Wellington, FL – February 29, 2012 – Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin and Germany’s Joerg Oppermann and Lux As If each jumped to victory in Wednesday’s double $5,000 Welcome Stake classes during week eight’s CSIO 4* competition, sponsored by G&C Farm, at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Due to a large number of entries, the Welcome Stake was held as two classes, with half of the entries showing in the afternoon, and the remaining entries showing later in the evening. $5,000 in prize money was awarded to each section.



Anthony D’Ambrosio, of Red Hook, NY, is the course designer in the International Arena this week. Each Welcome Stake class was held in a one round format against the clock with a time allowed of 77 seconds. In the day session, D’Ambrosio saw 13 clear rounds, the fastest time of 58.94 seconds winning the top prize for Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin, owned by Double H Farms.



Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin

Yann Candele (CAN) and Game Ready, owned by Susan Grange, finished second in 60.76 seconds. Third place was awarded to Darragh Kenny (IRL) and Lipton De L’Othain, owned by Windward Farm, in 61.71 seconds. Fourth place honors went to Australia’s Matt Williams and Bolero Van’t Heike in 62.03 seconds.

HH Palouchin is a 1999 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Baloubet Du Rouet x Chin Chin. With Pessoa in the irons, the always fast horse also won last week’s $32,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic, along with several other classes throughout the circuit.
Commenting on his win today, Pessoa stated, “It was a good course. This horse is very fast and if you leave them up he always has a good chance to take the win.”

”He jumped really good,” Pessoa added. “He won a really good class last week and we are looking forward to the G&C Farm speed class and the 1.45m classic coming up this week.”

With the high number of entries, the $5,000 Welcome Stake continued with the second section occurring Wednesday evening under the lights in the International Arena. The win went to a new FTI WEF rider, Joerg Oppermann from Germany, riding Lux As If owned by Heinz Eufinger. There were 12 clear rounds out of a total of 53 entries.

Joerg Oppermann and Lux As If

Oppermann went early in the class and his time of 63.15 seconds was able to hold up. Oppermann reasoned that his time went unbeaten because, “A lot of riders used this class in preparation for Nations Cup and didn’t push their horses as hard.”

Of the course, Oppermann thought, “It was a welcoming one. It was great to have the water option to introduce the horses to it before the Nations Cup class.”

The red ribbon in tonight’s class went to Alexandra Thornton of Great Britian, riding Blue Curacao owned by Dunwalke Ltd. Third place went to Cedric Angot of France, riding Olympic de Chamant owned by Nicolas Paillot.

The first of two of his entries, Lux As If, a 2001 Irish Sport Horse gelding, arrived in the country Friday from Amsterdam and Oppermann arrived the following day. Of his mount, Oppermann believed his horse was good. “It is his first time here and we chose to ride the water option,” he said.

Joerg Oppermann and Lux As If with ringmaster Cliff Haines

His second entry, Che Guevara 17, also owned by Heinz Eufinger, is a 2001 Holsteiner Stallion by Concept and Rebel Z. Oppermann will be riding him in Friday evening’s FEI Nations Cup event. Oppermann is looking forward to the class and enthusiastically stated the German team, “is a young, but nice team. We will see.”

In addition to the Nations Cup class, Oppermann will ride both of his horses in tomorrow’s WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 class.

Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm Horses Excel in Wednesday Competition

Also competing in the International Arena on Wednesday, Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino, owned by Monica Carrera, won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m. Conor Swail and Winand, owned by Vanessa Mannix, won the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m speed class, and Shane Sweetnam and Everly Chin De La Pomme, owned by Spy Coast Farm, won the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class.

Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino

Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm had a great day with other top finishes in the classes as well. Sweetnam rode O’Splendido to second place in the 1.45m and Cyklon to second place in the 1.40m speed class.



All three of Sweetnam’s mounts are young, up and coming talents, and the rider was pleased with their efforts today. In the second 1.40m class, Sweetnam and Everly Chin De La Pomme took the lead early, and held on through 17 jump-off rounds to win out of 48 entries. Everly Chin De La Pomme is an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare by Malito De Reve out of Werly Chin De Muze. 



Spy Coast Farm bought Everly Chin De La Pomme last year as a seven-year-old. “She is going to be a very good horse,” Sweetnam noted. “She is out of the same mare as Eric Lamaze’s horse Derly Chin De Muze. We own the mother also and she is breeding in Kentucky, so it is a very interesting line for us. It looks like she will go on and do great things hopefully, so that is a good start for her.”

Sweetnam was surprised that his time held on, having shown so early in the class, but he was thrilled with the win nonetheless. “Normally in these classes if you are early and you go into the lead, there is always someone quicker later on. I went quick and I was tight, but I wasn’t really as fast as I could have been. This morning I was really going fast and I finished second, so it is just funny how it works out,” Sweetnam laughed. “So far this circuit I have had a lot of seconds and thirds, and not too many wins, so it was great to get the win today.”



Sweetnam’s mount in the 1.40m speed class was Cyklon, a new horse for Spy Coast Farm, recently purchased in Sweden. Cyklon is a stallion by Cardento. “He should be a very competitive horse. He is very quick and I am just getting to know him, but I really enjoy riding him,” Sweetnam stated.



