Wellington, FL – January 31, 2013 – Week four of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) continued on Thursday with a win for Charlie Jacobs and CMJ Sporthorse, LLC’s Flaming Star in the $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 4. In a 23-horse jump-off, Jacobs and Flaming Star topped an all-star field with second place honors going to Conor Swail (IRL) riding Lansdowne and third place awarded to Brianne Goutal (USA) aboard Nice de Prissey.
Week four of the FTI WEF, sponsored by Fidelity Investments®, will continue through February 3. The week will feature the $100,000 Fidelity Investments® CSI 2* Grand Prix on Saturday evening and the $25,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday afternoon. The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition running from January 9-March 31, 2013, and will be awarding almost $7 million in prize money throughout the circuit.
Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela set the course for an impressive field of 81 starters in Thursday afternoon’s $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 4. A total of 24 entries jumped clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off, and 23 of those returned to jump the short course. Out of 23, ten jumped double clear, and the times got faster and faster as the race for the top prize progressed. The final three competitors earned the top three spots.
Twentieth to go, Brianne Goutal and Remarkable Farm LP’s Nice de Prissey cleared the short course in 33.67 seconds to place third. Class winners Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star were second to last in the jump-off and blazed through the course in 32.40 seconds to earn the victory. Last to go, Conor Swail and Lansdowne, owned by Ariel and Susan Grange, placed second with their time of 33.21 seconds.
Charlie Jacobs and Flaming Star. Photo © Sportfot.
Other top finishers included Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Adrienne Sternlicht’s Oreade des Dames, who finished fourth in 33.78 seconds. Luis Larrazabal (VEN) and Gustavo Mirabal’s G&C Flash were fifth in 34.42 seconds, and Ian Millar (CAN) and Dixson, owned by Ariel and Susan Grange, placed sixth with a time of 34.68 seconds. McLain Ward and Grant Road Partners’ Super Trooper de Ness actually had the fastest time of the day in 31.89 seconds, but a rail at the last fence left them in eleventh place.
After completing the winning effort, Charlie Jacobs exclaimed, “That was a horse race!”
Jacobs had two horses in the jump-off. He went second with Deeridge Farms’ Leap of Joy and then second to last with Flaming Star. He spoke about his rounds, stating, “I went second on Leap of Joy and thought I was quick with a time of 34 seconds and unfortunately I had the last rail. When I saw that the leading time was 33 with Brianne and knowing how slick she can be, I knew that there really wasn’t going to be any hitting the brakes (with Flaming Star), taking any of the reins. It was going to be flat out to try to catch her and that is what I did. I feel very blessed to have that horse in my barn. He is a real special creature and we have a very good rapport when it comes to going against the clock.”
Jacobs explained his strategy to get Flaming Star revved up as he headed to the first fence and start out strong.
“I wanted to wake my horse up a little bit,” he noted. “He needs the turbo charge to go a little faster. That is that horse’s turbo button; you just light him up a little to start the jump off. It gets his blood up. He kicks out a little bit and he is a little ornery about it, but from there you don’t really have to ask again. It just goes to that sixth gear, if you will.”
“I observed that there was a little bit of a distance between the timers and the first jump, so I wanted to cover that ground as quickly as possible,” Jacobs added. “We are talking fractions of a second here, but at this point, it really counts. It separates first from second.”
For his win today, Jacobs was presented with the Barry Louise Lane Perpetual Memorial Trophy by Debbie Lane. Photo © Sportfot.
In addition to the prize money for Thursday’s class, a $9,000 bonus for the SSG “Go Clean for the Green” contest was also up for grabs. A $3,000 bonus is available each week if the winning rider is wearing the SSG ‘Digital’ Riding Gloves in all rounds of competition with the SSG logo clearly visible. The bonus rolled over from weeks two and three and Jacobs was not wearing the gloves this week, so it will add up once more into next week’s competition. During week five, the winning rider will have the chance to win $12,000 just for wearing SSG gloves.
Also showing in the International Arena on Thursday, Ronan McGuigan guided Capall Zidane to victory in the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic. Catherine Tyree and Wetter won in the RCG Farm High Amateur-Owner Jumpers.
