Nick Skelton Wins Grand Prix In Florida • Horse News March 2012

Nick Skelton Wins Grand Prix In Florida
British show jumper Nick Skelton has continued his amazing form during the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival by winning the lucrative $150,000 Wellington Reality Grand Prix CSIO 4* during a tough competition which had 48 entries from eight different countries.

Skelton rode the impressive 11 year old Holsteiner gelding Carlo 273 who is owned by Beverley Widdowson to victory in a time of 36.60 beating off tough competition from Laura Kraut (USA) who performed a brilliant clear to take second place with a time of 37.14 riding the 14 year old gelding Cedric, of Cherry Knoll Farm. In third place was Richie Moloney riding Ahorn Van De Zuuthoeve who rode superbly around Anthony D'Ambrosio's challenging course to finish just behind Laura Kraut on 39.76.

During the festival Nick Skelton has also had great success with Carlo 273 and his other horses Big Star and Unique, with Carlo 273 also winning the $32,000 WEF Challenge Cup in both weeks two and three as well as finishing in second place during round 8 of the Challenge Cup, while Unique also owned by Beverley Widdowson came in second during the $25,000 Suncast 1.50 Championship Jumper Classic close on the heels of eventual winner Chiron S ridden by Paige Johnson.

Big Star another of Nick Skelton's top horses has also been highly successful during the festivals many competitions winning the $32,000 Suncast 1.50 meter Championship Jumper Classic as well as the $80,000 Adequan CSI** Grand Prix.

Other popular competitions have included the $35,000 Hermes Puissance which was won by Paul O'Shea and Michael Hayden's Hanoverian gelding Primo Level who cleared the wall at 2.02 meters beating defending champion Pablo Barrios riding G & C Quivola.

06.03.2012