Wellington, FL – March 28, 2012 – McLain Ward (USA) and the powerful black stallion Super Trooper de Ness emerged victorious in the $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12 on Thursday, March 28, as part of the twelfth and final week of competition at the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Competing at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, Ward topped U.S. riders Charlie Jacobs, Christine McCrea and Reed Kessler to round out the top four in the international field.
Other wins for the day went to Lauren Hough and Ohlala in the $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class and Darrin Dlin and Tienna in the $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Final. In the hunters, Havens Schatt and Kaepernick topped the Perfect Products Pre-Green Level 1 Hunters.
The 2013 FTI WEF circuit concludes with its final week of competition, sponsored by FTI Consulting, on March 27-31 featuring CSI 5* show jumping. Highlights of the week include Adequan Young Jumper Championship Classics with the $15,000 6-Year-old and $20,000 7 and 8-Year-Old Classics on Friday. The $33,000 Suncast® 1.50m Classic and $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI 5* will be featured on Saturday, and the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will conclude competition on Sunday.
The final round of the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series featured 40 horse and rider combinations on Thursday afternoon. Ireland’s Alan Wade designed the course, and seven went clear to advance to the tie breaking jump-off. The challenging track for the short course saw five entries jump without fault with an unbeatable round set forth by McLain Ward and Grant Road Partners’ Super Trooper de Ness in the winning time of 34.82 seconds.
McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness. Photo © Sportfot.
Ward and the eleven-year-old Belgian Sport Horse stallion (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Polydor) have had a fantastic circuit with many top finishes. They began with a win in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jumpers during week two and moved up to top the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic later that same week. They also won the $43,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup during week eight, among other top finishes. With this week’s win to cap off an excellent winter season, Ward praised course designer Alan Wade for the great track in Thursday’s class.
“Alan Wade is my favorite course designer in the world,” Ward asserted. “I think he is phenomenal; I think he is a horseman. I am a huge fan of his because I think he really thinks about not only the challenge that he is setting for us and how to get the right result, but also how it affects all of us. I think his courses are smooth and I think they allow you to ride well, and if you ride well and smooth, you are rewarded.”
Ward was definitely rewarded for his excellent ride in Thursday’s class. Although he admits to not having the smoothest round in the jump-off, Super Trooper put in a fantastic effort. When Charlie Jacobs and CMJ Sporthorse LLC’s Flaming Star blazed an amazing pace in 36 seconds right before their round, Ward and Super Trooper went in and immediately stole the lead.
“It is getting to the point at this level that even with a horse with this much quality, you don’t believe they can go as fast as they are going even when you are doing it,” Ward declared. “Charlie is a really competitive guy. He did six strides from fence one to two, which walked eight, so six strides off a triple bar away from home was pretty incredible. I saw that and I thought, ‘no, I don’t like that’, but my competitive nature always gets the best of me. I say, ‘ok, I have to do it to win’, and something clicks.”
“I got the first jump right and for four strides I was going for six and then I realized ‘this is not happening’,” Ward laughed. “I took a very severe half-halt, and it wasn’t textbook, but the horse really helped me out to jump the second fence clean. Then he finished up the jump-off great. He jumped spectacular and it came our way.”
McLain Ward and Super Trooper de Ness in their winning presentation with ringmaster Cliff Haines. Photo © Sportfot.
