Wellington, FL – March 24, 2011 – The final round of the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series was held on Thursday afternoon with a victory for Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Danny Boy at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.



Week 11 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival is sponsored by FTI Consulting Inc. The week’s feature events will include the final Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., and the feature event of the circuit, the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix on Saturday. Gates open at 6 p.m. The event will also be webcast live on the USEF Network, seen here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/FTIGrandPrix2011/ . 



Guilherme Jorge of Brazil is the course designer in the International Arena this week.
A total of 41 competitors showed over the first round course and 11 qualified for the jump-off. With one competitor choosing not to return, ten jumped off against the clock.



Great Britain’s Nick Skelton and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, were first to attempt the short course and jumped clear in 40.48 seconds to blaze the leading time. Eight rounds followed but no one was able to jump without fault until the final competitors entered the ring.



Madden and Danny Boy covered the course with a ground eating stride and cleared the fences easily as they jumped to a winning time of 39.41 seconds.

Beezie Madden and Danny Boy

Coming in third place, McLain Ward (USA) had the time well in hand with Louisburg Farm’s Vocas, but had a rail at the second to last jump on course to finish with four faults in 37.50 seconds. Andre Thieme (GER) and Coco 135, owned by Seth Vallhonrat, had four faults in 39.21 seconds to place fourth.

Ashlee Bond (USA) qualified two mounts for the jump-off but had a rail down with both of her horses, Cadett 7 and Apache, owned by Little Valley Farm. Apache’s time of 41.26 seconds finished fifth, while Cadett 7’s time of 41.78 seconds received sixth place honors.

An eleven-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Clinton x Alexis Z, Danny Boy is making a comeback this year after an auto-immune problem took the horse out of competition in 2010. Following her victory today, Madden spoke about Danny Boy’s illness and how he has gotten back into shape this year. She stated, “Danny Boy had a lot of time off last summer and he is just now getting back in the groove. It is great to have him back.”

Speaking about her rounds, Madden stated, “I was lucky I went last in the jump-off. I could have had the strategy where I just settled for second, but I did watch Nick go and I thought I could be faster.”

”Honestly, I really just wanted to practice in the jump-off,” Madden explained. “I have had so few times going against the clock with him. Even last year, I had the World Equestrian Games Selection Trials, but he had so much time off and I felt a little rusty with him the night of the World Cup class. I thought I would practice a little and try to win. It was a jump-off where I could do that with him and not make him crazy too. I just let him work on an open stride and it worked out well.”

Madden plans to show Danny Boy in Saturday night’s $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix and he will then travel to Paris the following week.

Week eleven competition will continue tomorrow with the $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic in the International Arena.



For full results please visit www.showgroundslive.com and for more information, visit www.equestriansport.com. 



Final Results: $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round
11

1 DANNY BOY: 2000 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Clinton x Alexis Z

BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/0/39.41



2 BIG STAR: 2003 KWPN stallion by Quick Star x Nimmerdor

NICK SKELTON (GBR), Beverly and Gary Widdowson: 0/0/40.48



3 VOCAS:  2002 KWPN gelding by Hors La Loi II x Voltaire
MCLAIN WARD (USA), Louisburg Farm: 0/4/37.50

4 COCO 135: 2001 Mecklenberg gelding by Elite P.B. Cellestial x Monsum

ANDRE THIEME (GER), Seth Vallhonrat: 0/4/39.21

5 APACHE: 1999 Selle Francais/Thoroughbred gelding by Mescalaro x Unknown 

ASHLEE BOND (USA) Little Valley Farm: 0/4/41.26

6 CADETT 7:  1997 Holsteiner gelding by Cor de la Bryere x Capitol I
ASHLEE BOND (USA), Little Valley Farm: 0/4/41.78



7 AVENIR: 2000 BWP gelding by Phin Phin x Flamingo

CHRISTINE MCCREA (USA), Candy Tribble: 0/4/43.66

8 CABALLERO 80:  2001 Westphalian stallion by Champion Du Lys x Acord II
EMILIE MARTINSEN (DEN), Emilie Martinsen: 0/4/46.18



9 SIDOLINE VAN DE CENTAUR: 2002 SBS mare by Heartbreaker x Vondel Van Het Hendrixhof

ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 0/4/46.59



10 URAYA: 2001 KWPN mare by Farmer x Zeno
CHARLIE JAYNE (USA), Pony Lane Farm: 0/EL.



11 QUICK STUDY:  1999 SFA gelding by Quick Star x What a Joy

LAUREN HOUGH (USA), Laura Mateo: 0/WD.

12 TORONTO:  2000 KWPN gelding by Furore x Indorado   
CANDICE KING (USA), AAA Equestrian LLC: 1/80.16



Photo Credit: Beezie Madden and Danny Boy won the final $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup during week eleven at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot, Official Sport Photographer of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, www.sportfot.com. This photo may be used free of charge only in relation to this press release. For high resolution images, please send a request to info@jenniferwoodmedia.com.

The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 12 through April 3. 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 $6 million in prize money will be awarded.

WEF is proud to be supported by their title sponsor, FTI Consulting, Inc. 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 3,600 employees located in most major business centers in the world, they work closely with clients every day to anticipate, illuminate, and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management and restructuring. For more information, please visit www.fticonsulting.com .

Please visit www.equestriansport.com  or call 561-793-5867 for more information.