Wellington, FL – February 13, 2022 – On Sunday, February 13, the final day of the 2022 Winter Equestrian Festival’s (WEF) fifth week sponsored by Fidelity Investments®, the $75,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Championship CSI5* was the featured event. The class saw Kent Farrington (USA) and his newest partner, Easy Girl, fly to the top of the leaderboard.
The day was met with wet conditions as the skies opened up on the final day’s exhibitors. Despite the downpour, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s (PBIEC) footing remained solid and international competition continued on without issue.
Featuring 56 horse-and-rider combinations, Kelvin Bywater’s (GBR) last five-star challenge defeated 16 entries with a single rail, but allowed for 17 pairs to advance forward to the short track. Ireland, Great Britain, United States, Italy, Egypt, and Belgium were well-represented by the returning field. Of the 17 to come back, only four managed to produce double-clear efforts. It was a win for the home team as Farrington did what he does best and sped to the top with Kent Farrington LLC’s 11-year-old Oldenburg mare Easy Girl (Conthargos x Nintender) with the unbeatable time of 37.27 seconds.
Margie Engle (USA) and Storm Ridge Show Horses, Garber, and Gladewind’s entry Dicas raced into the runner-up position. She and the 13-year-old Rheinlander gelding (Diarado x Cassini I) closed in on the leading pair but finished roughly a second behind with a clear time of 38.24 seconds. Great Britain got the remaining podium position as Matthew Sampson and his gelding Geneve R clocked in another clear effort with a finish on 38.24 seconds.
Chloe Reid Captures Only Clear in $50,000 Griffis Residential Grand Prix CSI2*
The weekend concluded with the $50,000 Griffis Residential Grand Prix CSI2* wrapping up competition in the International Arena. The course proved too challenging for almost all of the 43 entries as only Chloe Reid (USA) and Team Reid LLC’s Crossover 4 found the path to a clear first round.
The final jump on course was the downfall for a large group of the contenders and groans could be heard in the crowd each time it fell and dashed the hopes of a jump-off. Sophie Maher (USA) and Quentin Judge (USA) came the closest to producing a jump-off but suffered at the hands of a single time fault added to their score. As the last combination took down a rail, it was evident Reid’s single faultless round in 64.54 seconds would be the winner.
With her single time fault, Maher took the red-ribbon honors aboard her own 13-year-old SLS gelding Sentimiento LS La Silla (Casall x Santo Domingo) finishing just .17 seconds over the time allotted in 68.17 seconds. Judge rounded out the all-American podium with his time of 68.25 seconds on the Double H Farm’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding HH Zorro Z (VDL Zirocco Blue x Escudo I).
For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.
Catherine Tyree and Bokai represented Team USA in the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4* at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival.
Wellington, Fla. – March 25, 2017 – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce that this year’s recipients of the prestigious Maxine Beard Award are Catherine Tyree and Chloe Reid. Hailing from Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C., Tyree and Reid will be adding this award to their already impressive lists of show jumping accomplishments.
The Maxine Beard Award is presented annually to young riders who have proven their talents in the sport of show jumping and also show great potential to represent the USA in Nations Cup competitions and international championships in the future. Both Tyree and Reid recently represented Team USA in the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4* during Week Eight of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
After a fall in January 2016, which left the young rider sidelined for six months due to a foot injury, Tyree, 23 years old and a senior at Northwestern University, came back stronger than ever, consistently proving herself among some of the world’s top riders.
Trained by John Brennan and Missy Clark of North Run, Tyree wrapped up 2016 collecting victories at some of the most esteemed horse shows across the country including the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix at the Vermont Summer Festival and the $86,000 Fidelity Investments® Classic CSI4* at the American Gold Cup. Tyree also kicked off the 2017 WEF season strong, placing third in the $75,000 Rosenbaum Mollengarden PLLC Grand Prix in addition to claiming the Leading Lady Rider title during Week One as well as placing third in the $380,000 Fidelity Investments® Grand Prix CSI5* during Week Five, both aboard Bokai, Tyree’s 10-year-old KWPN gelding.
“I’m very humbled and honored to be receiving this award this year,” said Tyree. “Looking back at the list of prior recipients, it’s not only a lot of people I consider my peers but also a lot of people that I look up to. To be recognized as someone who could potentially have the same career path, results or just riding capabilities as them is something that is really special for me. I’m very excited to be getting this award.
