Ludo Philippaerts of Belgium Takes an Early Lead in the First Leg of the FEI World cup Finals

Source :  World Cup Las Vegas

With dancing lasers and exploding fireworks, the first leg of the FEI World Cup Finals got underway with a full house in attendance. Markus Beerbaum (Germany) riding Constantin 24 rode first in the order and set a time in the speed round that went unmatched for many rounds. Others tried to beat his time of 62.70, but few could. However, Ludo Philippaerts ( Belgium) on Parco found the route and the pace. His time of 61.57 took the lead and none could match it. Marcus Ehning ( Germany) was the 2003 winner in Las Vegas, and he finished second with Gitania 8 in 62.62. Beerbaum’s time was good enough for third.

Rodrigo Pessoa ( Brazil) on his World Cup Finals veteran Baloubet Du Rouet had the time, but a rail late in the course added four penalties to his time. He finished seventh with a 63.99. Kimberly Frey (USA) was the highest ranked American rider. Aboard Marlou, Frey finished fourth with a time of 63.12.

Philippaerts was thrilled with his finish, but also cautious. “I have had back luck in the past. I will take this day-by-day. Everything is good right now,” said Philippaerts with a smile. “All of the course was difficult and all the horses jumped well. I am very happy with my horse’s performance.”

Ehning found the third, fourth and fifth fences on the course, a big oxer off a short turn near the gate, to three forward strides to a wall, followed by a sharp bend to an oxer set on the end of the ring, very challenging. The distance to the wall (fence 4) was long, but it was a fair course. It was a good start to the competition.” Beerbaum agreed with his countryman’s assessment of the course. “The key jump was fence three. It was good fence there, and a very good course overall.” Course Designer Guilherme Jorge explained that designing in the Thomas & Mack Arena presents great challenges due to the arena’s small and odd size. “It is a challenge to builds a course for top riders. I didn’t expect this many clear rounds, but the best finished on top. I am happy that the others could handle it.”

Frey was thrilled with her finish. “I was nervous, but I believe in my horse 100%. She has the most competitive spirit of any horse I’ve ever known. She always comes through for me.”

Beerbaum was satisfied with his finish and relatively surprised to find himself ahead of his wife, Meredith Michaels Beerbaum, who rides shutterfly. Michaels Beerbaum finished a close sixth with a time of 63.30. “I only found out that I qualified for these Finals about two weeks ago when I got home from Florida. Tonight, the minute I went through the timers I knew I had a good round. As more horses went I realized I had a chance to make the top five.”

Tomorrow night the field returns for the second leg of the FEI World Cup Finals before the final selection is made for Sunday’s final competition.

The world’s top jumping and dressage horses and riders are in Las Vegas competing for the prestigious title of International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Cup Champions in both dressage and jumping at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The FEI Budweiser World Cup Jumping Final and the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, presented by Offield Farms, are being held simultaneously for the first time in history.

The World Cup Finals feature five action-packed days of electrifying equestrian competition. The schedule for the Jumping Final includes a heart-stopping speed class on Thursday evening, a nail-biting jump-off class on Friday evening, the Grand Prix of Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon, and of course, the illustrious World Cup Final on Sunday afternoon.

The Dressage Final features the world’s best dressage riders locked in a four-day battle to determine who will be crowned this year’s FEI World Cup Dressage Champion. The schedule includes the impressive Grand Prix on Thursday afternoon, an exciting Grand Prix on Friday afternoon for horses not entered in the Final, and the crowd-pleasing Musical Freestyle on Saturday evening.

More than 100,000 tickets have been sold with tickets purchased by individuals in 13 countries and all 50 of the United States. Better than 96% of the ticket sales have been to people who live outside Nevada.

The World Cup will also include a special World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) World Cup Team Hunter Challenge on Saturday afternoon. The first-ever Challenge pits the skills of four past WCHR Professional National Hunter Champions against four of Europe’s top show jumping superstars, including three-time FEI World Cup Champion and Athens Olympic individual Silver Medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil, Sydney Olympic team Gold Medalist and 2003 FEI World Cup Champion Marcus Ehning of Germany, five-time Olympic veteran and 1995 FEI World Cup Champion Nick Skelton of Great Britain and his countryman, three-time Olympic veteran Michael Whitaker.

The FEI Budweiser World Cup Jumping Final will be televised on NBC on Sunday, May 8 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The FEI World Cup Dressage Final, presented by Offield Farms, will be televised on Monday, June 6 at 4:00 p.m. EDT on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).

The FEI World Cup Jumping Final, started in 1979, is an annual showdown among the world’s best jumping horses and riders. This year’s Final features 33 riders from 17 countries. In the 26 finals held through 2004, United States riders have emerged with the most titles, having won the championship seven times. This marks the sixth FEI World Cup Jumping Final to be held in the United States, following Finals in Baltimore in 1980, Tampa in 1989, Del Mar, CA in 1992 and the two in Las Vegas in 2000 and 2003.

First held in 1986, the Dressage World Cup Final has been held in the U.S. only once, in 1995 in Los Angeles. Germany and The Netherlands have dominated the competition, winning six titles each through 2004. The United States won its first title in 2003 when Debbie McDonald of Hailey, Idaho and the magnificent mare, Brentina, emerged as champions. Brentina is owned by Parry and Peggy Thomas of Las Vegas, for whom the Thomas & Mack Center, the venue for the World Cup Finals, is named.

Las Vegas Events, Inc. (LVE), producer of 2005 FEI World Cup Finals, was founded in 1983. LVE has grown with Las Vegas as the city has emerged as one of the world’s top special event and resort destinations. A private, not-for-profit organization, LVE is funded by hotel room tax and serves as the exclusive major special events agency for the city. In its 21-year history, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 200 events, which have driven more than 2.5 million visitors to the area, resulting in an economic impact of more than $700 million.

Las Vegas Events, Inc. is grateful for the generous support of its many sponsors, such as Budweiser, the title sponsor of the Jumping Final, Offield Farms, the presenting sponsor of the Dressage Final, and Breyer Animal Creations, the sponsor of the Riders’ Lounge. Other sponsors include: Bally’s and Paris Hotels; Bellagio Las Vegas and The Mirage Las Vegas; Creel Printing; Coast Hotels & Resorts; Der Dau Custom Boots and Shoes; D.K. Saddlery; Equifit; Equisearch.com, the Official Online Partner of the World Cup; Hermès of Paris; Lake Las Vegas Resort; Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino; Merial Limited; Mikmar Bit Company; NBC Television; Platinum Performance; Practical Horseman ; Schleese Saddlery Service; Sidelines ; Style-Wise; Summit Dynamics; Triple Crown Custom, the Official Custom Blanket of the FEI World Cup Finals; the U.S. Dressage Federation; the U.S. Eventing Association and the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

Also signed on as “Friends” of the FEI World Cup Finals 2005 in Las Vegas are the American Warmblood Society, “Brentina: From Idaho to Athens, Presented by Rolex,” Cornerstone Hunters & Jumpers, Devon Wood Equestrian Centre, Diamond Legacy Breeding, DressageArenas.com, Dressage un Ltd, HorseDeals.US, Las Vegas Magazine, Nevada Equestrian Association, Royal Oaks Farm, Tish Quirk/Horses USA and Valley Horse News.

For more information on the 2005 FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals, please call Las Vegas Events, Inc. at (702) 260-8605 or visit the official website at www.worldcuplasvegas.com.