Tag Archives: Winter Equestrian Festival

Ward Earns Second Victory of the Week in Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic

Sienna and Lexi Maounis Take Home Bainbridge Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunter Championship

McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 20, 2013 – The second week of competition at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, concluded on Sunday with a win for McLain Ward (USA) and Super Trooper de Ness in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Competing on a beautiful afternoon at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), the pair earned their second victory of the week, winning over Ben Maher (GBR) aboard Jane Clark’s Cella and Pablo Barrios (VEN) and ZL Group, Inc.’s Zara Leandra.

Week three of the FTI WEF runs Wednesday, January 23, through Sunday, January 27. The week will feature the FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge (FTI GCC), presented by Fidelity Investments, at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. The event raises and distributes over one million dollars annually to 32 lucky Palm Beach County charities in a pro-am team competition.

Continue reading Ward Earns Second Victory of the Week in Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic

Reed Kessler and Ligist Win $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix, CSI 2*

Garfield and Alexandra Crown Surpass Competition in Antares Large Junior Hunters 16-17 Division

Reed Kessler and Ligist. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 19, 2013 – The youngest rider in Saturday night’s $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix was the winner as eighteen-year-old Reed Kessler and Ligist jumped to victory during the highlight event of week two at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). With riders representing fourteen different countries competing in the class, the USA took the top seven placings and the young women were one, two and three. Kessler and Ligist topped Katie Dinan (19) and Nougat du Vallet and Brianne Goutal (24) aboard Nice de Prissey.

The second week of FTI WEF competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will conclude with the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI WEF circuit runs through March 31 featuring 12 weeks of world-class competition.

Luc Musette of Belgium set the course for Saturday night’s $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix. The riders were all complimentary of Musette’s course for the evening. Goutal stated, “I thought it was amazing. I thought this course was beautifully built and spot on with the number of clears. It didn’t kill anyone, it was hard, it was fast, it was exciting. It is the best course I have jumped in a long time, I thought it was wonderful.”

Continue reading Reed Kessler and Ligist Win $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix, CSI 2*

McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness Triumph in $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Jumpers

Iceman and Laurie Stevens Take Home Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Older Championship for Second Consecutive Week

McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 18, 2013 – Week two of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) continued on Friday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) with a win for McLain Ward and Grant Road Partners’ Super Trooper de Ness in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class. Laura Chapot and Bradberry won the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m speed class and Laurie Stevens and Iceman took home their second championship of the circuit in the Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Over division.

The second week of FTI WEF competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will run January 16-20. Highlight events include the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty CSI2* Grand Prix on Saturday evening and the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI WEF circuit runs through March 31 featuring 12 weeks of world-class competition.

Continue reading McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness Triumph in $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Jumpers

Laura Kraut and Jubilee d’Ouilly Top $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2

Ivory Coast and Peter Pletcher Triumph in Second Year Green Working Hunter Division

Laura Kraut and Jubilee d'Ouilly. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 17, 2013 – Laura Kraut and Jubilee d’Ouilly jumped to victory in the $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 on Thursday afternoon at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) in an exciting jump-off of top competitors. Last to go in a 24-horse tie breaker with McLain Ward holding the first and second positions, Kraut and Jubilee shaved fractions off of the leading time to win in a dramatic finish.

The second week of FTI WEF competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will run January 16-20. Highlight events include the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty CSI2* Grand Prix on Saturday evening and the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI WEF runs through March 31 featuring 12 weeks of world-class competition.

Continue reading Laura Kraut and Jubilee d’Ouilly Top $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2

Conor Swail and Carlotta Singular Win $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers

Conor Swail and Carlotta Singular. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 16, 2013 – The second week of competition at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) kicked off on Wednesday, January 16, with a win for Conor Swail (IRL) and Carlotta Singular in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

The second week of FTI WEF competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will run January 16-20. Highlight events include the $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 on Thursday afternoon, the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty CSI2* Grand Prix on Saturday evening, and the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI WEF runs through March 31 featuring 12 weeks of world-class competition.

Luc Musette of Belgium is the course designer in the International Arena for week two jumper competition. In the first class of the week, 24 entries showed in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class. Only six entries were able to clear the course without fault, and the fastest clear round belonged to Ireland’s Conor Swail and his mount Carlotta Singular, owned by Susan Grange. The pair was first to go in the class and set an unbeatable pace at 61.578 seconds.

Continue reading Conor Swail and Carlotta Singular Win $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers

New Hope LLC Starts Season Strong with Three Championships at WEF 1

Elizabeth Morgan and As Always

Wellington, FL – January 15, 2013 – If week one serves as any indicator of how the rest of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival season will pan out, it’s going to be an extremely successful one for New Hope LLC. New Hope owners Christopher Payne and David Belford come to Wellington, FL, from Cincinnati, OH, bringing with them an impressive lineup of top horses. With only five days of showing complete, they have already captured wins across the board, and are looking forward to the remainder of the season.