“I jumped my first Nations Cup in Wellington a few weeks ago and that went as well as I could’ve hoped,” continued Tyree. “As I keep working and doing what I’m doing, hopefully I’ll get more opportunities to represent my country in the future.”
At only 20 years old, Reid spends the summer training and showing in Germany under the tutelage of Markus and Meredith Beerbaum. In the spring, she heads to south Florida to attend school at the University of Miami and to compete at WEF in Wellington, Florida.
Chloe Reid and Codarco competing in the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4* at WEF
Presently, Reid has a string of five top horses, but her most seasoned partners are Codarco, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion, and TNT Explosive, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding.
Some of Reid’s many successes in 2016 include being chosen to represent the United States on the Nations Cup team in Samorin, Slovakia aboard TNT Explosive. Reid also piloted Codarco to a third place finish in a CSI3* grand prix and a top ten finish in a CSI5* grand prix in Wellington. Looking ahead, Reid says she will return to Germany upon completion of her spring semester at the University of Miami to continue her training with the Beerbaums. Her ultimate goal during the summer is to make it onto more Nations Cup teams and represent the United States.
“It’s an extreme honor to be chosen by the USET Foundation [for the Maxine Beard Award],” said Reid. “It’s even more special to be receiving it alongside one of my really close friends, Catherine Tyree.
“It’s always been a huge goal of mine to be able to represent my country,” continued Reid. “To be able to do that, in any form, especially to be on a Nations Cup team, is always the highest honor. My goal this summer is to try to be on a couple of other Nations Cup teams if I can. In the long term, I would love to represent my country at Aachen and in future championships.”
Tyree and Reid were recognized and honored as the 2017 Maxine Beard Award recipients in the International Arena prior to the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI5* on Saturday, March 25, during Week Eleven of WEF. Presenting the award was USET Foundation President and CEO Jim McNerney, Vice President Bill Weeks and Treasurer Philip E. Richter alongside Linda Hough representing the Beard family.
For more information on the USET Foundation, visit www.uset.org.
Live Oak International, which takes place from March 9-12 in Ocala, Fla., is unique. It’s the nation’s largest combined driving and show jumping competition, bringing these two disciplines together at a world-class level.
This year, Live Oak International will draw about 275 horses from 26 countries, as well as more than 300 volunteers and about 30 competition officials, according to Live Oak International manager Damian Guthrie.
Can’t be there in person? Catch all the action live at USEF Network. New to the sport of combined driving? Check out our video intro to combined driving in the Learning Center. While you’re there, go behind the scenes for a show jumping course walk with Olympic medalist McLain Ward.
And put Live Oak International on your equestrian bucket list. Here are six reasons why:
The High Stakes
The $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Qualifier Grand Prix presented by Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club on Sunday, March 12, is the last chance for show jumpers to qualify for the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Omaha, Nebraska. With only a few remaining U.S. spots open, Charlie Jacobs, Adrienne Sternlicht, Leslie Burr-Howard, Callan Solem, and Todd Minikus will be in hot pursuit of valuable World Cup points with the hope of securing their spot for the World Cup Finals.
Meanwhile, the drivers will be contending for US Equestrian Federation national championship honors in single pony, pair horse and pony, and four-in-hand horse and pony divisions.
The Cross-Country Thrills
Combined driving’s marathon – which takes place on Saturday, March 11, at Live Oak – is the equivalent to three-day eventing’s cross-country phase, but on wheels, over slightly rolling terrain. Fast-paced and highly technical for drivers and horses, the marathon sends horses and ponies (single, pairs, and in teams of four) through fiendishly complex questions that test teamwork and agility. Two iconic spectator favorites: the CBC National Bank water hazard, which sends teams splashing through a pond as part of the obstacle, and Cape Cod Wood Siding’s The Gulch, with its challenging slopes and turns.
The Scenic Venue
Live Oak Plantation, which hosts the competition, is one of the country’s most beautiful properties, with Spanish moss-laden oaks, lush pastureland, and sandy horse paths that seem to lead straight to a bygone era.
Live Oak is only open to the public once a year, when it hosts Live Oak International. In the three weeks leading up to the event, Guthrie and his crew transform about 500 acres of cow pasture at the 4,500-acre operation into an equestrian paradise. Live Oak International features about 30 to 40 show jumps and eight available cross-country driving obstacles that challenge competitors and thrill spectators. The transformation involves 100 tents, 300 stalls, and 3,000 decorative plants, not to mention installation of internet and electrical service, all for four days. “Within 10 days after the event, we can turn the cattle back in there again, and you wouldn’t know it had ever taken place here,” says Guthrie.
