Wellington, FL – February 10, 2013 – Week five of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF), sponsored by Adequan®, concluded on Sunday afternoon with a win for Olympic gold medalist Ben Maher of Great Britain aboard his young mount Quiet Easy 4 in the $25,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Maher has been a dominant force in Wellington over the last two weeks with back to back grand prix wins, including last night’s $82,000 Adequan CSI 2* Grand Prix. He can now add a 1.50m victory to his tally for the winter.
Olympic course designer from Great Britain, Bob Ellis, set the track for forty-two entries to show in Sunday’s 1.50m classic with just four entries advancing to the jump-off. Alongside Maher, U.S. Olympic gold medalists Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut joined the jump-off roster as well as Argentinean rider Max Amaya.
Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Mademoiselle were first to jump-off and had one rail down in a time of 49.775 seconds to finish third. Maher and Mrs. Phillips Quiet Easy 4 jumped next and set the unbeatable pace of 48.631 seconds with their clear round over the short course. Amaya and Avequest, LLC’s Cartier jumped a clear round in 52.893 seconds to finish second. Kraut and Evita Group’s Nouvelle were last to go and finished fourth with four faults in 51.185 seconds.
Ben Maher and Quiet Easy 4. Photo © Sportfot.
“It was a big course,” Maher stated. “It was the first real class where we have had to jump the water. Both of my horses jumped it very big the first time in the season, but they have to see it at some point. The course progressively got bigger as it went on and I think the last line in particular got half of the class. It was a very long distance down from the Liverpool to the oxer and then a very short outside seven strides to a hard combination. I think most of the faults, from what I saw, came from there. Bob Ellis is a clever course builder. He knows what he’s doing and the slightest angle on something here and there can make all of the difference.”
Ben Maher and Quiet Easy 4 in their winning presentation with ringmaster Cliff Haines and Suncast representative Lauren Tisbo. Photo © Sportfot.
1. QUIET EASY 4 BEN MAHER MRS. PHILLIPS: 0/0/48.631
2. CARTIER MAX AMAYA AVEQUEST, LLC: 0/0/52.893
3. MADEMOISELLE BEEZIE MADDEN ABIGAIL WEXNER: 0/4/49.775
4. NOUVELLE LAURA KRAUT EVITA GROUP: 0/4/51.185
5. VOLTARAL PALO BLANCO ALVARO TEJADA ARRIOLA ISABEL TEJADA: 4/72.045
6. BELMONT LAURA KRAUT BEVERLY WIDDOWSON: 4/74.206
7. ANY GIVEN SUNDAY DARRAGH KENNY HAYS INVESTMENT CORP: 4/74.383
8. DOLORES BEN MAHER MRS. WANG: 4/74.818
9. DIKTATOR VAN DE BOSLANDHOEVE SHANE SWEETNAM SPY COAST FARM, LLC: 4/74.870
10. CASHA ABIGAIL MCARDLE OLD BARRRINGTON, LLC: 4/75.187
11. GAME READY CONOR SWAIL SUSAN GRANGE: 4/75.383
12. URBAN BLYTHE MARANO RIVERVIEW FARM, LLC: 4/75.930
Kalvin Dobbs and Winde Top $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Riders Grand Prix
Presented by Dutta Corporation in Association with Guido Klatte
Sunday’s competition began in the morning with a win for 17-year-old Kalvin Dobbs, of Carmel, IN, aboard Treesdale Farms’ Winde in the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix. The class, presented by the Dutta Corporation in association with Guido Klatte, saw 39 entries jumping the course set by Bob Ellis. Nine went clear to advance to the jump-off, and Dobbs and Winde breezed through the short course in 41.928 seconds for the victory. Chloe Reid and Damascus placed second in 42.385 seconds. Lillie Keenan and Chansonette Farm, LLC’s Londinium were third in 43.015 seconds.
Click the link to watch an interview with Kalvin Dobbs! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hnsWcwhgbw
Kalvin Dobbs and Winde. Photo © Sportfot.
It took a fast, accurate ride to win in the jump-off. Dobbs described his plan, stating, “The jump-off just seemed like a horse race to us. It was so many singles and that is her favorite thing to do, just gallop and get it right out of stride, so my plan was just to guide her, shave off those turns, get that time off and keep the gallop going. That is exactly what she did.”
This is Dobbs’ third year competing in the young rider grand prix series and he enjoys the opportunity to improve his riding. “I love it. I think it is awesome for us to be able to come down here and do these big competitions with lots of good riders,” he declared. “They have the team competition week nine and I just think that is an excellent opportunity. This is the first year that I have been able to stay down here and get more training, so I am just kind of soaking it up and getting as much as I can. I love that they offer this young rider series.”