Final Results: $50,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 12
1. SUPER TROOPER DE NESS: 2002 Belgian Sport Horse stallion by Vigo d’Arsouilles x Polydor
MCLAIN WARD (USA), Grant Road Partners: 0/0/34.82
2. FLAMING STAR: 1999 AES gelding by Fairman x Unknown
CHARLIE JACOBS (USA), CMJ Sporthorse LLC: 0/0/36.00
3. WANNICK WH: 2003 KWPN stallion by Heartbreaker x Joost
CHRISTINE MCCREA (USA), Candy Tribble: 0/0/38.24
4. CYLANA: 2002 Belgian Warmblood mare by Skippy II x Darco
REED KESSLER (USA), Reed Kessler: 0/0/38.42
5. AVENZIO 3: 1999 KWPN gelding by Animo x Erdball xx
TAIZO SUGITANI (JPN), Yvonne Young: 0/0/38.71
6. SIMON: 1999 KWPN gelding by Mr. Blue x Polydox
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/3/52.30
7. EVITA VAN DE VELDBALIE: 2004 Belgian Warmblood mare by Wandor vd Mispelaere x Clinton
DANIEL DEUSSER (GER), Stephex Stables: 0/12/37.07
8. LANSDOWNE: 2003 KWPN stallion by Guidam x Wolfgang
CONOR SWAIL (IRL), Ariel & Susan Grange: 1/79.68
9. CARISMA: 2002 Danish Warmblood mare by Willemoes x Racot
EMILIE MARTINSEN (DEN), Emilie Martinsen: 2/83.22
10. SHOW SHOW: 2002 BWP gelding by Darco x Royal Fleu
ALVARO DE MIRANDA (BRA), RD Jumping Higher Ltda: 4/72.52
11. MIKA: 2000 Selle Francais gelding by Nidor Platiere x Rubis Rouge
REED KESSLER (USA), Reed Kessler: 4/76.37
12. RONALDO: 1998 KWPN gelding by Ahorn x Stuyvesant
CARLOS RIBAS (BRA), Roberto Villa Real Jr. & Carlos Ribas: 4/77.63
Lauren Hough and Ohlala Fly to Victory in $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Speed
Thursday’s busy competition schedule also featured a $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m speed class with the roster of top finishers including Lauren Hough (USA) and Ohlala, Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) and HH Let’s Fly, and Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Wang Chung M2S. Course designer Alan Wade saw 52 entries with 16 clear rounds for the one round speed class.
Once again, the rounds got faster and faster as some of the best went late in the line-up. Lauren Hough and The Ohlala Group’s Ohlala were the winners with their typically fast time of 56 seconds flat. The success adds to a long list of FEI world ranking wins for the pair, including a top finish in this same class during week nine as well as a win in last week’s $33,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.45m speed class.
Lauren Hough and Ohlala. Photo © Sportfot.
Rodrigo Pessoa and Double H Farm’s HH Let’s fly finished second in Thursday’s round with their time of 56.31 seconds. Last week’s winner, Wang Chung M2S, owned by Morningside Stud and Torrey Pines Stable and ridden by Eric Lamaze, finished third in 56.68 seconds.
For Lauren Hough and Ohlala, it was once again a smooth and easy gallop to the win.
“I went late, and there are a lot of fast horses, but I think mine just happens to be the fastest,” Hough declared. “She just looks for the jumps and she doesn’t spend a lot of time in the air. I even slowed up to the last and I thought that might have caught up with me, but once she cleared (b) she was like a torpedo through the timers. I say it time and time again, she makes my job easy. She just loves to compete and she loves to win.”
“I thought it was cleverly built today,” Hough said of the course. “It was probably more of a real 1.45m than what we have jumped in the last couple of weeks. That is good for her because it backs her up a little bit. I thought it asked plenty of questions and there were some good rollbacks and some good long runs. I really like Alan Wade as a course builder a lot.”
Lauren Hough and Ohlala in their winning presentation with ringmaster Cliff Haines. Photo © Sportfot.
