Tag Archives: Marie Hecart

Competitions, Show Jumping

Marie Hecart and Myself de Breve Win $372,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI-W 5*

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Marie Hecart and Myself de Breve. Photo © Sportfot.

Kate Eagleton and My Mr. Darcy Take Home the Blue Ribbon in the THIS Children’s Medal 15-17

Wellington, FL – January 31, 2015 – France’s Marie Hecart and Myself de Breve were the winners in Saturday night’s $372,000 FEI World Cup™ Grand Prix CSI-W 5*, presented by Fidelity Investments®, at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival. Earning her first five-star victory as well as her first major Saturday night win in Wellington, Hecart topped a roster of major competition, including Olympic gold medalists Ben Maher (GBR) and Eric Lamaze (CAN). Maher was second with Diva II; Lamaze finished third aboard Fine Lady 5.

Held under the bright lights of the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC), Saturday’s class featured 45 starters with 10 clear rounds over the course set by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. In the jump-off, only two were able to clear the short course without fault.

Sixth to go in the second round, Marie Hecart and Myself de Breve produced the first double clear in the winning time of 38.61 seconds. Kent Farrington (USA) and Amalaya Investments’ Willow immediately followed with a faster time of 36.79 seconds, but had a defeating rail at the last fence to finish fourth. Ben Maher and Tatiana Korsakova’s Diva II came one round later to produce the second clear in a time of 40.55 seconds. Last to go, Eric Lamaze and Artisan Farms LLC’s Fine Lady 5 completed the fastest round of the night in 36.54 seconds, but dropped one rail to finish third.

Myself de Breve is a 15-year-old Selle Francais mare by Quidam de Revel x Grand Veneur. One of the smallest horses in the class at just over 15 hands, what “Myself” (or “Mini Me” in the barn) lacks in height, she makes up for in heart. Hecart has had the mare since she was four years old and has developed a great partnership over the years.

“We know each other really, really well and she has been more and more consistent,” Hecart stated after her win. “The older she gets, the better she gets, and it is really nice to have her in good shape and competitive.”

“I was always really close with Myself,” Hecart said of winning the big classes. “We were always clear and really consistent, but there was always one down in the jump-off or we were not fast enough. Today, I don’t know why, but it happened and she was amazing. It is always a really nice atmosphere and a good crowd here on Saturday, so it is always really exciting to ride here. She loves it. She likes the noise, the crowd, and the night. She even jumped better at night.”

“I was really excited (to win),” Hecart smiled. “It has been a lot of work with my team, my grooms, and all of the people around me. We have always been so close, but couldn’t win, so today is really important.”

Of her jump-off round, the rider detailed, “I cannot go over my speed because she can get really excited and have a rail down. I wasn’t fast in the beginning, and I just took a chance at the last jump. I wasn’t really that fast, so it was good that Eric had a rail.”

With his second place finish, Ben Maher was happy with a great result aboard his mount Diva II and was pleased to see the mare in good form for the night’s class after a good end to the 2014 season.

“She’s fantastic. She has a little bit her own style,” Maher admitted. “She was great in Olympia in London; she won there. I jumped her last week when she came out of quarantine and she was really fresh and crazy, but tonight she was back to herself.”

“I think the first round was a long course actually. It was a difficult course,” Maher noted. “Some of the horses coming back in the jump-off were not necessarily tired, but they didn’t jump quite as well. It was big money, a lot of people making mistakes. I decided to play it a bit safe and take a check home. It is not in my nature to not have a try and go to win to be honest, but I went around to the second fence and I thought I would be a bit closer to Marie than I was actually. I was way off the pace, but I’m happy for her and it is nice to get a good result early on in the circuit.”

Eric Lamaze has been on excellent form with numerous wins in the beginning of the WEF circuit, including wins in all four rounds of the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series. The last two wins were back-to-back with Fine Lady 5.

“She felt the same,” Lamaze said of Fine Lady’s performance tonight. “I rode her last Saturday night, and I was pleasantly surprised. She had no reaction and was the same under the lights. With the atmosphere, she jumped an incredible first round. Marie was very fast in the jump-off, so she didn’t leave much on the table and we had to try. For my horse, going last in the first round and then into the jump-off right away, there wasn’t a lot of recovery time. She barely touched that fence. She’s a great mare and I’m very happy to be riding her in these 1.60m grand prix because she wasn’t really bought to do this. For me, it is exciting to have another horse to do it.”

