NICK SKELTON RUNNER UP IN WELLINGTON $50,000 GRAND PRIX
Sunday 24 January 2010
Great Britain’s Nick Skelton riding Beverley Widdowson’s Carlo 273 finished runner up in today’s $50,000 Grand Prix at CSI2* Wellington in Florida, USA.
Course designer Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL, designed a track with 13 numbered obstacles that included a line with the open water to a combination with liverpool. There were 40 entries in the first round, and six of those were clear to advance to the jump-off.
The first to go in the jump-off would prove to be unbeatable. Mario Deslauriers and Urico, a nine-year-old Dutch gelding by Zandor Z, were very neat and quick throughout the twisting jump-off course.
Following Deslauriers, Nick Skelton and Carlo 273 looked to be very fast as well. Skelton made a good turn to the final line and when they stopped the clock, they were just two-tenths of a second behind the winner with a clean round in 40.51 seconds, which would leave them in second place.
Skelton said, "This was the first time my horse has jumped a grand prix, and it was the first time he's been under the lights. I was happy with him. If he'd been third or fourth and jumped clear, I would have been happy. I was maybe a little bit slow to number one. That's where I'd say I lost it, but I was really pleased with him."
This is the second week of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, and the week two title sponsor is Purina Mills. Competition this week ends Sunday, January 24. The 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 4, 2010, and the circuit will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit.
For full results and more information, please visit www.shownet.biz or www.equestriansport.com.
Final Results: $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, CSI 2*
Horse, Age, Breed, Sex, Sire, Dam Sire
Rider, Nationality, Owner: First Round Score, Second Round Score, Second Round Time
1. URICO: 9yo KWPN gelding by Zandor Z xx Fedor
MARIO DESLAURIERS (USA), JANE CLARK: 0/0/40.34
2. CARLO 273: 9yo HOLST gelding by Contender xx Cascavelle
NICK SKELTON (GBR), BEVERLY WIDDOWSON: 0/0/40.51
3. PITAREUSA: 13yo KWPN mare by Andiamo xx Legaat
YANN CANDELE (CAN), SUSAN GRANGE: 0/4/37.98
Photo © 2010 Randi Muster/Mustphoto, Inc., Official Sport Photographer of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.