 30.206 seconds. Kalvin Dobbs and Treesdale Farms’ Winde finished second in 30.536 seconds. Charlotte Jacobs and Promised Land, owned by Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables, had four faults in 31.693 seconds to place third. Lucas Porter and Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Patriot finished in fourth with four faults in 32.980 seconds.

“It was a hard course,” McArdle stated after her win. “It presented a lot of different problems for people because it wasn’t just one fence that was coming down. I think today was bigger than previous days, significantly, and my horse went really well.”

“I have a really fast horse, and I know her back and forth,” McArdle said, detailing her jump-off round with Cosma. “She’s a really great speed horse. Everywhere we were right on the pace. Going first, we knew there were fast people following. They all had the opportunity to definitely catch that (time). We were going into it with the idea that we had to go all out and we did everything to plan.”

McArdle and Cosma spent most of the summer showing in Europe and Canada with trainers Katie and Henri Prudent and have had some time off since August while the rider studies Business Entrepreneurship as a freshman at the University of Miami. Cosma will now have some time off before traveling to Florida to compete for the winter. They have a great partnership and have been very successful this year.

“She’s a really, really special horse and super consistent,” McArdle stated. “I think it just nice knowing a horse really well. Any venue, I feel like we can go in and know what to expect. The main thing is she’s so careful. You look for a horse like this and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime, careful horse. It’s no better feeling than to have that and know your horse can go clean.”

The High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper championship, sponsored by Ellen and Daniel Crown, was awarded to Charlotte Jacobs and Deeridge Farms’ Kachina. They were awarded the Greenberg Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. and Mrs. Hermen Greenberg. McArdle and Cosma 20 were reserve champions.

Jacobs and Kachina were also presented with a special award, the $5,000 SHF Enterprises, Inc. Young Jumper Championship Incentive Bonus, which is awarded to WIHS rated jumper division champions who were also graduates of the Young Jumper Championship Series.

The Shalanno Style of Riding Award was given to Lucy Deslauriers of New York, NY, who showed Lisa Deslauriers’ Hester in the Low division. The award is presented each year to the Junior Jumper rider who best exemplifies the American style of equitation and the respectful, dignified manner of a true sportsman.

In the $7,500 Senator’s Cup Low Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic, sponsored by North Star, Heather Hooker of Wellington, FL, topped the class riding Perle. For their win, the pair was presented with the Swan Lake Perpetual Trophy donated by Beagle Brook Farm in honor of the 1992 winner Swan Lake, ridden by Jennifer F. Miller. Perle is a 13-year-old Hanoverian mare by Chanel.

Twenty-two entries showed over the first round course with seven advancing to the jump-off and four double clear rounds. Cloe Hymowitz and Rose Hill Farm’s Bon Vivant were the first pair to jump the short course and finished second with a time of 28.170 seconds. Heather Hooker and Perle edged their time by two-one thousandths of a second in 28.168 seconds to take the lead. Lauren Fischer and Norton de la Sapaie finished third in 29.662 seconds, and Lucy Deslauriers and Hester were fourth in 29.850 seconds.

Last year’s winners, Michael Hughes and Drumnacross Farms’ Red Hot, did have the fastest time in the jump-off in 28.129 seconds, but had a rail down at the last fence on course with a long gallop to an oxer towards the in gate. Hooker and Perle made up their time by leaving a stride out to that jump, but they managed to keep the rails up. Hooker and second place finisher Cloe Hymowitz train together at Rivers Edge with Ken Berkley and Scott Stewart.

“I went into the ring, and just thought, ‘Cloe was so fast, I don’t know how I am going to do this,’” Hooker stated. “I just had to make it happen down the last line. I knew that I wanted to make it out of that corner from the oxer, flap my arms and run. I knew Perle was game. When I landed from the last jump I saw Ken, and he was laughing so hard. I think he was just as excited as we were.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Hooker said of the friendly competition with her barn mate. “It was great that we were cheering for each other, and our times were so close. It takes a village for sure. We like to see each other do well.”

Hooker and her mount Perle have been together for about four and a half years now, and they know each other very well. While Hooker is away at the University of Virginia for college, she rides on the club polo team at school, but does not get to jump as often. The established relationship was important to their success this week.

“I know Perle so well that I can come to a show like this and get on her and anticipate every move,” Hooker acknowledged. “She anticipates when I am going to make a stupid move, and I can anticipate what she is going to do. When in doubt, I just trust her. She is a member of the family.”

The Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship, sponsored by North Star, went to Hymowitz and Bon Vivant, who won the first two classes of the division. They won the Foxbrook Perpetual Trophy in honor of Space Citation, donated by Joy Slater. Hooker and Perle were the reserve champions.

The Washington International Horse Show concludes tomorrow with a day full of pony competition as well as the WIHS Regional Finals. The final day of competition will be live streamed at www.wihs.org.

