Wellington, FL - January 27, 2006 - One hundred competitors turned out for the first of nine events in the Acorn Hill 1.40m Speed Challenge Series offered each week at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Because of the massive turnout, the class was divided into two sections. Holland's Gabrielle Coumans on Okido topped section one, while Darragh Kerins led the victory gallop in the second section. Laura Chapot finished second in both sections.

The Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, a North American League (NAL) event, was scored under Table II, Sec 2.1, Time First Round. The courses in the Internationale Arena this week are designed by Canadian Michel Vaillancourt.

Chris Pratt of Canada, one of fifty-one starters in Section A, took the early lead. Riding Susan Grange's Mustique, Pratt cruised home without faults in 68.502 seconds. He would be one of twelve competitors to finish without faults.

That lead held for seventeen horses until Jeffery Welles and Armani, owned by Kimmel Yeager Equine and Triton Ventures, took over the top spot, shaving 1/10th of a second off of Pratt's time. Welles clocked in at 68.400 seconds.

Welles enjoyed the view from the top of the leader board for eight horses. Laura Chapot, on her first of two mounts, knocked Welles from the lead when she blazed across the finish line in 67.896 seconds on Three Coins, owned by Windsome Farm, Ltd.

Chapot was then bumped to second place four horses later by Olympic Gold Medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. Pessoa, on Roadrunner owned by the Kinloch Enterprises, sliced a full two seconds off of Chapot's top time, tripping the timers in 65.816 seconds.

Then just six horses later, Chapot had a chance to return the favor, as she reclaimed the lead on the Sundance Group's Samantha. Chapot squeaked by Pessoa by just a fraction of a second, slipping across the finish line in 65.625 seconds.

Chapot had barely caught her breath when she was relegated to second place by class winner Gabrielle Coumans of Holland. On Cody Auer's Okido, Coumans broke the 65 second barrier for the win, coming home in a blazing time of 64.904 seconds.

Coumans is a business partner of yesterday's WEF Challenge Cup winner Leslie Howard and commented on his win following the class. "The one I won on today, I've had since he was four years old. I brought him along until he was ready for the grand prix level in Europe and then sold him to Cody Auer," he said. "They asked me to come and take a ride on him here."

For Coumans, it was a rare show ring appearance in the United States. "I'm here in Florida usually one week every year, but I don't show here often," he detailed. "I show a lot in Europe, but in the twenty years I've been coming here to Wellington, this is maybe my fifth time in the show ring."

Asked if he had a chance to see Chapot's ride, he said, "No, but I wouldn't have changed my ride regardless. I know my horse. He's naturally fast, so the decision is mine. Am I going to try with him or am I not going to try with him? And if I try, I know I have a good shot at winning because he's so fast and so game," Coumans stated. "I had no clue how fast I had to be. I really didn't want to know because I wanted to do the right thing for the horse. So, I did what I wanted to do. I accomplished my mission with the horse and at the same time won the class, so it was a double bonus," he laughed. "I go home on Monday and will be back the first week in February, but I've done all the showing I'll be doing."

Results of Class 1005A Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, 1.40m, II.1 - Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic CSI**_Internationale Arena - 1-27-06

2 2708 LAURA CHAPOT SAMANTHA -0/65.625 SUNDANCE GROUP

3 1070 RODRIGO PESSOA ROADRUNNER -0/65.816 KINLOCH ENT.

4 2709 LAURA CHAPOT THREE COINS -0/67.896 WINDSOME FARM LTD

5 982 JEFFERY WELLES ARMANI -0/68.400 KIMMEL YAGER EQUIN

6 819 CHRIS PRATT MUSTIQUE -0/68.502 SUSAN GRANGE

7 1529 LAURA KRAUT CEDRIC -0/70.865 K & H ENTERPRISES

8 950 ELIZA SHUFORD LARENTINO -0/72.644 LARENTINO GROUP

9 1445 CAITLYN SHIELS MEMPHIS -0/74.514 CAITLYN SHIELS

10 2554 JAIME GUERRA QUINCY B -0/74.618 ATHLONE PARTNERS

11 2779 JIMMY TORANO OSELLI -0/78.941 JIMMY TORANO

12 867 GEORGINA BLOOMBERG LANCELOT -0/80.597 GOTHAM ENTERPRIZES

In Section B, there were forty-nine starters with thirteen producing fault free performances over a different Michel Vaillancourt designed track.