Final Results: $33,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Speed
1. OHLALA: 2003 Swedish Warmblood mare by Orlando x Cardento
LAUREN HOUGH (USA), The Ohlala Group: 0/56.00
2. HH LET’S FLY: 1999 Hanoverian gelding by Lordanos x Forrest
RODRIGO PESSOA (BRA), Double H Farm: 0/56.31
3. WANG CHUNG M2S: 2003 KWPN stallion by Royal Bravour x Ahorn
ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Morningside Stud & Torrey Pines Stable: 0/56.68
4. LIGIST: 2000 Swedish Warmblood gelding by Levantos II x Robin Z
REED KESSLER (USA), Reed Kessler: 0/56.93
5. CYKLON 1083: 2001 Swedish Warmblood stallion by Cardento x Cortus
SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), Spy Coast Farm: 0/56.99
6. DOMINGO: 2003 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Thunder van de Zuuthoeve x Brownboy
DANIEL DEUSSER (GER), Stephex Stables: 0/58.13
7. QUIET EASY 4: 2004 Oldenburg gelding by Quidams Rubin x Zapateado
BEN MAHER (GBR), Mrs. Phillips: 0/58.90
8. WOODSTOCK O: 2003 KWPN gelding by Hors La Loi x Ferro
LAURA KRAUT (USA), Joan Kalman/Freedom Group: 0/59.24
9. GRACIELLA 50: 2002 Hanoverian mare by Graf Top x Watzmann
SAER COULTER (USA), Copernicus Stables LLC: 0/60.82
10. LA CENTA: 2002 Oldenburg mare by Cento x Silvio I
LAUREN TISBO (USA), Tequestrian Farms, LLC: 0/62.96
11. AL CALYPSO: 2002 Hanoverian gelding by Askari x Calypso II
SAMUEL PAROT (CHI), Samuel Parot: 0/63.77
12. LINES 41: 2002 Westphalian gelding by Larenco x Polydor
ALONSO VALDEZ PRADO (BRA), Alonso Valdez Prado: 0/65.58
Darrin Dlin and Tienna Win $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Final
The $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was held on Thursday morning with a win for Canada’s Darrin Dlin and Tienna, owned by Susan Grange. Held as the final for the division during this year’s FTI WEF circuit, the class saw 31 entries in the first round of competition with sixteen going clear to the jump-off. Darrin Dlin and Tienna completed the fastest of five double clear rounds in 37.201 seconds for the win. Peter Wylde and North Star’s Darthus finished second in 37.496 seconds. Jill Prieto and Hyperion Stud’s Dakota VDL finished third in 37.569 seconds.
Darrin Dlin and Tienna. Photo © Sportfot.
Tienna is a Dutch Warmblood mare by the stallion For Pleasure and out of the Polydox mare Bequia. She is home-bred, born and raised at Susan Grange’s Lothlorien Farm in Cheltenham, Ontario, Canada. Tienna is a full sister to the mare Janou that Dlin rode to the win in this same class last year.
“It is a wonderful family,” Dlin said of the mares. “They go in the ring and they puff right up and they just really want to win. Tienna is so competitive. She is all heart; she is scopey, fast, careful. She has been very easy to bring along.”
“I started her a little bit last summer, just some very small things sporadically, and then she just started off really showing this winter,” he explained. “She did a few weeks of the five-year-olds here and then got turned out for three weeks and grew up a little bit. Then she just came back for the last two weeks and she was right back on her game.”
Commenting on their rounds, Dlin noted, “I thought the course was great today. Alan did a wonderful job. In the first round she was a little over-impressed, but then she came out and took a breath, really thought about it, and then in the jump-off she was great. She is wonderful; She just really wanted to win. In one word, she is a winner.”
Darrin Dlin and Tienna in their winning presentation with ringmaster Cliff Haines. Photo © Sportfot.
Final Results: $10,000 Adequan 5-Year-Old Young Jumper Final
1. TIENNA DARRIN DLIN SUSAN GRANGE: 0/0/37.201
2. DARTHUS PETER WYLDE NORTH STAR: 0/0/37.496
3. DAKOTA VDL JILL PRIETO HYPERION STUD: 0/0/37.569
4. DIORADO VDL JILL PRIETO J.C.Y. SALES LLC: 0/0/41.265
5. APRIL MOON NICOLE SHAHINIAN-SIMPSON SILVER RAVENS FARM: 0/0/42.189
6. ROBIN’S TWIST MAARTEN HUYGENS MARY CHAPOT: 0/4/36.016
7. G&C DON VITO LUIS MIGUEL MARTINEZ GUSTAVO MIRABAL: 0/4/37.884
8. DEFENDER J.W.B MARIO GAMBOA STRANSKY’S MISSION FARMS: 0/4/39.111
9. LIMELIGHT DARRAGH KENNY DREW SANTAMARINA: 0/4/39.324
10. RUNWAY MODEL NICK NOVAK NANCY WHITEHEAD: 0/4/41.583
11. HH INDIGO RAMIRO QUINTANA DOUBLE H FARM: 0/4/42.083
12. ARMANI SL Z EZEQUIEL PERALTA LINDA BAKKER: 0/4/42.095
Kaepernick and Havens Schatt Score Big in Perfect Products Pre-Green Level 1 Hunters
Kaepernick and Havens Schatt took home the championship prize in the Perfect Products Pre-Green Hunter Level 1 division during the final week of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). The five-year-old Warmblood gelding is owned by Schatt’s client, Debbie Stevens. Kaepernick and Schatt were first, third, and third over fences and placed fourth under saddle.
Reserve champion was Ransom, ridden by Nick Decosta and owned by Carolyn Gouse. Decosta rode Ransom to sixth, second, and second place over fences and wrapped up the division with a second place ribbon under saddle.
Schatt imported Kaepernick from Europe last fall but delayed showing him until the 2013 FTI WEF as he was still “very much a baby.” Kaepernick was clearly worth the wait, earning reserve championship honors at his first show during week ten in addition to the week twelve championship title.
Havens Schatt and Kaepernick. Photo © Anne Gitttins Photography.
Schatt’s slow but deliberate approach to bringing along her young horses has proven to be a winning approach judging by the myriad of successful young horses she’s shown at the FTI WEF this season.
“I really believe in taking my time with them. I brought Kaepernick over here [to the show grounds] maybe three times and did warm-ups on Tuesday but I kept it easy. If I jumped the course, I jumped the course. But if I jumped two jumps or even if he didn’t go in the ring that day, that was okay too. He told me what he was ready for and it’s worked perfectly,” Schatt described.
Schatt has plenty to look forward to with the talented young horse after his impressive debut at the FTI WEF. “I have really high hopes for him. He’s really scopey. He’s very brave. When he first came from Europe, he was quite spooky, and that’s one reason I took my time with him. But now, he’s been in two different rings and he’s very brave. He has a big stride and big scope. I think he’s ready to move on from the three-foot [division],” Schatt commented.
Kaepernick will continue to compete at his current level throughout the spring, but Schatt aims to have him moved up by the time they return to the FTI WEF in 2014.
“He’ll continue to show in the three-foot at the Kentucky Spring Shows [in May] and after that, I would like to move him up to 3’3,” Schatt revealed. “At some point, depending on when he says it’s time, Debbie will start to ride him a little bit in the Adults. Our plan moving forward is that he would be ready to do First Years and at the least the 3’3″ Amateurs next year if not the 3’6.”
Kaepernick caught Stevens’ eye the day he was imported and after watching Schatt work with the talented young prospect, she decided to make him her own. “I think she bought him with her heart,” Schatt smiled. “She liked him from the start. She watched us bring him along and what we did with him. She saw the good things and the naughty things he did and she just loved him.”
Schatt is eager to see the pair get to know each other and looks forward to watching Stevens compete with Kaepernick in the future. “I let her ride him at home and jump a few days. He’s still very green for an amateur, but they did get along very well. When she made mistakes, he didn’t hold it against her. I think when the time is right, it’s going to be an awesome match,” Schatt expressed.
Schatt is also grateful to have an owner completely on board with her approach to training. “For me, if you don’t start on a good note with amateurs, it usually doesn’t go well. She’s been nice enough to tell us when we’re ready, she’s ready, and she’ll enjoy watching him until then,” Schatt stated.
The final week of the FTI WEF, presented by circuit title sponsor FTI Consulting, will continue Friday with the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-50 division, hosted in the Rost Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The Adequan Young Jumper Championship Finals will continue with the $15,000 6-Year-Old and $20,000 7 and 8-Year-Old Classics in the International Arena. 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.