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Articles: Press Release
Show Jumper McLain Ward Stands at Fifth Place as the Lead American Rider
after Day Two of the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup
Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2007
(Las Vegas, NV) - The show jumpers returned to the Thomas and Mack
Center in Las Vegas on Friday evening for the second round of the Rolex
FEI World Cup Jumping Final, and it was a blistering jump-off
performance by American ex-patriot Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum aboard
Shutterfly that left the crowd cheering. In 29.38 seconds, the pair
scorched the six-obstacle round ahead of eight others to end the night,
leaving all of the efforts in tact.
The rider sat in eighth place after Friday night's round, which was a
personal disappointment she admitted. As for the Friday night round, she
acknowledged the hard turns presented and challenges built-in to the 17
efforts presented them.
"I was extremely lucky, as I well know," said Michaels-Beerbaum. "And
luck is so a part of this game." In the jump-off, she said that she did
not see the other seven riders attempt it, but admitted that it did go
well for her. In the longest stride of the jump-off, Shutterfly, the
horse upon which she won the 2005 World Cup contest in this same arena
in Las Vegas, showed "great class." The winning point of her lightening
fast round came when she turned back to the next-to-last jump. "I had a
very, very forward stride and extremely long distance where Shutterfly
showed his class and his trust for me leaving it at that distance." She
also said that the night's first course was not an optimum for her
horse, as its tight turns were a challenge for her forward jumping
mount.
In tonight's class, those riders with clear rounds (under the allotted
time) were brought back for a jump-off. Two Americans made the cut.
Margie Engle and Hidden Creek's Quervo Gold put in a 32.70 time after
going clean and clear in the initial round. Teammate Schuyler Riley and
the night's oldest horse, 17-year-old Ilian, also went clean and clear
earlier in the evening and put down a time of 33.24 in their jump-off
round. Both riders incurred eight faults in the jump-off. Thirty-seven
horse-and-rider combinations re-entered the ring with two being
eliminated - Poland's Lukasz Jonczyk and Ritus who crashed through a
fence and left the rider in the dust, and American rider Rich Fellers.
Fellers, aboard Gyro, went off course after dropping the second and
third fences in the triple combination only to lose their way and go
off-course. In stead of heading to the oxer at Fence 9, the pair steered
to the Rolex planks at Fence 12.
New York's McLain Ward, aboard his Sapphire, were the leaders coming
into the round, but downed a rail to take on four faults in a time of
73.99 on the 79 second allowed course. On Friday night, the pair put in
a lightening round, one filled with several tight inside turns they
chose to conquer. After tonight, Ward sat in two-way tie for fifth place
going into Sunday's final two rounds.
Taking the second spot for the Americans in Las Vegas is Schuyler Riley
and Ilian, boosted by their jump-off performance. The pair sits at a
three-way tie for ninth place. In their first round of the night, the
pair went clean and clear in a time of 76.13 seconds. Teammate and
fellow jump-off rider, Engle, is a spot back at 12th place. The pair's
first round time was 74.49 seconds.
Two other American riders sit in the top 20 - newlywed Molly Ashe Cawley
(aboard Kroon Gravin) and Lauren Hough (aboard Casadora) sit at 13th and
15th places respectively. Ashe Cawley downed one rail in the first round
to take on four faults, whereas Hough took on eight faults.
The four remaining pairs in the U.S. contingent were seated overall as
follows: Christine McCrea and Promised Land are in a two-way tie for
22nd (eight faults, 73.56 seconds); Kate Levy aboard Vent du Nord and
teammate Mandy Porter aboard Summer (12 faults, 74.18 seconds) are tied
in 24th place; Richard Spooner and Cristallo (four faults, 72.45
seconds) are in a tie for 27th place; and Jill Humphrey aboard Kaskaya
(16 faults, 72.71 seconds) are in 29th place.
World Cup show jumping takes a break on Saturday in anticipation of
Sunday's final two rounds that will determine the ultimate winner.
Rolex FEI World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle B Final
Four riders participated in the B Final held on Friday afternoon. It was
a chance for those who did not make the top 12 to show the crowds their
freestyle. The four riders represented Great Britain, Portugal and Great
Britain, which had two riders. Portugal's Daniel Pinto and Galopin de la
Font, a Lusitano, received a warm welcome from the crowd and marched
through the ring like a proud bullfighter to the fitting music. In the
end, they were the winners of the day's event.
"I was very touched by the reaction of the crowd," said Pinto in a
post-ride press conference. Pinto chose music that evoked the feeling of
a bullfight, and the crowd was evidently pleased and moved by the
selection.
Saturday evening will bring the close to dressage competition at the
2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in dressage with the exciting and
crow-pleasing musical freestyle, or Kur, as it is also known. Earlier in
the day, the show jumpers will return for Las Vegas World Cup Grand Prix
that will whittle down the number of riders returning for the big show -
Sunday's FEI World Cup Jumping Final and the crowning of a new World Cup
title holder.
For complete results of today's competitions, go to the USEF homepage -
www.usef.org - and click on the Rolex FEI World
Cup Finals section in the center of the homepage.
The Animal Planet television network will televise a special 90-minute
broadcast of the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup Finals on Saturday, May 12,
beginning at 9:00 p.m. (EDT). The telecast will include the Finals in
both jumping and dressage.
Brian Sosby
ENDS
For more information, please contact Maria Partlow, USEF Senior Vice
President of Marketing/Communications at (859) 225-6941 or
mpartlow@usef.org.
END
As the National Governing Body (NGB) of Equestrian Sport, the United
States Equestrian Federation(r), Inc. (USEF) is the regulatory body for
28 breeds and disciplines, including our country's international teams
competing in the disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing,
para-equestrian, reining, show jumping and vaulting. With over 87,000
members, it is the country's largest multi-breed organization and
annually license more than 2,800 competitions nationwide. The USEF
governs all aspects of competition, including education and licensing of
all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate shows.
Vision Statement: The vision of United States Equestrian Federation(r)
is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of
America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the
Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the
welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best
national equestrian federation in the world.
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