With all of his latest wins, Lamaze was not disappointed with a third place finish.

“Not when you’re third to Marie and Ben,” he stated. “It’s great competition. When you go at this speed, you need a little luck and that’s the way it goes sometimes. My horse jumped very well, and there is no shame in being third on this circuit.”

The Winter Equestrian Festival has some of the toughest competition in the world with many of the top horses and riders competing, and Lamaze and Maher each spoke to the addition of four five-star weeks this year.

“We used to be in Florida to prepare our horses to go compete in Europe or somewhere else in the U.S., but now with the five-stars and the increase in prize money, it becomes a serious competition. It is a serious circuit,” Lamaze acknowledged. “I think a lot of riders are preparing their horses to be here and not train them, but really compete. That is the difference. Florida used to be a training circuit for the rest of the year, but now it is a real competition: a real show with real riders and great horses.”

“It is a long season, so you have to be careful, but it is definitely always great to ride here on a Saturday night and the increase in prize money brings all the best horses out and the best riders,” Maher added. “I think it was a great competition and it is always good to see the amount of horses in the jump-off and not everybody going totally crazy. It was good jumping tonight. They were big jumps, and it was good sport.”

Kate Eagleton and My Mr. Darcy Take Home the Blue Ribbon in the Taylor Harris Insurance THIS Children’s Medal 15-17

On Saturday morning Kate Eagleton, from Miami, FL, took home first place in the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) Children’s Medal 15-17. Eagleton earned a score of 85 in the first round with Catherine Cech’s horse, My Mr. Darcy, on her way to topping the field of 20 competitors.

After the first round was complete the riders with the top four scores came back for a work-off. Eagleton went into the work-off with the top score and remained consistent to finish as the winner. Second place honors went to Raleigh Hiler, who received a first round score of 82. Isabella Usenza ended the day in third place and Phoebe Alwine rounded out the top four.

“This is my first time winning a Taylor Harris [Children’s Medal] so I was really excited!” Eagleton exclaimed after the final results were announced.

At the beginning of the WEF circuit Eagleton was unsure if she was going to be able to show after her own horse was injured. Eagleton is thankful that My Mr. Darcy was available as a two-week substitute. “He [My Mr. Darcy] is very simple. He helps me out when I don’t know what to do,” Eagleton said about her new horse.

Despite little practice time, Eagleton was still able to master the first course. Eagleton commented, “My first round was really good. The first jump was a little deep. I didn’t see the distance, but I stayed calm and it worked out. The other jumps in the course just came up.”

Even with the success that Eagleton has had with My Mr. Darcy, she is excited to have her own horse back in the show ring. When Eagleton’s horse is ready they will compete in the 3’6″ equitation medals as well as the THIS Children’s Medal. Eagleton hopes to qualify for THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, held at Capital Challenge Horse Show in the fall, as well as qualify for their ASPCA Maclay Regional.

Eagleton is currently a senior in high school and makes the commute to Wellington to compete on weekends. Along with balancing a busy riding and commuting schedule, Eagleton is a part of her high school’s yearbook staff.

Week four of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival, sponsored by Fidelity Investments®, concludes on Sunday with the $85,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Classic featured in the International Arena at PBIEC. The Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 50 & Over Section B will award championship honors in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring. For full results and more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Lauren Fisher and Maddy Stover for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
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Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

$175,000 Ridge at Wellington Invitational Grand Prix Series Concludes with Marie Hecart and Lalique Sealing Finale Victory

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Marie Hecart and Lalique took the first place finish during the $24,750 Ridge at Wellington Invitational Grand Prix Finale at Deeridge Farm. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – March 23, 2013 – The morning fog cleared from the grass field at Deeridge Farm, welcoming Level 2 Jumpers to the $24,750 Ridge at Wellington Invitational Grand Prix Finale. After 10 weeks of heated competition, the $175,000 series came to a conclusion today, seeing 54 entrants tackle the 1.40m course. It was Marie Hecart who wore a target on her back throughout the competition, securing the win with a double-clear effort in a mere 37.206 seconds with Lalique.