To view an online version of this press release with more photos, click here.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

About the Washington International Horse Show
An equestrian tradition since 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is the country’s leading metropolitan indoor horse show and the pinnacle of the equestrian year with leading riders, including Olympic medalists, and fabulous horses. More than 500 horses participate in show jumping, hunter and equitation events during the six-day show. Highlights include the $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix, the Puissance high-jump competition; and WIHS Equitation Classic Finals featuring the country’s top junior riders. Special exhibitions, boutique shopping and community activities will round out this family-friendly event.

Since its debut, the Washington International has been a Washington, DC, institution attended by presidents, first ladies, celebrities, business and military leaders, as well as countless horse enthusiasts of all ages. Washington International Horse Show Association, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com
803.240.7488
jenniferwoodmedia.com

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel Victorious in $33,000 Welcome Stake at WIHS

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel. Photos © Shawn McMillen Photography.

Shane Sweetnam and Solerina Win Gambler’s Choice; Hymowitz and Jacobs Triumph in Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers

Washington, D.C. – October 25, 2013 – The 2013 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) continued on Thursday with the first day of classes for the Junior Hunters and several International Open Jumper and Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper classes at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

The International Open Jumpers had two classes with a win for Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parksy’s Blue Angel in the $33,000 International Open Jumper Welcome Stake. Top honors in the $20,000 Gambler’s Choice costume class went to Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Sweet Oak Farm’s Solerina. The Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers competed as well with a win for Cloe Hymowitz and Rose Hill Farm’s Bon Vivant in the Low division and Charlotte Jacobs aboard Deeridge Farms’ Kachina in the High division.

WIHS continues through Sunday, October 27, with lots of exciting action throughout the weekend. Highlights include the $25,000 Puissance sponsored by The Boeing Company on Friday, October 25, and the $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix, a FEI World Cup qualifier presented by Events DC, on Saturday, October 26. All evening performances will begin at 7 p.m. EST.

In addition to the competition, Thursday was the always popular “Barn Night,” presented by Dover Saddlery. Barn Night at WIHS is a favorite with local young riders and horse enthusiasts who attend in groups and have a chance to enter contests, win big prizes, and enjoy a fun, horse-filled evening.

Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela is the course designer for the jumpers this week at WIHS. In the day’s $33,000 Welcome Stake, Palacios saw 30 entries contest his first round course with ten advancing to the jump-off. Eight of those were also clear over the short course, and Kent Farrington and the 11-year-old Anglo European mare Blue Angel (by Luidam) raced to victory in 31.38 seconds to win The Ben O’Meara Memorial Challenge Trophy.

Beezie Madden (USA) and Coral Reef Ranch’s Coral Reef Via Volo finished second with a time of 31.47 seconds. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and Ludo Philippaerts’ Cortez placed third in 32.49 seconds, and Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Postage Stamp Farm LLC’s Prof de la Roque were fourth in 32.57 seconds.

Blue Angel has been a top mount for Farrington this year and continues to prove herself as a powerful international competitor. “I think she was always a good horse, we just got to know each other a little bit better and she has become more consistent,” he said of the mare’s development. “She kind of started off good and has only gotten better.”

Farrington has been competing at WIHS for many years, winning the WIHS Equitation Finals as a junior in 1999, and continuing on into his professional career. He explained that the atmosphere and environment of showing indoors makes this an exciting competition each year.

“I love showing indoors. I think it is a lot of fun,” Farrington stated. “It is all fast tracks, and usually there is a pretty good crowd. In general, the indoor shows get a good attendance. You come here with your best horses, and you just focus on those and there is always good competition, so I enjoy that.”

Blue Angel seemed to enjoy showing indoors as well and Farrington noted that the environment fits her style. “She is very quick,” he said. “She is great in that she can add a stride very quickly, and she has a very soft mouth. I think that is a big advantage inside, so I think it suits the horse.”

For the jump-off, Farrington chose a plan that played to his horse’s strengths and she stepped up to the plate. “With that horse, I just try really not to get too much in her way and have a quick track,” he detailed. “She is not always the best at rolling back to fences, so from fence one to two I went a little bit wide with more pace probably than some of the other riders did just because that suited the horse. Then once she is in gear, I can kind of just let her go.”

Blue Angel is the only horse Farrington will show this week and he plans to now save her for Saturday night’s $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix. He looks forward to seeing what Palacios has planned on course.

Sweetnam and Solerina Top $20,000 Gambler’s Choice Costume Class

The $20,000 International Open Jumper Gambler’s Choice Costume Class is always an exciting event at WIHS, especially with Barn Night and thousands of young fans cheering on the riders. In tonight’s class, Irish rider Shane Sweetnam jumped to victory dressed as a keg of beer riding Sweet Oak Farm’s Solerina. The duo earned 960 points over the course and jumped clean over the Joker fence for an additional 200 points. Their 1160 total was the winning score.

Shane Sweetnam and Solerina
Shane Sweetnam and Solerina

For his victory, Sweetnam was presented with the Crown Royal Trophy, donated by Crown Royal, as the winning rider. Solerina, a 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare by Cruising, won The Sue Ann Geisler Memorial Trophy, donated by the Washington International Horse Show, as the winning horse.

