Wellington, FL – January 22, 2010 – Last proved to be the best in today’s exciting Spy Coast 1.40m Speed Challenge at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Marie Hecart of France rode Ryan Star du Rezidal, owned by Ashland Stables, to a very fast win in today’s speed class, posting a time just four-tenths of a second faster than the second place finishers, Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) and Palouchin de Ligny.
This is the second week of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, and the week two title sponsor is Purina Mills. Competition this week runs through Sunday, January 24. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and the circuit will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit.
Today’s course, designed by Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL, had 11 numbered obstacles, including two jumps on the horseshoe bank and two on the table bank, which was an option to a taller one-stride combination. There were 13 clear rounds out of 42 entries, and the early leaders, Sarah Wayda and Faroukh, watched their time (61.502 seconds) be cut down by Pessoa and Palouchin de Ligny, who sped through the course – using the taller one-stride option at fence 8 – in 55.619 seconds.
Brianne Goutal and What Ever, owned by Cloverleaf Farm, came closest to Pessoa’s time when they finished in 57.265 seconds until late in the class when Nicole Shahinian-Simpson and Querelle du Champ de Leyde, owned by Sarah Ballou, nicked their time in 55.665 seconds. Goutal finished in fourth place, while Shahinian-Simpson placed third.
The class winner came into the ring as the last entry in the class. Hecart and Ryan Star du Rezidal, a nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Quick Star, put the pedal down at the beginning of the course and never let up on the gas. They made a fantastic left hand turn back to the oxer at jump 10 and stopped the timers in 55.237 seconds, just four-tenths of a second faster for the win.
Hecart and Ryan Star du Rezidal have been paired together for a year, and the talented horse was gelded just four months ago. Hecart is a professional rider from France and rides for Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze of Canada and Ashland Stables.
She said of her mount, “He’s a really, really fast horse and really competitive. I show him in the 1.40m and small grand prix (classes). He’ll probably keep doing these classes, maybe the 1.45m as well. Ashley Fleischhacker might ride him too. He’s a really sweet horse in the barn.”
Hecart thought today’s track was a “really galloping course.” She pointed out, “I watched maybe one horse go before I went because I was over in the Seven and Eight Year Old class. I knew that Rodrigo was really fast. I just said, ‘Ok, we’ll go in the ring and go, and we’ll see.’ I think using the bank is good too.”
This was Hecart’s first win in the Spy Coast 1.40m Speed Challenge. She said, “It’s always good to win, especially here, because it’s hard. The competition is hard; there are good riders and good horses. I’m pretty happy today!”
Tomorrow’s competition will be the highlight class of the week, the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix CSI 2*, which will run under the lights in the International Arena at 7 p.m. Sunday’s competition highlight is the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Classic at 1 p.m.
For full results and more information, please visit www.shownet.biz or www.equestriansport.com.
 
Final Results: $6,000 Spy Coast 1.40m Speed Challenge
1. RYAN STAR DU REZIDAL, MARIE HECART, ASHLAND STABLES: 0/55.237
2. PALOUCHIN DE LIGNY, RODRIGO PESSOA, PESSOA STABLES LLC: 0/55.619 3. QUERELLE DU CHAMP DE LEYDE, NICOLE SHAHINIAN-SIMPSON, SARAH BALLOU: 0/55.665
4. WHAT EVER, BRIANNE GOUTAL, CLOVERLEAF FARM: 0/57.265
5. CAROLLA Z, YANN CANDELE, LIZ CURRIE: 0/57.783
6. COCU, MARIO DESLAURIERS, JANE CLARK: 0/59.062
7. CALMAR 3, MARILYN LITTLE-MEREDITH, MACKENZIE SMITH: 0/60.101
8. FAROUKH, SARAH WAYDA, SARAH WAYDA: 0/61.502
9. VERDETT, MCLAIN WARD, MCLAIN WARD: 0/65.348
10. INDY STAR II, KELSEY RAE CALABRO, JOSEPH DI MENNA: 0/65.493
11. TALOUBET, PAULO SANTANA, JENNIFER SANTANA: 0/65.722
12. QUIBBLE N, PAIGE JOHNSON, SALAMANDER FARM: 0/66.633
 
The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 13 through April 4. 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 $5.5 million in prize money will be awarded.
 
WEF is proud to be supported by their title sponsor, FTI Consulting, Inc. FTI Consulting, Inc. exists to help companies and their stakeholders protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex economic, legal and regulatory environment.  FTI is the trusted advisor entrenched in many of the game-changing events that make headlines, move markets and create business history. For more information, please visit www.fticonsulting.com.
 
During the 12 weeks of WEF, “Saturday Night Lights” headlines the entertainment each Saturday night where spectators not only enjoy the Grand Prix class, but a street carnival, live music, and numerous dining options with box seats, sports bars, and the famed Tiki Hut for front row fun.
 
Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.