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Red Hot Leslie Howard Wins Acorn Speed Challenge at Winter Equestrian Festival

February 3, 2006

Wellington, FL – February 3, 2006 – Two-time United States Olympian and former World Cup Champion Leslie Howard’s red hot streak continued on Friday as she posted her third victory in less than two weeks of competition at the thirty-fourth annual Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. Howard piloted Rolling Thunder to the top of the charts in the first of two sections in the 1.40m Acorn Hill Farm Speed Challenge, topping a field of sixty-one for the win.

The Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, a North American League (NAL) event, was scored under Table II, Sec 2.1, Time First Round. 2004 Olympic Course Designer, Germany’s Olaf Petersen, is setting the challenges in the Internationale Arena this week.

Thirteen of the sixty-one starters produced clear rounds, while another seventeen toured the speed course with a single knockdown. Twelve competitors had eight, and eighteen had more than eight.

The early leader, Kimberly Prince and Alice Lawaetz’s Cinnamon, toured the course in 66.078 seconds, but were overtaken about halfway through the class by one of last week’s Acorn Hill winners, Darragh Kerins. Aboard Far West, owned by Heather Caristo, Kerins eclipsed Prince’s time by over seven seconds, crossing the finish line in a speedy 58.861 seconds.

Ten horses later, Kerins gave up the top spot to Olympic Gold Medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. Riding the Kinloch Enterprises’ Roadrunner, Pessoa shaved 7/10ths of a second off of Kerin’s time and moved to the top of the leader board in 58.140 seconds.

With his incredibly fast time, Pessoa managed to survive the challenge of fifteen competitors. He could not, however, fend off the hottest rider so far on this year’s tour, Leslie Howard.

Riding out of the fiftieth spot in the order, Howard, aboard Maggie Ferguson’s Rolling Thunder, never let off the gas pedal the entire way around the twisting and turning course. Flying home to the finish line located just past the famous Palm Beach bridge, Howard posted an amazing finish time of 55.728 seconds, a full 2.4 seconds faster than Pessoa. “I didn’t see him go,” Howard said following her victory. “So I went a little bit full out because I know Rodrigo is such a fast rider. I didn’t know exactly how fast he went, but when you walk in the arena and see Rodrigo’s in the lead, you don’t stop to have lunch halfway through. You keep your foot on the accelerator the whole way,” she beamed.

“He’s a really fast horse, an extremely fast horse,” she went on to say. “He turns exceptionally well, and he’s very game. I knew I went too fast the first day, and it didn’t work out in my favor; he pulled a rail. I know though, if I keep going fast with him, sooner or later I’m going to be a winner because he is just so quick across the jumps.”

“I got Rolling Thunder in August of last year,” Howard explained. “He belongs to Maggie Ferguson, and she sent him to me when Norman (Dello Joio) was having back problems and was having to back off on how many rides he could take. I always liked the horse and thought I would be a good match for him because he is a thoroughbred. We’ve had some nice success,” she said. “He won a class at Syracuse, he was third last week, and got the win today. I think he’s going to make someone a really top junior/amateur horse.”

Howard talked about her success so far at WEF. “At the beginning of the week, I couldn’t buy a ribbon,” she laughed. “It’s great. It’s fun to win. That’s why we do this. I have some really nice horses right now, and I’m very fortunate. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep my horses healthy, and as long as they’re healthy and happy, usually you get the performances you want.”

In the late finishing second section of the 1.40 Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, it was Acorn Hill Farm’s owner Robin Sweely and Carlow Clover emerging victorious over a field of fifty-eight starters.

Sweely, posting a time of 56.475 seconds, edged Canadian Mark Samuel and Darios V by 2.8 seconds for the win.

Acorn Hill Farm, owned by Sweely and her family, has been a long time sponsor of this highly popular Friday feature. Sweely was ecstatic with today’s hard fought victory.

Internationale Arena Saturday action at WEF includes the $20,000 1.50m Classic and the $25,000 Windsome Farm Dressage/Jumper Spectacular, Hit and Hurry. Sunday’s main event is the $60,000 Wellington Cup, presented by Carlisle, CSI 3*, for the Village of Wellington Trophy.

