Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Cantano Go Clear to Win
The $32,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic was held under the lights on Saturday night at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center with a win for Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Cantano.
Twenty-six entries showed over a challenging course set by Michel Vaillancourt of Aiken, SC, and the pair completed the only clear round for the win.
With just one faultless round, no jump-off was necessary. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Cantano were the winners, and nine four-fault entries ranked in order of their times to follow.
Fellow German rider David Will and Giovanni 151, owned by Paul Schockemohle, had the fastest four fault round in 69.84 seconds to place second. Great Britain's Ben Maher took third place honors riding Mrs. Emma Phillips' Quiet Easy 4 to four faults in 69.91 seconds and also placed fourth with Miss Louise Flower's Rowan with four faults in 71.71 seconds. David McPherson put Great Britain in fifth place as well, earning four faults in 72.27 seconds with his own and Mr. & Mrs. Holtger's Chamberlain Z.
This was Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum's second 1.50m win during the FTI WEF circuit after also topping a class with her veteran partner Checkmate 4 during week five. Her ride tonight, Cantano, is a newer mount with lots of potential.
“This is a relatively new horse for me and our first win, so it was quite a big deal. He was outstanding tonight.” Michaels-Beerbaum smiled.
Canatano, owned by Octavia Farms, LLC, is a twelve-year-old Holsteiner stallion by Cascavelle x Acord.
“I got him in the fall of last year, so this is really my first big circuit with him,” the rider detailed. “He's a stallion, so he can be feisty, but he has a great temperament. I think I'm starting to get to know him better. We are becoming a team. He won a lot before I got him in California, but this was a major step for him and I together.”
The pair has done well throughout the FTI WEF circuit building up to their victory tonight. “This is one of the hardest circuits in the world,” Michaels-Beerbaum acknowledged. “He received some good ribbons early in the circuit. He was fourth in the two-star grand prix the second week and third in the WEF Challenge Cup during week three. Then we went through an adjustment period where I was trying out different bits, figuring out his mouth a little bit. I feel that now we have made a big step forward.”
She commented on the class tonight, stating, “I thought the course was difficult when I walked it; it was a real test. I found it was a great achievement for my horse and I together. To have a clear round over this type of course was a big step up for us in the right direction.”
Final Results: $32,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic
1. CANTANO: 2000 Holsteiner stallion by Cascavelle x Acord
MEREDITH MICHAELS-BEERBAUM (GER), Octavia Farms LLC: 0/78.26
2. GIOVANNI 151: 1999 Hanoverian stallion by Graf Grannus x Graf Remus
DAVID WILL (GER), Paul Schockemohle: 4/69.84
3. QUIET EASY 4: 2004 Oldenburg gelding by Quidams Rubin x Zapateado
BEN MAHER (GBR), Mrs. Phillips: 4/69.91
4. ROWAN: 2003 stallion by Animo
BEN MAHER (GBR), Miss Louise Flower: 4/71.71
5. CHAMBERLAIN Z: 2001 Zangersheide gelding by Chellano Z x Peter Pan
DAVID MCPHERSON (GBR), David McPherson & M/M Holtgers: 4/72.27
6. MAKAVOY: 2003 KWPN gelding by Hors La Loi II x Ahorn
JONATHAN ASSELIN (CAN), Attache Stables: 4/75.08
7. WATCH ME VD MANGELAAR: 2003 KWPN gelding by Heartbreaker x Wolfgang
MATT WILLIAMS (AUS), Samantha Tuerk: 4/75.85
8. KING KOLIBRI: 2002 Hanoverian stallion by Kolibri x Achill-Libero H
LAUREN TISBO (USA), Tequestrian Farms LLC: 4/76.21
9. HELLO SAILOR: 1999 KWPN gelding by Kigali x Indoctro
TINA FLETCHER (GBR), Lady P. Harris & Lady P. Kirkham: 4/77.67
10. AMOR VAN DE ROSTAL: 2000 BWP gelding by Peter Pan x Nimmerdor 147
MAC CONE (CAN), Chadburn Holdings Inc: 4/78.68
11. VADELINE: 2002 KWPN mare by Placido x Orthos
SCOTT SMITH (GBR), Mrs. Judith Studd: 8/73.74
12. VOSKE: 2002 KWPN mare by Hors La Loi II x Holland
TIM GREDLEY (GBR), Mrs. R. Gredley: 8/75.10