Tina Lund appears to be fine as she returns to the Tournament as a Spectator
The Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup is a unique three-phase competition. The Sporthorse Cup challenges different jumping and speed skills. Riders must use two horses in the event, which gives them the opportunity to choose a horse built for the particular phase.
The first and third phases are speed classes, requiring a fast, agile horse who is careful while maintaining speed. The middle phase tests the scope and power of the jumper and the rider’s ability to negotiate over jumps as they increase in height.
The winner of the $50,000 Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup is the rider with the lowest cumulative score.
Seven Riders made it to the finals.
Michael Whitaker
Michael Whitaker is a member of Great Britain’s first family of show jumping. His brother John nephew Robert and niece Ellen are all ranked in the top 100 in the world. Michael is not only the highest ranked rider internationally in his family, but also Great Britain’s highest ranked rider. He has four Olympic Games to his credit, including a team silver medal from the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Along with four World Championship appearances, Whitaker has been in six World Cup finals. It is no surprise to find him in the final seven.
Todd Minikus
Todd Minikus started showing at the grand prix level in 1985. He was the alternated on the US Olympic Team in Sydney and has 121 World Cup qualifier starts. Todd is 44 years old and likes to ride bulls for fun in his spare time.
Laura Kraut
Laura Kraut was part of the Silver Medal winning team at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany this past September. She earned her spot on the team by finishing third in the selection trials. Laura is also a veteran of the 2000 Olympics
in Sydney and has made six World Cup Finals appearances.
Georgina Bloomberg
Georgina Bloomberg is only 23 years old but she has 25 World Cup qualifier starts and has represented the US four times in Nations Cup competition with one win. This is Georgia’s first time competing at the Syracuse Invitational.
Beezie Madden
Beezie Madden is the hometown favorite from Casenozia, NY, and is currently the highest ranked American internationally being 4th in the latest World Rankings. Beezie began competing at the grand prix level in 1985. She was a member of the Gold Medal team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and part of the 2003 gold medal Pan American Games team. Most recently she collected the individual and a team silver from the World Equestrian Games.
Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard, 50, is one of the most winning riders on the circuit. She was a member of the gold medal winning team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the silver medal winning team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Howard’s record also boasts a
win in the inaugural $75,000 Budweiser Grand Prix of Syracuse in 2003 and last year’s Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup.
Richard Spooner
Richard Spooner, at 36, finished on the top of the Animal Planet rankings. It is his first visit to the Syracuse Invitational. He is a dominant force in the West Coast show jumping scene and currently ranks second in the West Coast World Cup standings.
The Order of go for the competition was:
Michael Whitaker
Todd Minikus
Laura Kraut
Georgina Bloomberg
Beezie Madden
Leslie Howard
Richard Spooner
Phase 1 - Speed Class
Michael Whitaker, first to go, immediately jumped into the lead and established the early time to beat at 47.21 The time would hold up until Leslie Burr Howard, the next to last rider to go came into the ring. As she had done in Saturday’s TK99 Speed Derby, Leslie again aboard Youp proved to be the fastest in Phase 1 of the Animal Planet Sporthorse competition She took almost 2 seconds off of Whitaker’s trime.
Britain’s Michael Whitaker who had won last nights Budweiser World Cup Qualifier on Portofino 63 finished second on another Insul Tech horse, Quidame Des Hayettes, while Laura Kraut on Cedric finished third in 49.23 and local favorite Beezie Madden was 4th on Conquest II.
Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup Phase I
1 Youp Leslie Burr Howard S’Blieft Group 0 45.34
2 Insul Tech Quidame Des Hayettes Z Michael Whitaker Michael Whitaker 0 47.21 3 Cedric Laura Kraut K & H Enterprises 0 49.23
4 Conquest II Beezie Madden M/M Joseph Patt 0 50.77
5 Apache Richard Spooner Richard Spooner 0 51.59
6 Pavarotti Todd Minikus Todd Minikus 0 53.79
7 Lancelot Georgina Bloomberg Gotham Enterprises 0 56.92
After Phase I, the speed phase, Madden was in the middle of the pack and Leslie Burr Howard and Youp were the pacesetters.
Howard’s lead slipped in the second phase when she and Youp had a rail in the second round of the four-bar competition during which the highest fence was set at 5’6”. Madden managed to make it through all four rounds of the four-bar, with Judgement successfully clearing the final fence set at 6’3”. Beezie, now ranked 4th in the World, showed that she deserved that ranking. Whitaker was again 2nd, this time aboard Up to Date 8 and Leslie Howard riding Hip Hop was third.
Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup Phase II
1 Judgement Beezie Madden Iron Spring Farm 0 50.77
2 Insul Tech Up To Date 8 Michael Whitaker Michael Whitaker 0 51.21
3 Hip Hop Leslie Burr Howard S’Blieft Group 0 51.34
4 Olinda Todd Minikus Houlihan Lawrence 0 53.79
5 Nockturnal Laura Kraut Pin Oak Farm 0 55.23
6 Ace Richard Spooner Richard Spooner 0 55.59
7 Don Cesar Georgina Bloomberg Gotham Enterprises 0 58.92
A fault-free Phase III would clinch the Cup for Madden. She chose to ride Judgement again, and the pair made it through the Grand Prix-type course without incurring any penalty points.
Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup Results
1 Judgement Beezie Madden Iron Spring Farm 0 50.77 $17,000
2 Youp Leslie Burr Howard S’Blieft Group 0 51.34 $11,000
3 Cedric Laura Kraut K & H Enterprises 0 55.23 $8,000
4 Insul Tech Up To Date 8 Michael Whitaker Michael Whitaker 0 59.21 $5,000
5 Cristallo Richard Spooner Richard Spooner 0 59.59 $4,000
6 Olinda Todd Minikus Houlihan Lawrence 0 69.79 $3,000
7 Don Cesar Georgina Bloomberg Gotham Enterprises 0 86.92 $2,000
I was there! It was great fun to watch! The crowd went nuts when Beezie won!
Also, the 4 bar class went to 6′3″ and Beezie and Todd both went clean! Very cool!
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