WELLINGTON, FL - March 11, 2004 - Beezie Madden, 40, of Cazenovia, New York, topped a class of 24 veterans of Nations' Cup competitions to win the 2nd Annual $25,000 Wellington Equus Medal on Monday, March 8, 2004, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. The two-round night class was held under the lights in the Internationale Arena as a benefit for the Wellington Equestrian Alliance. Only riders who had represented their country in a Nations' Cup were eligible to compete. "It's judged on the style of the rider and the performance that night," explained Madden. "It was fun. I had a great horse both rounds." Madden's mounts were borrowed from Frank and Stacia Madden's Beacon Hill, and their young 'staff' attired in the stable's navy blue T-shirts were Beezie's ground crew. "All the kids helped. We held a practice session in the afternoon and they helped us get ready for tonight," said Madden. "We all just had fun with it. It was a great night."

Demonstrating their equitation skills over a First Round course designed by Philip De Vita, riders jumped a course of 13 fences, the tallest being 3' 6", and were required to hand gallop to the final fence. Officiating were Norman Dello Joio, Ellen Lordi and Leo Conroy who individually scored the rider's performance over each fence and then averaged the marks for a total score. Madden received the highest score, 92.00, for her trip. "The hardest part was the middle line - fences 6, 7, 8," said Madden, who rode Whimsey owned by Maria Schaub. "It was quite a forward four (stride) distance between the two oxers and then you had a very steady five to the next fence, so you had to switch gears pretty good down that line." Madden also noted that the liverpools caused problems for some of the horses. "It's particularly difficult at night because the lights reflect off of them. Horses that aren't spooky about liverpools can surprise you at night under the lights because the light glares up into their eyes off the water."

The judges selected their top six riders from the First Round to return for a Second Round. Going in reverse order were Shane Carey of Ireland (85.50); Kim Frey of Hume, VA (86.50); Molly Ashe of Wellington, FL (88.75); Eric Navet of France (89.75); Hap Hansen of Encinitas, CA (90.50); and Madden (92.00). The riders were asked to bring a groom with them, as they switched horses and changed tack (places one and two, three and four, and five and six switched). The Second Round challenged the riders' skills with nine fences, plus a trot jump followed by a counter canter to the last fence.

Numerical scores were not given for the Second Round, but the judges' commentary and assessments produced the final placements. Beezie Madden, aboard Cino (whose regular rider is Sloane Cole) maintained her first place slot for the victory earning $7,500. Molly Ashe moved up from fourth to second place, taking home $5,500. Shane Carey shot up from sixth to finish third, pocketing $3,500. Hap Hansen dropped from second to fourth, which paid $2,000. Kim Frey remained in fifth place, also receiving $2,000. Eric Navet dropped from third to sixth, giving him $1,500. The class paid to eighth place, and Schuyler Riley of Hobe Sound, FL, along with Patty Stovel of Wellington, FL, each earned $1,500.

Madden pointed out the difficulties of the work-off. "Mostly the trot jump and the counter canter because it was different. Most of our equitation horses practice it a lot, but again you have the added atmosphere of the lights and the crowd, so when they're a little excited it's harder to trot the jump." Madden rode in equitation finals the last two of her junior years but noted that her best placing was eighth in the Medal Maclay, though she won many USET classes during that era. And while Madden had practiced for the class on Whimsey, she'd never been on Cino before tonight. "It's a difficulty for sure, but I've ridden a lot of different horses in my career, so it helps."

While Hap Hansen dropped from second to fourth in the work-off, he was still pleased with the night's outcome. He flew in from California just for the class and was headed for the airport in the morning. "I came last year and the horse I got to ride was a little spooky. I only got as far as fence three," explained Hansen. He had a pre-paid ticket to Florida, and decided to use it to come back and try again. Was he looking to redeem himself? "Yes!" he grinned, acknowledging that he did well in the class this time. "Yes, it was great fun."

Molly Ashe, who benefited from the work-off, jumping from fourth to a second place finish, said she practiced for the class on her first horse, Renzo, loaned to her by the Fairfield County Hunt Club, but had never ridden her second mount, Super Cruise, from Beacon Hill. "He felt a little bit disconnected for me, just getting on, cantering straight to the jumps, and not getting a chance to know him at all. But he was such a good guy. He's got a huge stride and huge jump," said Ashe. "The fact that he was so slick about the counter canter to the last jump was probably what helped me out."

Ashe noted that she had an extensive background as a junior in the equitation division. "My last four junior years I was pretty serious about it." The last two years as a junior Ashe moved from her home in Tennessee to Beacon Hill in New Jersey. She trained with Bill Cooney. Her highest placing in the USET Finals was second in 1988, a year when she also earned fifth in the Maclay and fourth in the Medal Finals. "It's dusting off the cobwebs," Ashe noted about tonight's Equus Medal. "Believe it or not, it's very different from what we do day in and day out - to go in there and jump a course like that and think about your position. It's something from way back in our past." Most inspiring about tonight's class for Ashe was the fun she had in a role-reversal situation with her client, Jane Clarke, who helped her prepare for two weeks. "We had some really good laughs. It's good fun," said Ashe. And how did she feel about her second place finish? "Great. Thrilled! I was hoping to do well."

The $25,000 Wellington Equus Medal class was created by Mason Phelps, Jr. as a fundraiser for the Wellington Equestrian Alliance, an organization established by principals within the equestrian community to protect the equestrian preserve in Wellington. An effective lobbying group, the Wellington Equestrian Alliance tracks the political climate and decisions of town leaders as they relate to development.

2004 WINTER EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL TICKET INFORMATION

Show days for the 2004 Winter Equestrian Festival are Wednesday through Sunday. Gates open at 8:00 am. Ticket Prices: Wednesdays are free to everyone; Children 12 and under are admitted free every day; Young Adults 13 to 18 and Seniors are $5 on Thursday through Sunday; Adults are $5 on Thursday and Friday, $10 on Saturday, and $15 on Sunday. The Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club is located on Pierson Road off South Shore Boulevard. For additional information, visit www.stadiumjumping.com or call 561-793-5867.