WELLINGTON, FL - February 9, 2004 - The second week of the 32nd Winter Equestrian Festival was held February 4 through February 8 at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. The five-day show entitled Bayer/USET Gold Coast Jumper Classic CSI*** featured an all-jumper roster. Olaf Petersen of Germany, the course designer for the upcoming 2004 Athens Olympic Games, set the tracks in the Internationale Arena. Following eight weeks of back-to-back shows in Wellington through March 21, action moves to Tampa for two weeks at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, and caps off with the Budweiser American Invitational on April 3 at the Raymond James Stadium. Total prize money for the 2004 WEF is three-million-dollars. Produced by founder Eugene R. Mische and Stadium Jumping, Inc., the Winter Equestrian Festival is the largest and longest consecutively running equestrian sporting event in the world.

Chris Kappler And Royal Kaliber Win $50,000 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup, CSI***
The finale of the week was Sunday, February 8, when Chris Kappler riding Royal Kaliber owned by Kathy Kamine topped a field of 37 entries in the $50,000 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup, CSI***. More than 5,200 fans were in the stands to witness a competition that showcased two of America's best hopefuls for the Olympic Games - Kappler and McLain Ward who placed second
"I think he's sizing up different distances to see what he's going to slam us with in the Olympics," said Kappler of course designer Olaf Petersen's demanding tracks. "We were a little bit guinea pigs today to see what he's got planned for us in the future."
Four riders went clear for the Jump-Off. Petersen introduced two new fences for the nine-effort tiebreaker and set time allowed at 69 seconds. Argentinean Federerico Sztyrle, 39, of Sagaponack, NY, led off on Who Knows Lilly owned by Sag Pond Farm, with a time of 46.28 and a four-fault rail, finishing in third place. Kimberly Frey, 39, of Hume, VA, attempted the test next, but went off course and was eliminated, and had to settle for fourth place. Kappler, 38, of Pittstown, NJ, and Royal Kaliber laid down the first clear round in 44.28, which proved to be unbeatable. Last to go, McLain Ward, 28, of Brewster, NY, riding Sapphire, a mare he owns with Double H Farm and Missy Clark, had the second fence down and clocked in at 44.82 for second place. "My horse made a green mistake in the jump-off," explained Ward. "In the second jump on the landing where those large Cosequin bottles are, you had to try to slice inside them - she's a little inexperienced and she saw the bottles and cut down on the jump behind. But it's a mistake I can chalk up to a learning experience. I was thrilled. I thought the course was very demanding today. There were some great horses in the jump-off and she performed beautifully." Ward said he is aiming Sapphire for the Olympics.

Highlights Wednesday Through Saturday

Quickstar II Z Dazzles With McLain Ward Up In 1.45-Meter Power & Speed Class
Kicking off the competition on Wednesday, February 4, McLain Ward and Quickstar II Z owned by Double H Farm won the $7,500 1.45-Meter "Power & Speed" class. Ward and the 10-year-old, bay, 16.2-hand, French-bred mare bested a roster of 55 entries. Riders jumped a 10-fence "Power" Phase I with Time Allowed at 52 seconds. Those posting clear rounds immediately jumped a six-effort "Speed" Phase II with the clock re-set to 47 seconds. The fastest clear in the Speed Phase took the blue. Twenty-four horses cleared the Power Phase, and moved on to the Speed Phase. Ward and Quickstar blasted over the course, clocking in at 29.767 seconds. Ian Millar, 57, of Perth, Ontario, riding Nicos for owner Todd Snell placed second, more than two seconds slower at 31.451. Margie Engle, 46, of Wellington, FL, aboard Nobility for owner Robert Pergament took third place, posting 32.046. "I made an inside cut to the last fence, which we looked at during the course walk and it was quite difficult but that mare is very, very genuine in character," explained Ward. "I tried to do the inside turn and she responded beautifully."

