Wellington, FL – April 26, 2010 – As G&C Farm prepares for a busy summer show schedule, they can look back at an extremely successful winter show circuit. This was the first time that G&C Farm competed at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), and along with their riders and horses, they had an incredible amount of success.
Sponsored rider Pablo Barrios had an amazing season at the highest level of show jumping. A past World Equestrian Games and Olympic Games competitor for Venezuela, Barrios set his sights high with G&C Farm horses. Barrios had four grand prix wins and earned points in every single grand prix class offered during the 11 weeks of grand prix competition at the FTI WEF. Those points gave him second place in the $100,000 FTI Rider Challenge with a bonus check of $25,000.
G&C Farm won The Harrison Cup as the top owner of the 2010 FTI WEF
The success of the jumpers in the G&C Farm string also earned them The Harrison Cup as the top owner of the 2010 FTI WEF. “We had an unbelievable circuit,” said Gustavo Mirabal. “I’m so proud of everyone from G&C Farm. The whole team did a fantastic job and the results showed that.”
Barrios’ first grand prix win of the season came in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Four with G&C Quick Star 11. He repeated that victory with G&C Quick Star 11 in Round Nine as well. In Round Nine, he and G&C Quick Star 11, a 2000 KWPN mare by Quick Star xx Grannus, beat out a starting field of 78 competitors and 15 in the jump-off.
Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11
Barrios also won the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Six with G&C Blanchee Z, a 2001 BWP mare by Utrillo Van De Heffinck xx Riedel.
Barrios and G&C Blanchee Z
Barrios’ biggest win came in the $150,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, presented by Spy Coast Farm. He and G&C LaGran, a 1999 Oldenburg gelding by Lancer II xx Grannus, won in front of nearly 5,000 spectators in a class of 44 entries.
Barrios explained of his success, “I have a great sponsor. We are good friends and we have a good relationship. It’s a good feeling because when you get to the ring you know you can win. This is my best winter ever. At the moment I feel like I’m riding at the top of my career. I have a solid group of horses, and things are happening the right way.
Barrios and G&C LaGran
Gustavo Mirabal commented, “From the beginning, I knew we were going to win, but not this much. It’s been really great. This is my first year here, and it’s been an incredible season. Pablo has been a top rider, and I think he needed the horses to prove it.”
G&C Farm was a very generous sponsor of a team in the inaugural FTI Great Charity Challenge, which raised more than $560,000 for 24 Palm Beach County charities. The G&C Farm team, composed of Pablo Barrios, Luis Larrazabal and Juan Larrazabal, placed second for their charity, the Boys and Girls Club of Wellington (below).
Barrios and Simply the Best, owned by Joaquina Barrios, finished as the reserve champions in the 2010 WEF Circuit Champions in the Young Jumper Championship Five Year Old division. Barrios also placed well throughout the circuit on G&C Sinatra, G&C Napoleon, Continous Grannus, and more.
Barrios and Simply the Best
Luis Larrazabal was victorious this winter season in the Reist Industries Medium Junior Jumper division. He and Sil McCarthy won the $10,000 classic during weeks 2 and 11 and won classes in weeks 2, 6, and 8. He also won with Kourgann de Reis.
Luis Larrazabal and Sil McCarthy
Juan Larrazabal won ribbons in the Low Amateur-Owner Jumpers on Remonta Jedive and was successful with Landina in the Young Jumper Champion Six Year Old division, where they won a class.
Fellow G&C Farm riders Luis Martines, Carolina Mirabal, and Maria Emilia Mirabal were also successful throughout the circuit in the jumper divisions.
G&C Farm will show next at the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows in Lexington, KY, in May.
Please visit www.farmgc.com for more information on G&C Farm, their riders, and their horses. You can also find out more by visiting the G&C Farm page on Facebook or follow G&C Farm on Twitter.
G&C Farm brings exceptional horses and top Venezuelan jumper riders to the highest levels of competition. Their state-of-the-art, full-service facility is located in Wellington, FL.
The vision of G&C Farm is to improve the instruction and training of their top jumper riders and horses in order to seek a place on the Venezuelan team for all high level tournaments and top competitions, including the World Equestrian Games and Olympic Games. G&C Farm sponsors top grand prix rider Pablo Barrios of Venezuela, as well as other up and coming riders. The technical advisor at G&C Farm is Olympic Games course designer Leopoldo Palacios.
For more information on G&C Farm, please visit www.farmgc.com.
Photo Credit: All photos © 2010 Randi Muster/Mustphoto, Inc., www.mustphoto.com. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.