Live Oak Stud, also located on the property, is a renowned Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation owned by Charlotte Weber, whose children Chester Weber (a four-in-hand driving champion himself) and Juliet Reid are co-presidents of Live Oak International.
The Vendor Village
Live Oak International’s shopping and dining area attracts a diverse array of sellers offering everything from saddles to Live Oak International merch to South African excursions to Cuban-style sandwiches.
The Live Oak International 5k
The best way to tour Live Oak? Put on your walking or running shoes and join the Live Oak International 5k on Sunday morning, March 12. The course winds through parts of Live Oak that the public only sees during this event, including the farm’s Thoroughbred racing division and the training barn of world-renowned combined driving champion (and Live Oak International co-president) Chester Weber, whose mother Charlotte C. Weber owns Live Oak Stud. For younger kids and families, there’s a one-mile walk.
The Clydesdales
The flashy black-and-white Express Clydesdales will be performing in the main grass ring at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, and Sunday, March 12. These friendly horses tower from 17 hands to 19 hands tall and attract a crowd wherever they go. Bonus: you can meet them, and they’re happy to pose with spectators for selfies.
Two to Watch at Live Oak International
Tune in to USEF Network’s coverage of Live Oak International and you’ll see a lot of great performances in both combined driving and show jumping. Here are two storylines to follow:
Jumping: For Chloe Reid, Live Oak Is a Family Affair
The backstory: Chloe Reid, 20, has good reason to love the Live Oak venue. The competition takes place on the 4,500-acre Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, Fla. that her grandmother, Thoroughbred breeder Charlotte Weber, owns. Uncle Chester Weber, the 13-time USEF Four-in-Hand National Champion who also will compete in combined driving at Live Oak International, has a training base there. And Chloe’s mom Juliet Weber Reid serves alongside Chester as co-president of Live Oak International.
Chloe Reid. Photo Credit: PicsOfYou.com.
“As well as a show jumping competition where I get to compete, it’s also a major driving competition where my uncle gets to compete,” explained Reid (Washington, D.C.). “It’s very special to me to have both disciplines in the family competing and to have my grandmother’s Thoroughbreds on the property at the same time. My grandmother and my uncle are who originally put me on a pony.”
Rising star Chloe Reid has earned numerous top placings at USEF championships and international competitions. Most recently, she rode on the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team that earned a silver medal on the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup at CSIO4* Wellington on March 3. Reid competed in four USEF Junior Jumper National Championships, winning individual gold in 2014, and helped the Zone 3 Young Rider team win gold in 2014 and bronze in 2013 at the Adequan/FEI Young Rider & Junior Championships presented by Gotham North. She earned team gold in the FEI Young Riders Nations Cup presented by Hollow Creek Farm at CSIO Wellington in 2015, and made her senior Nations Cup debut last year at CSIO3* Samorin in Slovakia. Earlier this year, Chloe Reid received the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy to recognize her as a young rider in one of the Olympic disciplines who exemplifies both sportsmanship and horsemanship.
The goal: She plans to bring two horses to the jumping competition: the stallion Codarco and a new gelding, Donald. “Last year I finished second in the grand prix, so I would love to keep that same success in the World Cup Qualifier,” she said, referring to the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Qualifier Grand Prix presented by Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club on Sunday, March 12.
Combined Driving: Suzy Stafford and Her Morgan PVF Peace of Mind Seek Fourpeat
The backstory: Suzy Stafford (Coatesville, Pa., and Ocala, Fla.) and her Morgan horse PVF Peace of Mind will be trying to clinch their fourth consecutive win in Live Oak International’s FEI Single Horse class – a win streak that has contributed to the mare’s title as US Equestrian’s Combined Driving Horse of the Year in 2016, as well as her award as USEF International Horse of the Year in 2015.
“It’s special partly because this is a horse that I own,” Stafford said of “Hunny,” whom Stafford has had since the mare was three and just starting in harness. “I’d like to say we have a great relationship, but you’d probably have to ask her what she thinks! She’s about 15.2 hands on a good day, and there’s a lot of personality stuffed in that little package. She demands a lot of attention, and if she doesn’t get it she can get a little aggravated. She’s quite a bold competitor, and the more atmosphere there is, the more she takes charge. That’s probably why she does well at Live Oak, because there is a bigger atmosphere there than you normally have in the States.
