Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ claim the Gande Prix
Three-time World Cup champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil rode Champ 163 to victory Saturday night, besting 49 entries in the $75,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix.
The duo posted the fasted of three double-clear rides at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Week 7 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.
Pessoa, the 2004 individual Olympic gold medallist, bested the second-place finisher, Mexico's Nicolas Pizarro on Crossing Jordan, by less than two seconds (39.41 to 41.13 seconds) in the jump-off.
The 2006 U.S. Olympic team gold medal pair of Wellington's Laura Kraut and Cedric finished double clear in third place (42.16). More importantly, their first-round clear keeps the pair atop the leader board in the hunt to make the semi-final list for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to be held in Kentucky in September. The first round of the class served as Selection Trial 2 that will — in part — determine the long list of 15 U.S. WEG team candidates.
Olympian Lauren Hough and Quick Study posted a first-round clear ride, leaving them tied at the top of the selection trial list with Kraut and Cedric. Hough, of Wellington, finished fifth in Saturday's class after knocking a rail in the jump-off (40.64).
A clear jumping round with only one time fault put 21-year-old Hillary Dobbs and Quincy B in second place on the selection list.
Pessoa, who's been paired with the horse for a year, captured his first win with Champ 163, an 11-year-old Holsteiner Saturday night.
“I had to adapt myself a little bit to him,” Pessoa said. “He's a larger horse than what I'm used to.”
It was Pizarro's first time competing here and arrived last week to represent Mexico in Nations' Cup competition on Friday.
“I rode him two days and he was really nice, and I rode him today and he was fantastic,” Pizarro said. “My goal is to make the Mexican team for the WEG.”
Kraut praised Cedric, saying, “He felt great. I haven't felt him better ever.”
Double Olympic team gold medallist McLain Ward rode Rothchild to fourth place with a knockdown in the jump-off (40.46). Ward already has a bye onto the WEG long list with his Olympic partner, Sapphire. There are five additional discretionary picks available.
Hough said she is happy to be tied at the top at this point in the process.
“For me personally, the horse jumped the first round as good as he could jump,” Hough said.
Guilherme Jorge of Brazil designed the course, which featured 14 obstacles and 17 jumping efforts.
Eight horse/rider combinations posted fault-free first rounds; only five returned for the shortened tie breaker due to selection trial declarations. Those with multiple horses entered for selection trial purposes were able to qualify only the first horse ridden in Saturday's class for the jump-off.
Mario Deslauriers on Urico, Beezie Madden on Mademoiselle and Candice King on Skara Glen's Davos all posted first-round clears. But because the WEG contenders had already ridden another horse earlier in the class, they were not eligible for the jump-off with these horses.
Hough said she wholeheartedly favors the U.S. selection process.
“I am where I am in my career because of the idea that in America, everybody has a chance, and I think that's important,” she said. “I do believe in our process, and I think we have a lot of good riders here.”
For the first time, the WEG will be held outside of Europe and in the U.S.
“I think I can speak for all of us; we would love to ride in the championships in our country,” Kraut said.
Results (27.02.2010)
CSI2* Winter Equestrian Festival
Grand Prix – AM5
1. CHAMP / Rodrigo Pessoa (Brasil): 0/0/39.41s
2. CROSSING JORDAN / Nicolás Pizarro (México): 0/0/41.13
3. CEDRIC / Laura Kraut (EUA): 0/0/42.16
4. ROTHCHILD / McLain Ward (EUA): 0/4/40.46
5. ESTUDIO RÁPIDO / Lauren Hough (EUA): 0/4/40.64
6. CRISTALLO / Richard Spooner (EUA): 1/91.560
7. QUINCY B / Hillary Dobbs (EUA) 1/91.810
8. ATHENA / Charlie Jayne (EUA):4 / 85,790
9. GRAF LANDO / Robert Kraut (EUA): 4/89.93
10. PRESLEY BOY / Jaime Azcarraga (México): 4/90