Wellington, FL – January 12, 2014 – Week one of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) concluded on Sunday with a victory for Great Britain’s Ben Maher and Kavanagh IV in the $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC).
Week one of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, sponsored by The Mar-a-Lago Club, concluded today. FTI WEF 2, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, run January 15-19. The FTI WEF, held at the PBIEC in Wellington, FL, features 12 weeks of world-class competition through March 30, awarding $8 million in prize money.
For Sunday’s highlight competition, course designer Eric Hasbrouck saw 47 combinations jump the first round, with ten entries advancing to the jump-off. Only two were able to clear the short course without fault, and Ben Maher and Kavanagh IV had the winning time of 35.017.
Paris Sellon (USA) and Heracross finished second with their clear round in 40.053 seconds. Karen Polle (USA) had the fastest time in the jump-off in 33.898 seconds, but incurred four faults to finish third. Ireland’s Ronan McGuigan and Capall Zidane placed fourth with four faults in 34.344 seconds. McGuigan and Polle were both victim to a tall plank jump on course that was a problem for many of the riders in both rounds.
Ben Maher and Kavanagh IV
Class winner, Kavanagh IV, is a 12-year-old Anglo European gelding by Kannan x Carousel. Maher started riding the gelding this fall and has already had great success with him. He explained, “I took over the ride a few months ago when I was resting the other horses in England back in October, and he went quite well the first week, so John and Laura (Renick) kindly left him with me.”
“I begged them to let me take him to Florida because I know he’s great in the big arenas,” Maher continued. “He jumped very well in the Trump Grand Prix the other week. I couldn’t see where I was going (because of the rain), and I ran a little deep and had a mistake, so we saved him for this grand prix this week because he felt good, and the plan paid off.”
“He is the most laid back going horse there is,” Maher described of the horse. “He is very relaxed and doesn’t mind who looks after him or who is riding him. I actually didn’t ride him all week. My girlfriend rode him the whole week, so maybe I’ll stick to that plan. He takes strides out in a big ring like this; he’s pretty fast. A lot of horses had the planks down, so I took a little bit of time there and left a small margin for the others to catch me, but luckily it was the right decision today.”
Ben Maher and Kavanagh IV in their winning presentation with ringmaster Gustavo Murcia and Camelia Pitcher, Membership and Marketing Coordinator for Trump International Golf Club
Maher looks forward to another great FTI WEF circuit in 2014, returning with Jane Clark’s Cella and Urico, who he had great success with in 2013.
“I am looking forward to riding Cella and Urico,” he noted. “They have been great for me the whole year. We rested Urico for the indoor season because he gained some great results. I had a whole new plan with him for the summer, and I think he’s in great shape, so he’ll start out here next week. Cella, we’ll save for the bigger grands prix. They’re kind of split up this time, so she’s going to come out week three I think, but I’ve got some great horses. I’m very lucky, and always excited to be here.”
In addition to earning top prize in Sunday’s grand prix, Maher was presented with a special Champion Equine Insurance Jumper Style Award, presented by Laura Fetterman.
Second place finisher, Paris Sellon, also earned a special award as the Leading Lady Jumper Rider for week one thanks to Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties in memory of Dale Lawler.
Sellon, 21, is from Los Angeles, CA, and this is her first time competing at the FTI WEF riding with Laura Kraut and Nick Skelton. She purchased Heracross from Skelton one year ago.
“I just started riding with Nick and Laura last May,” Sellon exlained. “I went to Europe with them, started traveling with them. I have just been getting to know him, getting to know how to jump clear, and it’s all finally paying off now. It has taken a full year, but he’s great. He is super straight forward and a super show horse.”
Commenting on the day’s course, Sellon noted, “It was difficult enough. With the time allowed and everything, you have to keep moving as well as trying to jump clear, but my horse actually benefits from that. The more you keep him going, the more you fire him up. That’s when he jumps his best, so it was actually a pretty good course for him.”
Karen Polle, also 21, is from New York City and started training with Todd Minikus in October. She has had her horse What Ever for three years, but the mare is coming back from a year and a half off with an injury, and Sunday’s class was one of their first grands prix back together. Polle described What Ever, stating, “She is so lazy at home. She’s like a pony, but once she gets in the ring she fires up. She leaves out strides and turns really fast, and she’s just so fast and fun.”
Polle explained that training with Todd Minikus has really helped her. “He has helped me focus on using my leg to really ride the course and guide the horse,” Polle noted. “I tend to get a little bit too much hands, and I stop them a little too much and I get them behind me sometimes, so he’s really been helping me ride from my leg.”