Nocturnal, owned by Pin Oak Farm with Laura Kraut in the irons, took the early lead, coming home clear in 72.678 seconds.

Kraut lost the lead a dozen horses later to Laurie Bucci of Canada. Bucci, riding Scatman for Tjeert Rijkens and South Shore Stables, clipped Kraut's time by 2/10ths of a second to take over the lead in 72.655 seconds.

Six horses later, it was Kraut regaining the lead with Tiffany Ls La Silla, owned by Club Hipico Lasilla. Kraut crossed the finish line in 71.866 seconds. That lead held up for eighteen trips.

Rodrigo Pessoa entered the skirmish next with his own mount, Harry Potter. The duo stormed to the lead by 9/10ths of a second, posting a new top time of 70.869 seconds.

Pessoa's lead held through twelve competitors. It was then time for one of the fastest and winningest speed horses in the history of the Winter Equestrian Festival, Sprite and owner rider Laura Chapot. Chapot did not disappoint the gathered crowd, as she flat out flew around the course, leaving out strides everywhere. Chapot crossed the finish line in an incredible 66.583 seconds, a full 4.28 seconds faster than Pessoa.

Chapot, bumped to second place in the first section, would suffer the same fate again in Section B, as Darragh Kerins and Far West, owned by Heather Caristo and Neil and Debra Rego, managed to top her time. Kerins broke the beams in an amazing 66.556 seconds to edge Chapot by just 2/100ths of a second.

Did Kerins get a chance to see Sprite go just before his round? "No I didn't," he admitted, following his dramatic win. "But, I went on my first horse Nabucco and went around in 69 and change (with four faults), and I thought that was pretty fast. When I was warming up Far West, I heard them announce that Laura had gone around in 66, so I thought it was going to be impossible."

"Everything just came right. He jumped the first fence well, and then I just let go of the reins the whole way around and just got lucky," Kerins detailed. "Everything just came up spot on for him. He jumped his heart out. He's the only horse I've got that can be competitive with Sprite and Laura Chapot," he added.

"I love this horse," smiled Kerins. "I've won more classes on this horse than any horse I've ever ridden. He's just great."

Did he hear the crowd cheering him home? "It was great support up in the balcony!" he laughed. "All the Caristo family was up there cheering for me. I loved it."

Results of Class 1005B Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, 1.40m II.1 Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic CSI** Internationale Arena -1-27-06

2 2703 LAURA CHAPOT SPRITE -0/66.583 LAURA CHAPOT

3 817 CHRIS PRATT RIVENDELL -0/70.205 SUSAN GRANGE

4 2634 RODRIGO PESSOA HARRY POTTER -0/70.896 RODRIGO PESSOA

5 2254 CANDICE KING CALISKAN -0/70.938

6 1513 LAURA KRAUT PANIC 0/70.953 PANIC PARTNERSHIP

7 1514 LAURA KRAUT TIFFANY LS LA SILLA -0/71.866 CLUB HIPICO LASILLA

8 2861 LAURIE BUCCI SCATMAN -0/72.655 TJEERT RIJKENS

9 1531 LAURA KRAUT NOCTURNAL -0/72.678 PIN OAK FARM

10 1874 LAUREN BASS NALEIDA -0/73.120 MAYPINE FARM

11 1698 LAURA KRAUT ELTONN -0/73.186 TRACEY L. TOPPING

12 2844 KEEAN WHITE VIENNA ROUGE -0/73.522 ANGELSTONE FARMS

The North American League (NAL) runs season-long series in six hunter-jumper divisions - Children's Hunter, Children's Jumper, Adult Hunter, Adult Jumper, Pony Jumper and Open Jumper Speed. Each series culminates with a championship final at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA in October. Riders need not be members of the NAL to compete in any qualifying classes, but only current members earn points toward year-end finals. For more information, a list of qualifying competitions and results, please see the Ryegate Show Services website at www.Ryegate.com.