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

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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: