Wellington, Florida—February 5, 2002—Chris Kappler of Pittstown, NJ won the $50,000 Bayer/USET Wellington Cup, presented by Fleet Financial during week two of the 2002 Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival. This was the first major victory for the 34-year-old Kappler aboard Royal Kaliber, a 10-year-old Dutch-bred stallion who finished second overall in last season’s American Grandprix Association (AGA) Horse of the Year standings. Royal Kaliber is owned by Kappler and Kathy Kamine.

“He’s been an amazing horse for me,” said Kappler. “He’s my kind of horse. He’s very big, very light and jumps with such ease. I knew when I sat on him the first time that he was perfectly suited for me.”

Only nine of 63 entries advanced to the jump-off, with 25 eliminated at the final element of the only triple combination on the 13-obstacle, 16-effort course designed by Guilherme Nogueira-Jorge of Brazil. Kappler raced through the eight-obstacle jump-off course in 47.57 seconds to earn the winner’s share, $15,000. Gabriella Salick of Thousand Oaks, CA, aboard Sandstone Pelota de Goma, finished second in 50.51 seconds. Marley Goodman of Palm Beach, FL, who went first in the jump-off on Appropos, finished third in 54.72 seconds.

The opening day of the Bayer/USET Gold Coast Classic was highlighted by a win by Alice Debany Clero of Paris, France, who took top honors in the $7,500 Cosequin 1.45m Time First Jump-Off, ll, 2.2(b). Debany Clero, on Crackerjack, finished with a clear round and the fastest time of 60.187 seconds, out-jumping the other 77 horse-and-rider combinations. Second place went to Aaron Vale of Rembert, SC on board Wanderlust, owned by Lisa Van Camp of Lakeview, NC. The pair stopped the timers just behind Debany Clero with a clear round and a time of 61.207 seconds. Just behind Vale was Canadian rider Eric Lamaze on Millcreek Raphael with a clear round in a time of 61.269 seconds, finishing in third place.

McLain Ward, of Brewster, NY cruised into the winner’s circle in the $25,000 Bayer/USET Challenge Cup. The 1998 AGA Rider of the Year and current leader for the 2001/2002 AGA Rider of the Year, bested 68 starters aboard the AGA Horse of the Year, Viktor, a 10 year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. The pair raced around the 13-obstacle course with a clear round and a finishing time of 70.36 seconds. Nora Garson of Lebanon, NJ on her 2000 Olympic mount Rhythmical, jumped clear and finished just behind Ward and Viktor in 70.64 seconds to take second place. Kappler, on Profox took third place in 71.83 seconds. Kappler also took fourth place, this time on his mount Rafiki, with no faults and a time of 71.94 seconds.

Jose Rega of Uruguay captured the AmeriChoice North American League (NAL) Open Speed Competition aboard the 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Simon, owned by Martinwoods Farm of Toronto, Canada. Rega bested a starting field of 109 horse-and-rider combinations by turning a clean ride in 55.991 seconds. Sydney Olympic veteran Laura Kraut of Oconomowoc, WI, winner of last year’s $100,000 Cosequin US Open Jumper Championship, finished less than one second behind Rega, finishing in 56.209 seconds. Jeff Cook took third place with a clear round and time of 57.037 seconds. Fourth place went to McLain Ward with a clean round and time of 57.358 seconds.

Germany’s Meredith Michaels Beerbaum captured the $10,000 Gold Coast 1.50m Classic with her Rhinelander mare, Perina. From a field of 49 starters, only 3 horse-and-rider combinations turned in double clear rounds. Beerbaum, who placed third in last year’s class, sailed into first place with the fastest time of 38.881 seconds, edging out Sydney Olympian Lauren Hough of Ocala, FL whose jump-off time was 39.937 seconds. Third place went to Wellington’s Norman Dello Joio with a time of 41.392 seconds.

The 2002 Cosequin Winter Equestrian Festival offers 3 million in total prizes during an eleven-week series, which runs in Wellington, FL (January 23-March 10) and Tampa, FL (March 13-March 31). The Festival hosts the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday evening, March 30. The series then returns to Wellington for the culminating event-the American Grandprix Association Championship - April 3-7.

Presented by Fleet Financial

Wellington, Florida – February 3, 2002
Course Designer: Guilherme Nogeira-Jorge (Brazil)

1. Royal Kaliber   Chris Kappler   Pittstown, NJ   0-0-47.57   $15,000

2. Sandstone Pelota de Goma   Gabriella Salick   Thousand Oaks, CA   0-0-50.51   11,000

3. Appropos   Marley Goodman   Palm Beach, FL   0-0-54.72   6,500

4. Viktor   McLain Ward   Brewster, NY   0-4   4,000

5. Hidden Creek’s Jones   Margie Engle   Wellington, FL   0-4   3,000

6. Rosina   Eric Lamaze   Ontario, Canada   0-8   2,500

7. Enchante   Claire Bronfman   Solebury, PA   0-8   2,000

8. Lancelot Z   Joe Fargis   Southampton, NY   0-12   1,500

9. Lagretto 5   Kate Levy   Katonah, NY   0-12   1,500

10. Aguila   Jimmy Torano   Ft. Lauderdale, FL   4   1,000

11. Laredo   Aaron Vale   Rembert, SC   4   1,000
12. Another Flood   Donald Cheska   Waukesha, WI   4   1,000