It was a battle of the best today in the series finale as top riders, amateurs and juniors contended for the $24,750 purse, and it was not going to be an easy feat. Eric Hasbrouck designed today’s track, using 13 obstacles to test horse and rider alike. The course included a triple-bar, bending lines and both a double and triple combination. For those who were able to keep all rails intact, they were rewarded with the even more challenging jump-off. Only 14 of the 54 entries were able to pilot their mounts to double-clear efforts.

They first tackled the opening single vertical, moving over the triple bar set on the outside, and then made a sharp right turn to a skinny vertical that could make or break the time accrued. Riders then had to move forward over an orange and yellow vertical down the diagonal and make a hard right rollback to the oxer-vertical double combination. The penultimate obstacle was a yellow oxer that saw many rails fall, and then riders took a red-and-white vertical to trip the timers and seal their fate.

Hillary Simpson was only the second rider of the day, utilizing the open in gate policy to her advantage with an early morning start time. Her early start set the pace for all of the other riders, with Simpson leaving the farm as the morning’s trailblazer with a double-clear effort aboard Nopus du gue Joubert, owned by Quiet Hill Farm. Although Alexandra Thorton posted the second double-clear effort of the day only two rounds later with Quiletto du Domane, it was Sarah Segal who would pave the way.

Segal laid down a seemingly effortless first round aboard Ladonna, owned by Kathleen Kamine, and moved into the jump-off without fear. She piloted the 8-year-old mount to a blazing double-clear effort, breaking the beam in 37.235 seconds.

Segal laughed, “Ladonna is homebred by Languster, Nona’s stallion, and she’s out of Wildonna, who Nona also rode. She’s an amazing horse – fast and careful. She is just a quick horse; she likes a little support, and is a little more of a shorter strided horse. It’s beautiful, and pretty amazing to be here. We’ve had the jumps at the Winter Equestrian Festival for all these weeks, so it’s nice to jump different fences and compete at different venues; it keeps the riders and horses fresh.”

It seemed as though her lead of nearly four seconds was insurmountable, until Marie Hecart came into the picture. Aboard Lalique, owned by the Normandie Collection, Hecart soared over the first round in an outstanding time of only 82 seconds, clearly well ahead of the time allowed of 91 seconds. It was the jump-off that had the other riders on the edge of their seats. Hecart managed to stop the clock 2/100ths of a second ahead of Segal.

“I just started riding Lalique last week on the grass, and I jumped at the opportunity to come to Deeridge and ride at another grass venue,” eventual winner Hecart explained. “I think the course was really good, and the footing was great. It made my horse really jump.”

Hecart continued, “My plan was to stay in the top three, and honestly, I probably could have gone faster. Lalique is really confident and is scopey enough for this kind of class. It is a really nice class for these horses, I love having the opportunity to go to these classes.”

Segal attempted to best Hecart aboard her second mount of the class, Tilghman, owned by Horatio St. Ventures, but an unfortunate rail in the jump off sealed her second place finish. She did, however, post the fastest jump-off time of the day, finishing in only 36.601 seconds with heartbreak over the final vertical as the rail dropped.

“Tilghman won last week, so I really thought we had it again when I realized how fast our pace was out there,” Segal stated. “I am happy with being in the top three though, and I really enjoyed it this year and enjoyed the format; it made it possible to do no matter what your schedule was. Everyone seems to be enjoying it. It seems like the class has gotten bigger and bigger every week. It definitely fits a niche.”

Andrew Bourns and Gatsby secured the third place finish with a double-clear effort in 37.622 seconds, while Lorenzo de Luca and Zoe II rode to the fourth place ribbon. Lauren Crooks eventually took the fifth place award with Navare D’Oriolles, and Kalvin Dobbs and Winde rounded out the top six.

“This is the third time I have shown at the Ridge events now, and we just keep getting better and better. I was happy with my round today. It was really hot, both for rider and horse, I was just trying to ride as fast as I could, and I think we did really well,” Bourns explained. “This is the last event for this horse, he goes back to Sweden next week, so it is a nice finish for him. I am very happy that there is this kind of option, with there being so many weeks, at WEF, it is nice for horse and rider to have a different kind of environment and place to show.”

