Gamble Pays Off for Lauren Hough and Team AXA Wins Corporate Challenge

Syracuse, NY, November 4, 2005: Gambling paid off for Lauren Hough in the $15,000 CN Gambler’s Choice, Friday night’s first competition at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. Hough, on Ottaline, was the second-to-last to go in a field of 22 riders in the crowd-pleasing event in which riders, and sometimes their horses as well, compete in costume.

The Gambler’s Choice format allows riders to choose their own course to accumulate the maximum number of points they can in the time allowed. Different jumps are worth different point values. At the end, each rider has the choice of jumping the “Joker” fence, tonight set at 5’ 5” by course designer Richard Jeffery, which either adds 200 points to their score or subtracts the same amount. Laura Kraut set the pace on Joyous but was not able to hold the lead. Hough, appropriately dressed as Wonder Woman, kept the crowd guessing but in the end stole the blue ribbon. Ottaline knocked the top rail of the Joker, bouncing it out of the cups that held it in place – and right back into them. Kraut went home with second and Margie Engle on Callipo 12 earned third.

In the second competition of the night, the $42,000 Syracuse Corporate Team Challenge, team AXA, which consisted of Cara Raether, Joe Fargis, Aaron Vale, Lauren Hough and Michael Whitaker took first place. Only the best three scores counted and team AXA won handily, after a difficult start when Cara Raether was eliminated because of a fall. In the end, AXA was the only team with three fault-free riders (Fargis, Vale and Hough). The winner of the individual competition was a member of team Granny’s Kitchens. Norman Dello Joio on Quriel was faultless with the fastest time of the 27 horses that competed. Aaron Vale on Luigi was second and Lauren Hough on Casadora was third.

Both of Friday night’s competitions count toward points to compete in the Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup on Sunday. The top six, plus the winner of Saturday's $75,000 Budweiser World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse, qualify. The top-ten standings after Friday night are:

Rider - Points to Date

• Lauren Hough 205
• Aaron Vale 182
• Leslie Howard 180
• Beezie Madden 178
• Schuyler Riley 172
• Harrie Smolders 170
• Jimmy Torano 167
• Michael Whitaker 164
• Callan Solem 159
• Christine McCrea 159

Tickets for featured the weekend’s Open Jumper performances (Saturday at 2PM and 7PM and Sunday at 2PM) start at $7.50 and are still available for all performances,. Admission to all other events and to the Oncenter Exhibit Hall is free with a ticket to the day’s featured performance. In addition to world-class equestrian competition, the Syracuse Invitational offers free demonstrations, lectures, activities for children, the Budweiser Clydesdales and a program of live entertainment. Tickets are available through the Oncenter Box Office at 315-435-2121 or from Ticket Master (www.ticketmaster.com). For more information, visit www.syracuseinvitational.com.

Photo Credits:

“Wonder Woman” Lauren Hough Gambled Right in Friday night’s Gambler’s Choice costume class at the Syracuse Invitational Credit: Randi Muster

Schuyler Riley and Cincinnati Kid in costume at the Gambler’s Choice in Syracuse Credit: Randi Muster