Beezie Madden (USA) dressed as her signature bumble bee riding Abigail Wexner’s Vanilla and scored 1100 points to place second. Spiderman, a.k.a. Conor Swail (IRL), and Susan Grange’s Ariana finished third with 1090 points. “Dr.” McLain Ward (USA) and Wings had the same 1090 total and a slower time placed them in fourth.

Shane Sweetnam has a good record with Gambler’s Choice classes, finishing third in the class at WIHS two times and winning one in Harrisburg last year as well as placing in several others. He came up with a good plan tonight, and it paid off.

“I’m good at math so I have a good plan I think, even with knocking a fence,” he stated. “Normally I have a decent plan. You have to leave the jumps up for the course.”

Sweetnam’s mount, Solerina, is a successful horse and always puts in a great effort. “She has a lot of character, (and) she’s had great results since I’ve had her,” Sweetnam described. “She likes to stay in a rhythm. She really enjoys her jumping, so once she gets her eye on the jump she’s normally trying for you, so I can just jump-jump-turn. She’s naturally very quick.”

On his costume choice, Sweetnam explained that good friend Charlie Jayne gets him a costume each year and they have a good time with it. “It’s good fun,” he smiled. “We enjoy this class every year. We have a bit of banter about it, so I’m glad I beat him this year again.”

The cheering and great support of the Barn Night crowd also gets the riders into the fun mood. “It’s brilliant,” Sweetnam said of Barn Night. “It’s a very good idea. All evening it’s been buzzing between the pony racing and the High (Jr/AO) Jumper class and this class. There’s a big crowd and great atmosphere and those people understand show jumping as well, which is great. I really enjoy it.”

Hymowitz and Jacobs Triumph in Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers

The Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper jump-off class, sponsored by North Star, was held on Thursday afternoon with 22 entries and five advancing to the jump-off. Three competitors jumped double clear and Cloe Hymowitz of New York, NY, had the fast time of 29.876 seconds aboard Bon Vivant for the win. The pair was presented the Beagle Brook Farm Perpetual Trophy.

Sima Morgello and Zopala placed second in 32.500 seconds. Third place honors went to Lauren Fischer and Norton de la Sapaie in 37.094 seconds.

Cloe Hymowitz and Bon Vivant
Cloe Hymowitz and Bon Vivant

Hymowitz purchased Bon Vivant, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Sire Major de la Cour, a year and a half ago. The pair has had success showing in North America and abroad this year, including a win in the CSI2* Longines Global Champions Tour competition in Vienna, Austria.

Hymowitz showed in the Children’s Jumpers at WIHS in 2012 and just moved up to the Low Juniors this season. Bon Vivant is an experienced mount that has taught the rider quickly and helped her move up the ranks with the guidance of trainers Scott Stewart and Ken Berkley.

“Showing in the Lows is a new experience and a big step up,” Hymowitz noted. “It’s really exciting. It’s definitely difficult to compete at a higher level here because the rings are really hard to ride in. Everything comes up very quick, but it is good for him because he likes to go fast, so it worked out well for me.”

“He’s indescribable,” Hymowitz said of Bon Vivant. “He is really easy. He does it a lot on his own luckily, but he is really quick. You just have to go forward, and he will jump from any distance and any turn. I turned back really tight to the birch jump, and he just swings in the air and jumps clear. He’s the most amazing horse I have ever had.”

The High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper jump-off class, sponsored by Ellen and Daniel Crown, was held during the evening session with a win for Charlotte Jacobs of East Aurora, NY, riding Kachina. The pair was awarded The “Footloose” Perpetual Trophy in remembrance of Ruth Ellen Wilmot, donated by The Curtin Family in honor of 1990 winner “Footloose”, who was ridden by Caroline Curtin.

Twenty-two entries showed over Palacios’ first round course and only three were able to jump clear to advance to the jump-off. Lucas Porter and Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Patriot were the trailblazers and finished the short course with four faults in 27.598 seconds to place third. Catherine Tyree and Wetter were next to jump off and also incurred four faults and placed second with a faster time of 27.278 seconds. Last to go, Jacobs knew that she could win with a clear round and that is exactly what she did, stopping the clock in 29.080 seconds.

Jacobs went first in round one aboard Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stables’ Promised Land and was able to get a good feel for the course. She then jumped a clear round with Kachina, a 15-year-old Selle Francais mare by Voltaire, to make it into the jump-off. “I can always rely on her because she can always jump a clear round, and I know she is always going to try her hardest,” Jacobs said of the mare.

The biggest challenge was Kachina’s large size in the small arena, but she handled it easily.

“The course was nice,” Jacobs noted. “There were a lot of really short turns. The first jump was two strides off the turn and a lot of the jumps were really stuffed in there, and that was hard with the horse I won on because she is so big. She is 18 hands and she has this huge stride, and she is kind of hard to package. It’s hard enough indoors, but she really deals with it well and she is a great horse. Coming off of Harrisburg she definitely was used to it and she felt great. She jumped amazing.”

An added bonus to the evening’s win was getting to show in front of the enthusiastic Barn Night crowd. Although many of the horses in this division are not used to a packed arena, Jacobs’ horses both dealt with it perfectly and she enjoyed the excitement.

