Ben Maher aboard Urico Wins the $82,000 Adequan CSI 2* Grand Prix at FTI WEF

Avery Hinson Triumphs in THIS National Children’s Medal 14 and Under with Rio’s Reflection

Wellington, FL – February 9, 2013 – Week five of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) featured another exciting “Saturday Night Lights” event with over 4,000 spectators looking on as Great Britain’s Ben Maher won his second grand prix in a row for the winter circuit. Maher jumped to victory in the $82,000 Adequan CSI2* Grand Prix aboard Jane Clark’s Urico after also taking top honors in last week’s $100,000 Fidelity Investments CSI 2* Grand Prix riding Cella.

Week five of the FTI WEF circuit, sponsored by Adequan, runs February 6-10. The week will conclude on Sunday afternoon with the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition running from January 9 – March 31, 2013, and awards almost $7 million in prize money throughout the circuit.

Saturday night’s grand prix was generously sponsored by Adequan, which is distributed by Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Allyn Mann, Director of the Animal Health Division at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, was on hand to watch the class on Saturday evening and was thrilled with the success of the event and the great competition displayed. Mann presented Maher with an Adequan Tack Locker for his win.

“We are honored as a company to be involved with this whole sport,” Mann stated. “I think tonight was just another example of the commitment by the horse, the rider, and especially the owners, which are really the foundation of everything that happens with this industry. We really appreciate everybody’s efforts and it is just exciting to be a part of it.”

Olympic course designer Bob Ellis set the track for the evening. Forty-seven entries began the class with 14 advancing to the jump-off and six of those clearing the second round course without fault. Ben Maher and Urico had the fastest time for the win.

Argentina’s Ramiro Quintana was the first entry to clear the short course aboard St. Brides Farm’s Whitney and held the lead for six rounds with his time of 45.90 seconds before eventually finishing in fifth. Mario Deslauriers (USA) and Legacy Stables, LLC’s Uraguay were the next pair to jump double clear and placed sixth with a time of 46.82 seconds.

The race for top honors continued with Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Simon, who took over the lead with their clear round in 45.55 seconds to eventually place fourth. For her success, Madden was later presented with the Leading Lady Rider Award for week five competition, presented by Martha Jolicoeur and Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.

Madden’s lead did not hold on for long as Ben Maher and Urico took their start and blazed through the course in 43.81 seconds to grab the lead. Brianne Goutal (USA) and Cloverleaf Farm’s Uata went next and made a great effort with their time of 45.05 seconds to finish third. Last to go, Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Spy Coast Farm, LLC’s Siri concluded the class with a swift round in 44.99 seconds to take the second place prize.

Class winner Urico is a 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Zandor Z x Fedor and another new mount for Ben Maher riding for owner Jane Clark. Maher and Urico put together a great round on Saturday night and seem to be quickly developing their new partnership.

Commenting on the class, Maher noted, “It was a difficult course tonight. It wasn’t as big as last week, but it was technical and it was very careful jumping. Bob Ellis is an English course designer, so I should know his courses pretty well, to my advantage. The jump-off was quick. There was very fast riders after me this week, so congratulations to Brianne and Shane who pushed it right to the end there; I was holding on.”

“Urico jumped great,” Maher smiled. “I was lucky at fence one; I had a lucky rub. Another day it may have fallen, but somebody helped out today. I think that helped me; he jumped better and better as the jump-off went on. I made sure of the green vertical in the middle of the course. It was a nasty rail that caught McLain and a few other riders, so I took my time there and tried to make up time everywhere else.”

Last week Maher explained that George Morris has been helping him get to know the new horses and gave him great advice on how to ride Cella. Again this week, Morris was there to guide Maher in his ride on Urico. “George was amazing again tonight helping me,” Maher acknowledged. “He told me that if I felt right that I was seven strides to the last jump, but I think he may have been catching me out on a stretcher if I did that! So I stayed with my plan and luckily it worked out and I didn’t get in trouble.”

Maher described the difference between his two winning mounts, Cella and Urico, explaining, “They are completely different. They are both amazing horses. I think we picked the right weeks. Cella jumped last week, which was a much more bold, big, scopey class. This week was more careful. Urico feels like he needs a few rounds to get going. He felt very good tonight. This was only his fifth or sixth round, so he is still getting back into the swing of things and I think careful planning beforehand has helped pay off in the last two weeks.”

