Wellington, FL – February 9, 2011 – Ben Maher (GBR) scored a win this morning in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers on the opening day of week 5 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Maher and Oscar put down a winning time of 60.806 seconds for the win over Peter Wylde (USA) on Lipton De L’Othain (62.987 seconds) and McLain Ward (USA) on Domino (64.050 seconds).

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s fifth week of competition continues through Sunday, February 13. Week five, sponsored by Spy Coast Farm, will feature the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 5 on Thursday afternoon, the $150,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix, presented by Spy Coast Farm, on Saturday at 7 p.m., the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix on Sunday morning, and the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.

Today’s $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumper class had 41 entries, and they competed over a course designed by Alan Wade of Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Maher stated, “It’s good that they have different course designers here every week.”

Seventeen found the way to a clear round, but it was Maher and Oscar who had the most speed. “He’s naturally a fast horse, so if you’re clear, he’s always near the top end without even trying,” Maher pointed out.

Ben Maher and Oscar

Maher and Oscar, a 15-year-old KWPN gelding by Harcos x Animo, have only been together for seven months, but they have made the most of their partnership. They won the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic in week 2, just a few days after Oscar shipped over from Germany.

Maher noted, “It took him a while to recover. He feels a lot more happy to jump now. With the heat, it took a while for him to adjust. He jumped one round last week in the WEF (Challenge Cup), which was quite big. It felt like he struggled a little bit so we came back down. We jumped in the 1.45m today to try and win a little money and to build confidence with the horse. I find it’s easier when I drop him down a level to go back up. Hopefully it will pay off.”

Oscar has been a do-it-all horse for Maher. “I’ve used him for everything,” he acknowledged. “When I didn’t have a grand prix horse, he jumped some World Cup grand prixs, speeds, everything really. He’s a 1.50m horse; that’s his comfortable level. He can go to the next level if we have to. We have to look after him, which is why its nice for him to jump one level down, be competitive, and enjoy what he does.”

Oscar is owned by Lindsay Cook, who competes at the young rider level but is at university now, so Maher got the ride on him. Maher has been traveling from Europe to Wellington. “I’m back and forth a little bit from Europe to here because my best horse Robin Hood is at home, but I’m enjoying the weather and look forward to coming back here every year,” he said.

Ben Maher and Oscar with ringmaster Cliff Haines and Luis Miguel Martinez of G&C Farm

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

Final Results: $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers
1   OSCAR           BEN MAHER    LINDSAY COOK: 0/60.806
2   LIPTON DE L”OTHAIN PETER WYLDE    WINDWARD FARM & JESSICA SIUDA: 0/62.987
3   DOMINO          MCLAIN WARD    BLUE CHIP BLOODSTOCK: 0/64.050
4   G&C IN COLOR    PABLO BARRIOS    G&C FARM: 0/64.760
5   DA VINCI        ANDRES RODRIGUEZ    ROBERT CASTRO: 0/65.198
6   CAETANO         NICK SKELTON        MONARCH INTERNATIONAL: 0/65.896
7   S & L WHAT NOU  DARRAGH KERINS    S&L FARM: 0/66.162
8   KEEP IT SIMPLE  HANNAH ISOP        TRACY FREELS: 0/67.546
9   OLMIFON D’AS    LAURA KRAUT        HAPPY HILL FARM: 0/68.604
10  GLOCONTO        ANTONIO MAURER    ANTONIO MAURER: 0/69.872
11  STAR POWER      IAN MILLAR        TEAM WORKS: 0/70.263
12  DONNA EVITA     LAURA KRAUT    THE FREEDOM GROUP: 0/70.664

Photo Credit:  Ben Maher and Oscar won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers during week five 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.