Laura Chapot and Bradberry
Friday’s competition at the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) featured two classes for the 1.40m Jumpers in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) with a win for Laura Chapot (USA) and Bradberry in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge and a top finish for Todd Minikus (USA) and Babalou 41 in the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Jump-Off.
FTI WEF week two, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, continues through Sunday, January 19. The week will feature the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix CSI 2* on Saturday night, and the $10,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series Speed Class, Presented by The Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte, as well as the $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic, during the day on Sunday. The FTI WEF, held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, features 12 weeks of world-class competition through March 30, awarding $8 million in prize money.
Luc Musette of Belgium set the tracks for Friday’s classes in the International Arena at PBIEC. In the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge he saw 57 entries with 23 clear rounds. Laura Chapot and her consistent veteran partner, Bradberry, went early in the order and put down what would prove to be an unbeatable time of 59.731 seconds.
Nick Novak earned second and third place honors with his two mounts. Novak finished second aboard YB Blue in a time of 60.46 seconds and earned the third place prize with Springfield Tennessee in 62.931 seconds.
Chapot was happy with her win today with Bradberry, a 16-year-old Selle Francais gelding, and remarked that he was ready to come out and play. “It is really great for him to come out and be fresh and be as enthusiastic as he is,” Chapot stated. “He loves his job and I think he is very happy to be down here.”
The fiery chestnut gelding is always fast and could prove a difficult ride for some, but he is Chapot’s perfect type. “He really fits me perfectly,” she acknowledged. “I know he wouldn’t be a horse for everyone, but I feel very comfortable on him and he suits my style. We just mesh very well. He is like a second skin.”
The pair went very early in the class and were able to maintain their lead through the end. Commenting on her hold of the leading time, Chapot noted, “Sometimes it is nice to go early because you have your plan and you execute it without thinking about what everyone else did. It makes it hard to wait through the rest of the class, but I felt like he jumped very well today and the whole thing was very smooth.”
She added, “It is nice to win. He has been second twice and we have had like nine seconds (with all of the horses so far at WEF) and this is our first blue. Not that we’re complaining about seconds, but it is hard to get a ribbon here, so it is nice to win one too.”
A $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m jump-off class was also held earlier in the day with a win for Todd Minikus and Kathryn Haefner LLC’s Babalou 41. The class saw 85 entries with 34 in the jump-off and 23 double clear rounds. Minikus and Babalou 41 had the fastest time of 29.775 seconds. Laura Chapot and Quointreau un Prince, owned by Chapot and McLain Ward, finished second in 30.765 seconds.
Source: Equestrian Sport Productions
Finals Results: $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge
1. BRADBERRY LAURA CHAPOT LAURA CHAPOT: 0/59.731
2. YB BLUE NICK NOVAK NICK NOVAK: 0/60.460
3. SPRINGFIELD TENNESSEE NICK NOVAK NICK NOVAK: 0/62.931
4. CASSIS Z TEN HALVEN DAVID ARCAND SANTOS STABLES: 0/64.248
5. MARANON LS AIMEE ARON JANICE ARON: 0/64.696
6. APPLE 3Z PETER WYLDE ARAM AMPAGOUMIAN: 0/65.599
7. SHOOTING STAR LAURA CHAPOT MARY CHAPOT: 0/66.370
8. VASCO ADAM PRUDENT PLAIN BAY FARM: 0/67.147
9. UNGARO DE LA HOT COUTURE JENNIFER GODDARD STATESIDE FARM LLC: 0/67.286
10. DULIEN VEN DE SMEETS MCLAIN WARD BLUE CHIP BLOODSTOCK: 0/67.332
11. APHRODITE ALEXANDRA PAILLOT PAILLOT EQUINE CONSULTING II: 0/68.042
12. FLECU ALEXANDER ZETTERMAN ALEXANDER ZETTERMAN: 0/68.278