“It’s definitely fun because we don’t usually have crowds like this,” Jacobs stated. “It’s nice that they put the Junior Jumpers right before the open class and right before all of the big events. It’s on Barn Night, so there’s a huge crowd and it’s a lot of fun. They make it exciting.”

The Washington International Horse Show continues tomorrow with the championships for the Junior Hunter divisions as well as the hunter phase for the Hermès WIHS Equitation Classic Finals. The Low and High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers will have speed classes in the afternoon session.

The evening session begins with a $50,000 Faults Converted Speed Final followed by an exhibition from the U.S. Army’s Caisson Platoon military horses and an impressive performance by the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. The night closes with the $25,000 Puissance, presenting The Armed Forces Cup, sponsored by The Boeing Company.

Congratulations to all of our barn night winners!

Best Group Video

  • Champion: NFF Stables
    Prize: $500 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate
  • Reserve Champion: Loudoun County 4-H Horse Club
    Prize: $250 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate
  • Honorable Mentions (3): Rock Creek Park Horse Center, Dream Catcher Farm, Beyond A Bay
    Prize (3): $50 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificates

Best Group Banner

  • Champion: Autumn Grove Stables
    Prize: $500 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate
  • Reserve Champion: Tamarack Stables
    Prize: $250 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate
  • Honorable Mentions: Dream Catcher Farm, Cedar Creek Far, Beyond A Bay
    Prize: (3) $50 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificates

Largest Group

  • Largest Group Overall: Meadowbrook Stables
    Prize: Golf Cart courtesy of United Metro Golf Carts
  • Largest Group – Maryland: Enticement Stables
    Prize: $750 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate
  • Largest Group – Virginia: Loudoun County 4-H Horse Club
    Prize: $750 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate
  • Largest Group – DC/Other: Rock Creek Park Horse Center
    Prize: $750 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate

Best Group Spirit

  • Champion: Olney Farm
    Prize: Clinic with three-day eventing Olympian Will Coleman
  • Reserve Champion: NFF Stables
    Prize: Gift Certificate for team-wear courtesy of C&A Sportswear
  • Honorable Mentions (3): Urbana Riding Club, Autumn Grove Farm, Cedar Creek Farm
    Prize (3): $50 Dover Saddlery Gift Certificate

For those who cannot make it to the show, it will be live streamed in its entirety at www.wihs.org, and is also available on USEF Network at www.usefnetwork.com.

The Washington International Horse Show Silent Auction is now available online with an easy-to-use bidding website. Don’t miss your chance to win special items that range from a private riding lesson with Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden to a Private Decorating Party at Georgetown Cupcake Lab. Other incredible items include two tickets to Saturday Night Live’s live show, a diamond horseshoe pin from Tiny Jewel Box, full show attire from The Saddlery, and much, much more. Bid from your computer or smart phone at home, at the barn, at work, or anywhere you have Internet – just go to http://wihs.maestroweb.com.

The Acela Club on the Sky Box level of Verizon Center is the perfect place to socialize with friends and a wonderful vantage point for watching the action in the ring. WIHS is hosting three special social events and we hope you’ll join us! Have fun, watch great sport and support worthy local organizations. Party tickets include dinner and an open bar. $150/per person. Order by phone at 202-525-3679 or visit http://www.wihs.org/social-events/.

The Armed Forces Cup Reception will be featured from 7-10 p.m. on Friday featuring the launch of “Healthy Stables by Design” by John Blackburn to benefit five local therapeutic riding centers assisting military veterans: Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, Maryland Therapeutic Riding, Therapeutic Riding and Recreation Center, Loudoun Therapeutic Riding and Caisson Platoon Equine Assisted Therapy Program.

The President’s Cup Party, presented by Washington Life, will run from 6:30-10 p.m. on Saturday night. Wear your best equestrian chic and honor Washington’s diplomatic community with presenting partner, Washington Life.

Along with six days of world-class competition, WIHS features a unique boutique shopping experience for exhibitors and spectators alike. The main concourse at Verizon Center brings together a diverse group of vendors for everyone’s shopping enjoyment. Shoppers can find everything from equestrian tack and apparel to fine art and jewelry. This year’s show features over 50 vendor stands and boutiques for all of your shopping needs throughout the week.

Lauren Fisher for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

About the Washington International Horse Show
An equestrian tradition since 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is the country’s leading metropolitan indoor horse show and the pinnacle of the equestrian year with leading riders, including Olympic medalists, and fabulous horses. More than 500 horses participate in show jumping, hunter and equitation events during the six-day show. Highlights include the $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix, the Puissance high-jump competition; and WIHS Equitation Classic Finals featuring the country’s top junior riders. Special exhibitions, boutique shopping and community activities will round out this family-friendly event.

Since its debut, the Washington International has been a Washington, DC, institution attended by presidents, first ladies, celebrities, business and military leaders, as well as countless horse enthusiasts of all ages. Washington International Horse Show Association, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com
803.240.7488
jenniferwoodmedia.com

Kent Farrington and Willow Win $50,000 Hermès Classic at 2013 American Gold Cup

Kent Farrington and Willow. Photo by Rebecca Walton.

