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Wellington, FL - February 7, 2007 - Today marked the beginning of the third week of competition in the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club. Jumpers are the main focus of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic/Adequan Gold Coast Classic, CSI 3* presented by bluhammock music, held today through Sunday, February 11, 2007. In today's feature class, the $8,000 1.45m Jumper class, Markus Beerbaum (GER) and Constantin 24 beat a field of 21 competitors for the win.

Today's Time First Round course was designed by Aki Ylaenne of Finland. It featured obstacles such as two double combinations in a course that flowed around the entire field of the Internationale Arena. There were seven clear rounds in the class.

The first to move into the lead was Molly Ashe on Kroon Gravin, her veteran two-time American Invitational-winning partner. They picked up a quick pace and finished the course in 72.136 seconds, almost ten seconds below the time allowed.

Eleven trips later, Olympic gold medalist Leslie Howard rushed to the lead with Lennox Lewis 2, owned by Peter Howard. Howard was the first rider in the class to make an inside turn after the third fence by making a sharp slice across the jump. This put her squarely in the lead when she stopped the timers in 70.508 seconds. After the class, Beerbaum remarked, "I didn't see [Leslie] go, but I realized when she was walking the course that she was going to do it. I saw one or two other ones do it, but I thought it broke the rhythm too much."

Five trips after Howard, Beerbaum entered the ring on the big 13 year old Holsteiner, Constantin 24, who is by Contender. Beerbaum stepped on the gas early when he moved up to the second jump and left a stride out of the first line. "I didn't actually plan that, but I went in, and he was quite strong," Beerbaum admitted. "Then I saw the leave out so I just took it." He carried the pace through the rest of the course and finished in a winning time of 69.592 seconds.

While other riders would challenge with faster times, they would not have the clear rounds needed to win the blue ribbon and top prize money.

"I did not have to go that fast to win it. I wanted to prepare my horse for tomorrow for the big class. He was very good, and I think it was a good preparation," Beerbaum said of his plan.

Beerbaum did not go all out, but could trust his large horse to keep a fast pace. "I know he can turn inside. He's a big strided horse, but he's a fast horse. I can turn short; he's a very quick horse. It's nothing I need to practice," he explained. "If I want to do it tomorrow in a more important class, I can do it. Today, I wanted to open his stride up and just make it easier for him to get across the oxers."

Beerbaum had a great winter in Europe, where he won two World Cup qualifiers at London and Amsterdam on Leena, which has given him the green light to compete at the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas in April. "It's been quite a season, and a little bit unexpected too. I had that mare for a long, long time. She was a great second horse and now she stepped up and did the big World Cups and came home with two wins. She was always a winner as a second horse, but over 1.60m, she used to struggle. Now at age 15, she coming into her prime," he said.

Beerbaum and Constantin 24 will be one entry in the highly competitive WEF Challenge Cup Round III, which is the feature event in tomorrow's competition. The class kicks off at 1 p.m., and there will be more jumper action in four additional show rings.

Results of Class 1002 - 1.45m II, 1 - Palm Beach Equine Clinic / Adequan Gold Coast Jumper Classic -February 7,2007

1 3511 CONSTANTIN 24 MARKUS BEERBAUM 0.00 69.592 $2375 BERTRAM FIRESTONE

2 1720 LENNOX LEWIS 2 LESLIE HOWARD 0.00 70.508 $1350 PETER HOWARD

3 643 KROON GRAVIN MOLLY ASHE 0.00 72.136 $800 MOLLY ASHE

4 597 VICOMTE D MOLLY ASHE 0.00 73.358 $650 JANE F. CLARK

5 2109 HOT WHEELS DARRAGH KERINS 0.00 73.365 $550 MIRANDA FISCHER

6 715 HOUSTON CAITLYN SHIELS 0.00 77.601 $450 CAITLYN SHIELS

7 2477 NOTTINGHAM SCHUYLER RILEY 0.00 80.595 $400 SOUTH BEACH STABLE

8 595 LUTOPIA MOLLY ASHE 4.00 67.123 $350 JANE F. CLARK

9 71 INTEGRITY BEEZIE MADDEN 4.00 70.255 $300 ABIGAIL S. WEXNER

10 1433 JF CHARLIE JAYNE 4.00 71.264 $275 ERICA GARCIA

11 602 RIO CORDE WILLIAM LOWRY 4.00 73.877 $250 WINSOR FARM SALES

12 1947 KILLIGREWS ATTRACTION AIMEE ARON 4.00 74.803 $250 KINLOCH ENT.