Charlotte, NC - April 10 - The third time was the charm for Kimberly Frey and Marlou today at the 2005 Charlotte Jumper Classic at the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Frey and her partner, Marlou, produced the only clear ride in the jump-off to nail down the top prize in the $150,000 Grand Prix of Charlotte, Sunday afternoon's featured event.

Thirty starters returned for the second round of competition, carrying with them the scores accumulated in Saturday night's first round. Scoring was under FEI Art. 273. 2.1 - 3.1 - 4.1 with two different rounds with one jump-off. Time from Saturday night's first round was the tiebreaker for all riders not advancing to the jump-off. Steve Stephens of Palmetto, Florida designed the two round challenge.

Ten riders came into Sunday's second round with no faults from the first round. Another ten riders returned with four, while eight riders accumulated eight faults in round one. Six returned with more than eight faults.

The battle for the top prize would be among only three of the top ten that returned with a clean slate. Six riders that came in clean saw their hopes dashed with a single rail in round two while one rider had two knockdowns for an eight fault two round total.

The three that survived to advance to the jump-off were McLain Ward and Double H Farm's Sapphire, Anthem, owned by the Summit Syndicate and piloted by Laura Kraut and Kim Frey aboard Marlou, owned by Windmill Ranch, LLC.

Ward returned first for the tiebreaker against the clock. Ward wanted to put the pressure on from the start. Following the first fence in the tiebreaker, Ward made an incredible cut to the second fence in the jump-off, leaving his mare, Sapphire, two strides in which to launch over a huge oxer. Her effort was astounding and had the large Sunday crowd gasping for breath. As Ward raced toward home, however, Sapphire caught a rail at the first element of an spread fence leading into the double combination. The duo finished with four faults and clocked in with a speedy time of 36.32 seconds.

Laura Kraut and Anthem, with an early rail in the jump off, elected to pull up at the halfway point of the jump-off, leaving the door open for Kimberly Frey and Marlou.

Frey elected for careful and clean and the plan just worked for her. She knew she could be slow, but, with a fairly snug time allowed she couldn't be too slow. With an apparent clock in her head Frey got under the wire just in the nick of time, tripping the timers in 44.89 seconds, three seconds over the time allowed. Her score of three time faults was good enough to secure the $45,000 first place check for the win.

"I was never going to run anyway," Frey admitted. "I still have almost two more weeks before the Budweiser World Cup in Las Vegas and this was really a push for her to jump three days in a row here in Charlotte," she detailed. "She's coming along fine, but I also have worked scheduled for her next week. So I never planned to go for it. In fact, I was considering not going in the jump-off at all, but Laura Kraut and Beezie Madden both said I should do it. I'm glad I did," laughed Frey.

Frey had a chance to watch Ward's incredible jump-off effort. "You know McLain really called on his horse at number two and there are very few horses in the world that could have jumped that jump and given that effort," she said. "But it got to her a little at the jump after that and she pulled the rail. But listen, he could have easily kicked our butts today."

"I didn't show this mare at all in Wellington this year, preparing for and waiting for the World Cup Finals. That's why I keyed on Charlotte," Frey explained. "The World Cup is in a ring very similar to this and I think that's where we go wrong here in America. We jump huge Olympic courses outdoors in Florida and then just two weeks at the indoors at Tampa. But then, we go to the smallest indoor arena at Las Vegas," Frey said. "Meanwhile the Europeans have been jumping indoors since last October. They're tuned, they're ready and at the same time our horses are still adjusting. I'm thrilled to be able to come here to Charlotte and get this indoor jumping under my belt."

Frey was asked if she preferred indoors for Marlou. "You know, she can win outdoors on the biggest field and she can win indoors, but, she was in an indoor frame of mind and I wanted to stick with that and that's what I did. There were times I wanted to tie my hands. It's nerve wracking. You don't know if you've done enough and it's tough waiting to compete again. But, after today, it appears maybe I did the right thing."

"This was my warm up for the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas so the most important thing for me was to be sure that I was riding smoothly," admitted Frey. "I have a wonderful horse, she always goes well. So, it's really all about me doing my part. She never fails me when I don't make a mistake."