The Junior and Amateur-Owner Jumpers also got the chance to show in the International Arena on Sunday morning. In the $10,000 Sleepy P Ranch SJHOF High Junior Jumper Classic, Victoria Colvin and Don Juan, owned by Brigid Colvin and Karen Long Dwight, completed the only clear round out of 17 entries to earn top prize. Emanuel Andrade and Hollow Creek Farm’s Carboni had the fastest four-fault round to finish second.
The $10,000 Animo USA Medium Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic saw 51 entries with 18 clear rounds and ten to go clear in the jump-off. Dana Scott and Nod Hill Farm’s KM What Ever RV were the winners with the fastest jump-off time, and Sarah Hubbard and Athina Z finished second.
Final Results: $30,000 Mar-a-Lago Club Grand Prix
1. KAVANAGH IV BEN MAHER JOHN RENICK & BEN MAHER: 0/0/35.017
2. HERACROSS PARIS SELLON PARIS SELLON: 0/0/40.053
3. WHAT EVER KAREN POLLE KAREN POLLE: 0/4/33.898
4. CAPALL ZIDANE RONAN MCGUIGAN RONAN MCGUIGAN: 0/4/34.344
5. ZAMIRO 16 KARA CHAD STONE RIDGE FARMS LLC: 0/4/34.683
6. QUIDAM MB ADRIENNE STERNLICHT ADRIENNE STERNLICHT: 0/4/36.228
7. RAMSES SARAH SEGAL ROBERT SEGAL: 0/4/36.541
8. CISCO’S ZIDANE ROOSJE BROUWER STAL THIJSSEN BV: 0/4/36.642
9. WOTSAMILLION LAURA KRAUT STONE HILL FARM: 0/4/37.062
10. COLORADO JONATHAN MCCREA CANDY TRIBBLE: 0/4/37.354
11. DOLORES MB JIMMY TORANO BEN MAHER: 1/75.894
12. WINGS MCLAIN WARD MCLAIN WARD: 4/70.522
Lili Hymowitz Makes a Statement in Large Junior 15 & Under Hunters
Lili Hymowitz could not be beat Sunday morning in the Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under division, presented by Greenspoon Marder Law, at the FTI WEF. Hymowitz walked away with division champion and reserve champion honors with her mounts Statement and Tiffani, respectively.
Hymowitz and Statement, a seven-year-old Westphalian gelding, won three out of the five classes for the division. The pair picked up wins in two over fences classes and the under saddle in addition to collecting sixth and third place ribbons over fences.
Tiffani, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare, won the handy round on the first day of competition over fences before finishing second in two other over fences rounds and fifth in the under saddle class.
Lili Hymowitz and Statement
Fourteen-year-old Hymowitz, of New York, NY, picked up division champion and reserve champion titles with both mounts over the fall and was happy to see both horses return to the show ring happy after a well-deserved vacation following the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, KY.
“Towards the end of indoors, they were starting to get tired. Now they’re back and refreshed,” Hymowitz recounted. “It’s so nice to be back in Florida. I’ve gotten used to riding in little indoor [arenas]—I haven’t shown outside since the Hampton Classic [in August].”
Of her champion mount, Statement, Hymowitz described “He’s pretty straight-forward. You just have to make sure you keep going forward! One thing he likes to do is start slowing down and get a little backwards, but he’s so fun and amazing. He wants to win as badly as I do!”
Hymowitz described Statement as a “get on and go” ride, but highly values Tiffani’s adjustability on course.
“With Tiffani, I don’t have to worry because she’s so adjustable since she used to be a jumper. If I see the slow [distance], I’ll do the slow one, but with Statement, you just have to stay the same pace. I try not to touch him!” Hymowitz admitted.
Lili Hymowitz and Tiffani
Hymowitz was thrilled with her one-two finish in the division and looks forward to competing Statement and Tiffani again at the FTI WEF, although they’ll be getting plenty of well-deserved time off.
Sunday’s competition concluded week one of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, sponsored by The Mar-a-Lago Club. Week two, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, will run Wednesday, January 15 through Sunday, January 19. The week will feature the $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 on Thursday afternoon, the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix CSI 2* on Saturday night, and the $10,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series Speed Class, Presented by The Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte, as well as the $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic during the day on Sunday. For full results, please www.showgroundslive.com.
Photo Credit: Photos © Sportfot, An Official Photographer of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, us.sportfot.com. These photos may be used only in relation to this press release and must include photo credit.