North Salem, NY – September 14, 2013 – Kent Farrington was on fire today, topping the $50,000 Hermès Classic with his talented mount Willow by besting a nine-horse jump-off with a double clear effort in 37.91 seconds. Forty-one of the country’s top equestrian athletes turned out for the event at the 2013 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W, held at Old Salem Farm, but it was Farrington who had all the answers to beat Ireland’s Darragh Kenny with Prof De La Roque and Argentina’s Max Amaya riding Cartier, finishing second and third, respectively.

Ireland’s Alan Wade built today’s challenging track on the Grand Prix Field, which included an oxer-vertical double combination, and difficult final line with an oxer to a vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination that finished with an uphill vertical. Only nine were able to complete the course without fault, although a tight time allowed had three riders finishing with a single time fault.

For the jump-off, the competitors began with the first oxer in the final line of the original course to the oxer of the triple combination, before jumping a single vertical with a bending line to the double combination. They finished over two new fences before galloping to a single airy vertical.

Only four of the returning athletes managed to complete a second faultless round, the first of which came from Kent Farrington and Willow, owned by Amalaya Investments of Houston, TX. The duo set the target by leaving a stride out to the double combination and galloping easily over the final vertical. They crossed the finish line in 37.91 seconds, which would prove uncatchable.

“This horse has a very large stride and I just tried to take advantage of that in a couple of the lines,” explained Farrington. “I actually did one less in the combination, which I don’t think many horses can do. That’s a very unique horse that he can open up his stride that much and still be able to jump a double well.”

Darragh Kenny and Prof De La Roque. Photo by The Book LLC 2013
Darragh Kenny and Prof De La Roque. Photo by The Book LLC 2013

Darragh Kenny made a good effort to beat Farrington’s time aboard Prof De La Roque, owned by Postage Stamp Farm of Ridgefield, CT, and despite their sharp inside turns to the final obstacles, they fell just short of the leaders with a time of 38.49 seconds, which held up for second place.

Paige Johnson managed to post the next jump-off round without error riding Dakota, owned by Salamander Farm of The Plains, VA, but although they were able to leave all the rails intact, they broke the beam in 41.38 seconds for fourth place.

It was Max Amaya who slipped into the third place position with Cartier, owned by Stonehenge Stables of Ocean, NJ. They held the same pace as Johnson as they cleared the course, clocking in at 41.36 seconds, just 2/100ths of a second faster, stealing the yellow ribbon and sealing Farrington’s victory.

“This is actually my student Megan Nusz’s horse,” admitted Farrington. “I rode him one time before and I just started riding him here at this show. He’s been a good horse for her; she’s won classes on him as well and she was nice enough to let me ride him for a little bit. He’s careful and a little bit spooky, but he has a very big stride so he likes a lot of support and keep him confident.”

Tomorrow, Farrington will compete in the $200,000 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W with his veteran mount Uceko. “That’s been a long time partner of mine,” said Farrington. “He’s had a great season and he’s got some more good rounds in him this year.”

Farrington has been enjoying competing at the American Gold Cup and appreciates all of the efforts that the show has made for the exhibitors and spectators. “The management and the owners of Old Salem Farm are making a real effort to run this as an international level show,” he said. “I think that it is very important for the United States to at least have a couple of events that are run at that standard. The improvements they have made just keep raising the level of the show.”

Earlier in the day, athletes had the opportunity to showcase their skills during the $25,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic. The Alan Wade course began at the far end of the Grand Prix field and tested riders with an oxer-vertical double combination and a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination by the gate. Ten of the 49 starters were faultless over the track, and for the jump-off they began with a new oxer and vertical, followed by the first part of the double combination, and then a sharp bending line before rolling back over the final obstacles and finishing by the gate.

Lillie Keenan posted the first clear jump-off with Pumped Up Kicks, owned by Chansonette Farm of New York, NY, carefully leaving all of the fences intact. Although she had a handy time of 42.315 seconds, there were six entries remaining and the time would only hold up for third place.

Karen Polle and What Ever. Photo by The Book LLC 2013
Karen Polle and What Ever. Photo by The Book LLC 2013

Karen Polle of New York, NY, was next with her long-time partner What Ever. Despite this being the horse’s biggest class since returning from an injury, she proved she was ready to win. They made sharp turns and had a big gallop, easily winding their way through the course without error and breaking the beam at 40.663 seconds.

Frances Land of Alpharetta, GA, tried to catch Polle’s time with Vieanne, but for the second day in a row the pair had to settle for second place. They were also very quick and precise, but crossed the finish line in 41.934 seconds. The only other rider to finish the course without incurring any faults Erin Haas aboard As Di Chupito, owned by the North Face Farm of Chesea, MI. In an effort to leave all the rails in place they had a more conservative pace, finishing in 45.560, earning the fourth place ribbon and sealing Polle’s victory.

“The place where I made the most time was my turn to the liverpool, and then I left out a stride to the next vertical, which I didn’t see many people do,” admitted Polle. “My horse is just naturally fast also, so I can cover ground quickly.”

What Ever and Polle have been partnered together for three years, but the mare is just coming back from an injury. “This was her biggest class yet,” smiled Polle. “She started at Lake Placid, but we took it pretty slow. She’s so brave. I can go in and go as fast as I want. I think she’s the only horse that I’ve gotten and I’ve just clicked right away with. As soon as I got her I felt so comfortable and so calm. She just tries so hard for me and even if I make a mistake, she’s always there for me.”

The first class of the day on the Grand Prix Field was the $10,000 Mitchell-Innes & Nash Fine Art Adult Amateur Classic. Patricia Hennessy of Kintnersville, PA, topped the nine-horse jump-off aboard Little Tom with a double clear effort in 27.328 seconds. Elizabeth Lamotte of West Grove, PA, followed her with Spit Fire in second with a time of 29.650 seconds, while Tiffany Field and London, owned by Hidden Brook Farm of Salt Point, NY, rounded out the top three by finishing in 31.844 seconds.

Meanwhile in the Jumper Ring, the day kicked-off with the $5,000 NAL/WIHS Children’s Classic, where the victory went to Madison Charlton riding Petit Flipper for Ellen Mitchell of Bernardsville, NJ. Liana Cohen of New York, NY, and Zoomerang were two seconds short during the tiebreaker for second place, while Grace Foley of New York, NY, and Atlantus took home the third place award.

The $10,000 NAL Low Junior Jumper Classic was next, with just fractions separating the top two competitors. Madison Goetzmann of Westport, CT, set the pace aboard Veronieque during the jump-off, finishing in a clear 35.735 seconds for the win. Michael Hughes was right on her heels, clocking in at 35.926 seconds for the second place honors with Red Hot, owned by Dumnacross Farm of Allendale, NJ. The third place award went to Ali Tritschler riding Velinta Palo Blanco for Norfield Stables of Newtown, CT, and finishing in 36.035 seconds.

The final event was the $10,000 NAL Low Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Houlihan Lawrence, where a single second determined the placings of the top three finishers in the jump-off. The winning honors went to Francesca Bolfo of New York, NY, aboard U2, while Maria Costa of Wellington, FL, and Reno picked up the second place award. Kenzie Snyder of West Chester, PA, and Waterloo posted a double clear effort that was good enough for the third place prize.

The 2013 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W will conclude tomorrow with the $200,000 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W World Cup Qualifier, presented by Suncast, which gets underway at 2:00 p.m. on the Grand Prix Field. The top competitors from around the world will vie for the lion’s share of the prize money and the winning title.

About the American Gold Cup

The American Gold Cup features world-class and Olympic athletes, such as Beezie Madden, reigning FEI Rolex World Cup Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward. Also confirmed to compete are show jumping mega-stars Kent Farrington, Margie Engle, Pan American Games Gold Medalist Christine McCrea and many more, all vying to secure their position at the World Cup Finals in Lyon, France.

The featured event, the coveted $200,000 American Gold Cup, Presented by Suncast, will be held on Sunday, September 15, 2013 and broadcast on NBC Sports Network the following Sunday, September 22, 2013, at 4:30 p.m. EST.

Old Salem Farm, located an hour north of New York City, boasts a state-of-the-art stabling facility, an historic pristine grass Grand Prix field and outstanding competition and schooling arenas, all of which are surrounded by one of the world’s most quaint and picturesque competition venue settings. For the past two years, the Old Salem Farm competitions have been recognized by the North American Riders Group (NARG) on their NARG Top 25 List. For more information on Old Salem Farm, including its year-long competition schedule, prize lists, clinics, boarding, lessons and training, visit www.oldsalemfarm.net.

For further information, visit: www.stadiumjumping.com or www.theamericangoldcup.com.

43rd Annual American Gold Cup Fast Facts

What: The $200,000 American Gold Cup FEI World Cup Qualifying Competition CSI4*-W

When: September 11-15, 2013

Where: Old Salem Farm, 190 June Road, North Salem, NY

Hours:
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday with the ASPCA Regional Championships on Saturday afternoon
Sunday: Gates open at 11 a.m. with family activities with the $200,000 American Gold Cup, Presented by Suncast, an FEI World Cup Qualifying Competition CSI4*-W at 2 p.m.

Facility: Old Salem Farm is New York State’s Westchester County’s premier equestrian facility, offering 26 annual competitions, boarding, top-level training and sales. It offers state-of-the-art facilities surrounded by 120 gorgeous acres.

Stabling:
Stalls are 10 x 10 and housed under canvas. The FEI stalls are 10 x 12 and stabling area will be secured by fencing with 24/7 security. FEI horses will be scheduled to school separately from non-FEI horses. Schedules will be posted and riders will be given notification of times during the horse inspection.

Parking:
Available on the grounds

Directions:
From Interstate 84 or Interstate 287: Take interstate 684 to exit 8 (Hardscrabble Road), turn right. Old Salem Farm is on the right.

