Olympic Champion Receives Warm Welcome in Wellington

By Jennifer Ward

Wellington, FL - Olympic Champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil received a warm welcome in Friday's $10,000 Wellington Golf Cars Welcome Stake during week two of the CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

A total of 38 horses entered the International Arena in the hopes of taking home the top prize of $3,000 in prize money. From the original starting field, an even dozen produced clear rounds over the track set by course designer Richard Jeffrey of Great Britain to advance to the jump-off.

Ken Berkley set the early pace by turning in a clear round with the grey Parlay, clocking in at 38.97 seconds. Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil then showed why he is the Olympic champion, racing around the course and stopping the timers at 37.79 with Palouchin, a horse sired by his three-time World Cup Champion horse, Baloubet de Rouet, and out of a Chin Chin mare that Pessoa showed as a junior rider.

European-based American Peter Wylde and Lipton de L'Othain were the combination to come close to catching Pessoa. Though they gave it a valiant effort, their time of 37.92 seconds was just off the leading pace, leaving them in second. Wylde had also finished second in Thursday's $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series I with another mount, Let's Fly.

"It is always difficult to tell, but the conditions are good, the ground is good, and there were a lot of good horses starting today," said Pessoa when asked if he was surprised by the high percentage of riders that advanced to the jump-off. "It was a nice way to get the circuit going."

Week Two of competition, which is rated a CSI2* by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), continues through Sunday, January 27, when the $40,000 Grand Prix will begin at 1 p.m. The 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, attracts the best horses and riders from around the world to Wellington, Fla., and offers more than $5 million in prize money. For more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.

Results of Class 807 - $10,000 Welcome Stake

1 255 PALOUCHIN RODRIGO PESSOA 0.00 71.692 0.00 37.796 RODRIGO PESSOA
2 5252 LIPTON DE L''OTHAIN PETER WYLDE 0.00 72.013 0.00 37.928 WINDWARD FARM
3 1832 PARLAY KEN BERKLEY 0.00 75.965 0.00 38.977 RIVERS EDGE/KAREN DWIGHT
4 6301 LUIS 13 SANDY VAN DYKE 0.00 77.556 0.00 41.420 JULIANNA FISCHER
5 5302 MARLO DANIELLE TORANO 0.00 76.525 0.00 42.073 JIMMY TORANO
6 1107 TIGGER NICOLE SIMPSON 0.00 78.281 0.00 42.794 JANE CLARK
7 3663 HOT WHEELS MIRANDA FISCHER 0.00 77.988 0.00 45.529 MIRANDA FISCHER
8 2073 LE PRESTIGE ST LOIS LAURA KRAUT 0.00 75.863 4.00 40.033 FREEDOM GROUP
9 3366 PITAREUSA YANN CANDELE 0.00 70.574 4.00 40.484 SUSAN GRANGE LOTHLORIEN
10 2893 DISTRICT GEORGINA BLOOMBERG 0.00 77.133 4.00 42.361 GOTHAM ENTERPRISES
11 2890 MILA GEORGINA BLOOMBERG 0.00 79.630 8.00 43.982 GOTHAM ENTERPRISES
12 2103 DANNY BOY BEEZIE MADDEN 0.00 77.748 24.00 62.035 ABIGAIL WEXNER

Results of Class 1005 1.40m Speed Challenge, II Sec. 1 (NAL)

1 1104 LUTOPIA NICOLE SIMPSON 0.00 57.039 JANE CLARK
2 1103 CONCERTO NICOLE SIMPSON 0.00 58.597 JANE CLARK
3 5153 ARISTIDE RICHARD MOLONEY 0.00 58.662 BARBARA KELLY
4 6303 0.00 60.385
5 432 MON GAMIN BRIANNE GOUTAL 0.00 61.252 CLOVERLEAF FARM
6 1978 PRIMO JONATHAN MCCREA 0.00 61.512 CANDY TRIBBLE & WINDSOR S
7 5368 TAKE OFF ERIC LAMAZE 0.00 61.840 ASHLAND STABLES
8 6276 CORITANO THOMAS CERRA 0.00 63.490 ROXANE THEIDEL
9 6215 NESS-GO FRANCIE STEINWEDELL- 0.00 64.052 PRENTISS PARTNERS
10 5088 PRESIDENTE IVAN ZAMORA 0.00 64.205 SLEEPY P RANCH LLC

Photo: Rodrigo Pessoa and Palouchin won the $10,000 Wellington Golf Cars Welcome Stake on Friday, January 25, at the CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, in Wellington, Florida. Photo Credit: Ken Braddick