Calgary, AB, Canada – July 12, 2014 – Spruce Meadows held its $83,000 Investors Group Cup 1.50m competition on Saturday afternoon with another win for USA’s McLain Ward at the ‘Pan American’ Tournament CSI 5*. Ward took the top two places, winning aboard Zander and finishing second with HH Carlos Z. The rider has had a fantastic tournament to conclude the summer at Spruce Meadows and looks forward to competing Rothchild in Sunday’s final $400,000 Pan American Cup presented by Rolex.
International course designer Uliano Vezzani (ITA) has set some difficult tracks in the fifth week of competition at Spruce Meadows’ Summer Series. His courses have put all of the horses and riders to the test, but Ward and his talented mounts have been nearly unstoppable. After winning Friday’s $33,500 Ashcor Technologies Cup 1.55m, Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z jumped to the second place finish in Saturday’s Investors Group Cup. Ward and Grant Road Partners LLC’s Zander jumped the only double clear to take victory.
Vezzani got four clear rounds out of 47 that competed to advance to the jump-off. For most of the competition, it looked like Ward might be the only rider to qualify for the short course with clear rounds aboard both of his two mounts, but two more advanced in the end. Ward was first to go in the jump-off with the ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Zander (Canots x Saygon), clearing the track in 37.06 seconds. He followed shortly after with HH Carlos Z to finish with four faults in 38.62 seconds.
Also jumping off, Santiago Lambre (MEX) had an unfortunate stop with Skovlundegaards Cassius to incur four jumping faults and three additional time faults, finishing third in 47.94 seconds. Leslie Howard (USA) completed the jump-off track with a 22-fault total aboard Moormann, Rolf u. Paul Schockemohle’s Balboa 6 to place fourth.
Commenting on a fantastic few days and a great summer of competition altogether, Ward smiled, “I am thrilled. It is really a testament to Lee McKeever and the management, everybody in the stable, because they keep the horses healthy and fresh. It really shows at week five, if you look at the results, what a great job they do.”
“The horses really felt great today and it was a very difficult course,” Ward pointed out. “I thought we were going to have it easy for a moment there, but we had to do a little more work, and it all worked out okay. I thought it walked very difficult. I was thrilled with the way Zander went. He went clear, and at the time I didn’t think there would be a lot of clears. I don’t know if I thought four, but I did not think there would be a lot. I thought it was a real challenging test.”
Although it did not end up happening today, Ward said that he has been the only rider to qualify for a jump-off with more than one horse before. He explained that if the other two had not come along, he would have saved his horses for another day.
“I probably would not have jumped off. I would have tied the two horses,” he stated. “You don’t need to risk the horses. It doesn’t make any sense, but it wasn’t a question in the end. We had two more clear, but it actually was not a bad position to be in. I could go in and set the pace. I made a little mistake at the first jump on Carlos and then was trying to catch up, but it worked out first and second, so everyone was happy.”
Detailing his strategy, first to go with Zander and next with HH Carlos Z, Ward described, “I was going to try to go fast. Zander is a very fast horse and he is typically better in his jump-offs even than his first rounds. My thought was, without doing anything foolish, to put pressure on. I thought that he had such a nice round that it actually allowed me to also try to really take a shot with Carlos. If I had had a rail down with Zander, maybe I would have eased up a little on the time with Carlos, which who knows how things would have unfolded then. I think the other two, Leslie and Santiago, knew that the time was fast and they had to go.”
Comparing the two horses, Ward added, “They are both very careful. Zander has a bigger stride. They are not polar opposites. They are both quality horses with blood. Carlos takes a little more leg, but they are not far apart.”
Zander and HH Carlos Z will now both have a break after a fantastic summer circuit. Ward plans to jump his top horse, Rothchild, in tomorrow’s final grand prix. He recapped a fantastic summer so far, stating, “I am thrilled with all of the horses here. Rothchild, these horses, my big mare d’Ulien (van de Smeets), and HH Cannavaro. Every horse has really performed well here. I have not been upset with one of them. I am thrilled, and my wife took a third today, which made my day. Everybody is doing well.”
The ‘Pan American’ Tournament concludes on Sunday with the $33,500 Friends of the Meadows Cup Derby 1.45m in the All Canada Ring, followed by the $400,000 Pan American Cup presented by Rolex in the Meadows on the Green. For more information and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Lucas Porter and Mill’s Georgia Top $15,000 CIBC Junior/Amateur Jumper 1.40m
Calgary, AB, Canada – July 11, 2014 – The ‘Pan American’ Tournament CSI 5* continued at Spruce Meadows on Friday with an exciting showdown between two of the world’s top riders in the $33,500 Ashcor Technologies Cup 1.55m. In a two-horse jump-off in the Meadows on the Green, McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z came out on top against Kent Farrington (USA) and Uceko.
The $15,000 CIBC Junior/Amateur Jumper 1.40m competition was also featured on Friday with a win for Lucas Porter (USA) and Mill’s Georgia. The ‘Pan American’ Tournament runs July 10-13, featuring the $400,000 Pan American Cup presented by Rolex on Sunday, July 13.
Uliano Vezzani of Italy set a difficult track for the 24 competitors vying for Friday’s Ashcor Technologies Cup. Just two entries were able to clear the first round course without fault, leaving McLain Ward and Kent Farrington to battle it out over the short course. Farrington went first with RCG Farm’s Uceko, but had a rail down with a time of 39.46 seconds. Ward and Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z followed with the winning clear round in 40.97 seconds.
Ward and the 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chellano Z x Voltaire) had the fastest time in Thursday’s jump-off for the $33,500 G&C Farm Cup 1.50m, but dropped an unlucky rail in the short course to finish seventh. Today, the pair was out for redemption.
“It was really unlucky yesterday. He jumped great,” Ward recalled. “The horse is on fire. He was first, second, and had one class with a time fault last week. Yesterday he jumped brilliant. It was kind of a shame of a rail because he had a very good round and he really didn’t do anything wrong. I thought today was really difficult when I walked it and obviously the results proved it. I’m just thrilled with the way this horse is going.”
“The course was very big,” Ward noted. “He (Vezzani) used a lot of the twelve-foot poles and even ten-foot poles, which obviously are lighter than the 14-footers. I thought it was just a very legitimate 1.55m track and the results showed that.”
When Farrington had a rail down in the jump-off, Ward just needed the clean round to win, but he still had to keep the time in mind.
“I wanted to be fast enough at least until deep into the course,” he explained. “When you are in that situation, you want to always try to win two ways. If you go in and you go very slow and you have a fence down, you lose the class. If you go in and you carry pace, not crazy, but carry pace and you have a jump down, you still have a chance to beat them on time as well. Kent wasn’t crazy fast either and Carlos is a very fast horse, so my thought was to get through the blue vertical over there neat, and if I was clear, then gear down and jump the last two clean. You’re trying to take your risk level out a little bit, but that is normally my strategy in that situation.”
The first round course proved difficult for many of the horses in Friday’s competition, but two of the most successful and experienced came out on top. It was a great match-up of talent between Uceko and HH Carlos Z in the jump-off, and Ward knew he could count on Carlos to take the challenge.
“Uceko is a proven veteran. He has won some of the biggest grand prixs in the world,” Ward acknowledged. “Carlos has had a little bit more of an interesting career, but he has always been a horse thought of as the utmost in quality. We were really, I think in the end, very lucky to be able to purchase him in the beginning of this year. I think with a little luck the next few years are going to be really a lot of fun with this horse because I think he is going to do this week in and week out.”