Information:
Before Show – before 9/7/12 941-744-5465 800-237-8924
During Show – 914-669-5610  ext 201
Stable office – 941-744-5465
Prize List Advertising – 941-744-5465
Vendors – Matt Morrissey 941-915-3457

Website – www.theamericangoldcup.com

Results:

Results are available at www.ShowNet.biz. Coverage of American Gold Cup will be provided by ShowNet to the USEF Network at: http://usefnetwork.com/.

Televised Broadcast: The 2013 American Gold Cup, Presented by Suncast will be broadcast on NBC Sports Sunday, September 22 at 4:30 p.m. EST.

Tickets:

Weekdays: Admission is free to the public
Saturday and Sunday: Admission is $15 per person, $10 per child 4-12 years and seniors 65+, children 3 and under are free.

Gates open at:
Wednesday – Saturday: 8 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.

Tickets are available at the gate and online at www.theamericangoldcup.com.

Jockey Club:

The Jockey Club offers full service gourmet cuisine and beverages for tables of six and eight. Click here to reserve your Jockey Club table. New this year, The American Gold Cup is adding luxury suites for parties of 10 or more on the second floor of the Jockey Club. For more information and to reserve your American Gold Cup luxury suite, contact Matt Morrissey at: matt.morrissey@stadiumjumping.com.

Charity Partners:

JustWorld International
http://www.justworldinternational.org/

ASPCA
http://aspca.org/

Sponsorship Opportunities:

April Wehle
561.459.9259
aprilw@stadiumjumping.com

Connie Sawyer
518.461.6288
sawyer.equestrianevents@gmail.com

Advertising Opportunities:

Mary Silcox 800-237-8924
mary.silcox@stadiumjumping.com

Ring dimensions and footing:
Grand Prix Field 350′x450′, footing bluegrass mix turf. Grand Prix Annex 200′x250′, Schooling 130′x170′. Jumper Annex 146′x307′, Schooling 155′x173′. Indoor 115′x195′, Schooling 74′x135′. Hunter 138′x243′, Schooling 108′x158′. Footing in all arenas is all weather German-designed fiber and sand.

Hotels:

Official Hotel of the American Gold Cup
Danbury Crown Plaza
http://danburyplaza-px.trvlclick.com/
(877) 270 1393

Ridgefield, NY
West Lane Inn (203) 438-7323

Brewster, NY 5-10 min
Heidi’s Motel (845) 279-8011

Mt. Kisco, NY 5-10 min
Holiday Inn (914) 241-2600

Danbury, CT 10-20 min from grounds
Hilton Gardens (203) 205-2000
Comfort Inn (203) 205-0800
Danbury Plaza (203) 795-0600
Ethan Allen (203) 774-1776
Spring Hill Suites (203) 744-7333
Residence Inn (203) 797-1256

Management:
Stadium Jumping, Inc.
1301 Sixth Ave. West, Suite 406
Bradenton, FL 34205
Tel: 941-744-5465
Fax: 941-744-0874

Media Contact:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Boulevard, Suite 105 Wellington, FL 33414
Tel: 561.753.3389  Fax: 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Ahlmann and Farrington Win on Opening Day of Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament

Christian Ahlmann and Taloubet Z. Photos © Spruce Meadows Media Services.

Calgary, AB, Canada – September 4, 2013 – The prestigious Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament opened today with two classes in the International Ring and featured exciting competition. The victory in the $85,000 Finning Cup 1.60m went to Christian Ahlmann (GER) on Taloubet Z. Kent Farrington (USA) and Blue Angel flew to the win over a field of 17 in the jump-off of the $50,000 AKITA Drilling Cup 1.50m. The ‘Masters’ continues through Sunday, September 8, and features the $1 Million CN International Grand Prix, part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, on Sunday, and the $350,000 BMO Nations Cup on Saturday.

The $85,000 Finning Cup 1.60m had 39 entries, and 10 of those proceeded to the jump-off to determine who would join in the victory gallop. The courses this week are designed by Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela. Ahlmann rode Taloubet Z, his 2011 FEI World Cup Finals winning partner, to victory in the competition. Riding out of the second spot in the jump-off order, they put down an all-important clear round over a course that featured a long gallop to a skinny vertical. They finished in 45.38 seconds.

The next clear round came from Daniel Bluman on Sancha LS, a 10-year-old SLS Warmblood mare by Chin Chin x Polydor. They stopped the clock in 46.26 seconds for second place. The only other clear round in the jump-off came from Daniel Deusser (GER) on Stephex Stables’ Evita van de Veldbalie, who had a time of 48.32 seconds. Fourth place went to Penelope Leprevost (FRA) on Nayana, who had four faults in 45.13 seconds, while Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) and Vadetta VH Mettenhof were fifth with four faults in 45.89 seconds.

Ahlmann and Taloubet Z, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion by Galoubet A S.F. x Polydor owned by Judy Ann Melchior and Ahlmann, was Ahlmann’s first choice for the ‘Masters’ given his success here before.

“Taloubet did an amazing job today,” Ahlmann acknowledged. “He felt really, really fresh and concentrated. In the jump-off, I tried to take a little risk, but not go forward too much so we can keep the jump. In general he’s a really fast horse and there were a few good turns that I could make some time. It was a really good start and I hope we can keep it like that.”

