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Ward
and Howard Tie for Fourth in Show Jumping World Cup Final
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Gladstone,
NJ—May 6, 2002—McLain Ward of Brewster, NY and Leslie
Howard of Westport, CT tied for fourth place in the Show Jumping
World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany.
Ward and Howard finished behind the new World Cup champion Otto
Becker and runner-up Ludger Beerbaum, teammates on Germany’s
Gold Medal team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, plus the third-place
finisher, three-time World Cup champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil.
Ward, riding Viktor, a 12-year-old German Warmblood gelding owned
by Ward and Harry Gill, entered Sunday’s final round in second
place. He carried a score of two faults into the two-round final
after placing second in the opening speed class and sixth in Friday’s
jump-off class. His 12 faults in Sunday’s two rounds dropped
him to fourth.
Howard, riding Priobert de Kalvarie, owned by Higher Ground Farm,
entered Sunday’s final in 14th place. She rode the 10-year-old
Belgian gelding to the only double clear round of Sunday’s
Final to win that class and move into the fourth place tie with
her USET teammate.
Ray
Texel of Beverly Hills, CA and Fleur, owned by David Saperstein,
climbed from twenty-sixth place to thirteenth with only four faults
over the two rounds. USET Chef d’Equipe Frank Chapot said,
“Traditionally the American riders do better each day of
the World Cup competition as our horses get acclimatized to the
indoor venue.” This was certainly the case for Fleur who
was disappointing the first two days but amazing in her determination
to clear the massive oxers that course designer Frank Rothenberger
presented on the final day.
Sydney
Olympic veteran Lauren Hough of Ocala, FL and Windy City, owned
by Peppercorn, Ltd., had only four faults in the first round and
eight in the second to earn fourteenth spot overall.
Full
results are available at www.uset.org
The United States
Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains,
equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard
to represent our country in major international competition, including
the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this,
the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes
- riders, drivers and horses - and provides the support and guidance
they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more
information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit
USET ONLINE at www.uset.org
.