Lucas Porter and Mill’s Georgia Top $15,000 CIBC Junior/Amateur Jumper 1.40m
The final competition in the Meadows on the Green on Friday was the $15,000 CIBC Junior/Amateur Jumper 1.40m, which saw a great jump-off that gave 16-year-old Lucas Porter (USA) of Bartonville, TX, the win aboard Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Mill’s Georgia. Uliano Vezzani (ITA) set the track for 49 competitors in the first round of competition and yielded eight clear rounds for the jump-off with three riders from USA and five from Mexico. A tight time allowed kept 10 others from advancing with just one time fault.
Over the short course, three jumped clear, where the first time was set by Chloe Reid (USA) and Shalanno Farms LLC’s Absie in 40.70 seconds to finish third. Antonio Chedraui (MEX) and Corcega la Silla upped the pace with the next clear in 39.79 seconds, but were bested in the end by Lucas Porter and Mill’s Georgia, last to go in 37.83 seconds.
Lucas Porter riding Mill’s Georgia
Porter has had the 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare (Iowa x Moulin) for a little over two years now and trusted her speed and accuracy in the jump-off. Things got a little tricky at the skinny jump, but it did not fall, and he and Mill’s Georgia raced on.
“She is a very fast horse. I mainly use her as a speed horse, but this week we decided to step her up a bit and put her in this big class,” Porter stated after his win. “The jump-off was super fast. Antonio was very fast before me. I knew that I could have the fastest time, but I had to really take time to the skinny because that is a really careful jump. I kind of chipped the jump actually, so I didn’t follow that plan, but I got really lucky there. Then she lost a shoe, but her natural pace is just so fast that I was able to beat the time.”
“She is careful enough that she takes a little look at the jump, but she’s not spooky, so that really helps in classes like these where you have to gallop to a vertical for the last jump,” Porter added. “They have to be really careful there.”
Porter has had a lot of success with Mill’s Georgia, including recent wins abroad, but for the summer at Spruce Meadows this was his first win.
“Actually this is my only win here,” he said. “We just came for three weeks this year and the past few classes I have been knocking on the door a bit. I was second yesterday and second last Sunday. I really wanted to win today because this is my last class here and I finished off with a win, which makes me really happy.”
Porter is now headed home to Texas for a couple of days before flying to Lexington, KY to represent Zone 7 at the North American Junior/Young Rider Championships where he hopes to have an equally great performance. He acknowledged the great sponsorship of CIBC for Friday’s competition.
“It’s really great for juniors and amateurs to have classes with a lot of prize money because it gives us practice before we go into the professional divisions,” Porter stated. “At Spruce Meadows, I like how they combine the juniors and amateurs because sometimes the amateurs are better than the juniors, but it makes us better. It makes us try harder and it makes us hungrier. I would like to thank CIBC for sponsoring this class and also my trainer, John Roche, and my whole team.”
The ‘Pan American’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows will continue on Saturday with the $83,000 Investors Group Cup 1.50m in the Meadows on the Green. For more information and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z Capture $85,000 TD Cup
Calgary, AB, Canada – July 5, 2014 – The ‘North American’ Tournament CSI 5* at Spruce Meadows featured the $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday with an exciting win for USA’s Kent Farrington and Voyeur. With an incredible resume of wins, this was Farrington’s first time winning the prestigious competition. He finished ahead of Paulo Santana (BRA) and Taloubet, and Quentin Judge (USA) and HH Copin van de Broy, who finished second and third respectively. The $85,000 TD Cup 1.50m winning round competition was also held on Saturday with a win for McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z.
Course designer Leopoldo Palacios (VEN) set a big challenge for the horses and riders in Saturday’s $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup. The competition was held in a two-round format with a final jump-off if needed. Thirty-one entries jumped in round one with 14 clears to advance over the second round course, but a jump-off was not necessary as none of the competitors were able to finish round two without fault. Kent Farrington took the win with one time fault in 77.40 seconds aboard Amalaya Investments’ Voyeur, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Tolano van’t Riethof x Goodwill.
“It felt great to win this class today. I have never won the Queen’s Cup before,” Farrington said after his victory. “I have had a lot of good seasons before, and I have come close, but I have just never won this class. I have come third and fourth and probably every other ribbon. That was really exciting for me today. I think I have a very special horse in Voyeur, and I look forward to big things from him in the future.”
“I was excited to show,” Farrington said of his mindset coming into the competition. “I really think a lot of this horse. I was really angry with myself the first week. I thought I gave away the grand prix, making a mistake in the jump-off. I wanted to be very focused today and give him the best shot to win it.”
Finishing behind Farrington, three competitors had four faults each in round two and were placed based on their round one time. Paulo Santana (BRA) and Taloubet took the reserve honors with four faults in round two and a first round time of 87.86 seconds. Quentin Judge (USA) and Double H Farm’s HH Copin van de Broy also had four faults in round two and placed third with their first round time of 88.18 seconds. Sameh el Dahan (EGY) took the fourth place prize with four faults and a round one time of 90.27 seconds with Joanne Sloan Allen’s WKD Pepperpot.
Course designer Leopoldo Palacios set tough tracks for both rounds of competition and explained his strategy and reaction to the results, stating, “I wanted the first round as the qualifier for the second round. I don’t like to have a jump-off with two rounds. It’s not fair to horses jumping big, big fences to go two rounds and jump-off. I want to congratulate Kent and Paulo and Quentin for what they did. This second round was a very, very serious course.”
The riders agreed on the difficulty of the course, and Farrington noted that his horse was definitely up to the challenge. “He’s a very versatile horse,” the rider stated. “The second round today was as big as almost any course in the world, and I think that he showed that he is on par with those horses.”
Paulo Santana and Taloubet
Second place finisher Paulo Santana praised Palacios on stepping up the level of competition with his courses outside of Europe, stating, “I think America and Latin America have to thank Leopoldo for pushing the level of competition over here for the last ten years. I think it’s very good for our sport to stay on a level close with Europe. We can see riders like Kent Farrington and Beezie Madden who are always in the top ten in the world jumping here and then staying competitive worldwide. In this course, your horse needed to be clever, be brave, and have power.”
Santana jumped second in the first phase of round one of competition at 9 a.m. this morning and had to wait most of the day to return last in round two. Although it was a long day for the rider, he was happy with the end result.
“Coming in the last round, I thought, ‘Oh this is a good position, but there is so much pressure,’” Santana noted. “I didn’t know if I could make a clear round. My horse had an old injury and he was not supposed to jump this horse show, and I had broken my ankle five weeks before we came here, but I rode and he was improving all of the weeks. He got all the support from the veterinarian team at Spruce Meadows, and it came together at the right moment.”
Quentin Judge finished third with a fairly new mount in HH Copin van de Broy and was quite happy with his result as well.
“It’s really special to do well in the grand prix here, especially as prestigious a class as this, with this much history,” Judge acknowledged. “I can’t say enough good things about the horse. He has miles and miles more experience than I do, so to have a horse like that going into a second round with tricky jumps, it gives me confidence as a rider. I have been really fortunate to have Hunter and Jeannie Harrison invest in this horse and believe in me. McLain Ward and his team gave me really good advice this summer. It has been great. He has been consistent, but it has been a slow progression to get to this. This really proves that we have done the right thing and done our homework, so I am really happy for him.”
Commenting on the competition, Judge added, “I think the courses were difficult. The first round was difficult, but not impossible. It was a qualifier and the right horses got into the second round – veterans like Kent and McLain, and then people like myself who are just getting into it. It was a good mix of riders. The second round was a hard test. Coming to Spruce Meadows, it’s going to be hard, and I thought it was a great course.”
Ward Wins TD Cup
The $85,000 TD Cup 1.50m competition was held earlier on Saturday in a winning round format with the top 10 out of 24 combinations returning for round two. McLain Ward and Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z were the only pair to jump clear in both rounds of competition. They completed the fastest of three clears in round one, making the pair last to go in the winning round, where they had the fastest clear in 44.58 seconds to take top honors.
