Source:  USEF News Release/Helen Murray

Margie Engle in Fifth Place After First Round of the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final

 The Leipzig Exhibition Center hosted the first round of the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final- the speed leg, this afternoon and all 10 American combinations looked to get a head start on the competition. Frank Rothenberger set a scopey yet technical course that tested all 43 competitors in the 2011 Final and allowed for a number of different lines and options to be ridden. With the faults converted format, finding the correct balance between forward and efficient riding and careful jumping was the name of the game.

Margie Engle and Indigo. (Photo by Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group)

Margie Engle (Wellington, FL) piloted Gladewinds Farm, Garber, Griese and Hidden Creek Farm’s Indigo through the finish in a time of 65.62 seconds to stand in fifth place. Engle used all of her experience to guide the ground covering Dutch Warmblood gelding to an efficient clear round. A handy turn to the vertical at four and executing the inside turn to the ninth fence, the Rolex vertical, ensured the pair a strong result.

“I wanted to be in the top 10, and he was great. Once I started jumping, he felt like he really focused on everything and rode great.” Engle said of the ever-maturing Indigo, “He's never really gone in and gone fast in the first round, so I wanted to just go medium because he tends to be high strung normally.”

The next highest placing U.S. pair was Ashlee Bond and Little Valley Farm’s Cadett 7, finishing in eighth place. After the Holsteiner gelding demonstrated his scope at the tricky double at 8A and B, Bond elected to give the horse more time to the upright Rolex vertical by taking the outside turn and finishing in 66.44 seconds.

“I didn't do the outside turns because I thought it was too risky for the first day, but I am thrilled with the result.”

Richard Spooner, who like Bond qualified for the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in the North American West Coast League, also jumped a clear round on his longtime partner, Cristallo. The Glendale, CA, native made the same efficient turns as Engle, but elected to not completely put his foot to the floor. The pair jumped a classy round to stop the timers at 68.56 seconds putting them in 12th place heading into tomorrow’s second round.

The final combination to enter the ring for the U.S., Michelle Spadone and Morgan Hill Partners’ Uwwalon, also left all the rails in their cups. Spadone took extra time through some of the course, including making the outside turn to the ninth fence, in order to give the Dutch Warmblood gelding every chance to jump clear. They finished in a time of 73.67 seconds. They enter the second round in 24th place.

The runners-up in 2008’s Rolex/FEI World Cup Final, Rich Fellers and Flexible, left nothing on the table as they tried to gain the early lead in these Finals. Fellers rode Harry and Mollie Chapman’s Irish Sport Horse stallion to the quickest round of the day, finishing the course in 61.36 seconds. However, rails at 7B, 10A and 11 proved costly as the pair now stands on 73.36.

World Cup and U.S. Team veterans, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward, also looked to get the early jump on the competition. Both riders rode tight and efficient lines throughout the course but two rails apiece proved to be expensive. After rolling the rails at fences 3 and 9, Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Danny Boy finished on 72.42 in 18th place. Sagamore Farms’ Rothchild and Ward faulted at the first and third fences and stand in 21st place on a score of 72.99.

Kirsten Coe, Charlie Jayne and Brianne Goutal all gained valuable experience in today’s first round and look to improve on their performances throughout the weekend.

Germany’s Marco Kutscher and Cash hold the early lead after jumping clear and finishing in a time of 63.55. The second round of the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final gets underway tomorrow at 2:50 p.m. CEST in Hall One.

EY Cup

U.S. pairs bested their strong results from Wednesday in the EY Cup Finals today and again proved they are a force on the international stage. Jumping in Hall Three over Frank Rothenberger’s 12-effort course, riders had a tough challenge set in front of them.

Audrey Coulter and Rodenburgh's California. (Photo by Rebecca Walton/ Phelps Media Group)

Audrey Coulter and Copernicus Stables’ Rodenburgh’s California won by more than a second (their winning time was 47.40) over fellow American Caitlin Ziegler and Valencia. This was vindication for the pair after yesterday’s four-fault round. Coulter, from San Francisco, CA, rode a very forward round, knowing her horse had the ability to speed to a winning round.

“I wanted to go for it. Yesterday, I was really fast but unfortunately had a rail. Today, I figured I came here so I might as well go for it. I’ve had Rodenburgh’s California for about a year and, we’ve done a lot of big classes, and she’s great at going fast.”

Coulter had completed a clear round earlier in the class with her new ride, Victory DA, but chose a more conservative approach to finish 13th.

Ziegler (Mequon, WI) rode Artisan Farms’ Valencia to a great round, stopping the timers at 49.24. This is a new partnership but after today’s strong result the future looks bright.

“This is a new horse. This is only my second week with her. We didn’t really know what to expect. We decided there were a couple options, and we decided to go with it and do everything we could, and it really worked out. I’m very excited.”

Reed Kessler and Ligist, rebounded after yesterday’s atypical performance to complete a stylish four-fault round, after rolling the pole at the third fence.

Charlotte Jacobs, Cayla Richards and Katie Dinan all continue to gain valuable mileage in Leipzig, jumping classy rounds in the EY Cup.
The EY Cup concludes tomorrow with the Finale in Hall 1 of the Leipzig Exhibition Center at 9:30 a.m. CEST. All six Americans look to close out their time showing in Leipzig on a high note.

Watch live action from the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final on http://www.feitv.com/.

For news, videos, photos, blogs and results visit: http://usefnetwork.com/2011FEIWCFinals/.

Details about the Finals are available here: http://www.engarde.de/events/index.php?eventID=65.