Frey had a great review of the Charlotte Jumper Classic. "I love coming to Charlotte," said Frey. "The people are wonderful and Bob Johnson does a fantastic job for us. It's the nicest horse show of the year. The crowd is so enthusiastic; it's just great to have people come here and enjoy it as we enjoy it. I wouldn't miss this show for anything; it's a key stop on the tour and a great part of our year," she said. "Everything Bob Johnson does is first class and this show is just another example of that and a great reflection on him."

Results Class #4 $150,000 Grand Prix of Charlotte FEI Art 273. USEF International Standard-03-10-05 - Charlotte Coliseum

2 -SAPPHIRE-MCLAIN WARD-USA-0-0=0 -JO -4.00/36.32

3 -ANTHEM-LAURA KRAUT-USA-0-0=0 -JO -Ret

4 -Primeur 58-Chris Kappler-USA-0-4=4.00-58.79

5 -Marcel -Jimmy Torano-USA-4-0=4.00-60.13

6 -Mercure Du Chable-Maryline Vorpe-SUI-0-4=4.00- 60.68

7 -Mozart Des Hayettes-Gregory Wathelet -BEL-0-4=4.00-60.83

8 -Judgement-Beezie Madden-USA-0-4=4.00-62.14

9 -Gardenio-Todd Minikus-USA-4-0=4.00 -62.74

10 -Gibson-Danielle Torano-USA-4-0=4.00 -63.39

11 -Roxanne-Eric Flameng-BEL-4-0=4.00 -64.16

12 -Allison-Callan Solem -USA-0-4=4.00 -65.53

Twenty top Amateur riders took up the challenge today in the $25,000 RJL Development Amateur Owner Classic.

Scoring was under FEI Art. 238.2.2. Time First Jump-Off. Ten competitors negotiated the first round course without penalty to qualify for the timed jump-off. Of those ten, three went on to be double clear.

Cara Cheska and Modra, owned by Donald Cheska was the first clear in the jump-off, producing a time of 34.817 seconds. Cheska was the fifth competitor in the ring. Two horses later, Susdal, owned and shown by Katrina Woods entered the fray. Woods knocked 1.79 seconds off of Cheska's time to take over the lead. Wood's new leading time was 33.021 seconds.

Wood's stint at the top of the leader board lasted only until Alexa Weeks and Riane, the next duo in the ring, raced through the finish line. Weeks made a tight rollback cut work. It was a turn that had baffled many earlier in the jump-off. That cut and a speedy pace helped Weeks to victory as she broke the beams in 32.363 seconds, edging Woods by 0.65 seconds.

"The turn to the red oxer is where I got the luckiest in the jump-off. I just whipped her back to that fence and she's got so much heart that all I had to do was cluck a little and she popped right up and over it. Not many horses would have been able to do that because I saw no distance," laughed Weeks. "I really got lucky there."

"Leading up the class this week, I had pretty mediocre rounds and then last night Kent (Farrington) had a blip with my horse, Madison. So today Kent told me I had to win," said a smiling Weeks.

Results of Class #7 $25,000 Charlotte A/O Classic

2 - Katrina Woods - Susdal - . 0-0/33.021

3 - Cara Cheska - Modra - 0-0/34.817

4 - Sophie Coppedge - Anvia - 0-4/33.303

5 - Paige Johnson - Reddy Teddy - 0-4/33.858

6 - Mary Moricoli - Tulip - 0-0/34.431

7 - Katherine Miracle - Madonna -0-4/34.773

8 - Danielle Torano - Capitano - 0-4/34.963

9 - Cara Raether - Olympus - 0-7/44.876

10 - Robin Sweely - Coming Star - 0-8/33.363

11 - Derek Braun - Quik - 0-26/47.391

12 - Sarah Segal - True Love - 4.00-65.327

Only five juniors lined up for the $25,000 Presidio Partners Junior Jumper Classic on Sunday afternoon and a clean ride in the first round proved to be all that was necessary for the victory.

Aimee Aron on the Kinloch Enterprise's Jamaica toured the Steve Stephens designed course without penalty to notch the victory.

Results of Class 10 $25,000 Charlotte Junior Jumper Classic

1 - Aimee Aron - Jamaica - 0.00 / 67.700

2 - Cody Auer - Jolie Dame Du Marias - 4.00 / 67.690

3 - Carolyn Kelly - Blast - 7.00 / 74.456

4 - Alex Parrish - Cat's Charly - 8.00 / 66.472

5 - Nikko Ritter - Lorano - Elim.