Mexico’s Jaime Azcarraga was the first rider to jump clear in round two with Matador in 46.26 seconds and had the rest of the field chasing his time, eventually finishing second. Elizabeth Gingras (CAN) and B Gingras Equestrian Ltd.’s Zilversprings were clear in 46.56 seconds to place third. Antonio Chedraui of Mexico also cleared the second course in 46.64 seconds to finish fourth with Fortin. Ian Millar (CAN) and Team Works’ Star Power were fifth with a clear round in 49.61 seconds.
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z
“The first round was difficult. The time allowed was tight again, but he has been performing really well,” Ward said of HH Carlos Z, a 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chellano Z x Voltaire). “We just tried to jump a nice, clear round and get under the time. Certainly being the fastest one helped, being able to watch Eric (Lamaze) and Quentin (Judge) go before me. It was certainly nice to be in that position. It was a little bit of a better position than we have been all week. This horse has been trying to win big classes the whole time here; it just came together today.”
Ward stated, “He can kind of do everything. I almost put him in the grand prix today, but my stallion needs the experience. Carlos can do anything you want, basically. He’s a bit of a younger version of my old mare Goldika. When you need her, she goes, kind of an ATM machine. I really like him.”
HH Carlos Z will jump two classes in next week’s ‘Pan American’ Tournament to conclude the summer series at Spruce Meadows and will then have a nice break while Ward hopes to be headed to France for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. He then plans to come back to Calgary for the ‘Masters’ Tournament in September.
The ‘North American’ Tournament concludes on Sunday with the $210,000 Cenovus Energy Classic 1.50m Derby and the $85,000 Enbridge Cup 1.50m. For more information and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
McLain Ward and Sapphire at the 2008 Olympic Games (Bob Langrish)
Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation mourns the loss of the great show jumping mare Sapphire who died on June 22, 2014 following complications from colic. With longtime rider McLain Ward, the 1995 Belgian Warmblood mare was a stalwart of U.S. Jumping Teams for years helping the United States to capture Team Gold at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and Team Silver at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games.
“Sapphire epitomized a great mare, and if you have a great mare, you have a great horse,” remembered legendary horseman and former U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe George Morris. “She was the anchor of so many U.S. teams; she had the scope, she was careful – I can’t say enough good things about her. She was one of the greatest horses of the century.”
In addition to great team successes, Ward and “Sara” earned top honors in many of the world’s most prestigious competitions and Grand Prixes, including a second-place finish at the 2009 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in Las Vegas. The duo twice claimed victory in the FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix (2009, 2010), the Grand Prix of Devon (2007, 2009), the Hampton Classic Grand Prix (2009, 2010), and the President’s Cup at the Washington International Horse Show (2008, 2010). Sapphire’s extensive resume also includes wins at the 2008 Budweiser Invitational, 2009 $1 Million CN International at Spruce Meadows, 2010 La Baule Grand Prix, 2010 Rome Grand Prix, and 2010 Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix.
“Our entire Castle Hill family and every person she has touched has lost a great friend. Thank you Sara not just for all the dreams you made come true but simply for being who you were,” said Ward. “You always will be my champion in every way. Godspeed, good friend.”
The USEF extends its deepest condolences to Ward, Castle Hill Farm team and all of Sapphire’s owners throughout her storied career: Tom Grossman, Blue Chip Bloodstock, McLain Ward, Double H Farm, Missy Clark and Harry Gill.
Calgary, AB, Canada – June 15, 2014 – On the final day of the ‘Continental’ Tournament CSIO 5* at the Spruce Meadows Summer Series, the $210,000 CP Grand Prix drew a large crowd to watch top sport. They were treated to an exciting jump-off with McLain Ward (USA) taking the top spot on the leaderboard with Rothchild over Yann Candele (CAN) riding Showgirl and Eric Lamaze (CAN) on Powerplay.
Today’s competition wrapped up the second of five weeks in the Spruce Meadows Summer Series, which continues with the ‘Canada One’ CSI 4* Tournament on June 26-29, featuring the $125,000 Imperial Challenge 1.55m on Sunday, June 29.
There were 35 entries in the $210,000 CP Grand Prix, and five of those moved on to contest the jump-off for speed. The course, a challenging one set by Anthony D’Ambrosio of the United States, had 14 numbered obstacles including a difficult line with the open water to an oxer, followed by a triple combination.
D’Ambrosio noted, “I thought it was a good result, a good challenge. There were several different ways to solve the problems out there. I put more emphasis on rideability and a little bit less on sheer scope. It was a good day of show jumping.”
Lamaze added, “I think it was a very technical course. It just came very quick at you. It was well-built. The horses just needed to pay attention today. That was the difference for people who had success, their horses were very attentive.”
First to go in the jump-off was Canada’s Yann Candele and Showgirl, owned by Watermark Group. They set down a quick, clear round in 45.77 seconds, which would finish in second place.
Yann Candele and Showgirl
“I know all of them, I knew they would be faster than me,” Candele stated. “The key was for me to stay clear. McLain tried to create some pressure and create some mistakes. He created the mistake for everybody else, that’s why I got second. Everybody was faster than me today. With the big gallop, it’s a little bit of an illusion. People think we’re sometimes faster than we are. My turns were a little slow, and that’s where I lose a lot of time. We don’t know each other that long.”
Ward and Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farm, were next in. They sped around the shortened course, completing a great inside turn from an oxer to the “CP planks” and stopped the timers in 43.29 seconds to go into the lead.
Ward recounted, “I was lucky. Going first in the jump-off like that is tough, for Yann. I thought he took a pretty good route. His horse looked like it was slowing just a little bit as he was trying to press her on. Rothchild is a hot little horse. I felt if I could do the same track, it would be quicker and put the pressure on the ones behind me. I certainly think that I left enough room that if someone put in a hell of a round to beat it, it wasn’t unbeatable. You put a little pressure, and people are trying very hard. A little mistake here and there, and once in a while things go your way.”
It was that CP planks jump that would play a big part in the last three competitors’ rides. Lamaze and Powerplay, owned by Artisan Farms LLC, took down three of the top planks after their inside turn didn’t go as planned. Their time of 43.29 seconds slotted them into third place.
Lamaze said of his rail down, “I was fast one to two. I carried the speed into the next oxer, and then I felt I needed that turn. It’s sort of what came up, distance-wise. I was committed to the turn, and there was a distance in front of me. I just rolled back on it and at the end, I was underneath the plank, and I was too short. But that’s the risk you’ve got to take in the jump-off.”
Christine McCrea (USA) and Romantovich Take One, owned by Candy Tribble, completed the turn but just tapped the top plank for four faults for fourth place in 43.87 seconds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Artisan Farms LLC’s Verdi III had four faults at the jump before the planks and had a slip through the turn, pulling up before the plank jump. They attempted three more fences before retiring on course for fifth place.
Eric Lamaze and Powerplay
Lamaze said that he was very happy with Powerplay, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Casall x Limbus. The pair has only been together for a year, and Lamaze feels that Powerplay is now learning how to go with speed. He agreed, “I’m very happy with my horse. I never even thought a year ago that I could take a shot at McLain’s round with that particular horse. But he has learned to be much faster so that I could try and compete. Unfortunately today we had one down. If I can think of the biggest progress that horse has made, he’s learned to carry a little speed and jump the fences, which a year ago he wasn’t able to.”
It is also a newer relationship for Candele and Showgirl, a 14-year-old Selle Francais mare by Gold de Becourt x Elf III. Showgirl was purchased for Candele with the goal of qualifying for the Canadian team for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in August. With that in mind, Candele’s main goal this week was a strong performance in Friday’s Nations Cup.
