Alexa and Rodrigo Pessoa Make It Double

Competition at the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival continued today with two classes for the open jumpers in the International Arena. The first win in the $10,000 G&C Farm Speed Stake CSIO went to Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) on Palouchin De Ligny, owned by Pessoa Stables. They recorded their tenth win of the circuit today over Beth Underhill (CAN) on Cantero Z, owned by Iron Horse Farm, and Laura Kraut (USA) with Tortola, owned by Beverly Widdowson. In the $25,000 ESP Jumper Stake, it was Rodrigo's wife, Alexa Pessoa, and Madison who were victorious over McLain Ward on Goldika 559, owned by Ward and Blue Chip Bloodstock, and Pablo Barrios with G&C Sinatra, owned by Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal.
The eighth week of the FTI WEF is sponsored by CN and concludes on Sunday, March 7. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and they will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

Anthony D'Ambrosio designed the courses in the international Arena today and in the $10,000 G&C Farm Speed Stake CSIO, there were five clear rounds out of 22 entries. The first to go clear in the class was Holger Hetzel (GER) on Lanzarote. They finished in 78.84 seconds for fourth place.

Beth Underhill and Cantero Z took over the top spot next when they went clear in 71.090 seconds. Her lead did not last long when Pessoa and Palouchin de Ligny, an 11-year-old Belgian homebred gelding by Baloubet du Rouet xx Chin Chin, entered the ring. They chopped eight seconds off of Underhill's time and finished in 63.02 seconds.

No one was able to come near Pessoa's time. Kraut and Tortola finished third with a time of 77.80 seconds, while Keean White (CAN) and Chanel, owned by Angelstone Farms and The Ashland Group, were fifth in a time of 79.23 seconds.

Pessoa thought that today's course suited his horse, but he was worried about Hillary Dobbs and the always fast Marengo. Dobbs and Marengo did beat Pessoa's time in 62.55 seconds, but had four faults for seventh place.

“I thought it was a perfect course for him,” Pessoa said. “The other day in the first class, I messed up coming into the double. The horse, if you ride him properly, you always have a chance to win. Today I was really worried with Marengo. He's always really fast and at this height he's difficult to get. I'm really happy with Palouchin. At this height, he's a lethal horse.”

With the announcement last night of trying to double the amount of FEI ranking classes available from two this year to four next year at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, even more top riders will have incentive to compete at the world's largest and longest horse show circuit.

“That would be great,” Pessoa agreed. “We're here, we're jumping for big purses and to add the FEI classes, it would be an addition to the great program that is offered here.”

In the $25,000 ESP Jumper Stake, 59 entries lined up to compete and there were nine clear round.

Paige Johnson and Chiron S set the class off to a good start when they had a clear round in the jump-off in 35.880 seconds. That would hold up for fourth place in the class.

Alexa Pessoa and Madison were next in. Pessoa set off on a good pace down the first line, but it was an amazing turn back to the double combination on the side of the ring that set her apart from the rest of the field. They kept their quick pace and galloped down to the last oxer to finish in 34.329 seconds for the win.

Only two other clear rounds would follow Pessoa; Ward and Goldika 559 completed the course in 34.838 seconds, just off the winning pace, for second place. Barrios and G&C Sinatra were third in 35.878 seconds.

Pessoa has owned Madison, a 14-year-old KWPN mare by J. Liberato xx Equador, for seven years. “She's been with us almost her whole career. It's difficult to explain, but when you know a horse that well, you know her limits and you know your own limits. It just makes it a little bit auto-pilot at this point. If she has one down, it's my mistake,” Pessoa said.

Having a set plan for the jump-off is something that comes after fulfilling that first clear round requirement, Pessoa said. “I don't like to think about the jump-off before the first round. I don't really go over it until I've done well in the first round,” she admitted. “I watched Paige go and that gave me a really good idea of what I needed to do because she rode everything just like I had planned. It was a great one to watch.”

Knowing that Ward and Goldika 559 were to follow, Pessoa didn't think anything was set in stone. “I didn't watch anyone else. I know that McLain and Goldika are blazing fast. I had resigned myself to anything and accepted that it might not be my day. With them coming behind you, you just have to give it your all and hope for the best,” she remarked.

This was Pessoa's and Madison's first win of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, and it was a great day for the equestrian family. “It feels good to win the same day as Rodrigo,” Pessoa smiled. “I wish he'd been in the jump-off with me. He had a little bit of bad luck. I always love when we can be in the jump-off together, but the win this morning was a good balance.”

Final Results: $10,000 G&C Farm Speed Stake CSIO

1. PALOUCHIN DE LIGNY, RODRIGO PESSOA (BRA), PESSOA STABLES LLC: 0/63.02
2. CANTERO Z, BETH UNDERHILL (CAN), IRON HORSE FARM: 0/71.09
3. TORTOLA, LAURA KRAUT (USA), BEVERLY WIDDOWSON: 0/77.80
4. LANZAROTE, HOLGER HETZEL (GER), HOLGER HETZEL: 0/78.84
5. CHANEL, KEEAN WHITE (CAN), ANGELSTONE FARMS & THE ASHLAND GROUP: 0/79.23
6. MURKA'S POM D'AMI, PETER CHARLES (GBR), OLGA WHITE: 3/93.96
7. MARENGO, HILLARY DOBBS (USA), THE DOBBS GROUP: 4/62.55
8. G&C NAPOLEON, LOISSE GARCIA (VEN), GUSTAVO AND CAROLINA MIRABAL: 4/65.25
9. PICCOBELLO DU VAL DE GEER, JONATHON MILLAR (CAN), MILLAR BROOKE FARM & IRISH OAKS FARM: 4/67.93
10. ULTIMO, ANGEL KAROLYI, (VEN), STRANSKY'S MISSION FARM: 4/68.23
11. UTOPIA, JOHN PEREZ, (COL), JOHN PEREZ: 4/70.77
12. MISSISSIPPI L.S., ALEJANDRO KAROLYI (VEN), ALEJANDRO KAROLYI: 4/78.63

Final Results: $25,000 ESP Jumper Stake

1. MADISON, ALEXA PESSOA, ALEXA PESSOA: 0/0/34.329
2. GOLDIKA 559, MCLAIN WARD, MCLAIN WARD & BLUE CHIP BLOODSTOCK: 0/0/34.838
3. G&C SINATRA, PABLO BARRIOS, GUSTAVO AND CAROLINA MIRABAL: 0/0/35.878
4. CHIRON S, PAIGE JOHNSON, SALAMANDER FARM: 0/0/35.880
5. KELLINE FONROY, CLEMENTINE GOUTAL, CLOVERLEAF FARM: 0/4/35.233
6. PREZIOSO S, LAUREN HOUGH, HIGHLIFE FARMS: 0/4/36.408
7. VINCE, JIMMY TORANO, BYNUM FARMS: 0/8/36.813
8. CASEY, DAVID TROMP, BEYAERT FARM INC.: 0/10/45.369
9. DRYDEN, IAN MILLAR, ARIEL AND SUSAN GRANGE: 0/WD
10. HH REBOZO, RODRIGO PESSOA, DOUBLE H FARM: 4/82.915
11. SELECT, PETER LEONE, LIONSHARE FARM: 4/83.421
12. LAS PRISOVO, JAIME AZCARRAGA, JAIME AZCARRAGA: 5/85.229