O’Splendido, his mount in the 1.45m is another promising young stallion, a Selle Francais by Burggraaf. “O’Splendido is still a little bit green even though he is ten,” Sweetnam acknowledged, “but he is coming along. He is very quick and I think he should be a very good horse as well; he just needs to get some time in the ring.”

During this week’s CSIO competition, Sweetnam looks forward to showing his top stallion, Amaretto D’Arco, in Friday night’s $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm.



“Every year I love Nations Cup,” he said with a smile. “There is a good atmosphere and it is a good class. There are plenty of good teams and good jumping, so I really look forward to it.”



Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino with ringmaster Cliff Haines and Luis Miguel Martinez of this week’s sponsor, G&C Farm

G&C Farm’s CSIO week eight will continue in the International Arena tomorrow featuring the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 8 at 12 p.m. In the E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring, the Regular Conformation Hunters will present championship honors. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

Final Results: $5,000 Welcome Stake (Day Session)
1. HH PALOUCHIN: 1999 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Baloubet Du Rouet x Chin Chin

RODRIGO PESSOA (BRA), Double H Farm: 0/58.94          

2.  GAME READY: 2000 KWPN gelding by Andiamo x Polydox 

YANN CANDELE (CAN), Susan Grange: 0/60.76          

3. LIPTON DE L’OTHAIN: 1999 SFB gelding by Kashmir Van Schuttershof x Prince Du Logis
DARRAGH KENNY (IRL), Windward Farm And Jessica Siuda:  0/61.71          

4. BOLERO VAN ‘T HEIKE: 2001 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Polidiktus Vd Helle x Major De La Cour
MATT WILLIAMS (AUS), Matt Williams: 0/62.03          

5. GELEDIMAR: 2003 Zangersheide mare by Grosso Z x Lord Z

NICHOLAS DELLO JOIO (USA), Nicholas Dello Joio: 0/62.53          

6. ARTIFICE L.S.: 2000 Mexican Sport Horse stallion by Alcamera L.S. x Jalisco B 
ANGEL KAROLYI (VEN), Hollow Creek Farm: 0/62.83          

7. CHAMBERLAIN Z: 2001 Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z x Peter Pan
DAVID MCPHERSON (GBR), David McPherson & M/M Holtgers: 0/64.88          

8. AZZARO VAN’T HAGENHOF:  2000 BWP Gelding by Mr. Blue x Lys De Darmen   
LAURA KRAUT (USA), Susan Grange: 0/66.45          

9. CONNERY: 2001 Hanoverian gelding by Cordobes II x Polydor

LUCA MONETA (ITA), Butelli Lucia: 0/67.18          

10. CLYDE: 2004 Holsteiner stallion by Clearway x Coronado
DANIEL BLUMAN (COL), Daniel Bluman, LLC: 0/67.51          

11. URSULA XII: 2001 Scottish Sport Horse mare by Ahorn x Papageno

TINA FLETCHER (GBR), Lady Harris & Lady Kirkham: 0/75.52          

12. CORIANA VAN KLAPSCHEUT: 2002 BWP mare by Darco x Heartbreaker
ERIC LAMAZE (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 0/76.49    



Final Results:$5,000 Welcome Stake (Night Session)
1. LUX AS IF: 2001 Irish Sport Horse mare 

JOERG OPPERMANN (GER), Heinz Eufinger: 0/63.15

2. BLUE CURACAO: 2001 BWP mare by Mr. Blue x Dark D’Amour
ALEXANDRA THORNTON (USA), Dunwalke LLC: 0/66.45

3. OLYMPIC DE CHAMANT: 2002 Selle Francais gelding by Gentleman IV SF x Apache D’adriers
CEDRIC ANGOT (FRA), Nicolas Paillot: 0/69.19

4. SASKIA: 2003 Oldenburg mare by Kannan x Silvi I

NICOLAS PIZARRO (MEX), Nicolas Pizarro: 0/70.63

5. HUISACHE: 1998 KWPN gelding by Indoctro x Topas
JUAN CARLOS FRANCO (MEX), Juan Carlos Franco: 0/70.83

6. CABALLERO 84: 2002 Holsteiner gelding by Chambertin x Carpaccio

ALEXANDRA THORNTON (USA), Dunwalke LLC: 0/71.46

7. QUIN CHIN: 1998 Holsteiner gelding by Quantum x Capione

JUAN CARLOS FRANCO (MEX), Juan Carlos Franco: 0/71.87

8. OPAL DU GOLFE: 2002 Selle Francais by Elf D’or SF

MARIE HECART (FRA), Ecurie Michel Hecart: 0/72.16

9. CENTURIA 2: 2000 Holsteiner mare Candillo x Cor De La Bryere
MARKUS BEERBAUM (GER), Gabriella Salick: 0/73.31

10. ASLAN: 2000 Danish Warmblood gelding by Aston x Blue Hors Agent
LJUBOV KOCHETOVA (RUS), Ljubov Kochetova: 0/74.33

11. CHE GUEVARA 17: 2001 Holsteiner stallion by Concept x Rebel Z
JOERG OPPERMANN (GER), Heinz Eufinger: 0/75.35

12.  STAR POWER: 2001 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Quick Star
IAN MILLAR (CAN), Team Works: 0/75.89




Photo Credit: Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin; Jorg Oppermann and Lux As If Win $5,000 Welcome Stake Classes, Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Photos © Sportfot, Official Sport Photographer of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, www.us.sportfot.com. This photo may be used only in relation to this press release.