Final Results: $33,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 4
1. FLAMING STAR: 1999 AES gelding by Fairman x Unknown
CHARLIE JACOBS SR., CMJ Sporthorse LLC: 0/0/32.40
2. LANSDOWNE: 2003 KWPN stallion by Guidam x Wolfgang
CONOR SWAIL (IRL), Ariel & Susan Grange: 0/0/33.21
3. NICE DE PRISSEY: 2001 Selle Francais stallion by Rosire x Amarpour
BRIANNE GOUTAL (USA), Remarkable Farms LP: 0/0/33.67
4. OREADE DES DAMES: 2002 Selle Francais mare by Kannan x Hurlevent
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Adrienne Sternlicht: 0/0/33.78
5. G&C FLASH: 2002 Hanoverian gelding by Forrester x Grannus
LUIS LARRAZABAL (VEN), Gustavo Mirabal: 0/0/34.42
6. DIXSON: 2003 BWP gelding by Vigo d’Arsouilles x Olisco
IAN MILLAR (CAN), Ariel and Susan Grange: 0/0/34.68
7. QUOINTREAU UN PRINCE: 2004 Selle Francais gelding by Diamant de Semilly x Rosire
LAURA CHAPOT (USA), Laura Chapot & Mclain Ward: 0/0/36.91
8. WHITNEY: 2003 KWPN mare by Indoctro x Concorde
RAMIRO QUINTANA (ARG), St. Bride’s Farm: 0/0/38.02
9. CEDRIC: 1998 Holsteiner gelding by Chambertin x Carolus Z
LAURA KRAUT (USA), Cherry Knoll Farm, Inc: 0/0/38.86
10. ORMSBY HILL: 1997 BWP gelding by Unknown
LIZA FINSNESS (USA), Liza Finsness: 0/0/38.96
11. SUPER TROOPER DE NESS: 2002 Belgian Sport Horse stallion by Vigo D’arsouilles x Polydor
MCLAIN WARD (USA), Grant Road Partners: 0/4/31.89
12. CHILL R Z: 2003 Zangersheide stallion by Chellano Z x A Lucky One
CHARLIE JAYNE (USA), Pony Lane Farm: 0/4/32.78
Quotable and Holly Orlando’s Hot Streak Continues Week 4 of the FTI WEF
Quotable and Holly Orlando were named champions of the Sanctuary Regular Conformation Hunter division during the second day of competition for week four of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Orlando and Quotable have been a formidable pair since the beginning of the FTI WEF, collecting Green Conformation Hunter Champion titles four weeks in a row and earning championship and reserve titles in the Regular Conformation Hunter division weeks two and one, respectively.
Orlando and Quotable, a seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, dominated day one of competition for the division, earning blue ribbons in the model and under saddle classes as well as both over fences rounds. Day two, Orlando piloted Quotable, owned by Larry Glefke and Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Garber, to first and third ribbons over fences.
Reserve championship honors went to Aha, ridden by Sandy Ferrell and owned by Callie Seaman. Ferrell and Aha were third in the model, fourth under saddle and placed second in both over fences rounds. The duo wrapped up the division with second and first place ribbons over fences on day two.
Quotable and Holly Orlando. Photo © Anne Gittins Photography.
Orlando and Quotable started off the FTI WEF with a championship title in the Green Conformation Hunter division during week one and have been on fire ever since.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a horse that’s this consistent. Kelley [Farmer], Larry [Glefke] and the [Lane Change Farm] team have done a great job with him. We got him a month before circuit and he’s a winner,” Orlando stated.
“He tries as hard as he can every time he’s in the ring. If he makes a little mistake, he won’t do it again. He’s been a pleasure to deal with and work with and I love him. You can really count on him,” Orlando continued.
Orlando believes this incredible consistency combined with a stellar work ethic is what sets Quotable apart from the competition. “It doesn’t take a ton of work to get him to the ring. He comes up here and he wants to go to work and he just knows what he’s here for. He’s good at his job. He’s just a good horse,” Orlando described.
While Quotable may be all business at the ring, his playful but lovable nature comes out in his downtime. “He’s a clown. He’s got a lot of personality, he’s a begger,” Orlando stated, as Quotable attempted to dig through her coat pockets for treats. “He’s very sweet and funny.”
Orlando also enjoyed course designer Skip Bailey’s courses, which she felt were full of refreshingly varying obstacles. “I thought the course was beautiful. Skip did a really nice job. I love all the walls. He built a two [stride] to a five [stride], which we don’t see a lot, so it’s nice to see something different. It was a straightforward course but it’s a scopey course, so you have to definitely place [your horse] in the right spots,” Orlando stated.
The Sanctuary, sponsor of the Regular Conformation Hunter division as well as the Green Conformation Hunter division, is a world-class equine sports therapy and rehabilitation center based in Ocala, FL. The Sanctuary operates a fully-equipped satellite campus on the grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
Week four of the FTI WEF continues Friday with the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search class, hosted in the Equine Tack and Nutritionals Ring 6. The Griffis Group High Junior Jumpers will be featured 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.
About Fidelity Investments®
Fidelity Investments® is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with assets under administration of $3.9 trillion, including managed assets of $1.7 trillion, as of December 31, 2012. Founded in 1946, the firm is a leading provider of investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, brokerage, benefits outsourcing and many other financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit www.fidelity.com.