The North American League (NAL) runs season-long series in six hunter-jumper divisions – Children’s Hunter, Children’s Jumper, Adult Hunter, Adult Jumper, Pony Jumper and Open Jumper Speed. Each series culminates with a championship final at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA in October. Riders need not be members of the NAL to compete in any qualifying classes, but only current members earn points toward year-end finals. For more information, a list of qualifying competitions and results, please see the Ryegate Show Services website at www.Ryegate.com.

Results of Class 1005 A -$6000 Acorn Hill 1.4 Speed Challenge II, Sec 1 -Gold Coast Jumper Classic Presented by Carlisle CSI***2-3-06 
1 2393 LESLIE HOWARD ROLLING THUNDER 0.00 55.728 $1850
MAGGIE FERGUSON
2 1070 RODRIGO PESSOA ROADRUNNER 0.00 58.140 $1200
KINLOCH ENT.
3 1843 DARRAGH KERINS FAR WEST 0.00 58.861 $635
HEATHER CARISTO
4 1259 GABRIELLA SALICK GALANT 0.00 60.308 $400
MCLAIN WARD
5 1529 LAURA KRAUT CEDRIC 0.00 62.830 $325
K & H ENTERPRISES
6 3076 KIMBERLY PRINCE CINNAMON 0.00 66.078 $275
ALICE LAWAETZ
7 3161 ERYNN BALLARD FUTURIST 0.00 66.362 $275
W CHARLOT FARMS
8 800 LIZA LEHRMAN VDL PLATINI 0.00 67.641 $250
VDL STUD
9 864 georgine bloomburg NADIA 0.00 68.501 $250
10 2573 KATIE PRUDENT OLANTA 0.00 69.409 $180
PLAIN BAY FARM
11 2253 CANDICE KING COCO CABANA 0.00 69.956 $180
LOUISBURG FARM
12 2364 PAIGE JOHNSON PANDUR 292 0.00 72.656 $180
SALAMANDER FARM
13 984 JEFFERY WELLES SAMPRAS 0.00 75.176
ABIGAIL S. WEXNER
14 623 TODD MINIKUS OLINDA 4.00 56.772
HOULIHAN LAWRENCE
15 1752 COURTNEY PHIBBS BOYD SNEPTS 4.00 59.008
COURTLIN FRAE FARM

Class 1005B $6000 Acorn Hill Farm Challenge -Gold Coast Jumper Classic Presented by Carlisle CSI*** 22-1
1 335 ROBIN SWEELY CARLOW CLOVER 0.00 56.475 $1850
ACORN HILL FARM
2 2513 MARK SAMUEL DARIOS V 0.00 59.289 $1200
CHADBURN HOLDINGS
3 142 RAMIRO QUINTANA CAROUSEL 0.00 59.736 $635
MARY B. SCHWAB
4 3239 GUILLERMO WILLIAMS STANFORD ACAPULCO 0.00 60.311 $400
STANFORD GROUP MEX
5 2918 JONATHON MILLAR EURO BOY 0.00 63.035 $325
ALEXIS BAIKIE
6 2775 JIMMY TORANO ORMSBY HILL 0.00 63.176 $275
JIMMY TORANO
7 28 ANNE KURSINSKI GREAT POINT 0.00 64.577 $275
LILA KOMMERSTAD
8 2552 SHEILA BURKE HETOILE PLATIERE 0.00 65.728 $250
ATHLONE PARTNERS
9 2028 LAUREN HUNKIN RIDGEFIELDS ORLEANS 0.00 65.765 $250
RIDGEFIELD HOUSE
10 3169 JUAN ORTIZ OVILIER 0.00 66.450 $180
JUAN ORTIZ
11 2181 ANDRES RODRIGUEZ INDIEN D'ADRIERS 0.00 66.671 $180
ANDRES RODRIGUEZ
12 2345 DARRAGH KERINS EXTRAORINAIRE 0.00 66.889 $180
13 1261 GABRIELLA SALICK SOAR 0.00 70.047
MCLAIN WARD
14 2593 CARA RAETHER UBLESCO 2.00 72.289
TRELAWNY FARM
15 185 KIMBERLY PRINCE MARLOU 2.00 72.520
WINDMILL RANCH LLC

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