Mark Leone And Mr. Happy Win 1.40-Meter, Section A
Mark Leone, 42, of Franklin Lakes, NJ, won the $5,000 1.40 Meter, Time First Jump-Off, Section A. With 104 horses entered, management split the competition into two Sections. Fifty-seven entries contested Section A. Eleven horses went clear over Round One, but only three produced a clean trip over the short course. The fastest of the double-clears was Leone riding Mr. Happy for owner Meghan Moran. The duo clocked in at 45.48 seconds. Just splits behind Leone, Federico Sztyrle riding Fatalis Fatum for owner Sag Pond Farm took second place with a time of 45.58. Darragh Kerins riding Linea for Ralph Caristo was third, crossing the timers in 42.441.

McLain Ward And Cinderella 248 Win 1.40-Meter, Section B
Continuing his winning ways into the afternoon, Ward wrapped up his day with another victory, taking first place in the $5,000 1.40 Meter, Time First Jump-Off, Section B. Aboard Cinderella, Ward bested a field of 49 entries. Cinderella is a nine-year-old Holsteiner, German-bred mare owned by Double H Farm. Twelve horses went clear in Round One, and of those, four went clear again over the short course. Ward was the fastest of them all, clocking in at 39.527 seconds. Margie Engle picked up the second place ribbon aboard Julius for owner Lysa Burke Horkan, crossing the timers in 40.114. In third place, Lynne Little, 51, of Frederick, MD, in the irons on Don Diego La Silla for owner Club Hipio La Silla, placed third with a time of 43.700.

McLain Ward And Hurricane Win $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup - Round II
The winning streak continued for McLain Ward on Thursday, February 5, as he rode Hurricane for owner Turnabout Farm to victory in the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series - Round II, CSI***. Ward acknowledged the winning roll he's on. "I've got a lot of nice horses, great owners and a lot of great people around me. We put together a great team in every way," he said. "The fruits of our labors are paying off. Missy Clark trains Hurricane and I really don't see the horse until I come to the ring. It's a real testament to what a great job they do." Hurricane is a 14-year-old, bay 17.1-hand Hanoverian gelding.
A roster of 55 horses attempted the 16-effort speed class in which the fastest clean round wins. Only three riders were able to clear the course. Ken Berkeley riding Call Me for Rivers Edge Farm was the 37th rider to go and clocked in the first clear in 77.69. His lead was short-lived when Ward was next to go and shaved three seconds off the time, going clean in 74.71, putting Berkely in second place where he stayed to the end. Just two rides later, Laura Chapot put in the final clear of the day riding her own Little Big Man, but her time of 78.90 placed her third.
"He's a great horse. He's had a lot of experience," said Missy Clark. "My client Sarah Willeman, his owner, is in college now so McLain's been riding him about one year and has had some great successes. My job is to keep him jumping fit and to oversee the program."

Abigail Carpenter Aboard Rosanne Van De Withoeve Win Adequan A-O Jumper High
Also on Thursday, February 5, Abigail Carpenter riding her own Rosanne Van De Withoeve won the $2,500 Adequan Amateur-Owner Jumper High, Time First Jump-Off, Section A. In a field of 38 starters, Carpenter was the only rider to post a double-clear performance. In the four-horse tiebreaker Carpenter led off, setting the pace at 49.231 seconds. Lara Gay aboard Cannonboy owned by RCG Farm LLC, chased Carpenter's time and caught her by almost three seconds at 46.444, but a rail down put her in second place. Paige Johnson riding Landria W for Salamander Farm knocked down three fences for 12 faults and third place. Judy Garofalo aboard Cathy Garofalo's Delano Peak took down three rails and retired on course for fourth place.

