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Articles: Press Release
Ian Millar Makes It Two In A Row in $35,000 WEF/PBIEC Cup
Canadian Veteran Scores Second Consecutive Grand Prix Victory
PHOTO CREDIT: Ian Millar and Redefin won the $35,000 WEF/PBIEC Inaugural
Cup on January 28, 2007, in Wellington, FL. Photo by PMG Pictures/Peter
Llewellyn.
Contact:
Jennifer Ward of
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Wellington, FL - January 28, 2007 - Hot off their win in Thursday's
$25,000 WEF Challenge Cup I, Canada's Ian Millar and Redefin returned to
the winner's circle on Sunday, January 28, after taking victory in the
$35,000 WEF/PBIEC Cup.
A total of 53 riders lined up to attempt the track set by Luc Musette of
Belgium. While the course designer was limited to building fences set
at a maximum height of 1.45m, he challenged the horses and riders in two
combinations, fence five which featured a triple combination of
oxer-vertical-oxer, and the final obstacle at fence 13, which was a
double. While many riders faulted in these two combinations, fences
fell throughout the course. Even still, 19 riders were able to post a
clear round and book their ticket to the jump-off.
Young Puerto Rican rider Francis Tresroig who trains in the U.S. with
Norman Dello Joio, was the pathfinder, just as he had been in the first
round. Despite the pressure of being the first to go, Tresroig posted
another clear round riding Ascertijo in a time of 47.055 seconds to move
into the early lead.
A few horses later, Tresroig watched his hopes for his first grand prix
win slip away as Olympic Champion Rodrigo Pessoa made easy work of the
course, despite having Oasis lose a shoe in the middle of the double
combination with two fences left to go. The Brazilian stopped the clock
in 44.24 seconds with the horse he began riding last May for owner
Double H Farm of Illinois.
The lead immediately changed hands as eight-time Canadian Olympian Ian
Millar, who celebrated his 60th birthday earlier in the month, proved
that he is only getting better with age. Although he had barely made
the time allowed in the first round to advance to the jump-off, time was
not an issue for Millar the second time around. Riding Redefin, Millar
was masterful in steering the nine-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood gelding
home in a time of 44.214 seconds to narrowly edge Pessoa out of top
spot.
Millar had to play the waiting game as there were still 12 horses to go.
The only serious challenge came from the final rider, Argentina's Pato
Muente, who went for broke with As Di Villazana. With the crowd
cheering him on, Muente cleared the final obstacle, but the clock told
the final tale, stopping at 44.603 seconds and assuring Millar of his
second victory of the week.
"I knew my time was beatable, but at this time of the day, the shadows
become a real factor and it is harder to jump clear," said Millar, who
collected the winner's check of $10,500 for Redefin's owner, Susan
Grange and Lothlorien Farm. "Redefin was acquired by Susan Grange at
the end of his six-year-old year, and I starting riding him right away.
He first came to Wellington as a seven-year-old, and we have slowly been
building him up for the past two seasons. He is one of the most
naturally talented horses I have ever worked with, and now we are
teaching him the skills to jump the big grand prix classes."
Redefin learned his lessons well, carrying Millar to two Grand Prix
victories in the same week - a first for Millar at the Winter Equestrian
Festival. As for Pessoa, he was full of praise for Oasis, the
11-year-old bay gelding ridden last year at the Winter Equestrian
Festival by McLain Ward.
"I thought that my horse jumped magnificently," said Pessoa, who was
World Champion in 1998 and is the only rider to ever win three
consecutive World Cup Finals. "It is always difficult to go in the
middle of the jump-off when you have so many riders still coming behind
you. I am getting to know this horse pretty well, and so I was
confident. Overall, I was thrilled with his performance."
With the fastest four fault round in the jump-off, Canadian Eric Lamaze
took fifth place with Why Not for owner Eddie Creed while Ireland's
Darragh Kerins brought another ribbon back to Double H Farm by finishing
sixth with the handsome Belgian-bred stallion, Orlando.
Show jumping action continues next week in Wellington, Florida, with the
CSI2* Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic from January 31 to February
4.
Rank Num Horse Name NAT R1 Faults R1 Time J/O Faults J/O Time
Results of Class 100 $35,000 WEF/PBIEC INAUGURAL CUP - WEF/PBIEC
Inaugural
January 28, 2007 -Internationale Arena
1 1654 REDEFIN IAN MILLAR 0.00 77.995 0.00 44.214
SUSAN GRANGE
2 3145 OASIS RODRIGO PESSOA 0.00 73.711 0.00 44.240
DOUBLE H FARM
3 2170 AS DI VILLAZANA PATO MUENTE 0.00 74.395 0.00 44.603
SAN JOSE STABLES
4 399 ACERTIJO FRANCIS TRES ROIG 0.00 77.295 0.00 47.055
J ADALBERTO ROIG JR
5 1243 WHY NOT ERIC LAMAZE 0.00 76.213 4.00 42.718
DON EDDIE FARM
6 500 ORLANDO DARRAGH KERINS 0.00 77.975 4.00 44.997
DOUBLE H FARM
7 601 POLYGRAAF WILLIAM LOWRY 0.00 76.633 4.00 50.367
WINSOR FARM SALES
8 1711 UP CHIQUI KENT FARRINGTON 0.00 74.036 8.00 42.095
JAVIER SALVADOR
9 1516 AVAILABLE LEVANTOS MARIO DESLAURIERS 0.00 74.184 8.00 42.919
AVAILABLE JPRS.COM
10 1729 OKIDO CODY AUER 0.00 72.585 8.00 44.402
CODY AUER
11 491 NADIA GEORGINA BLOOMBERG 0.00 71.356 8.00 44.561
GOTHAM ENTERPRIZES
12 1017 LORENA 90 FEDERICO SZTYRLE 0.00 73.440 8.00 44.962
CHRISTIAN WOLFFER
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