But Candele does feel that Showgirl has improved, and their relationship has become stronger since the beginning of the year. “We consider that it takes six months to a year to know the horses that we are riding. There’s a lot of things, like bridle, tack, know the personality. I made some major mistakes in Florida at the beginning, but through the season there was progress,” he acknowledged. “These mistakes are disappearing because we understand more who she is. I understand more who she is. We know which way we need to go. It just takes time.”
Ward has seen Rothchild, a 13-year-old SBS gelding by Artos Z x Elegant de L’le, step up to become a top 1.60m horse in their five years together, and it took understanding what Rothchild was willing to give. “He’s a little special. You’ve got to be his friend. Through the years, he’s really become my friend,” Ward said. “I believe in this horse. You have to give in a little bit to his personality traits, but he tries for you. I think we would all agree that we would much rather (have) a horse that does it their own way, but gives you what he has, than something that is super talented and always finds a way to knock a jump down. He has a lot of heart, this horse.”
When Ward needed Rothchild to step up as his top horse, the determined pair made it happen. In addition to today’s grand prix, they won the Antwerp Grand Prix in April. “He’s gotten better and better at it, and probably I’ve gotten to believe in him more and more. The result is a more consistent performance at this level. This year in Florida, he performed beautifully and I made a few mistakes in jump-offs trying to win too hard. This summer I tried to just take a step back and ride his round, and the result is that he’s now won two big grand prix,” he remarked.
Following the ‘Canada One’ Tournament (June 26-29) is the ‘North American’ CSI 5* Tournament on July 2-6, featuring the $210,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday, July 5. The $210,000 Cenovus Energy Classic 1.50m Derby will be the highlight on Sunday, July 6. There will also be the $85,000 Sun Life Financial ‘Reach for the Sun’ 1.55m competition on Wednesday, July 2, and the $85,000 Progress Energy Cup 1.55m on Thursday, July 3, as well as the $85,000 TD Cup 1.50m on Saturday, July 5, and the $85,000 Enbridge Cup 1.50m on Sunday, July 6.
Concluding the summer tournaments, the ‘Pan American’ CSI 5* Tournament will run July 10-13, featuring the $400,000 Pan American Cup presented by Rolex on Sunday, July 13.
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.
Calgary, AB, Canada – June 4, 2014 – In a day packed full of show jumping, three top athletes posted victories in the International Ring on the opening day of the Spruce Meadows ‘National’ Tournament. In the $85,000 ATB Financial Cup 1.55m, Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Powerplay were victorious. McLain Ward (USA) had two wins today, and Shane Sweetnam (IRL) was also honored in awards presentations.
The ‘National’ Tournament presented by Rolex is the first of five in the Summer Series and runs through Sunday, June 8. The highlight of the week is Saturday’s $400,000 RBC Grand Prix presented by Rolex. This week’s top classes include: the $85,000 Spectra Energy Cup 1.55m on Thursday, June 5, the $35,000 RBC Capital Markets Cup 1.50m on Friday, June 6, the $60,000 TransCanada Parcours de Chasse on Saturday, June 7, and the 210,000 CNOOC Nexen Cup 1.50m Derby on Sunday, June 8.
The course designer for the ‘National’ Tournament in the International Ring is Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. He set a testing track in the $85,000 ATB Financial Cup 1.55m jump-off class, where four of 26 total entries advanced to the shortened course.
The first would prove to be the best: when Eric Lamaze and his 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding partner Powerplay blazed around the course with no faults, no one was able to catch them without fault. They set a time of 39.52 seconds for victory.
McLain Ward almost had his third win of the day, but it was not to be when he and Zander pulled the top plank at the final vertical in the jump-off. Their fast time of 37.51 seconds gave them second place.
Pablo Barrios (VEN) and Zara Leandra finished third with four faults in 39.78 seconds, while Sameh El Dahan (EGY) and WKD Pepperpot placed fourth with eight faults in 42.34 seconds.
Lamaze and Powerplay, owned by Artisan Farms LLC, have had a successful spring including a win in the CSI 5* grand prix in La Baule, France. “They’re coming into Spruce Meadows in really good form,” Lamaze noted. “I have a lot of confidence in them. It was a year ago that I rode Powerplay for the first time, and it was a different ending from tonight. He’s come a long way in one year. It’s a different horse now.”
Lamaze described Powerplay as “a bit lazy” and laidback. He laughed, “He’s not the most fun horse to ride in the morning. He’s a funny personality. He’s very spooky; he’s afraid of a lot of things, but he’s brave at the same time. He’s not really a horse that I think I would get along with, but we’ve formed a partnership. We like each other, and I have a lot of respect for him.”
Schooling before the class, Lamaze said he could feel the tension of the riders and sensed the importance of the first day. Leading the victory gallop is something that he will savor from today’s memories.
He expressed, “I love coming to Spruce Meadows. No one will ever get tired of winning here. It’s always special to win any event, especially in the International Ring. There’s a lot of other guys fighting to win. McLain had a fantastic day. I thought for sure he was going to go for a hat trick, and it looked that way until the end. It’s really not easy. These jump-offs are won with very fast rounds. It’s really good sport. We take it seriously.”
“In the old days I took it for granted with this little horse Hickstead,” he continued. “It was a lot easier to win classes. Now that I look back, I wished I enjoyed them a lot more. With La Baule, Rome, winning here, I’m really enjoying myself. I have a new respect for how hard it is to win. These horses are very good horses, but for a long time, one was so extra special that it made my job very easy. I really appreciate now when it goes my way.”
Lamaze also complimented the footing in the International Ring. “I don’t think I’ve ever ridden on better grass footing than tonight. It’s to perfection. As a rider, this is fantastic. The horses love it; it’s not slippery. It’s as good as I’ve ever seen it here,” he said.
McLain Ward and HH Cannavaro
The third class of the day in the International Ring was the $33,500 Bantrel Cup 1.50m with 47 entries. Sixteen went on to the jump-off, and 12 of those were clear over the second course. The fastest was McLain Ward on HH Cannavaro, a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion by Caplan x Caretino owned by Double H Farm. It was Ward’s second win of the day.
Ward has only ridden HH Cannavaro since March, but they have connected quickly, having won the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix at Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show just three weeks ago. Ward has been teaching the talented horse to be faster in jump-offs. “He’s a big jumper, and he really likes to take his time,” he pointed out. “Just like Sapphire years ago, they have to learn to be a quicker horse. But he really allows you to ride him. I was able to make a really good turn on the third jump, and he’s so careful I could run at the last. It worked out our day. A couple of the real fast ones had a rail.”
Unlike his Olympic gold medalist partner Sapphire, HH Cannavaro came to Ward with more experience. “He’s older than when I had Sapphire at first; she did the [Olympic] Games at nine. I got him as a 10-year-old. He had a lot of experience and was ready to be pushed a little bit. We’re thrilled with what he’s doing now,” he said.
Ward was happy to be back at Spruce Meadows with a top string of horses under the renewed partnership with Double H Farm. “This is an incredible event, and the prize money is fantastic. We’re really excited about all our horses and being back together with Hunter Harrison is very exciting for us,” he confirmed. “He really provides us with some great stock. The results always show. When you have the best horses, it helps.”
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z, owned by Double H Farm, went to the top of the leaderboard after a speedy clear round in 58.581 seconds for victory in the $33,500 Back on Track Cup 1.45m. They beat 54 entries in the one-round class. Angel Karolyi (VEN) and Indiana 127, owned by Hollow Creek Farm, were second with a time of 61.47 seconds. In third place was Conor Swail (IRL) and Susan Grange’s Ariana, who posted a time of 62.00 seconds.