The 2013 Winter Circuit has been riveting with exciting new jumper action lying outside of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. The Ridge at Wellington’s $175,000 1.40m Invitational Grand Prix Series has complemented the Winter Equestrian Festival for 10 weeks, offering a variety of venues for Level 2 Jumpers as they hone their skills as riders, and those of their young horses. This season has also hosted a number of historical landmarks for Wellington, not only opening the gates to the illustrious Mida Farms and newly renovated “Tops Field,” but also hosting competition at the beautiful Deeridge Farm.

The brainchild of George D’Ambrosio and Nona Garson, the $175,000 Ridge at Wellington 1.40m Invitational Series has welcomed top professionals, amateurs and juniors alike to take their turn at the chance to win the weekly $15,000 1.40m Grand Prix. The pilot series has hosted large numbers of entries each week, boasting low entry fees, high prize money and top-of-the-line courses for participating riders. After 10 weeks of competition, the series has found its niche in Wellington, complementing the Winter Equestrian Festival, and the show managers guarantee its return for the 2014 season. The Ridge at Wellington would like to thank all of its fantastic sponsors and hosts for their 1.40 Invitational Grand Prix Series.

“We’re really excited and proud of how the series went,” Garson explained. “The riders have all seemed to really enjoy it, as well as warm up to the system. Everyone liked our idea of an open in gate, so they could show and do everything they had to. We thought it was a nice civilized way to horseshow. We wanted everyone to come and relax and take an hour out of their day and get away from the grind. It is great for the horses to be ridden on some different footing, and this series was about having fun, as well as developing young riders and horses.”

Garson concluded, “Everyone seemed to love it, and it seemed to be great as the top riders went very fast and tested the footing nicely. I’ve had people calling to congratulate us; the whole buzz has been really great and upbeat. We’re going to try to hone our ideas and bring in some more venues and keep it fun, civilized horse showing. I think it’s a series for horse people; it’s not about how many times you can go around the ring, or how fast. It gets you to take a little breath and concentrate on what you’re doing and getting back to a little more natural horse training.”

For more information about the Ridge at Wellington, please go to http://www.theridgefarm.com. For up-to-date information, please follow the Ridge at Wellington on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ridge-at-Wellington/219358376264.

Kendall Bierer for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Marie Hecart & Oceane de Nantuel Win $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic

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Alexa Effron Sweeps the Coldwell Banker Children’s 14 & Under Hunters

Marie Hecart and Oceane du Nantuel. Photos © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 22, 2012 – The second week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival came to a close today, and competition in the International Arena was fierce with the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Marie Hecart (FRA) was the fastest clear round in the jump-off on Ecurie Michel Hecart’s Oceane de Nantuel. Second place went to last week’s 1.50m winners, Nick Skelton (GBR) and Beverley Widdowson’s Unique. Yann Candele (CAN) and Lansdowne, owned by Susan Grange, were third.

The second week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty. The third week, sponsored by Horseware Ireland, runs from January 25-29. The 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

Continue reading Marie Hecart & Oceane de Nantuel Win $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic →

Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Marie Hecart and Babbe van’t Roosakker Speed to Win Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic

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Marie Hecart and Babbe van't Roosakker won the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic during week 6 at the 2011 FTI WEF. Photo © Sportfot

Weatherly Stroh and Sigfried Top $5,000 WCHR Amateur-Owner 3’3″ Hunter Classic Spectacular

Wellington, FL – February 19, 2011 – The Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic was held today, and it was Marie Hecart (FRA) on Babbe van’t Roosakker, owned by Haras de la Rogue, who were the fastest double clear combination. They won the sixth event in the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, which will award $50,000 in rider bonus money at the end of the series.

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s sixth week of competition continues through Sunday, February 20. Week six, sponsored by Fidelity Investments, will feature the $50,000 G&C Farm Palm Beach Jumping Derby on Sunday at 3 p.m. at The Stadium. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.

There were 34 entries in today’s 1.50m classic, and seven of those were able to find the clear round over a course designed by Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL. Hecart and Babbe van’t Roosakker, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Kannan, were able to keep a quick pace and efficient turns for the fastest clear jump-off ride in 39.496 seconds.

Continue reading Marie Hecart and Babbe van’t Roosakker Speed to Win Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic →