Little Big Man and Laura Chapot Score Second Sunday Victory in $60,000 Kilkenny Internationale Cup at Winter Equestrian Festival

Wellington, FL – February 18, 2007 – The Kilkenny Internationale, CSI 3* wrapped up competition today with the highlight of the week, the $60,000 Kilkenny Internationale Cup. After winning the Sunday grand prix in week two of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and finishing second last week, Laura Chapot and Little Big Man continued their streak by triumphing in today’s class over Molly Ashe and Cocu and Erynn Ballard and Robin van Roosendael.

Today’s course was designed by Olaf Petersen of Germany. Petersen set a rolling track around the field that included 14 numbered obstacles. The course integrated an open water jump, a triple combination and a two stride set in front of the in-gate. It was not the easiest of courses, but five made the good list to return for the jump-off. There were six four-fault rounds and one elimination. After two-thirds of the 47 entries had gone, those who had faults or a refusal were choosing to retire from the course rather than continue, leading to nine retirements in all.

Chapot mentioned, “It was a really nice, flowing track. I thought there would be a few more clean, [but] it was fair and asked a lot of different questions. I thought he ended up with a good result.” Ballard added, “I thought it was big, but it’s the first Sunday I’ve jumped this circuit. Usually when it’s big, it’s encouraging for me because I have a horse that can jump big jumps. I love for it to be big and hope that he’s having a good day and rides well so that he can have a clear round.”

Returning first in the jump-off was William Lowry on Winsor Farm Sales’ Polygraaf. Lowry has had one solid performance after another in the grand prix events this year at WEF, and today was no different. Polygraaf had a consistent clear round going until the tight rollback to the Animal Planet vertical, the second to last jump in the second round. Polygraaf lost his footing and slipped and was able to muster the effort to jump the fence, but the top rail came down. Lowry finished with four faults in a quick time of 39.54 seconds, which would hold up for fourth place. The top finish will no doubt help his standing in the FTI Rider Challenge, where he was third before today’s class.

Next in were Chapot and Little Big Man. While Chapot did not seem to go all-out, she was quick through the turns and made nice galloping runs where she could. Little Big Man’s incredible carefulness left all the jumps up, and they crossed the timers in 39.08 seconds. “I just tried to be fast down the first two lines. I actually thought I was a little bit conservative at the last two fences just to make sure I was clear,” she asserted. “I probably could have been a little bit faster because he jumps clear anyway.”

Chapot did not watch Lowry’s entire jump-off ride. “I only could see part of his round, but I know that he is surprisingly fast for having such a big horse. I didn’t see him slip, and that’s probably good,” she admitted.

She explained that while Little Big Man is now a feared competitor in a jump-off, he was not always the one to win by time. “He’s become quite fast. When I first got him, he used to over-jump so much that he wasn’t very fast. Now he is very fast, and he is extremely careful,” she said.

Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui, who is owned by the triumvirate of Alex Boone, Richard Bass and James McNerney, were next to challenge, but a rail at fence two and at the first jump of the one stride left Farrington in fifth place with four faults in 40.22 seconds.

Erynn Ballard of Canada cantered in to try to beat Chapot’s time. The tall 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding may possess the scope to jump anything, but his skill in speed would be tested in today’s class. Ballard guided him to the jumps at a slower pace, going for the clear round. They posted a time of 43.63 seconds to finish in third place. “I know with my horse, it’s better to be double clean than slow with one down. My plan with him is to go double clean. He’s not the fastest and he’s not the easiest to turn, so that’s usually what we’re aiming for,” she explained. “If not, we’re a really slow four-faulter.”

Second place would be determined by Cocu and Molly Ashe, who rode for Jane F. Clark. While Ashe did not go for broke, she did keep a quick pace and neat turns. This helped them stay just off Chapot’s pace in 39.61 seconds for the red ribbon. Ashe recalled, “I didn’t see Laura go, but that was probably for my own well-being! I probably would have tried to go too fast. There’s no way the horse that I was showing could go as fast as Little Big Man, so I was trying to go as fast as I could and leave the jumps up. She did just that. She was great.”

While Ashe was not overly speedy, she was not too far off of Chapot’s time. “I didn’t know I was that close to her time until I came out of the ring. Having not seen her go, I just sort of assumed I was a good two seconds slower,” Ashe said. “That turn was very slippery going from the in and out back to the vertical. I sort of tiptoed my way through that turn, so I figured I ought to make up some time to the last jump. After the vertical, I really sort of ran down there and set up to the last jump. I’m very proud to be second.”

This was a great ribbon for Cocu, who has helped riders over the years to top honors and has jumped in huge competitions, such as the World Equestrian Games. “I think it’s nice for her because she’s been such a great horse for so many years for so many riders. It sort of pats her on the back and goes to show that she’s still a great horse and she still loves her job,” Ashe acknowledged.

For Ballard, this was her second circuit in Wellington with Robin van Roosendael. “This is my best finish in Florida ever,” she noted. “I’ve had him for four years. He has an amazing show record. There are very few classes he goes in where he doesn’t get a ribbon. He’s never going to be the fastest horse, but he’s always good for big classes. He’s a good team horse because you can use him a lot.”

“I have a fantastic horse. He’s one of a kind,” Chapot beamed. “I think he’s great every time he goes in the ring.” When asked that it means to do so well at WEF, she replied, “It means I have a super horse. I’m glad to have him and have the recognition that everyone thinks he’s as great as I do.”

Laura Chapot

Molly Ashe

Erynn Ballard

Results of CLASS 100 -$60,000 KILKENNY INTERNATIONALE CUP - Kilkenny Internationale February 18, 2007

T/A: 93.00 T/A: 55.00

1 1367 LITTLE BIG MAN LAURA CHAPOT USA 0.00 85.72 0.00 39.08 LAURA CHAPOT

2 594 COCU MOLLY ASHE USA 0.00 88.00 0.00 39.61 JANE F. CLARK

3 538 ROBIN VAN ROOSENDAEL ERYNN BALLARD CAN 0.00 91.87 0.00 43.63 LOOKING BACK FARM

4 601 POLYGRAAF WILLIAM LOWRY USA 0.00 88.05 4.00 39.54 WINSOR FARM SALES

5 1711 UP CHIQUI KENT FARRINGTON USA 0.00 83.61 8.00 40.22 ALEX BOONE

6 3628 HIDDEN CREEK'S QUERVO GOL MARGIE ENGLE USA 4.00 83.07 HIDDEN CREEK FARM

7 2109 HOT WHEELS DARRAGH KERINS IRL 4.00 86.87 MIRANDA FISCHER

8 74 TRUE LOVE SARAH SEGAL USA 4.00 88.60 ROBERT SEGAL

9 2939 PICOLIEN ZELDENRUST FRANKIE CHESLER ORTI CAN 4.00 89.37 SHER AL FARM

10 3072 RMW POWER POINT JAIME GUERRA MEX 4.00 90.21 ROCKYMT WARMBLOODS

11 469 OLIVER III JUDY GAROFALO TORRES USA 4.00 92.25 HIGHER GROUND FARM

12 831 CLAUS ANGELA K. MOORE USA 5.00 93.84 STEALAWAY FARM LLC

13 1516 LEVANTOS MARIO DESLAURIERS CAN 8.00 84.53 AVAILABLE JPRS.COM

14 2964 SAPPHIRE MCLAIN WARD USA 8.00 86.13 MCLAIN WARD

15 284 ONIRA BRIANNE GOUTAL USA 8.00 86.68 CLOVERLEAF FARM
 
 
 
 
Jennifer Wood for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
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