Shane Sweetnam and Cyklon 1083
The first class of the day was the $33,500 Friends of the Meadows Jumper 1.45m speed class with 53 entries, and the win went to Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Cyklon 1083, owned by Spy Coast Farm LLC. Sweetnam and Cyklon recorded a time of 55.20 seconds. They just beat out Santiago Lambre (MEX) and Zeus du Buison Z, who finished in 55.24 seconds. Riding Sheila Sosnow’s Uitteraard, Nayel Nassar (EGY) was third in 56.72 seconds.
The Spruce Meadows ‘National’ Tournament continues tomorrow with the $33,500 ATCO Pipelines Cup 1.45m, $33,500 Westmoreland Cup 1.50m, and $85,000 Spectra Energy Cup 1.55m. For more information and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
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.
McLain Ward and HH Cannavaro. Photos copyright The Book LLC.
Darragh Kenny Wins $20,000 Leading Jumper Rider Award
North Salem, NY – May 18, 2014 – The Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows came to a successful conclusion with their highlight event, the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix, presented by The Kincade Group, Merrill Lynch. McLain Ward rode to first and second place with HH Cannavaro and HH Carlos Z, both owned by Double H Farm, over a prestigious field of horses and riders. After two weeks of top finishes, Darragh Kenny won the $20,000 Leading Jumper Rider Award, presented by Houlihan Lawrence. Today’s competition concluded two great weeks of equestrian sport in North Salem, and Old Salem Farm would like to thank the exhibitors, sponsors, and staff for their support.
The Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows were held May 6-11 and May 13-18 at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY. The shows featured over 130 hunter and jumper classes each week, bringing together top competitors, including Olympic show jumpers, from across the country to compete for almost $500,000 in prize money.
There were 42 entries in the grand prix, and nine of them were clear to advance to the jump-off over a course designed by Ireland’s Alan Wade. The first clear round in the jump-off came from Leslie Howard on Jane Clark’s Wintu, who recorded a time of 38.758 seconds. They would finish in fourth place. Next in, Candice King and Bellissimo LLC’s Kismet 50 placed fifth with a time of 40.325 seconds and no faults.
Michael Hughes and Macarthur
Ward and HH Cannavaro set the winning time at 36.896 seconds. The rider who came the closest to catching Ward was Michael Hughes of Allendale, NJ, on Macarthur, who stopped the timers in 37.836 seconds for third place. Ward and his second horse, HH Carlos Z, had a time of 37.232 seconds, just off the pace.
Hughes has been riding Macarthur for three years, and the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Concorde has helped him move into the grand prix arena. “He’s been a great horse for me,” Hughes affirmed. “He has a lot of experience, so he’s good for me to go in and start jumping bigger classes like this. He’s pretty much been my main horse to go jump bigger jumps on. He’s a great horse. He’s just such a smart horse and so clever.”
Hughes said that Macarthur’s scope and big stride came in handy on the grass Grand Prix Field. Watching the jump-off, he adjusted his plan. “I had a different plan when I initially walked it, and then I saw McLain go. I changed my plan a little bit doing a few less strides here and there,” he said. “I still ended up doing the add down the last line, which I guess cost me a little bit.”
Ward said of the jump-off course, “There was a seven (strides) from one to two, and then from three to four there was another seven strides, which was difficult to get. But [Cannavaro] has such a big, ground-covering stride that I really thought he could do it. He did it easy. I was trying to be a little faster with Carlos because I knew that Brianne and Kevin were coming after me. But the second to last (jump) didn’t show up quite the way I wanted, and I had to add a stride. But it all worked out.”
Both horses are new to Ward, who started with HH Cannavaro in January and HH Carlos Z in February of this year. “It’s a restarted partnership with Hunter Harrison and Double H Farm, so it’s very exciting for us,” Ward noted. “They’re both really talented and very willing horses. It’s nice that things are really starting to come together.”
HH Cannavaro, a 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion by Caplan, is “a bit like riding a big equitation horse,” Ward said. “He’s very easy, he’s very straightforward. He has massive jump, and he has a lot of quality. He doesn’t want to touch the fences. Probably sometimes you’d have to say he’s not the fastest horse in the world, a little bit like another great horse I had, Sapphire. But he’s so willing that you can do distances and turns that you can’t do on another horse.”
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z
Describing HH Carlos Z, a 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z, as “very, very fast,” Ward said that he is “like a minibike.” He added, “He’s a horse I’ve known for a number of years; he’s a great winner. He’s a wonderful addition to have in the string because he’s a very competitive horse that can win every day.”
Hailing from Brewster, NY, just a few miles down the road, Ward has competed at Old Salem Farm for years and the shows here rank among his favorites. He remarked, “For many years it was a nice, national-level show, and it’s really grown into pretty much an international event now. The Hakim family and the management have done such a phenomenal job with the facility. It’s very exciting for us in this area to have this place, trying to run not only the great spring shows here, but the American Gold Cup and possibly some big, exciting events to come in the future. This area is behind it; it’s a horse area.”
Earlier in the day, Lillie Keenan rode Abigail Wexner’s Vanilla to victory in the $7,500 Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic with a clear jump-off round and time of 37.747 seconds. Brianne Link and E Bay, last week’s winners, were a close second place in 37.819 seconds. Maria Costa and Reno were third with a time of 38.140 seconds.
Karen Polle and Bottom Line were the fastest in the $20,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic presented by Miller Motorcars. They crossed the finish line almost a second faster (40.541 seconds) than Gabriela Mershad and Ledgepoint, who had a time of 41.435 seconds. Third place went to Charles Jacobs and Cassinja S, who were just fractions slower in 41.540 seconds.
There were a variety of awards presented today in the Hunter Ring and Sand Ring. They included:
Grand Junior Hunter Champion: Akinda, ridden and owned by Victoria Press
Best Junior Rider on a Horse: Victoria Press
Grand Pony Hunter Champion and winner of the “JetSetter Challenge Trophy” donated by Grand Central Show Stables: Brighton Heartbreaker, ridden by Daisy Farish for Phoebe Weseley
Best Junior Rider on a Pony: Caroline Passarelli
Grand Children’s Hunter Champion and winner of the “Shades of Gray” trophy donated by MeadowView Farm: Commander, ridden and owned by Lilly Walker
Best Children’s Rider on a Horse: Louisa Soohoo
Grand Children’s Pony Hunter Champion: Ashworth, ridden by Mackenzie Wanicka for Ridgefield Equestrian Center, Inc.
WATCH LIVE! Video on demand of the $100,000 Empire State Grand Prix is available on the USEFNetwork.com presented by SmartPak. All classes in the Grand Prix Field and Sand Ring are also available at www.shownet.biz.
Visit the Old Salem Farm and Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows Facebook pages for results, photo galleries, and more! Old Salem Farm has joined Twitter and Instagram too – follow us to see exclusive photos and videos, let us know what you like about our events, and share your experiences.
Old Salem Farm, located just one hour north of New York City, is one of the best equestrian competition venues in North America, as rated by the North American Riders Group in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Host of the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, the prestigious American Gold Cup CSI-W 4*, and year-round competitions, the facility offers a state-of-the-art turf grand prix field, indoor riding arena, and two all-weather footing rings. As a boarding and training facility, Old Salem Farm is second to none and home to top trainer Frank Madden. For more information, please visit www.oldsalemfarm.net or call 914-669-5610.
Lexington, KY – May 5, 2014 – The historic National Horse Show, scheduled for the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, October 28 through November 2, 2014, announced the line-up of judges for the ASPCA Maclay National Championship today. Olympian McLain Ward will be judging the country’s top junior riders alongside the United States Equestrian Federation President Chrystine Tauber.