Laura Chapot And Sprite Win $5,000 1.40-Meter Acorn Hill Farm Challenge
Friday, February 6, marked a win for Laura Chapot, 30, of Neshanic Station, New Jersey, and her Sprite. The duo topped a class of 91 entries to win the $5,000 1.40-Meter Acorn Hill Farm Challenge, Time First Round. Chapot was third to go on the roster and set the pace with her clear round in 61.329 seconds. The rest of the field chased her time, and though 16 more riders posted clean trips, none could catch Chapot. Lauren Bass riding M.V. Cristal for Maypine Farm placed second with her time of 61.753. Anne Kursinski aboard Indeed for The Group Indeed was third, clocking in at 63.534.
"It was actually beneficial that I went really early in the class because then I was able to develop a plan from walking the course and just go with it instead of changing my mind by watching a lot of people go," said Chapot. "Sprite has a very big stride and is very quick, so I tried to figure what would work for her, do the best round I could, and hope that was fast enough. She's just so quick without even going fast that when she goes the same route as any other horse, she's probably going to be faster. I left out every stride that I could and made all the inside cuts."
Sprite is an eight-year-old Holsteiner mare by the French stallion Quidam de Reveille, out of a German mare that Chapot purchased two years ago.
The class is part of the North American League Open Speed Series and members earn points toward year-end finals.

Aimee Aron And Jamaica Win $2,500 Junior Jumper High
Aimee Aron riding Jamaica for owner Kinloch Enterprises won the $2,500 Junior Jumper High, Time First Jump-Off. The duo topped a field of 23 entries. Over a 14-effort Round One course, five horses put in clear trips and qualified for the eight-effort Jump-Off. Aron and Jamaica were the faster of only two double-clear performances, clocking in at 38.612 over the short course. Addison Phillips aboard her own Cantus Anuberth II was more than three seconds slower than the leader at 38.612 and took second place. Phillips also picked up the third place ribbon riding Rastella for Halifax Farm. Phillips was faster on this mount, crossing the timers in 40.327, but had a rail down for four faults.

McLain Ward Aboard Quickstar II Z Claim Victory In $20,000 1.50-Meter Classic
McLain Ward took yet another victory lap in the Internationale Arena on Saturday, February 7, for his win in the $20,000 1.50 Meter Classic riding Quickstar II Z. Owner Hunter Harrison of Double H Farm was at the ingate to congratulate his rider. "It's going wonderful," said Harrison. "We've got good horses and a great jockey. It's always thrilling watching him ride, as fine as he rides. He makes no mistakes, and he makes no errors. You just hope the horse is good because if the horse goes good, then he's going clean." Harrison is pleased with the way the season is going, noting that Ward aboard his horses has already logged five major wins at this year's WEF. "We're thrilled. We've got three world-class mares and a fourth seven-year-old that's coming along, so it's pretty exciting."
Ward bested a field of 43 starters and was the fastest of four double-clear performances. Eight horses qualified for the Jump-Off. Megan Lamaze was the first clean setting the pace at 45.197 aboard Elfee, but she ended up fourth. Germany's Markus Beerbaum riding Le Mans 8 for Hyperion Farm laid down a blistering time of 40.034, but finished in second place. France's Eric Navet riding Mr. Acobat for Turtle Lane Farm took a shot at Beerbaum, but was one-tenth of a second off the pace and finished third. Ward was last to go in the tiebreaker and clocked in clean in a blazing 39.640 seconds for the win.
"She's a very fast horse. I wasn't really that concerned about beating the time. I was more concerned about beating the time and leaving the jumps up. I felt if I could just leave the jumps up I could be fast enough," Ward said.

Abby Carpenter Wins Amateur-Owner High Championship
Also on Saturday, February 7, Abby Carpenter, 18, of Greenwich, CT, riding Augustus won the $10,000 Adequan Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic High, clinching the Adequan Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship. This is Carpenter's first season in the Amateurs. She trains with Frandk and John Madden. Carpenter purchased her two mounts for the championship in Belgium two years ago. Augustus is a nine-year old gelding and Rosanne Van De Withoeve is a 10-year-old mare - both by the same sire, Major Delacour. In today's $10,000 Adequan A-O Jumper Classic High, Carpenter bested 44 entries. Nineteen horses were clear over Round One and qualified for the Jump-Off. Carpenter was the second rider on course and posted the first clear in 40.598 seconds, which held up to the end of the tiebreaker. "I always do better when I go early because then I can set the pace rather than chasing," said Carpenter. "John said to really get on the gas in between." Earning the Champion and Reserve ribbons today felt "great," Carpenter said. "I'm having a great Florida so far, so I'm really excited. I've got a good group of horses and good trainers."

