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Articles: Press Release
Laura Chapot Scores Touchdown in $50,000 Nutrena XTN Grand Prix of Palm
Beach
Little Big Man Tackles Four-Horse Jump-Off Field at CSI2* Wellington
PHOTO CREDIT: Laura Chapot guided Little Big Man to victory in the
$50,000 Nutrena XTN Grand Prix of Palm Beach on February 4, 2007, in
Wellington, FL. Photo by (c) 2007 Randi Muster.
Contact:
Jennifer Ward of
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Wellington, FL - February 4, 2007 - While Super Bowl Sunday might have
been the most high profile sporting event in south Florida on February
4, there was lots of excitement earlier in the afternoon as the best
show jumping athletes in the world took to the field for the $50,000
Nutrena XTN Grand Prix of Palm Beach in Wellington, FL.
The second week of the Winter Equestrian Festival, the CSI2*
Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic, saw a total of 58 competitors
line up to attempt the challenging track devised by Canadian course
designer and 1976 Olympic Silver Medallist, Michel Vaillancourt.
Riding eighth in the order, Mario Deslauriers kept Canadian hopes for a
second consecutive Sunday victory alive by posting a clear round with
his Belgian-bred mare, Naomi. His faultless performance was immediately
duplicated by Laura Chapot and Little Big Man to ensure a jump-off.
Another 33 riders attempted to join Deslauriers and Chapot in the
tie-breaker, but it was not until Olympic Champion Rodrigo Pessoa of
Brazil took to the field that another clear round was posted. Lisa
Silverman also got the job done on Flubber Cocoy, giving the United
States two chances at victory.
In the jump-off, Deslauriers, who still holds the record for being the
youngest World Cup Champion at the age of 19, set the early pace,
guiding Naomi home clear in a time of 43.95 seconds. Chapot and Little
Big Man then nipped around the course in a time of 43.21 seconds to
overtake the lead.
Pessoa's hopes for victory were diminished when Oasis lost a shoe over
the first fence. When another shoe went flying mid-way through the
course, Pessoa was lucky to come home safely in a time of 43.44 seconds
to move into second.
A dropped rail for Silverman told the final story, giving the win to
Chapot and Little Big Man, her 13-year-old chestnut thoroughbred
gelding.
"He was really good, he jumped fantastic," smiled Chapot, who will take
$15,000 in prize money back to her hometown of Neshanic Station, NJ.
"He is a smart, clever horse that tries his heart out. I've had him
since he was four so we've grown up together and he knows my style."
A discouraged Pessoa had to settle for second place, just as he had one
week earlier, with Oasis, an 11-year-old bay gelding owned by Hunter
Harrison of Double H Farm.
"He lost shoes, again!" said Pessoa, shaking his head. "It would have
been okay if we'd had one shoe, but I had to be careful to bring my
horse home without any shoes in front. We are going to have to study
the problem. It only seems to happen when he is going faster; he is
grabbing and pulling off shoes. Oasis is going to have a week off, and
hopefully we can figure out what is the problem."
As for the technical course, neither Chapot nor Pessoa were surprised to
learn that the second or 'b' element of a dastardly triple combination
turned out to be the most problematic obstacle of the day, coming down a
total of 21 times.
"To have an oxer to an oxer in one stride is a scope test, and it was
difficult for both our horses because they are small, but both of our
horses have very big hearts," said Pessoa of the oxer-oxer-vertical
triple combination, which was set away from the in-gate in front of a
busy VIP tent.
While Deslauriers took third and Silverman placed fourth, Irish
competitor Darragh Kerins placed fifth after having a heart-breaking
time fault in the first round with the impressive Belgian-bred stallion,
Orlando. Katherine Miracle suffered the same fate with Couletto K.
James when she left all the poles in their place but exceeded the time
allowed of 84 seconds to place sixth.
Show jumping action continues at the Winter Equestrian Festival with the
CSI3* Palm Beach Equine Clinic/Adequan Gold Coast Classic from February
7-11. Dressage also joins the line-up of equestrian sport at the Palm
Beach Polo Equestrian Club with the Cosequin Wellington Dressage
competition from February 8-11.
Official Results: $50,000 Farr XTN Grand Prix Of Palm Beach, FEI Art
238.2.2, Internationale Arena - February 4, 2007
1. Little Big Man, Laura Chapot, Laura Chapot 0/0/43.21
2. Oasis, Rodrigo Pessoa, Double H Farm 0/0/43.44
3. Naomi, Mario Deslauriers, Mario Deslauriers 0/0/43.95
4. Flubber Cocoy, Lisa Silverman, Lisa Silverman 0/4/44.65
5. Orlando, Darragh Kerins, Double H Farm 1/84.99
6. Couletto K. James, Katherine Miracle, Overlook Farm 1/86.90
7. Onira, Brianne Goutal, Cloverleaf Farm 4/78.41
8. True Love, Sarah Segal, Robert Segal 4/79.02
9. As Di Villagana, Pato Muente, San Jose Stables/Pato Muente 4/79.21
10. Ostara, Aimee Aron, Kinloch Ent. 4/80.45
11. Nadia, Georgina Bloomberg, Gotham Enterprizes 4/80.92
12. Up Chiqui, Kent Farrington, Alex Boone 4/81.16
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