Ward grew up riding and competing the equitation himself, and has gone on to help the United States Show Jumping Team win two Team Gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics. He is one of the most decorated riders in Show Jumping, with wins in almost every major grand prix, and is well known for his textbook style in the saddle.
“It is a huge honor to judge the Maclay Finals because it is the most prestigious national championship of equitation in our country,” stated Ward. “It is great honor from your peers that they respect your level of riding and horsemanship enough to give you the opportunity to be in that position.”
Ward continued, “All judging comes down to a philosophy. I look at equitation as a stepping stone to something even bigger. While some junior careers end [after the Finals], many of those that are most successful in the equitation go on to have careers as top show jumpers. If you look at it as a stepping stone, and you see the different ways the rider has developed, the talent as well as their horsemanship and mental point of view, the most well rounded, well prepared junior wins in the end.”
Chrystine Tauber
Tauber is a past equitation champion herself, winning both the AHSA Medal and ASPCA Maclay Finals in 1965. She is a top rated USEF judge, course designer, trainer and rider and has been involved in the governance of the sport for nearly forty years. In addition to the presidency of the USEF, she serves as the vice president of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association. Tauber has judged all the major equitation finals, most recently judging USEF Medal Finals. She has also judged the IHSA Finals and the NCAA Finals twice.
“I have judged the ASPCA Maclay Finals several times in the past and each time it has evolved to a higher standard as a national championship competition,” explained Tauber. “We have more depth of talent in our young riders than ever before so designing the courses, the flat work, and the tests are an exciting challenge. I am really looking forward to working on these with McLain. He is an Olympic Gold Medalist, a great trainer, and a super stylish rider over Grand Prix height jumps. Combining our talents to create appropriate tests for the junior riders at this level and collaborating on our assessments of the riders is definitely something to look forward to for this year’s finals.”
Tauber concluded, “The Maclay Finals format provides the judges with an opportunity to have a very thorough look at the competitors both over fences and on the flat. The riders should demonstrate a complete knowledge of riding a horse on the bit in a good rhythm as well as a sophisticated coordination of their aids in order to provide a positive influence on the horse’s performance; plus the ability to maintain that rapport and focus under pressure. And, of course, do all of this with poise and style. It is, after all, an equitation championship.”
The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class has been held since 1933, and it is one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders in the United States. Its winners are some of the biggest names in equestrian sport. Previous winners include: William Steinkraus in 1941, Frank Chapot (1948), George Morris (1952), Leslie Burr Howard (1972), Stacia Klein Madden in 1987, and Nicole Shahinian Simpson in 1992. The 2012 ASPCA Maclay National Championship winner was Jacob Pope, and in 2013 Lillie Keenan was named the winner.
Eight regional competitions will determine which top junior riders will travel to Kentucky to compete during the 2014 ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals, which will be held Sunday, November 2, 2014.
For more information, please visit the National Horse Show website at www.nhs.org.
2014 National Horse Show Fast Facts
What:
The Alltech National Horse Show is a week-long championship event featuring “AA”-rated hunters, open jumpers, junior/amateur jumpers, and the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals. The event will run October 28 – November 2, 2014, indoors in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Parking:
The Kentucky Horse Park has waived the normal parking fee during the Alltech National Horse Show. Parking is free. While dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash, no dogs are allowed in the Alltech Arena during the ANHS.
Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located at 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. The KHP is 8 miles northeast of Lexington at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.
Information:
2245 Stone Garden Lane Lexington, KY 40513
Cindy Bozan
email: cindy@nhs.org
Phone: (859) 608-3709
Fax: (866) 285-9496
Hotels:
HILTON – DOWNTOWN – 859-231-9000 – Approximately 6 miles
CLARION HOTEL (formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859 – 233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles
FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT – 859 -977-5870 – Approximately 4 miles
FOUR POINTS SHERATON – 859-259-1311 – Approximately 4 miles
LA QUINTA – 859-231-7551 – Approximately 4 miles
KNIGHTS INN – 859-231-0232 – Approximately 4 miles
EMBASSY SUITES – 859-455-5000 – Approximately 4 miles
MARRIOT GRIFFIN GATE – 859-231-5100 – Approximately 4 miles
RESIDENCE INN – 859-231-6191 – Approximately 5 miles
COURTYARD BY MARRIOT – 859-253-4646 – Approximately 5 miles
HOLIDAY INN GEORGETOWN – 502-570-0220 – Approximately 6 miles
RAMADA INN – 859-299-1261 – Approximately 6 miles
RED ROOF INN – 859-293-2626 – Approximately 6 miles
HAMPTON INN – 502-867-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
SUPER EIGHT – 502-863-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
MICROTEL INN & SUITES – 502-868-8000 – Approximately 6 miles
Maggie Jayne and Fredrick Top Perfect Products High Performance Hunters
Wellington, FL – March 13, 2014 – Week ten of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) continued on Thursday with a win for McLain Ward (USA) and Zander in the $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 10. The win marks the 25th ‘WEF Challenge Cup’ victory for Ward over the years of his illustrious career.
FTI WEF week 10, sponsored by Horseware Ireland, runs March 12-16, 2014. The week will feature the $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45 on Friday, the $125,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday, and the $34,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday. The FTI WEF, held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, features 12 weeks of world-class competition through March 30, awarding $8 million in prize money.
Great Britain’s Richard Jeffery set the track for Thursday’s Challenge Cup competition that yielded 17 clear rounds of 85 starters in round one. Two entries opted out of the jump-off, and Jeffery saw eleven double clears out of 15 over the short course.
For his remarkable 25th WEF Challenge Cup victory, Ward guided his ten-year-old KWPN gelding Zander (Cantos x Saygon) to the winning time of 34.36 seconds, setting an uncatchable pace as the second entry in for the jump-off.
Try as she might, Lauren Hough (USA) was not quite quick enough to catch Ward’s time with Ohlala, finishing second in 34.71 seconds. Ramiro Quintana (ARG) and St. Bride’s Farm’s Whitney finished third in 35.59 seconds. Kevin Babington (IRL) and Shorapur placed fourth in 35.64 seconds.
“I actually think sometimes in those big jump-offs, when you know there are going to be a lot of double clears and a lot of fast horses, that is not the worst thing when you know your horse,” Ward said of going early. “The other night in the grand prix I went late, and I was trying to do something impossible. Today I just kind of rode my round. I know he is a quick horse. I had a few nail biting moments; Lauren was close, but it worked out in our favor.”
“I have a very big stride. I think I have a bigger stride than Lauren (with Ohlala),” Ward detailed of his winning round. “I was able to do four strides to the skinny and then I had a good rollback. It showed up well. She lost her horse a little bit on the rollback, but it was a hair.”
This is the first class that Zander has won during the 2014 season, but Ward feels like he is finishing out the winter well. “He had a little bit of a rough start to the circuit. He had a small injury and we were just a little behind, but the Nations Cup week he was great,” Ward noted. “He was second in the WEF (that week) and had other good ribbons. The last three shows, he has been really solid and seems to be in pretty good form, so we will try to keep going in that direction.”
Ward also commented on the difficult job for Richard Jeffery, who had 96 starters in the class originally (85 showed). “Richard did a good job,” Ward acknowledged. “It is a tough thing. It is tough for the riders, and it is tough for the course designers. It’s supposed to be a 3*, but you have 90 plus entries, and I thought it was smart. It was difficult, hard to jump a clear round. When they see 17 clear, they think it must have been easy, but 17 clear out of 96 isn’t a very high percentage. He didn’t over tax them as well, you didn’t see a lot of large, large scores, so I thought he got it pretty good.”
An $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m was also held on Thursday with a win for Eiken Sato (JPN) and Stephex Stables’ Soory de l’Hallali. Jumper competition continues in the International Arena on Friday with the $34,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m.
