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Articles: Press Release
Two Clear Rounds Give Engle the Edge for Tenth AGA Rider of the Year
Title
PHOTO CREDIT: Ten time AGA Rider of the Year Margie Engle and Hidden
Creek's Wapino winning the 2006 Cleveland Grand Prix in July. Photo by
Anne Gittins Photography
Contact:
Kenneth Kraus of Phelps Media Group, Inc.
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at info@phelpsmediagroup.com
Farrington Just Misses Rider Title but Guides Madison to AGA Horse of
the Year for Second Year in a Row
Wellington, FL - November 20, 2006 - For the first time in almost three
decades of history of the American Grand Prix Association Series of Show
Jumping, two top riders finished the season tied for 2006 AGA Rider of
the Year honors with equal points. Margie Engle, of Wellington, Florida,
and Kent Farrington of Greenwich, Connecticut, each finished the season
with 120 points and a tie atop the leader board for the coveted AGA
honors. The tiebreaker that secured Engle an unprecedented tenth Rider
of the Year title was the number of clean rounds produced over the
course of the season. Engle had thirteen clear performances, while
Farrington's perfect performances totaled eleven.
Just completing twenty eight years of continuing show jumping
excellence, the AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping is the world's
richest and longest running series of events. The AGA offers over $3
million dollars in prize money on a tour that encompasses thirty events
and twenty different equestrian market locations across the United
States.
"I was really surprised with this year's title," said Engle. "In past
years when I won I spent a lot of time campaigning on the AGA tour. This
year though, I was in Europe for a lot of the summer, so winning this
year came as a bit of a shock."
Engle notched only two wins on this year's AGA tour, but consistent top
six finishes throughout the season, and those all important clear rounds
added up to Rider of the Year honors once again. Engle led the victory
gallop early in the 2006 season, posting two clear rounds to win the
$75,000 Bainbridge Idle Dice Classic, CSI-W at the Winter Equestrian
Festival in February. Top finishes in the $75,000 Grand Prix of Tampa
CSI-W in March, and the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational in
April powered Engle into the top ten following the winter portion of the
tour. Top finishes in two more big money events, the $150,000 Grand Prix
of Charlotte, CSI 4* and the $100,000 Budweiser Upperville Jumper
Classic, CSI 3, highlighted Engle's spring campaign. In Engle's second
win of the season, at the $65,000 Merrill Lynch Cleveland Grand Prix,
she notched four clear rounds, winning that event for the fourth year in
a row. A second place finish at the $65,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of
Indianapolis, with two more clear rounds, secured her tenth Rider of the
Year title.
Farrington started the season at the top of the charts with a great
Florida tour. He won the $60,000 Kilkenny/ICH Internationale Cup, CSI-3,
finished sixth in the $150,000 Florida Open, Presented by Cosequin CSI
5*, and then won the $150,000 US Open Jumper Championship Presented by
CN CSIO 5*. During the summer, Farrington placed sixth in the $75,000
Budweiser Grand Prix of Devon and third in the $50,000 Sussex County
Grand Prix. He topped off his excellent 2006 season with a win in
$75,000 Fidelity Investments Jumper Classic, and two top finishes in the
$100,000 Wachovia Securities American Gold Cup CSI-W in Cleveland, and
$65,000 Budweiser Grand Prix de Penn National CSI-W at Harrisburg.
Three-time AGA Rider of the Year McLain Ward finished third this year,
just six points behind Engle and Farrington, and Chris Kappler was
fourth in the rider race, nineteen points of the pace.
For the second year in a row, Madison, owned by Alexa Weeks, is the AGA
Horse of the Year. Madison earned $103,930 to take this year's title.
Madison becomes the first horse in over twenty years to win back to back
AGA Horse of the Year titles. The last to accomplish the feat was Albany
and rider Leslie Burr Howard back in 1983 and 1984.
Rodrigo Pessoa rode Diego Parella Coutino's Baloubet du Rouet to second
place honors with a bankroll of $83,685. Pessoa won America's richest
show jumping event, the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational at
Tampa Stadium in April of 2005.