He detailed further, “Urico is a little more conventional. He is a lot more predictable in what he is going to do. He turns very well, which helped with the jump-off tonight. Cella likes to take over and do things her way, but that is good enough for me. They are both a pleasure to ride and every time I ride into the ring I feel that they give me 150% and that is the difference between a positive attitude when you ride in to try and win a class and not have to risk playing it safe.”

“I know that I am lucky to ride such great horses,” Maher concluded. “I think things are just going my way right now. It is going great. I have a great team of people behind me and a lot of people helped even in the last couple of days to make Urico feel the best that he could tonight. I think the very small attention to detail is new to me. I pay attention to detail, but there are definitely some new things that I am learning even still. I think it is the element of the horses maybe liking me, something new. When things are fresh sometimes they go your way in the beginning as well, but they are great horses and it makes a big difference.”

Second place finisher, Shane Sweetnam, was pleased with his rounds tonight with Siri. He stated, “She was very good. She is still green enough at this level. This time last year she only started doing 1.40m, so she has come a long way in only a year. I thought she jumped the first round very well. In the second round, we are not used to going fast with her and there were a lot in the jump-off. I said I would give it a go and I was very happy with what she did.”

Brianne Goutal was also very happy with her mare, Uata, who is new to the big classes as well. “I am thrilled with my mare tonight,” Goutal smiled. “I didn’t think we were going to be here, definitely not at the beginning of the week. She has come a long way since two months ago when I started riding her. She is very unconventional, but she tries harder probably than any horse I have ever had or in the ring I think in general. Conor Swail, my trainer, has been riding her for me and it made a huge difference. A few months ago she wouldn’t turn at all, so I was thrilled with her. I made her step up this week because I am trying to save my other two for the rest of the weeks. I don’t think she could have jumped any better, so I am really happy.”

Avery Hinson Triumphs in THIS National Children’s Medal 14 and Under With Rio’s Reflection

Avery Hinson of New Albany, OH, bested a class of 29 junior riders during Saturday’s Taylor Harris Insurance Service’s (THIS) National Children’s Medal class during week five of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Hinson led the class with her twelve-year-old Warmblood gelding, Rio’s Reflection, with a score of 87 points.

Maria Moore finished second aboard Angela Moore’s Arizona with a score of 86. Blythe Ruppel piloted her own Charade to a score of 86. Parker Wright and Miss Ticket to Ride, owned by Barbara Milanese, rounded out the top four riders called back for the test and finished fourth with 85 points.

Hinson and Rio’s Reflection competed during the latter part of the 2012 season in both hunter divisions and equitation classes, but Hinson has decided to focus on equitation classes for 2013. “Competing only in the equitation classes has let me focus more. It was difficult to adjust to riding Rio in both hunters and eq,” Hinson described. “I like equitation more than hunters because you can focus on yourself.”

Hinson’s secret to success is a close bond with her big bay gelding and grueling no-stirrups lessons. “Most of my lessons are no stirrups, so that’s pretty torturous, but we get through it” Hinson laughed. “Even in the short amount of time I’ve had Rio, I feel a connection with him. Everything I ask him, he does it for me.”

“I have to spice him up [in the ring], but he’s just a big puppy dog for his size [an impressive 17.2 ½ hands]. He loves his job,” Hinson continued.

Hinson was fifth in the order for the large class, but her strategy for the course full of twists and turns, designed by Danny Moore, made her impossible to beat. Despite going early on, she remained in the lead for the entirety of the class. “The course rode really well for me. The lines were pretty open, but having to do those inside turns afterwards was most challenging. I chose the inside turns as much as I could, and that really paid off in the end for me,” Hinson described.

Hinson will continue to compete in the THIS Children’s Medal with Rio’s Reflection, but has her sights set on the ASPCA Maclay classes as her ultimate goal. Both equitation classes are hosted weekly at the FTI WEF. The THIS National Children’s Medal Finals will be held in conjunction with the Capital Challenge Horse Show (MD) in October.

Week five of the FTI WEF, sponsored by Adequan, will conclude Sunday with the Florida Community Bank Small Pony Hunters, hosted in Ring 12 of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix and $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic held in the International Arena. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

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

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival
The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 9 through March 31. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.

About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 3,800 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.56 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2011. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

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

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