Ahlmann felt that Taloubet’s attribute of an adjustable stride helped in today’s course, especially to the bogey skinny vertical. “To make a short stride with him is really easy because his stride is really flexible. I was hoping the jump would also be good because it’s a really difficult fence especially with the long line to it. He jumped it two times really good.”

Ahlmann, the World Number One rider since December 2012 until this month, was reflective when asked about losing his World Number One status. “It was a long time for me. I lost two really successful horses during the season,” he pointed out. “I knew the time was coming. It’s really hard to keep on top. It happened, but now the motivation is really big to get back.”

For Bluman, today’s competition was a huge boost to try and qualify for Sunday’s grand prix. He said of his ride, “It was a good course for my mare to start the week here. In the jump-off, I didn’t have the chance to see Christian go, but I imagine he turned really, really tight to the ‘coins’ jump. I’ve seen him on the TV and on the computer winning World Cup classes, so I figured he was going to turn tight! I couldn’t do it as tight as him. I took two or three seconds longer in that turn. After that she kept on jumping good. I’m very satisfied being second place to Christian today.”

Sancha is just 10 years old now, and Bluman feels that they are “growing together.” He said, “Every time I ride better, she jumps better. I believe the responsibility is more on me. From last year until now, there’s been a huge improvement with both her and me, and we hope to continue that way.”

Farrington and Blue Angel Show Their Speed

Out of 53 entries and 17 in the jump-off, Kent Farrington and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel showed the speed they’re known for to take the win in the $50,000 AKITA Drilling Cup 1.50m. No stranger to the winner’s circle at Spruce Meadows, Farrington notched another win when he went second in the jump-off and stopped the timers in 36.13 seconds. Two horses later, new World Number One Ben Maher (GBR) and Urico, owned by Jane Clark, were just off the pace in 36.29 seconds for second place. Conor Swail (IRL) and the always quick Martha Louise were third in 36.64 seconds. Fourth place went to Lauren Hough (USA) and Ohlala in 37.35 seconds, while Daniel Deusser (GER) and Cornet D’Amour, owned by Stephex Stable and Double H Farm, was fifth with a time of 37.59 seconds.

Kent Farrington and Blue Angel
Kent Farrington and Blue Angel

Farrington knew he could not rest easy despite his very quick ride. “I don’t know if you ever expect to hold the lead when you have a bunch of the best riders in the world coming after you. I think that would be a false sense of security,” he admitted. “I thought the horse went really well and put up a good round, so it was going to take some beating. You never sit comfortable in that situation.”

Blue Angel, an 11-year-old AES mare by Luidam x Ascendant, last showed at the Dublin CSIO a month ago, but Farrington said she was fit and ready for the ‘Masters.’ He noted of her and his top horse Uceko, “They’re used to traveling all the time; it’s just another day at the office for them. They feel really good and comfortable here.”

He concluded, “It always feels good to win the first class out of the box and have the momentum for the week. We have a lot more work to do here, but it’s a good way to start our week.”

Maher knew he would have his work cut out for him to beat Farrington’s time. “I’m a trier. I always try and win. I knew Kent would be fast. That’s a really fast horse and Kent’s one of the fastest riders in the world,” he said.

While he was “pretty quick” from the first to second fences, he did adjust later on in the course. He explained, “There was an option back to the Rolex oxer which I didn’t take. It was perhaps the winning turn if I took one less stride, but I decided to play a little safer today. I didn’t see it and it wasn’t quite there. It cost me a fraction of a second, but I’m very happy. Urico has had a slightly quieter summer. I’ve been doing a lot with the other horses and it’s his time to move up and help the team out.”

Maher found out that he jumped from #19 to #1 in the world this morning, which he remarked was a “big surprise.” Maher recently finished as a team gold and individual silver medalist at the P.S.I. FEI European Jumping Championships. He added, “It’s always been an ambition of mine and it’s great to be able to achieve that. I think it’s always a great feeling to win a big grand prix anywhere in the world, but I think the way the ranking works, it does prove consistency. It proves I have a great team around me, great owners, and great horses at the moment, which I’m very grateful for. It takes the whole package to give me the chance to be where I am right now and I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

The Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ continues tomorrow with the $50,000 ATCO Structures & Logistics Cup 1.50m and the $125,000 CANA Cup 1.60m. For full results and more information, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com/tournaments.

Based in Calgary, Canada, Spruce Meadows is the brainchild of the Southern family who built a Show Jumping complex at the foothills of the Alberta Rocky Mountains. It was in 1976 that the first Spruce Tournaments were held, with annual spectator attendances reaching over 50,000 by the end of the decade. Today, Spruce Meadows boasts one of the greatest outdoor equestrian venues in the world and offers an incredible experience for riders and fans alike. Spruce Meadows focuses on the organization and hosting of show jumping tournaments of unmatched quality for junior, amateur and professional athletes in a manner that reflects basic family values in a clean, green and welcoming environment that celebrates the horse and encourages the breeding and training of quality sport horses and the teaching and development of athletes. For more information on Spruce Meadows, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com