Glasgow, the 2004 AGA Horse of the Year, owned by the Glasgow Group,
finished third this year with $77,300.
In the 2006 AGA Rookie of the Year race, Colorado's Janet Hischer, with
a win in the $60,000 Grand Prix of Denver in July and a top twelve
finish in the Rocky Mountain Grand Prix, earned $14,000 and held on to
edge Brianne Goutal of New York, New York for this year's top honors.
Goutal had no AGA wins for the season but picked up top placings in the
$65,000 Budweiser Grand Prix de Penn National CSI-W, the $50,000 Sussex
County Grand Prix and the $75,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Lake Placid,
CSI 3*.
The 2006 American Grand Prix Association (AGA) National Championship
will be held this year at the Stadium Jumping Christmas Festival,
scheduled for December 15 - 17, 2006, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian
Club in Wellington, Florida. The AGA Championship is limited to invited
riders only. In addition to the invitation issued to the Defending
Champion, one invitation is issued to the 2006 AGA Rookie of the Year,
and one each to the top four riders in both the East and West Divisions
of the AGA standings. Twenty, or the balance of the remaining
invitations, go to riders who have not otherwise qualified based on
their placings from the Final Overall 2006 AGA Rider of the Year
Standings as of November 18, 2006.
FINAL AGA Rider of the Year Standings:
Standing
Rider
Total Clear Rounds
Total Points
1
Engle, Margie
13
120
Farrington, Kent
11
120
3
Ward, McLain
9
114
4
Kappler, Chris
8
101
5
Pessoa, Rodrigo
5
94
6
Kraut, Laura
7
90
7
Dello Joio, Norman
3
87
8
Chapot, Laura
8
75
9
McIntosh, Samantha
5
74
10
Madden, Beezie
8
64
11
Kursinski, Anne
5
50
12
Shuford, Eliza
4
45
13
Howard, Leslie
5
43
Prince, Kimberly
3
43
Vale, Aaron
6
43
16
Skelton, Nick
3
41
17
Welles, Jeffery
3
39
18
Raether, Cara
4
36
19
Porter, Mandy
1
35
Spooner, Richard
2
35
21
Deslauriers, Mario
4
34
McCrea, Christine
2
34
Prudent, Katie
2
34
24
Smith, Robert
2
32
25
Cudmore, Karen
4
31
26
Humphrey, Jill
2
30
Pearce, John
0
30
28
Guerra Piedra, Jaime
1
29
29
Lamaze, Eric
4
28
30
Minikus, Todd
5
27
31
Lamaze, Megan
3
25
32
Fargis, Joe
3
24
Fellers, Rich
3
24
34
Gatlin, Joie
3
22
Leone, Mark
4
22
36
Amaya, Max
2
21
37
Waters, Chuck
0
20
Watring, Mark
4
20
39
Hansen, Hap
2
19
40
Potter-Pessoa, Keri
3
18
Van Asten, Leopold
4
18
42
Hassey, Armando
1
15
Hischer, Janet
1
15
McNaught, Helen
1
15
45
Berkley, Ken
1
14
Calvert, Cathleen
1
14
Johnson, Paige
3
14
Millar, Ian
2
14
Nizri, Simon
1
14
50
Obligado, Guillermo
2
13
FINAL AGA Horse of the Year Standings:
Standing
Horse
Owner
Total Money
1
Madison
Alexa Weeks
$ 103,930
2
Baloubet Du Rouet
Diego Parella Coutino
$ 83,685
3
Glasgow
Glasgow Group
$ 77,300
4
VDL Oranta
M & K Oranta, LLC
$ 68,600
5
Loxley
Horst Jaeggle
$ 68,580
6
Hidden Creek's Wapino
Hidden Creek Farm, Inc.
$ 66,300
7
Little Big Man
Laura Chapot & Chado Farm, Inc.
$ 65,115
8
Panic
Abigail S. Wexner
$ 52,500
9
Goldika 559
McLain Ward
$ 43,250
10
Kaskaya
Leone Equestrians, Inc.