Kalvin Dobbs and Winde in their winning presentation with ringmaster Cliff Haines along with Artisan Farms representative Jennifer Ward and Dutta Corporation representative Tim Dutta, Jr. Photo © Sportfot.
A special award was also presented to young rider Katherine Strauss for Best Turnout at the jog for Sunday’s class. Strauss won a pair of ARIAT paddock boots for her efforts.
Final Results: $15,000 Artisan Farm Young Rider Grand Prix
1. WINDE KALVIN DOBBS TREESDALE FARMS: 0/0/41.928
2. DAMASCUS CHLOE REID CHLOE D REID, LLC: 0/0/42.385
3. LONDINIUM LILLIE KEENAN CHANSONETTE FARM, LLC: 0/0/43.015
4. KING OF HEARTS CHLOE REID CHLOE D REID, LLC: 0/4/43.373
5. VATRICIA NAVONA GALLEGOS BAR X RANCH, LLC: 0/4/44.682
6. LITTLE LADY D’ELLE SYDNEY SHULMAN BACK COUNTRY FARM: 0/8/40.154
7. PUMPED UP KICKS LILLIE KEENAN CHANSONETTE FARM, LLC: 0/8/40.748
8. CASALL IV ALI WOLFF BACKLICK BEND FARM: 0/8/44.833
9. UBICO H GABRIELLE BAUSANO GABRIELLE BAUSANO, INC: 0/EL
10. EVERYTHING KELSEY THATCHER PONY LANE FARM: 4/69.509
11. WETTER CATHERINE TYREE CATHERINE TYREE: 4/72.447
12. COSMA 20 ABIGAIL MCARDLE DAVID MCARDLE: 4/72.771
Blueberry Hill and Coco Fath Jump to Second Championship in Florida Community Bank Small Pony Hunters
Blueberry Hill took home championship honors with Coco Fath in the irons in the Florida Community Bank Small Pony Hunter for the second time this season at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Fath and Blueberry Hill, a 12-year-old Welsh Pony cross owned by Jordyn Rose Freedman, dominated the over fences portion of competition across both days. The pair won three out of four over fences rounds and placed fourth in day one’s under saddle class.
Reserve champions were Canterbook Prince Charming and Hana Bieling. Bieling and Canterbrook Prince Charming, owned by Joe Currais, were second under saddle and third over fences during day one of competition followed by a second place finish over fences day two.
Coco Fath and Blueberry Hill.
Photo © Anne Gittins Photography
Fath only began riding Blueberry Hill a few months ago, but from the first time she sat on her, she knew that Blueberry Hill would be her perfect partner. “When I first tried her, I knew we would be a good match. She has this feeling where you know she’s always going to go and she always wants to be in the ring. She’s never bucking around or misbehaving. She really wants to go in and win,” Fath described. “She’s worked out really well for me and I love her.”
Fath’s description of the duo’s performance thus far at the FTI WEF is a slight understatement, as the two also took home the tricolor title for the division during week two. Fath and Blueberry Hill are second in the circuit championship standings going into week five.
Fath attributes their success to Blueberry Hill’s willing demeanor and natural talent. “She does tight turns really easily and she’ll land on the right lead every time you ask her to. She has a jump that’s really smooth,” Fath stated.
Fath had a rocky start in day two of competition, but regrouped to come back with a victory in the handy round. “The first course was my fault,” Fath acknowledged. “In the handy, a lot of the tight turns were a little awkward, but she managed everything so well.”
2013 is Fath’s first season competing at the FTI WEF, an experience she has relished. “I like how there’s a new horse show every week here! You don’t have to wait a few weeks between shows. I also love having all my friends in Florida showing with me, it’s really fun. We all have sleepovers since we’re all only a couple minutes away from each other now,” Fath smiled.
Week five of the FTI WEF, sponsored by Adequan, concluded with Sunday’s competition. Week six, sponsored by Spy Coast Farm, gets underway on Wednesday, February 13, with another full line-up of exciting equestrian competition running through February 17.
The week will feature four FEI World Ranking classes, including the $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m on Wednesday, February 13, the $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Round 6 on Thursday, February 14, and the $33,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday, February 17, as well as the highlight $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier CSI 3*-W Grand Prix, presented by Spy Coast Farm, on Saturday, February 16. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Photo Credit: Photos © Sportfot, An Official Photographer of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, us.sportfot.com, and Anne Gittins Photography, An Official Photographer of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, www.annegittins.com. These photos may be used only in relation to this press release and must include photo credit.
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.
About FTI Consulting
Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.