Elizabeth Morgan started things off strong for New Hope Farm, riding away with the championship in the Adult Amateur 18-35 Hunters aboard As Always. Morgan and As Always, a 12-year-old bay Westphalian stallion, swept the division, winning all four over fences classes as well as the under saddle. The dynamic pair has been training together at New Hope Farm for the past four years.

“Major [As Always] is really funny,” Morgan laughed. “Although he is a stallion, he definitely doesn’t act like one at all. I bought him at the 2009 Capital Challenge, and have gotten to know him so well. He is definitely a lover; you can go into his stall and he will lick your hand; he is so sweet and gentle.”

Continue reading New Hope LLC Starts Season Strong with Three Championships at WEF 1

Opening Weekend Spells Success for Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade

Emanuel Andrade, riding Crossfire 10, enjoyed a top 10 finish in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Jumper Classic. Photo Credit – Sportfot

January 15, 2013 – Wellington, Florida – Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade opened the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, by earning two championship titles.

Andrade, 16, captured the Low Junior Jumper Championship title, having won the $1,500 Maria Mendelsohn Low Junior Jumper competition on Saturday, January 12, and placing second in the $10,000 Maria Mendelsohn Low Junior Jumper Classic on Sunday, January 13.  Both finishes came aboard Casanova Junior, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Hollow Creek Farm.

Andrade tied with Michael Hughes for the Medium Junior Jumper Championship aboard Boccaccio, owned by Hollow Creek Farm, after winning the $1,500 Hollow Creek Medium Junior Jumper class on January 12.  Andrade’s trainer, Angel Karolyi, who operates Hollow Creek Farm with business partner Andrea King, was Boccaccio’s former rider, having competed with the 12-year-old grey Belgian Warmblood gelding as part of the Venezuelan team in last year’s $75,000 G&C Farm Nations’ Cup in Wellington, FL.

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Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star Capture $30,000 Mar-O-Lago Club Grand Prix at WEF I

Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star. Photo By: Kenneth Kraus

East Aurora, NY and Wellington, FL – January 14, 2013 – Charlie Jacobs of Deeridge Farms took the first week of the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival by storm on Sunday. The talented amateur rider piloted his top mount Flaming Star to an impressive victory during the $30,000 Mar-O-Lago Club Grand Prix. The pair outraced nine other double clear entries to take home the winning honors as they head into the twelve-week circuit.

Fourteen riders managed to navigate the first round of the grand prix without fault, which meant the competitors needed to be perfect in the final footrace. Jacobs showed in the middle of the pack, but knew that the time to beat would be tough. He picked up a quick gallop with Flaming Star and never looked back, shaving off seconds through each of the turns. They dashed through the finish line in 37.163 seconds, three-tenths of a second ahead of the leader to claim the top spot and eventually lead the victory gallop.

“I didn’t think I was going to catch the leader,” admitted Jacobs. “I was having discussions with my trainer about maybe taking a stride or two out in the first line. Then I elected to slow down a bit so I could make the turn quickly after jump three. Flaming Star was real catlike through one of the turns, and we just sort of sliced the next fence and kept going. Three tenths of a second split the top three, so it was really a horse race.”

Continue reading Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star Capture $30,000 Mar-O-Lago Club Grand Prix at WEF I

Michael Hughes Pockets SSG Riding Gloves Bonus

Michael Hughes won a $1,000 bonus from SSG Riding Gloves for wearing SSG ‘Digitals’ at the 2013 Equestrian Festival. Photo – Sportfot

January 13, 2013 – Wellington, Florida – Michael Hughes of Allendale, NJ, scored his first bonus in the SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion by winning the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic on Sunday, January 13, at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.

Of the 21 entries in Sunday’s $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic, 17 were wearing SSG ‘Digital’ style riding gloves to be eligible for the $1,000 cash bonus.  Nine horses qualified for the jump-off, including Hughes who posted a clear round in the winning time of 32.25 seconds riding MacArthur.

“It’s a great way to get people to wear the gloves,” said Hughes, 17, of the SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion.  “They are great gloves.  They never seem to wear down.  Even after lots of wear, they are still totally fine.”

Coached by his father, Eamonn Hughes, Hughes is a veteran of the Junior Jumper division.  He has been riding MacArthur for the past year and, in September, competed with him in the $1 million Grand Prix in Saugerties, NY.

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$30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix Victory Goes to Flaming Star and Charlie Jacobs

Jessica Stitt Clinches Champion and Reserve Titles with On the Hour and Taken

Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 13, 2013 – The second week of competition at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by The Mar-a-Lago Club, concluded on Sunday afternoon with a win for Charlie Jacobs (USA) and CMJ Sporthorse LLC’s Flaming Star in the $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix.

Week one of FTI WEF was sponsored by The Mar-a-Lago Club. FTI WEF 2 runs January 16-20 and is sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty. The 2013 FTI WEF runs through March 31 featuring 12 weeks of world-class competition.

Jumping a course set by Eric Hasbrouck, 46 horse and rider combinations contested Sunday’s class. Thirteen entries jumped clear to advance to the jump-off, and 10 went double clear. The fastest of those clear jump-off rounds belonged to Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star in a time of 37.163 seconds.

Continue reading $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix Victory Goes to Flaming Star and Charlie Jacobs