“Most Morgans are small if you compare them to warmbloods, but their power-to-size ratio is quite impressive,” Stafford added. “They have a lot of power and endurance for their size, and that’s always helpful when you’re in the hazards; you don’t have all that body to maneuver around, and yet they can keep up with the bigger horses. And all the Morgans I’ve known are a little bit of an overachieving kind of horse, so usually they give you sometimes even more than you want. But at this level, that’s important.”
The goal: “I always strive to have a personal best score in dressage, so to get my personal best with her I need a score 39 or under,” Stafford said. “And I’d like to improve in our hazard driving. I’d like to be a little faster, so I’ve been working on that quite a bit.”
Wellington, Fla. – Georgina Bloomberg will lead a group of rising stars when the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team takes on seven countries in the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup™ at CSIO4* Wellington Friday, March 3. Chloe Reid, Catherine Tyree, and Ali Wolff join Bloomberg as U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland looks to guide them to a strong finish in front of the home crowd. The U.S. has drawn fifth in the order and will compete in the following order:
Ali Wolff with Casall: Wolff (New Albany, Ohio) and Casall, Blacklick Bend Farm’s 2005 Holsteiner gelding, will compete at CSIO4* Wellington after serving as the reserve combination for the Silver medal-winning Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team last month at CSIO4* HITS Ocala. They are coming off a third-place finish in the $100,000 City of Ocala Grand Prix at HITS Ocala.
Catherine Tyree with Bokai: Tyree will make her Nations Cup debut with Bokai, Mary Tyree’s 2006 KWPN gelding. She took over the ride on Bokai from The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders last summer. Since then, the young partnership earned a third-place finish in the $380,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5* during week five of the Winter Equestrian Festival last month.
Chloe Reid with Codarco: Reid (Washington, D.C.) will compete on her second Senior Nations Cup team at CSIO4* Wellington. She will team up with Codarco, Team Reid, LLC’s 2007 Irish Sport Horse stallion. The combination recently placed sixth in the $380,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI5*.
Georgina Bloomberg with Lilli: The 2015 Pan American Games Team Bronze-medalist combination, Bloomberg (New York, N.Y.) and Lilli enter CSIO4* Wellington after three top-10 placings in 2016 FEI World Cup™ competitions. She and Gotham Enterprizes, LLC’s 2004 Deutsches Sportpferd mare placed eighth in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, ninth in the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington presented by CP at the CP National Horse Show, and fourth in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Sacramento at the Sacramento International Horse Show.
Watch the live stream of the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Wellington on USEF Network beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 3.
By Dana Rossmeier, US Equestrian Communications Department
Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has named the following athletes to the Hermès U.S. Show Jumping Team for FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Wellington, March 1-5, in Wellington, Fla.:
Team of Porter, Pasmore, Garza and Reid Wins $20,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Team Event; Lucador and Peter Pletcher Victorious in Fumero Law Pre-Green Level 2 Hunters
Wellington, FL, March 7, 2013 – Christine McCrea (USA) and Candy Tribble’s Zerly beat an all-star international field in Thursday’s $125,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 9 during the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival’s (FTI WEF) CSI-W 5* week sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies. McCrea and Zerly won the largest portion of prize money in the richest purse ever offered in the 24-year history of the WEF Challenge Cup series over Olympic Gold Medalists Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star. Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour finished third.
Week nine runs March 6-10, 2013. The week will feature the $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m on Friday, the $300,000 FEI World Cup CSI-W 5* presented by The Bainbridge Companies on Saturday evening, and the $82,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition running from January 9 – March 31, 2013, and will be awarding almost $7 million in prize money throughout the circuit.
Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL, is the course designer in the International Arena at PBIEC for week nine. In Thursday’s Challenge Cup competition, Stephens saw 84 entries jump his first round course and 31 competitors make it through to the jump-off. Twenty-eight riders representing six different countries returned for the tiebreaker after three entries opted out of the final round.
The USA’s Christine McCrea and Zerly raced to the win in 31.10 seconds, the fastest of 14 double clear rounds. The top five places were all separated by hundredths of a second.
