Scott Stewart Starts Hunter Week at Winter Equestrian Festival With Usual Winning Form

Wellington, FL- February 16, 2005 - The hunters are in the spotlight this week at the Winter Equestrian Festival during the Lincoln Florida Classic/World Championship Hunter Rider Spectacular at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, FL. They competed today in the big grass field of the Internationale Arena, where many horses have never shown before. The wide rolling course gave horses the opportunity to open their stride, gallop down long, bending lines, and show off their talent. However, it also presented a challenge to some horses that were not used to showing in such a big venue.

This week’s hunter judges are Diane Grod, Patrick Rodes, Jimmy Torano, Kim Williams, Julie Winkle, and Tom Wright. Hunters in the Internationale Arena were scored by judges in three positions, and their scores were averaged for the final results.

The Regular Conformation division opened up competition for the week, and the familiar face of Scott Stewart was in the winner’s circle for the model class. Tribute, owned by Krista Weisman, won the model class and received second place in the second over fences class. Winners over fences were Scott Stewart and Krista Weisman’s Chopard and Popeye K, ridden by Tommy Serio for Elizabeth Spencer, who was champion in the division for the first two weeks.

The Regular Working Hunter class saw a new face receive the blue ribbon in the first over fences class. Firsthand and Robert Crandall, who rode for owner Selma Garber, had a strong score of 85.166 to stay in the lead, despite stiff competition. This tough competition included Scott Stewart again, riding Prove It for Alexa Weisman. Prove It and Stewart were second behind Crandall in the first over fences class, and had a high score of 88 to win the second class.

Charlie Weaver handled the beautiful bay gelding, Cozzi, for owner Kelly Klein to the blue ribbon in the Green Conformation model class. It was no question that Without Question was the top horse over fences, after receiving second and first place ribbons with Rob Bielefeld, who rode for Regi Baker. Holly Orlando won the first over fences class with one of her three mounts, Rio Renoir, owned by Thomas Deibert.

These division championships, along with the First and Second Year Green Working Hunters, will be decided tomorrow. The champions and reserve champions who win tomorrow are invited to show in this week’s main event, the AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular of Palm Beach, on Saturday, February 19 at 7 p.m. Seventy-five First Year Green Hunters will compete in the Internationale Arena on Thursday, and the Amateur-Owner Hunters will begin competition as well.

WEF Week Four Jumper Preview

While the hunters take center stage this week, it is also a tremendously important week for jumper riders, as well.

Round four of the WEF Challenge Cup Series takes place on Friday at 1pm in the DeNemethy Arena. The WEF Challenge Cup, a nine week long series of $25,000 Grand Prix events, concludes in Tampa as part of the final week of the Winter Equestrian Festival. The Challenge Cup is also a major money qualifier for the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational to be held on Saturday night, April 2, 2005, under the lights at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

$60,000 in prize money and valuable World Cup points are up for grabs in the Lincoln Idle Dice Classic presented by the Palm Beach Post, CSI-W on Sunday at 2pm in the Internationale Arena. The Winter Equestrian Festival’s World Cup qualifying events will be the final chance for East Coast riders to capture one of the coveted seven spots available for this year’s World Cup Final to be held in Las Vegas in April. Sunday’s Lincoln Idle Dice Classc is also a member event of the AGA Grand Prix Series, the second series event in Wellington and the third of the season.

In addition, The WEF Young Rider Team and Individual Competition CSI-Y will take place on Saturday at the DeNemethy Arena and on Sunday morning at 9am in the Internationale Arena. The FEI Children’s World Jumping Competition 2005 CSI-CH gets underway on Saturday for a two day run in the DeNemethy Arena.

F.E.I. World Cup United States - East Coast 2004/2005 Standings as of February 8, 2005

• 1 McLain Ward -92
• 2 Kimberly Frey -81
• 3 Laura Kraut -72
• 4 Lauren Hough -70
• 5 Candice King -62
• 6 Georgina Bloomberg -54
• 7 Schuyler Riley -52
• 8 Beezie Madden -51
• 9 Todd Minikus -49
• 10 David Raposa -37
• 11 Margie Engle -35
• Christine Tribble -35
• 13 Peter Pletcher -33
• 14 Jimmy Torano -31
• 15 Callen Solem -30
• 16 Anne Kursinski -25
• 17 Lauren Bass -22
• 18 Jeffrey Welles -21
• 19 Chris Kappler -20
• 20 Ken Berkley -19

AGA Rider of the Year Standings:

• 1 Kraut, Laura
• 2 Vale, Aaron
• 3 Cone, Mac
• 4 Harrison, Cayce
• 5 Hough, Lauren
• 6 Millar, Ian
• 7 Jennings, David
• 8 Farrington, Kent
• Flameng, Eric
• Howard, Leslie
• Teran, Roberto
• Ward, McLain
• 13 Bronfman, Clare
• Chapot, Laura
• 15 Bloomberg, Georgina
• Goldstein-Engle, Margie

AGA Horse of the Year Standings:

• 1 Anthem, The Summit Group
• Artur 28, Millstream
• 3 Coeur, Double H Farm
• Melinda, Southern Ways
• 5 Clasiko, The Clasiko Group
• Romulus, Town Creek Investments
• 7 In Style, Susan Grange
• Roxanne, Floriac LLC
• 9 Costa Sur, Amy Lefferdink
• Equinox, J.E.M. Partners
• Madison, Alexa Weeks

AGA Rookie of the Year Standings:

• 1 - Harrison, Cayce

Photo Credit: Firsthand and Robert Crandall, winners over fences in the Regular Working Hunters. Photo by Randi Muster.