Goldika 559 and McLain Ward Win Opening Round of the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series for Second Year In a Row

Wellington, FL – January 27 - History repeated itself on Thursday afternoon at the 2005 Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. For the second straight year, Athens Olympic Silver Medalist McLain Ward aboard Double H Farm’s Goldika 559 emerged victorious in Round One of the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series.

The nine week long series of Thursday Grand Prix events is one of the major money qualifiers for the WEF finale, the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Today, 63 starters negotiated the first round course designed by Javier Fernandez of Mexico. Twelve horse and rider combinations survived the first round challenge to advance to the timed jump-off tiebreaker. Twelve additional riders jumped the course without jumping penalties, but a snug time allowed caused ten to pick up a single time fault for their efforts. Two other riders added two time faults to their first round clears.

In the jump-off Schuyler Riley and Opus Sept from the South Beach Stables led off with 4 faults for her one knockdown performance, crossing the finish line in 44.83 seconds.

Michael Morrissey and Eugene R. Mische’s Gera 28 followed and pulled two rails in the tiebreaker, scoring 8 faults in 43.58 seconds.

Laura Kraut, who qualified all three of her mounts for the timed encounter, produced the first jump-off clear with Joyous, owned by the Summit Partners. Kraut was clear in 43.82 seconds to set the pace.

Lauren Hough, aboard the Casadora Group’s Casadora, immediately grabbed the lead from Kraut, touring the course fault free and breaking the beams in 41.52 seconds.

Millcreek’s Marco Taere, owned by the Millcreek Stables and ridden by Yann Candele, produced the third jump-off clear in a row. However, they settled into second place behind Hough and Casadora with a time of 42.16 seconds.

Joe Fargis was next with Edgar, owned by Mary B. Schwab. Fargis became the fourth in a row to ride the tiebreaker without penalty, crossing the finish line in 43.82 seconds, placing him in a dead heat with Joyous and Laura Kraut.

Molly Ashe and Full Cry Farm’s Naomi moved into the International Arena and produced a stunning ride, but knocked down the final fence on the jump-off course. Ashe finished with 4 faults in 41.59 seconds.

Kraut then returned on her second mount for the tiebreaker, Milona, owned by Peter Wetherill and Happy Hill Farm. Kraut had the crowd on their feet as she flew around the short course, lighting up the scoreboard with a new top time of 41.24 seconds, 2/10ths of a second better than Hough.

The crowd never had a chance to sit down as Kraut’s top time was erased by the very next in the ring, Cara Raether and News, owned by Trelawny Farm. Raether pulled out all the stops and flat out flew to the lead with a clear round in 41.08 seconds. She was at the top of the leader board with just three to go.

Laura Kraut last chance would be with Miss Independent from the Pasmore Stables. With an early rail in the jump off, Kraut cruised home with a final score of 8 faults in 44.79 seconds.

Todd Minikus galloped in on Harry Gill’s Viktor as the next to last in the jump-off. Minikus brought the sitting crowd to their feet once again as he smoked the course. He had tight turns and a flat out gallop but the last fence came down. The scoreboard reflected the bad news that Minikus had the time, but had the rail, as well. He finished with 4 faults in 40.83 seconds.

McLain Ward and Goldika 559 were the last challengers. Ward cranked it up from the start, made some amazing cuts and let a very fast horse do her thing. Ward flew to the finish with a clean round in 40.62 seconds for the win, their second year in a row in the winners circle. “I was very fast to the double and made a very good cut back to the blue vertical, but the bottom line is, she’s just a very fast horse,” Ward said.

“In the first round we had to knock the rust off a bit,” Ward joked. “But then she felt in perfect form in the jump-off. That’s her forte. She’s so fast and so careful and I was just thrilled with her today,” he said.

Having the last spot in the jump-off doesn’t matter to Ward. “When there are ten or twelve clean you know that they’re going to be fast and some are going to be clear and fast, so you just go in and ride your round,” explained Ward.

Asked about his string of three top mares, Ward said they’re all different. “My three mares all have different personalities,” said Ward. “Goldika has all the heart in the world but she’s really a hot headed woman. Quickstar is kind of a slow, laid back hippie and Sapphire just knows she’s better than everybody,” Ward said laughing.

Official Results - $25,000 Wef Challenge Cup Series Round 1 Csi** Fei Art 238.2.2 Entries = 63 Level Nat

• 1 -$7500 Goldika 559 - Mclain Ward -Double H Farm- 0-0/ 40.620
• 2 -$5500 News-Cara Raether-Trelawny Farm -0-0/ 41.080
• 3 -$3250 Milona-Laura Kraut-Peter WetherillHappy Hill -0-0 / 41.240
• 4 -$2000 Casadora-Lauren Hough-The Casadora Group – 0-0 / 41.520
• 5 -$1500 Millcreek's Marco Taere -Yann Candele-Millcreek Stables -0-0 / 42.160
• 6 -$1125 Edgar 12 - Joe Fargis -Mary B. Schwab- 0-0 / 43.820
• 6 -$1125 Joyous -Laura Kraut-Summit Partners- 0-0 /43.820
• 8 -$750 Viktor-Todd Minikus -Mr. Harry R. Gill -0-4 /40.830
• 9 -$750 Naomi -Molly Ashe- Full Cry Farm – 0 -4/ 41.590
• 10 -$500 Opus Sept-Schuyler Riley -South Beach Stable – 0-4/44.830
• 11 -$500 Gera 28 -Michael Morrissey-Eugene R. Mische – 0-8 /43.580
• 12 -$500 Miss Independent-Laura Kraut -Pasmore Stables – 0-8/44.790

PHOTO CREDIT: McLain Ward and Goldika 559 win the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series, Round One. Photo by Randi Muster