Placing second, Nick Skelton and Beverly Widdowson’s Big Star finished in 31.25 seconds. Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour, owned by Stephex Stables and Pedro Veniss, clocked in at 31.43 seconds to place third. Daniel Bluman (COL) and Sancha LS completed the course in 31.44 seconds for fourth place honors and Laura Kraut (USA) and Cherry Knoll Farm, Inc.’s Cedric were right behind them in 31.46 seconds to finish fifth.
Class winner, Zerly, is a nine-year-old KPWN mare by Querlybet Hero x Carthago. McCrea got Zerly last August and explained that she had watched the mare show a lot in Europe with her previous rider, American Andrew Ramsay. When Zerly came up for sale, McCrea jumped at the chance to buy her.
“Honestly, she is like a dreamboat,” McCrea praised. “She has a big stride, but she can make it very small. She can jump a really careful jump and she can jump the hugest jump. For me, she is everything.”
Commenting on this afternoon’s class, McCrea noted, “I never thought there would be 31 clear, but I think this is a big week and people have geared up for it. Everybody knows that this is the biggest money of the circuit this week, so I think everybody is coming here with their ‘A’ game. There are so many good horses and riders; you can’t underestimate anybody.”
“The course didn’t ride easy,” McCrea added. “I didn’t think it was small. I think the horses just jumped really well and the footing is good and there are really good horse and rider combinations here.”
Nick Skelton and Big Star were holding on to the lead in the jump-off when McCrea and Zerly entered the ring and just edged out their time. “I saw Nick go in the jump-off and I thought there was no way I could beat him, but she is very fast,” McCrea acknowledged. “I have no idea how I made the time. I flew from one to two. That is the only thing. The rest I am not really sure.”
McCrea was excited to get her first big win with Zerly, especially in Thursday’s big money class. “It is fantastic that they had this much prize money, especially when you have so many in the class,” she stated. “It is inspiring and we appreciate it.”
“I am thrilled,” she concluded. “She is only nine and this was my first big win with her. I just started in the grand prixs (with her) down here, so I am really excited.”
In addition to the winning check for $37,500 for the class, McCrea was also presented with $6,000 for the SSG “Go Clean for the Green” promotion. A $3,000 bonus is offered each week if the winning rider of the Challenge Cup class is wearing the SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves in all rounds of competition with the SSG logo clearly visible. The bonus went unclaimed during week eight, so McCrea won two weeks’ worth of bonus money. Zerly was also honored with the Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award.
Team of Porter, Pasmore, Garza and Reid Wins $20,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Team Event
Thursday’s competition concluded in the International Arena at PBIEC with the $20,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Team Event, held in a Nations Cup format shown over two rounds of competition. With five teams of four competing, Team 5 was the winner. The team, made up of Wilton Porter riding Sleepy P Ranch LLC’s Paloubet, Catherine Pasmore riding Freddy Star, Eugenio Garza riding El Milagro’s Bariano, and Chloe Reid riding Damascus, was coached by Kim Prince.
After the first round, each team dropped their highest score. In the second round, all five teams returned in order of highest to lowest total faults. The winner was determined by the lowest total of each team’s top three riders from each round.
Watch an interview with young rider Wilton Porter
For the winning team, Wilton Porter and Paloubet had the drop score of 19 faults in round one, but redeemed themselves with the only clear trip of the competition in the second round. Catherine Pasmore and Freddy Star had eight faults in round one and four faults in round two. Eugenio Garza and Bariano had four faults in round one and the drop score of 12 in round two, and Chloe Reid and Damascus had 15 faults in round one and eight faults in round two. The team finished on 39 faults total for the win.
From the winning team, Catherine Pasmore has the most team experience with senior Nations Cup performances. Pasmore rode her horse Freddy Star, an eleven-year-old Westphalian gelding by Lancer III x Polydor. Commenting on her rounds, Pasmore noted, “I went in fairly early and I had a foot in the water and four time faults, so a total of eight. I was a little disappointed, but as the class went on, the course definitely got the better of all of us today, so I was actually pleased with my round at the end.”
“For the second round they did make a few things slightly easier and they lengthened the time allowed, but I still wanted to make sure that I did not have time fault; that’s one of the worst things you can have in a Nations Cup, so I really jumped one, got right over to two, got right over to three. I really tried to make the time up a little bit early so that by the end when they got a little bit careful, I could take my time.”
“Freddy Star is a fairly new ride for me,” Pasmore said. “I jumped him a little bit early on and he did really well and I brought him out today basically to see what he would do with two rounds. He was really good, so I am pleased with that. I hope that he’ll come along and be a nice second horse for me to some of my other horses.”