Brianne Goutal And Marga Win $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic
Wrapping up competition in the Internationale Arena on Sunday, February 8, before the afternoon Grand Prix, Brianne Goutal rode Marga for Beacon Hill Partners to victory in the $10,000 High Junior Jumper Classic, besting a field of 24 entries. Junior Jumpers are riders that have not yet reached their 18th birthday.
Six horses went clean over the 12-fence Round One course and qualified for the Jump-off. It proved to be a battle between Goutal and Addison Phillips -- both riders had two mounts.
Goutal led off over the seven-effort tiebreaker aboard Onira owned by Cloverleaf Farm, and set the pace with a clear round in 34.214. Next to go, Phillips edged Goutal out of the top spot with a clear trip aboard her own Cantus Anuberth II, clocking in at 34.214. Aimee Aron chased the leaders and caught them, shaving two seconds off the time at 32.091, but a rail down placed her fifth. Dorothy Grubb went next and had the fastest time, 32.050, riding Ria 56 for owner Kinloch Enterprises, but had the unfortunate last rail down and ended up fourth.
Goutal returned on Marga and snatched the lead back with her clear trip in 33.859. Phillips had one more shot at the win, but started off her second mount Rastella owned by Halifax Farm, with the first fence down and clocked in at 34.627, which placed her sixth.
Goutal racked up $4,300 in prize money. She won with Marga earning $3,000; placed third with Onira for a $1,000 paycheck; and also took the 11th place slot aboard Mon Gamin for Cloverleaf Farm, pocketing $300.

For full results of today's classes, visit www.stadiumjumping.com

NEXT SHOW: February 11 - 15, Kilkenny/ICH Internationale CSI***

2004 WINTER EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL TICKET INFORMATION
Show days for the 2004 Winter Equestrian Festival are Wednesday through Sunday. Gates open at 8:00 am. Ticket Prices: Wednesdays are free to everyone; Children 12 and under are admitted free every day; Young Adults 13 to 18 and Seniors are $5 on Thursday through Sunday; Adults are $5 on Thursday and Friday, $10 on Saturday, and $15 on Sunday. The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club is located on Pierson Road off South Shore Boulevard. For additional information, visit www.stadiumjumping.com or call 561-793-5867.

2004 WEF SCHEDULE OF COMPETITIONS
February 11 - 15 Kilkenny/ICH Internationale CSI***
February 18 - 22 Florida Classic/WCHR Spectacular CSI-W/Y CSI-Ch
February 19 - 22 Zada Enterprises, LLC Florida Dressage Classic
February 25 - 29 PDP Capital Wellington Masters CSI***
March 3 - 7 CN Wellington Open CSI-W
March 10 - 14 CSIO United States Cosequin Finale CSIO***
March 18 - 21 Zada Enterprises WEF Dressage Classic CDI***/Y
(Qualifier for Olympic Selection Trials)
March 24 - 28 Tampa Bay Classic CSI-W (Bob Thomas Equestrian Center)
March 30 - April 3 Tournament of Champions CSI-W (Bob Thomas Equestrian Center)
April 3 Budweiser American Invitational (Raymond James Stadium)

WEF 2004 MILLION DOLLAR GRAND PRIX SERIES
February 15 $50,000 Kilkenny/ICH Internationale Cup, CSI***
February 22 $60,000 Idle Dice Classic, presented by Palm Beach Post, CSI-W
February 29 $75,000 PDP Capital Masters Cup, CSI***
March 7 $75,000 CN Wellington Open presented by Estates of Wellington Green, CDI-W
March 12 $50,000 Samsung Nations' Cup, presented by CN, CSIO****
March 14 $100,000 Cosequin U.S. Open Jumper Championship, CSIO****
March 28 $75,000 Grand Prix of Tampa, presented by Kilkenny/ICH, CSI-W
April 3 $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, presented by The Tampa Tribune

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