January 25, 2007

‘Captain Canada’ Ian Millar Wins Round 1 of the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup with the Appropriately Named In Style …

Overtaking Beezie Madden and Integrity in a Nine-Horse Jump-Off

Wellington, FL – With a starting line-up of 50 riders, Round 1 of the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup provided a tough challenge on day two of the Winter Equestrian Festival. In fact, “winter” was the appropriate word as a dramatic dip in temperature produced extremely chilly conditions and heavy gray skies. Fortunately, despite some morning showers, the forecast cloudbursts failed to materialize, although a persistent icy drizzle dampened the going as the afternoon progressed. It was one of those quirky days that occasionally interrupts Florida’s winter sunshine.

Those ardent fans who bundled up and braved the chill had to wait until almost the mid-way point in the competition to witness their first clear round, and although the time limit was extended from 78 to 80 seconds following the third rider, it was still tight for many combinations that followed. Among the early exits with falls were Keri Potter riding her own Rockford I, who stumbled at the first element of the treble combination – obstacle 10a – on the 13-fence course, and Irishman Cian O’Connor who was ejected from the saddle by Irish Independent Echo Beach.

Later in the draw, Laura Kraut narrowly missed a ducking when Cedric dug his heels in at the water, fence 5, but managed to cling on and, in fact, produced the “replay” of the afternoon when she re-presented the gray who appeared to soar 10 feet into the air before he safely landed on all fours on the turf. Although their basketball score put them well down the field, the pair completed their round without further mishap.

The first clear round of the afternoon came from Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui, who won the $25,000 RV Sales of Broward Grand Prix at the neighboring Littlewood Show a couple of weekends ago. On this occasion, their round wasn’t totally hiccup-free, but they produced a steady clear.

Canada’s Mario Deslauriers, from Bromont, Quebec, riding Paradygm, and Eliza Shuford with Gustel II soon joined Farrington, although Jeffrey Welles/Medici M and Eduardo Sallas Herrera/Landdame failed to qualify, despite producing clear rounds, beaten only by the clock. It was also an “unlucky” round for Laura Chapot riding Samantha, who had remained clear until the very last – fence 13 – when the gray tipped a rail: a similar fate that had earlier also sidelined Georgina Bloomberg and Nadia following an otherwise impeccable round.

Taking two bites of the cherry, Mario Deslauriers was the only rider who also maintained a clean slate with his second ride, Available Gilmore, and was immediately followed with a faultless performance from Wellington resident Norman Dello Joio and Quriel, owned by Anthony Weight and Eleanor Belknap from Jacksonville, Florida.

Number five to join the jump-off was the handsome gray Piña Colada, ridden by Todd Minikus, while Judy Garofalo Torres sneaked by riding Oliver II, with only 4/10ths left on the clock when they crossed the finish line. Completing the line-up, as the weather continued to deteriorate, Beezie Madden with Intregrity and Ian Millar, certainly in great form, riding In Style.

Sympathy for last to go, Darragh Kerinns from Ireland, however, who’d produced a textbook round with Orlando, but exceeded the time and missed the jump-off by just 8/10ths of a second.

With eight obstacles in the jump-off, including a double combination one from home, Farrington crossed the start-line with the very reflexive and uncomplicated Up Chiqui, and had they not lowered a rail at the very last fence, their 40.297 second round would have been good enough for second place instead of being relegated to fourth.

Mario Deslauriers’s first jump-off round didn’t appear to be that fast, but Paradygm wastes no time in the air, and despite a check going to the second element of the double combination, it was a well-balanced, clean performance that stopped the clock in 41.711 seconds.

For Eliza Shuford, Gustel II’s extremely careful approach loses a lot of time negotiating each obstacle, and they also lowered a rail at the last to finish with a four-fault round in 45.337 seconds for sixth place.

Rather than changing the jump-off order, there was a considerable delay while Deslauriers warmed-up his second horse, Available Gilmore, who then entered the ring looking rather spooky, and after lowering a rail at the mid-way point, finished in seventh place with 47.430 seconds.

A nasty skid in their approach to the second fence, a liverpool, for Normal Dello Joio and Quriel seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the course, which lacked the pair’s characteristic attack and flow and their subsequent eight faults dropped them into ninth place.

Todd Minikus and Piña Colada also appeared less than comfortable with the deteriorating take-off and landing areas, and a style malfunction over the first element of the double combination left them struggling for a good stride to the vertical and they lowered a rail. Their four-fault round in 44.612 seconds was good enough for fifth place. Likewise, although Judy Garofalo Torres and Oliver III gave the course their best shot, it fell short of the provisional target set by Deslauriers and Paradygm and they slipped into eighth place.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ian Millar steering In Style to Victory in the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup. Photo by PMG Pictures/Peter Llewellyn.