Articles: Horse News
American Lauren Hough and Quick Study Fly to the Win in $150,000 Wellington
Realty Grand Prix to Close CSIO Wellington
Lauren Hough and Quick Study
SportFot
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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2011
By Joanie Morris
Wellington, FL - The $150,000 Wellington Realty Grand Prix came down to a
battle between 12 horse and rider combinations after 46 started over the
CSIO4*course in the International Ring at the Palm Beach International
Equestrian Center. Top horses and riders brought the eighth week of the FTI
Winter Equestrian Festival to a close - as the only CSIO in America
showcased some of the very best in the world.
When the dust settled over Steve Stephens' very challenging track, American
superstar Lauren Hough (Wellington, FL) came home with top honors after a
stylish and lightning fast jump-off round on Laura Mateo's Quick Study.
"There were a lot of difficulties in the triple combination (in the first
round)," said Hough about the final combination that claimed some of the
best of the field. "It was not super technical except for that last line. I
think he ended up with a good result."
Seasoned veterans, Hough and Quick Study ran down Great Britain's Nick
Skelton on Carlo 273 with a brave ride to the double combination. She made a
short turn and the distance came up beautifully, so the chance paid off and
Hough scored her first major victory of 2011.
"Nick's horse is very, very fast," said Hough. "I was able to see a little
bit on the video. The trick was obviously the double. I took a bit of a risk
there and it paid off."
Five-tenths of a second separated the first two placings and Canada's Amy
Millar rounded out the top three with Costa Rica Z to make the CSIO Grand
Prix a truly international affair.
"I'm pleased with my horse, he was great," said Skelton of Beverly
Widdowson's flashy grey 10-year-old. "I lost it going to the last, because I
had a really good shot but three strides out he jumped over the tractor
wheels, (where they dragged the ring) I lost a stride there."
Quick Study, a 12-year-old Dutch gelding tuned up with a win in the $31,000
WEF Challenge in Week 4, and is aiming for the $500,000 FTI Finale Grand
Prix at the end of March.
"He's had a really good season so far," said Hough. "He won the WEF
Challenge in his first week showing... he's in good form. He's 12 this year
and has a lot of mileage but he's my only one at the moment so I'm going to
pick and choose."
Hough's win finished off a stellar week for the U.S. Show Jumping Team,
after the U.S. Nations Cup team dominated on Friday night; Hough wasn't part
of that team but has represented the United States on dozens of Nations Cup
teams, the 2000 Olympic Team and the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games.
Chef d'Equipe George Morris led his team to a fantastic result and guided
his riders to confident performance all week.
"George pointed out where he thought I could be quick... he just gave me
some encouraging words," said Hough about talking to Morris before she went
in the ring for the jump-off. "He is very fast across the ground and he was
really on form today."
ENDS
Relive the whole competition at www.usefnetwork.com. Please contact Joanie
Morris at jmorris@usef.org.
The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide
leadership
for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the
pursuit
of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a
foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare
of its human and equine athletes.
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