Maggie Jayne and Fredrick Top Perfect Products High Performance Hunters
Maggie Jayne of Elgin, IL, and Pony Lane Farm’s Fredrick bested the Perfect Product High Performance Hunter division on Thursday morning at the FTI WEF. The pair were neck and neck with reserve champions Point Being and Kelley Farmer, who finished just four points behind Jayne and Fredrick.
Fredrick won three over fences classes and the under saddle and placed second and fourth in the remaining two over fences rounds with Jayne in the irons. Farmer and Point Being won two over fences classes and placed second in the others in addition to finishing fourth under saddle.
Maggie Jayne and Fredrick
Jayne has ridden Fredrick, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Couleur Rouge, for nearly three years and is quite pleased with his early success in the high performance division.
“This is the second week doing high performance, and he’s been really good at it. He likes the bigger jumps,” Jayne explained.
Fredrick also pulls double-duty in the junior hunter ring with Madeline Thatcher, an easy adjustment for the laidback chestnut. Jayne admitted the gelding can have a lazy streak, so the bigger jumps earlier in the week don’t light him up before Thatcher takes over the ride.
“He’s beautiful and he moves well and he jumps well, and he’s quiet and relaxed. He’s the total package!” Jayne described. “He can be a touch spooky, but I think that makes him jump carefully.”
Fredrick’s spooky side showed itself a bit in Jayne’s first course on Friday, but it didn’t affect them too much; the pair placed second with an 88. They came back for the final course and laid down a high score of 90, which Thatcher noted was one of their better scores together.
“This is only the second week we’ve done the high performance, and it’s definitely our best score in that. He’s normally pretty consistent by the second day. The last class is usually his best class,” Jayne pointed out.
She continued, “I’m just happy that he’s stayed so consistent over the years, and he’s going to have a bright future. He’s so easy [to ride] and so easy on himself.”
Fredrick has easily stepped up the challenge of higher fences, and his niche is more conventional hunter classes. Fredrick will continue to compete in the high performance hunters with Jayne as well as step into the ring with Thatcher as her trusted junior hunter.
Competition for week ten of the FTI WEF, presented by Horseware Ireland, will continue on Friday, March 14, with the Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Over division, Section A, in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Arena at the Main Grounds of PBIEC. 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.
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z Top $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic for Second Win in Two Days; Nicole Lyvere and Wink Champion the Bainbridge Companies Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters
Wellington, FL – March 2, 2014 – Week eight of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by G&C Farm, concluded on Sunday with another big win for Great Britain’s Ben Maher in the $150,000 CSIO 4* Grand Prix, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty. Maher guided Jane Clark’s Urico to victory over USA’s Laura Kraut and Nouvelle in second and Ireland’s Cian O’Connor aboard Quidam’s Cherie in third. Also showing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Sunday, McLain Ward (USA) and HH Carlos Z won for the second day in a row with a top finish in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic.
Steve Stephens concluded a fantastic week of world-class competition with a challenging course for Sunday’s $150,000 CSIO 4* Grand Prix. There were riders from 18 different countries in in today’s grand prix, and 36 of 50 riders were from outside of the United States.
The course yielded 12 clear rounds out 50 entries for an exciting jump-off of top international riders from eight different countries. In the end, it was once again Ben Maher who led the victory gallop after completing the fastest clear jump-off round in 40.85 seconds aboard Urico. The pair finished over three seconds faster than second place finishers Laura Kraut and Nouvelle with a time of 44.09 seconds.
Cian O’Connor and Quidam’s Cherie took third place honors in 44.23 seconds. Sharn Wordley (NZL) and Ashland Stables’ Derly Chin de Muze finished fourth in 46.86 seconds, and Kent Farrington (USA) and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel had the fastest time in 38.30 seconds, but had the last jump down to place fifth.
“It was a difficult course actually in the first round,” Maher said after the class. “I thought it got big; after the water jump it really changed. The fences before it weren’t too difficult, and then once the water took its toll on the horses, the jumps got bigger and a lot of faults came. There were a lot of clears today and certainly a lot of fast ones in the jump-off. I tried to ride the jump-off that I could do, not one that I couldn’t do.”
“Urico is an incredibly fast horse,” Maher described. “He kind of anticipates turns before you’re even there. It looked like one of those jump-offs where rails were falling, and it maybe wouldn’t get too quick. I know that Cian’s horse is quite inexperienced; jumping very well, but I did not know how quick he would go. I knew that Beezie would be faster than me probably whatever I did, so I rode the round that I could, and fortunately it was just quicker than Laura today and good enough to win.”
Maher described the win with Urico as an important moment in his partnership with the 13-year-old KWPN gelding (Zandor Z x Fedor). “I think this is probably even more special for me today because we took a lot of time with Urico since this time last year,” he stated. “We had a few teething problems and a lot of work has gone into him for six or seven months. Jade Steinsdorfer, who looks after him, has put a lot of time in. Jane Clark believed in my system and has let me get on with it and it has really paid off. He certainly feels a very, very useful horse to go along with Cella and my other horses right now. It is a big milestone and a confidence boost for us today.”
“He did start very well here,” Maher detailed. “He had some good results here last year as well; I just felt that we needed a slightly different program. I went home and worked on building him physically in a different way and getting him stronger and more confident. I am just gaining his trust really. I think that he really believes in me now, and he trusts me. He is a very sensitive horse and a very careful horse. You have to be careful when to push the right buttons and when not to.”
Maher has now won four of the eight major grand prix classes at this year’s FTI WEF. He also won week one’s $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix aboard Kavanagh IV and topped both week three’s Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI 3* and week five’s $370,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI-W 5* presented by Rolex aboard Cella.
“It has been incredible here so far for me,” Maher acknowledged. “I think Jane’s horses love being at home. They get to go in the paddock and be real horses and come to the ring here fresh. Things seem to be going my way right now and I know how quickly things can change around, so I am enjoying it as much as I can while it is happening.”
“I love jumping here,” he added. “I enjoy the fact that Jane can come and watch as many events as we can get to. The horses haven’t jumped too much. We make a very careful plan for here. It’s only early in the year, but Urico had three months off the end of last year, and I chose not to use him in the indoor season and keep him ready and fresh for here. Cella also didn’t jump so much towards the end of last year. They come over here about four or five times each and don’t have to jump too many classes when we’re here because I have been pre-qualified for some of the grand prix. The plan is going great so far and I hope it continues, but I am just going to enjoy what’s happening so far.”
Behind Maher and Urico, Laura Kraut finished second aboard the Evita Group’s Nouvelle, a ten-year-old KWPN mare by Solitair x Contango. Nouvelle is just coming back this season after an injury and had a great finish.
“She got hurt last June; she broke her pedal bone in her foot, so basically from June until I got here she was off,” Kraut explained. “The first fences she jumped were here in January, so today is her very first grand prix and I am really pleased with how she performed. She has matured and I don’t think the time of rest seemed to hurt her too much because she has come back sort of where she was ready to be before she got hurt.”
Kraut was a little worried about Nouvelle’s inexperience in the class, but was hoping for a good result. “I knew that I had Ben and Beezie and Kent and quite a few people behind me,” she said. “I was really hoping to finish in the top six, and I was hoping to be double clear. Ben beat me by a lot; he beat me by three seconds. It wasn’t like he just beat me. I am really proud of her. I did the inside turns, the one back on the vertical, and she handled that well. I am just thrilled. Her owners are here and they have been long-time supporters of me. Their last grand prix horse was Anthem, so I know they are so excited.”
Commenting on Maher’s great success, Kraut noted, “He rides great; he has super horses and he deserves to win the classes that he has won. I would like to have a shot to try to beat him at some point. I will get Cedric revved up here hopefully at some point and we will give it a shot, but at this level you appreciate the superior riding and horses. He and Scott (Brash) are so impressive. It is going to raise the level of riding here. To have number one and number two in the world is just a great opportunity for WEF and for all of the riders here.”
In third, Cian O’Connor was jumping Adena Springs’ Quidam’s Cherie, a nine-year-old Oldenburg mare by Quidam’s Rubin x Lifestyle, that the rider has only been partnered with since December.
“I got Cherie in middle of December and did one show before coming here,” O’Connor explained. “With her previous rider she did 2* grand prixs in Germany, so she is very green. That is the brilliant thing about coming to this festival is that the horses really get mileage, you get experience. I jumped her in the Nations Cup the other night, and she jumped a very good clear in the first round. She was a little tired in the second round and then I gave her a day off yesterday to freshen up, and she really jumped her heart out today.”
“I am very excited about her because it has been a while since I have had a horse as talented as that,” O’Connor said. “She is so careful and I am just going to drop her down and move her up and not do too much because it is hard when you only have one horse like that. You really want to spare them, and I am looking forward to a good year with her.”
On behalf of Wellington Equestrian Realty, Craig Martin spoke about Sunday’s fantastic class and his company’s continued support of equestrian sport in Wellington.
“Wellington Equestrian Realty, we really love sponsoring this class,” Martin stated. “I have known Ben for a long time since he was a young fellow. He is definitely a tactician of the sport, and I would love to congratulate him on his win. Congratulations to Laura and Cian as well. The show for us is a very important part of our whole marketing strategy. The way that we feel the direction the show is going, it is only getting bigger and better. It is definitely, without a doubt, one of the best horse shows in the world.”
Several special awards were also presented during Sunday’s Grand prix. In memory of Niall Grimes, the “CHEERS” perpetual trophy was awarded to Cian O’Connor as the top Irish rider during the CSIO, Nations Cup week.
Brazil’s Alvaro ‘Doda’ de Miranda was presented with the Kate Nash Boone Style Award, a perpetual trophy presented by Michael Meller, friends and family to honor the memory of Kate’s support and love of “all things equestrian.”
Beezie Madden (USA) also earned a special award as the Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider for week eight, an award presented by Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z
McLain Ward and HH Carlos Z Top $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic for Second Win in Two Days
After topping Saturday’s $25,000 Nutrena Jumper Classic at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, the brand new partnership of McLain Ward (USA) and Double H Farm’s HH Carlos Z went on to their second victory of the week in Sunday’s $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. The class saw 52 entries with six to jump-off.
Laura Kraut and MH Sporthorse’s Andretti S were first to jump-off and incurred 16 faults (8 jumping and 8 time in 55.88 seconds) to finish sixth. Caitlin Ziegler (USA) and Artisan Farms LLC’s Touchdown jumped next and cleared the course in 44.94 seconds to eventually place third. Ward and HH Carlos Z followed, posting a time of 40.64 seconds to take the lead.
Kristen Vanderveen (USA) and Bull Run’s Holy Smokes jumped into second with a clear round in 43.45 seconds. Germany’s Johannes Ehning had eight faults in 47.59 seconds to place fifth with Nybor Pfere GMBH & Co. KG’s Balounito. Last to go with his second mount, Ward also took fourth place honors with a clear round in 45.77 seconds aboard Arnoud Dobber’s Cannavaro D.
Ward first sat on HH Carlos Z for the first time two weeks ago and is quickly getting to know the talented 12-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Chellano Z x Voltaire). “He is a phenomenal horse,” Ward praised. “I am just trying to get to know him a little bit. He is electric careful, fast. It is like having a 12-year-old Goldika again, so it is very exciting for us.”
“He has had a good past,” the rider pointed out. “The horse won the Grand Prix of Falsterbo already, that’s a 5* grand prix. I think he has a great future. He is maybe not a horse that you jump every day 1.60m, but you go up and down a little bit because he has so much carefulness, and he is going to be a phenomenal addition to our string.”
With two wins in a row, it is obvious that Ward and Carlos have good things to come. Ward has already learned a lot about Carlos is a short period of time and looks forward to the future.
“He knows the game and we are still getting to know each other and we will be for a while,” Ward noted. “I will get to know to know little things about him and he will get to know me, but he knows his job and I mostly know my job, so hopefully we can be somewhat competent.”
“I have learned little things already just about the warm-up and preparation for the class and just how he reacts to different things in the ring, which have all been positive feeling,” Ward added. “I am just getting to know him and it is exciting. It is an exciting venture with Hunter (Harrison). He likes to win and I like to win, so it’s a good combination.”
Ward also jumped a brand new mount, Cannavaro D, in the jump-off on Sunday and had a great round with him to finish fourth. “It wasn’t a very big jump-off. There weren’t many clear, but I thought the course was difficult enough,” Ward commented. “I had a pretty strong feeling that I had the fastest horse in the jump-off with Carlos. I was pretty confident in that, but I also knew that Kristen Vanderveen was coming behind me and she would always give it a good try, so I wanted to make sure that I did enough that I didn’t leave the door open. The other horse that I did in the jump-off I have only been riding for ten days. He is a little less experienced, so I knew that I couldn’t go as fast with him as I did with Carlos.”
Nicole Lyvere and Wink Champion the Bainbridge Companies Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 Division at the FTI WEF
Nicole Lyvere of Denver, CO, topped the Bainbridge Companies Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 on Sunday morning at the FTI WEF. Lyvere and her nine-year-old Warmblood gelding Wink were third in the under saddle, won two over fences classes, and were second in another over fences round to clinch the division title.
The reserve champion of the division was Humor Me, owned and ridden by Stephanie Danhakl. Danhakl rode Humor me to second place under saddle and first, fifth and fifth over fences.
Nicole Lyvere and Wink
Lyvere has owned Wink for the last few years after buying him from Don Stewart in Ocala. She admitted Wink was quite green when she got him and was happy to see her journey with the gelding come full circle.
“He was super, super green when I got him. He’s come a long way,” Lyvere smiled. “Now, he’s getting in the routine where he loves the horse show and he hates to be at home! When he’s at a horse show, he’s happy.”
Despite Wink being green when Lyvere first tried him, there was something about the gelding that instantly clicked with her.
“He just had this really cool feeling and he was the first fancy horse that I got. I’d never had a horse that jumped as well. He wasn’t very broke, and I’m out there flopping around. He would even bear down at the jumps a little bit, but we just clicked at the beginning. We’ve had our battles, but he’s just so fun to ride,” Lyvere described.
Wink has made a lot of progress, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t occasionally give Lyvere a run for her money.
“He’s super comfortable. He’ll always push your buttons, though. If you give him an out, he’ll take it most of the time. He has an attitude, a sassy attitude that he knows he’s good. But he’s perfect! The best ones always have some sort of attitude,” Lyvere remarked.
Bringing Wink along with the help of trainer Cindy Cruciotti has been a rewarding experience for Lyvere, who prefers working her way up the levels with her horse instead of going for one that’s a bit more push-button. After Cruciotti campaigned the horse in the First Year Green Working Hunters, Lyvere contested the 3’3″ amateur-owner divisions with Wink before making the move up to 3’6″ in 2013.
“It’s awesome. That’s my favorite thing. It’s nice to have a made horse and go in there and win, but for me that’s not as fulfilling. Most of my horses, I’ve had them since they were younger and brought them up through the ranks,” Lyvere expressed.
Lyvere’s victory with Wink wrapped up the eighth week of competition at the FTI WEF, presented by G&C Farm. Week 9, presented by the Bainbridge Companies, kicks off on Wednesday, March 5, with a full schedule of show jumping and hunter competition. 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.