Although Pasmore has had top Nations Cup experience, she counts all team experience equally. “Any Nations Cup to me is important,” she declared. “It doesn’t matter if its young riders or a senior team, you just really have to go in and give it 100%. Even if you have one down, you just can’t let your guard down and you can’t have another one.”
Although Wilton Porter had a little trouble in round one, he came back to jump a clear round even with an equipment malfunction.
“After the first round we decided to change the bridle to a hackamore so that he had less interference with his mouth jumping and then the hackamore actually ended up breaking in the second round about six jumps in,” Porter explained. “I did the second half of the course with a broken bridle. He is already pretty strong as it is, and I pretty much had no brakes, but I almost never have brakes anyway, so I just sort of steered him and he jumped great in the second round. It all worked out in the end.”
His horse Paloubet is a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Baloubet du Rouet x Voltaire. “I’ve had him for a little over a year now. Katie and Henri Prudent helped find him for me,” Porter detailed. “He is a great horse and we have done some big classes. I have a great team helping me with him. John Roche is training me and I am extremely grateful to my parents and the sponsors of this class for helping me and providing us with the opportunity to do this.”
“It is a great experience,” Porter said of the series. “The team event helps get us ready for the young rider championships in Kentucky and the individual competition really tries to enforce consistency so that you can be right up there at the top at the end. It is a big class and an important class, so anytime you get the chance to do a class that is more important than a normal class, it helps you practice and gives you experience. I try to use those opportunities for my horses and then there is good prize money too. It is a lot of fun.”
Eugenio Garza rides for Mexico and was aboard his twelve-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Bariano (Jetset-D x Skippy).
“He is a great horse,” Garza expressed. “This is maybe my fifth month riding him. He has all the scope in the world and he is really careful. He has personality, everything. I just love him.”
Garza commented on the course, stating, “When we walked the course I thought it was good, but as people started going it was obvious that it was hard and we were going to have to work to get a good score. It was a hard course actually.”
Chloe Reid and her horse Damascus, an eleven-year-old KWPN mare by Cardento x Corland, have been working on their partnership since joining up last spring. Reid noted, “Right from the beginning we had a really strong connection and I really learned how to ride her well. Recently she has been really learning to become my horse and really listening. Today in the first round, the time was really tight and my trainer told me to go in and just try as best as I could. By the second round I already knew that we were going to win, but I still wanted to go in for the individual. I am happy with my round. I am disappointed that I had a few down, but I am happy.”
Reid also appreciated the team experience. “Being on a team is a lot of fun,” she smiled. “It is mostly an individual sport where you don’t have a lot of opportunities to compete on a team. This is my second week now; I did the junior Nations Cup last week and every time it is just a lot of fun rooting with other people and just the excitement of it all.”
Team 3 from Zone 2 finished second on a 47 fault total. The team included Charlotte Jacobs and Candy Tribble’s Promised Land, Gabrielle Bausano and Ubico H, Mattias Tromp and Beyaert Farm, Inc.’s Casey, and Lillie Keenan riding Chansonette Farm LLC’s Londinium.
Team 1 with riders from Colombia and Venezuela had 50 faults to place third. The team included Mario Gamboa and Stransky’s Mission Farms’ Unico, Emanuel Andrade riding Hollow Creek Farm’s ZZ Top VH Schaarbroek Z, Nicolas Herrera and Concorde, and Luis Fernando Larrazabal riding Anabel Simon’s G&C Sacramento.
Lucador and Peter Pletcher Victorious in Fumero Law Pre-Green Level 2 Hunters
Peter Pletcher and Lucador claimed victory for the second week in a row in the Fumero Law Pre-Green Level 2 Hunter division during week nine of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The five-year-old Oldenburg gelding, owned by Brian and Sophie Baldwin of Sagamore Farm, dominated day one of competition, winning the under saddle and both over fences classes. Pletcher and Lucador wrapped up the division on day two with a second place finish over fences. Reserve champion honors went to 21-Gun Salute, ridden by Christina Serio and owned by Kendall Sharkey. Serio and 21-Gun Salute were fourth under saddle and sixth and second over fences on day one before finishing day two with first and fifth place ribbons over fences.