$ 42,500
11
Arko III
John & Lisa Hales
$ 38,000
12
Larentino
Eliza Shuford
$ 36,140
13
Armani
Kimmel, Yager EQ
$ 36,000
14
Artur 28
Millstream
$ 34,500
15
Summer
Wild Turkey Farm
$ 33,900
16
Capitano
Sir Ruly, Inc.
$ 32,800
17
Authentic
Abigail Wexner
$ 31,750
18
Archie Bunker
Forest View Farms
$ 30,000
Gerry Maguire
Brook Furlong Farm
$ 30,000
Humour Du Parc
Plain Bay Farm
$ 30,000
Vegas
Windsor Show Stables
$ 30,000
22
Sapphire*
McLain Ward
$ 28,665
23
Youp
S'Blieft Group
$ 27,450
24
Ocelot
Blair Cudmore
$ 26,800
25
Couletto K. James
Katherine Miracle & Overlook Farm
$ 26,720
26
Paradigm
Mario Deslauriers
$ 26,590
27
RMW Lorenz
Rocky Mountain Warmbloods
$ 26,000
28
Miss Independent
Pasmore Stables LLC
$ 24,700
29
Suncal's King
Canyon Capital, Inc
$ 24,000
30
LB Hotess De Rosieres
Cathleen Calvert
$ 23,900
31
Hickstead
Torrey Pines Stable
$ 23,780
32
McGuinness
Harry & Molly Chapman
$ 23,000
33
Roxana 112
Scott Hakim
$ 22,850
34
Hidden Creek's Perin
Hidden Creek Farm, Inc.
$ 22,300
35
Lorenzo
Market Street, Inc.
$ 22,000
36
Ollandaise
Stoney Hill Farm
$ 21,980
37
Cristallo
Show Jumping Syndication's Int'l
$ 21,000
Edgar 12
Mary B. Schwab & O.E.J.I. Farm
$ 21,000
Olinda
Houlihan Lawrence
$ 21,000
40
Hidden Creek's Oscar
Hidden Creek Farm, Inc.
$ 20,800
41
Church Road
S. Becker/B&B Saddlery
$ 18,300
42
Quiland De Kalvarie
Trelawny Farm
$ 17,500
43
VDL Maseratie
VDL Stud & Juan Pablo
$ 16,500
44
Rockford
Keri Potter Pessoa
$ 14,250
45
Carpe Diem
Rose Bergdale
$ 14,000
46
VDL Groep Fleche Rouge
Stoeterij Duyselshof
$ 13,965
47
La Roche
Armando Hassey
$ 13,800
48
Cataro Ask
Simon Nizri
$ 13,200
Marlou
Windmill Ranch, LLC
$ 13,200
50
Live Fire
C&S Syndicate
$ 13,000
FINAL AGA Rookie of the Year Standings:
Standing
Rider
Total Money
1
Hischer, Janet
$ 14,000
2
Goutal, Brianne
$ 10,100
3
Calderon, Romelia
$ 5,400
4
Phillips, Addison
$ 4,500
5
Rogge, Christian
$ 3,600
6
Dennehy, Charlie
$ 3,200
7
Moran, Meghan
$ 2,400
8
Bardis, Katherine
$ 2,000
Coluccio, Evan
$ 2,000
Jonsson, Alicia
$ 2,000
Steen Gundersen, Henrik
$ 2,000
12
Beal-Andros, Paige
$ 1,950
13
Johanson-Hofmann, Rebecca
$ 1,500
Jones, Chelsea
$ 1,500
15
Taylor, Jamie
$ 1,250
16
Van Dyke, Sandy
$ 1,200
17
Gibson, Devon P.
$ 1,000
Huesca, Hugo
$ 1,000
Kelly, Carolyn
$ 1,000
20
Sweetnam, Shane
$ 800
21
Anthony, Carly
$ 750
For more information write to: AMERICAN GRAND PRIX ASSOCIATION
1301 Sixth Ave West, Suite 406, Bradenton, FL 34205 941-744-5465 fax
941-744-0874 or visit the website at: www.stadiumjumping.com/aga
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