Lucador began his show career at the 2013 FTI WEF with Pletcher and has proven his potential as a top competitor. “He’s come into his own these last few weeks. He’s been champion the last two weeks he’s shown in the Pre-Greens,” Pletcher commented. “He’s a super horse and a talented athlete with a beautiful jump.”
Pletcher has helped the gelding settle in to life at the showgrounds, which is no small feat when starting out at the massive grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). “At first, he was a little ADD and looked around a bit. Now that he’s been here a few weeks, he’s really gotten it. He can be looking around but then focus in on the jump and give you an amazing jump, seemingly out of nowhere,” Pletcher described.
Lucador’s inexperience showed briefly when he jumped a shadow on day two of competition for the division, but overall Pletcher couldn’t be happier with the young horse’s performance. “He was really good today. The second round he went around really nicely so we were happy,” Pletcher smiled.
Pletcher looks forward to continuing to ride Lucador this year.
“He’s amazing. He’s such a good horse and very, very talented. He jumps as well as any horse at [the FTI WEF]. He has a wonderful jump and is lovely across the ground. He’s a gorgeous mover and is beautiful to look at too,” he remarked.
Sophie Baldwin was also thrilled with Lucador’s early success and is happy to have Pletcher in the irons. “They’re two peas in a pod! Peter does such a good job with him. Peter is very smooth and just lets [Lucador] do his thing. He’s so fancy and special; he just shines. Peter is the perfect match for him, so we’re really happy with the both of them!” Baldwin stated.
The Fumero Law Pre-Green Level 2 Hunter division kicked off week nine of competition of the FTI WEF, sponsored by The Bainbridge Companies. Week nine will continue Friday with Section A of the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-50 division, hosted in the Rost Arenaof the PBIEC. The $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m will be featured 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.
Chloe Reid and Damascus won the High Junior Jumpers at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG
Lexington KY – July 27, 2012 – Today marked the third day of the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, and it seemed as though the competition was only beginning to escalate as the amateur and junior jumper riders showcased their skills in the Rolex Stadium. Topping the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers, Paige Johnson piloted La Martinee to a double-clear victory, and also claimed third with her second mount Monopoly. Chelsea Moss slid into second aboard Dolce D’Ive Z, also completing a fault-free short course. In the High Junior Jumpers, Chloe Reid claimed the blue ribbon with her quick and clear round aboard Damascus, while Emanuel Andrade placed second with Costa, and Kelsey Van Ackeren rode to the third place ribbon with Vernon G.
Although clouds hung petulantly over the Kentucky Horse Park with threats of rain, the sun moved into place as riders prepared for the High Jumper events. Today, Marina Azevedo’s first round track included a vertical-oxer double combination, an oxer-vertical double combination, a large oxer-vertical-oxer combination, bending lines and rollbacks. Each caused errors for some of the entries, as well as seeing an immense number of rails over the SSG vertical. For the jump-off riders had to use an open gallop across large parts of the ring and take tight turns to shave seconds off their time, while also leaving the fences in place.
Lexington, KY – May 23, 2011 – As the Kentucky Spring Classic hosted another night of show jumping, the incredible duo of Kent Farrington and Uceko continued their complete domination of the last two weeks by securing the $55,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix victory. Tonight’s event was sponsored by Audi of Lexington and honored Mary Rena Murphy, a horsewoman whose dedication to equestrian sport was unmatched. Once again, speed proved to be the determining factor during the thirteen horse jump-off, and that is something Farrington and Uceko are proving to master. The duo was a full two seconds ahead of second place finishers Ali Wolff and Lanoo, while Christian Heineking and River of Dreams took home third for the second time this week.
“During the first round, there were more clear than I expected,” admitted Farrington. “The outside line started with a wall and then an awkward distance to an oxer-oxer combination, and then a very steady distance to a liverpool. I thought that would catch more horses than it did. I think the footing here is excellent, and these horses have been here for two weeks now, so I think they are really comfortable in the ring. I think that’s why there were more clear rounds than Richard expected. It’s under the lights, so they are a bit impressed, and I think the horses were just really going well on the ground.”
For the final test, Jeffery had riders start over a single oxer to the liverpool and make a bending line to a single oxer. They then made a sharp roll back to a vertical-oxer double combination and galloped across the ring to a wide oxer. Finally, riders made another sharp turn to a tall vertical before they galloped towards the timers over the last oxer. Of the thirteen qualifiers, seven were able to make it a perfect night and finish without any faults added to their score.
